4/28/23 Football Articles

[aubiefifty 18,259]

247sports.com

AIQ: The future of scouting, recruiting and roster development

Jason Caldwell

7–9 minutes

On Thursday the NFL Draft kicks off in Kansas City and one of the things that many teams will be looking at as a resource in the draft process is something called AIQ. While the Wonderlic test is something that most people are familiar with because of its use in the NFL Combine, AIQ (Athletic Intelligence Quotient) is the next step in what is becoming a more thorough process to help organizations gauge what players fit what they’re looking for, on and off the field.

Developing the 30-minute test along with close friend Jim Bowman while in graduate school, Dr. Scott Goldman has seen things take off in a big way with teams in the NFL, NBA, MLB, UEFA and others taking advantage of the AIQ to help them learn more about the players on their rosters as well as learning more about potential players.

“The origin came about when I was in grad school,” Goldman said of the inspiration for AIQ. “I was learning about intelligence theory and at the time the debate was between Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning. They were talking about how Ryan Leaf was the prototypical quarterback and how he had a rocket for an arm. Peyton Manning was just a winner. I was like ‘I wonder how they’re measuring this and how they’re evaluating it?’ 

“I came across the Wonderlic, which was based on a theory from 1934, so I went to my friend at the time who is now my business partner (Jim Bowman) and told him how cool it would be if we created a different mousetrap. We spent about 15 years doing it.”

So exactly what is the AIQ and how does it work? That’s what they have spent years developing and analyzing. First, Goldman said they had to figure out what it was about sports that made things so difficult to figure out at times. That meant understanding what sports is at the root level, an unsolvable puzzle. 

“What are the cognitive abilities that you need to solve unsolvable puzzles? We have spent 15 years doing that,” he said. “We didn’t just look at athletes, we looked at firefighters and police officers, astronauts and others. If you think about a quarterback that is asked to scan the defense and identify whether it’s man scheme or zone coverage, it’s very similar to when a firefighter kicks a door in and has to identify the threats and danger from a fire as well as victims to save.

“That was its origin. We thought we had a pretty good idea. Then we brought it to the NFL back in 2012 and we published several white papers showing significant correlations for on-field performance, which is pretty exciting.”

So what exactly does it measure and how does it work? Goldman said to understand that you first have to figure out what you’re trying to find. That became pretty apparent the more he worked with coaches and athletic administrators during the early formation of AIQ when he was at the University of Arizona before moving the Michigan.

Figuring out it had a place in college athletics, Goldman said Arizona used it in every aspect of its programs, which is where AIQ could really begin to make an impact with the transfer portal becoming a huge part of every sport at that level. 

It has already been used in helping professional teams and even leagues try to understand players better to understand how they would fit in their organizations and the schemes they’re running. 

With the transfer portal now giving schools less information than ever on the players they are recruiting and a short amount of time to build relationships, Goldman said he feels like there are three keys to how the AIQ could begin helping college programs around the country become more efficient in how they build and handle a roster.

“I see three utilities here that have to do with the transfer portal and the collegiate level,” he said. “Number one, is this a good fit? Say you’ve got a receiver at school X that was only running three routes. He was a big, strong, fast guy that they said ‘run a post, run a flag, run a go’. That was it. Let’s say the guy enters the transfer portal and we think this guy is so physically gifted that he’ll be a great fit in our offense. We’re going to run an offense with multiple route decisions and things like that, things that are really complicated. If his AIQ profile suggests he might struggle with that, and that’s why the other school is only running three routes, that might be a good reason. It’s all about fit.”

“Two would be, we don’t care if he’s a bad fit because he’s got so many other attributes that we just can’t walk away from him. So it becomes ‘how are we going to develop him?’ That can be with the installs where coaches go ‘is this guy better off where we draw things up on a white board or better off when we’re watching film?’ That’s all about how you can teach most efficiently.”

“The third one is positional placement. This happens a lot more in college than it does the pros, but it happens there too. We did this when I was at Michigan. We had a guy, Jedd Fisch, who ironically enough is now at Arizona. Jedd Fisch was our passing coordinator when I was there. We had a wide receiver who was unbelievably athletic. Jedd Fisch was talking about how he was struggling and I jokingly said ‘why don’t we just throw him on the defense?’ He said yes and I asked could you really do that? We turned a receiver into a defensive back and really made him a cover corner. It was just like being gum on a guy’s jersey. The player we flipped ended up getting drafted, I want to say it was third or fourth round. Putting him in a position to have a better fit was that third element, just using someone to the best of his abilities.”

A test that takes 30 minutes on an I-pad, Goldman describes AIQ as ‘cognitive gauntlets and takes that are really meant to be engaging’. Comparing them to games such as Candy Crush and Tetris, he said they designed the test to be something that fairly and accurately helps to figure out the possibilities of how someone would fit in at the next level.

“When we designed it we wanted to make sure we were accurately capturing the cognitive abilities of anyone from anywhere,” he said. “We purposely created the test to be robust to where if you were born in rural Iowa or inner city Atlanta you could get a true capture. If you were born with a high socioeconomic status or a low socioeconomic status, we could get a good capture. Race, religion, none of that impacts the test.”

A former D1 baseball player at Auburn before spending time playing professional baseball in the minor leagues, Tyler Johnstone now serves as the COO for AIQ. Seeing it from both the athlete side as well as the developmental side, Johnstone summed up what it’s all about and how it’s the future of testing for sports teams around the world.

23COMMENTS

“The AIQ is a way to deeply understand the strengths and weaknesses of the players you are recruiting, but more importantly for coaches to properly understand how to adapt strategies and techniques to each player based on their learning habits, processing ability, etc,” Johnstone said. “We give a detailed analysis of a player’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses specific to their sport and position. 

“For example, a quarterback’s high learning efficiency gives him the ability to learn and recall the playbook quickly and accurately. Knowing this as a coach prior to getting the player on your roster, this will allow one to understand the possibilities or limitations before they even step foot on the field. In doing that, it can create a more cohesive bond between player, coach and team.”

">247Sports

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Auburn’s recruiting under Hugh Freeze is ‘100 to 1 change’ from previous staff

Published: Apr. 27, 2023, 10:04 a.m.

4–5 minutes

Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze is introduced during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Auburn and Arkansas on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023, in Auburn, Ala. High School coaches and recruits say Freeze already has made a big difference in Auburn's recruiting. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP

Foley High head coach Deric Scott just shook his head recently when asked how different Auburn’s recruiting has been so far under new coach Hugh Freeze.

“It’s 100 to 1 change,” he said. “You can quote me on that.”

Scott coaches one of Alabama’s top rising seniors in wide receiver Perry Thompson.

Thompson has been committed to rival Alabama since last summer but has visited Auburn on numerous occasions since Freeze replaced Bryan Harsin in November and said this week he plans to visit again. Ditto with two other longtime Gulf Coast Crimson Tide commits in Saraland’s Ryan Williams and Mobile Christian’s Sterling Dixon.

“He has brought more excitement there,” Dixon told AL.com recently about Freeze’s arrival. “A lot of people want to go see Auburn now. I feel like it is a different atmosphere there now. The coaches around him are great. Everyone is on the same page. They treat players and recruits like family.”

There is no indication at this point that any of those three Alabama commits will flip to the Tigers. However, just the fact that they are consistently visiting the campus seems to mark a vast difference from the way many recruits reacted for the previous two years.

“It’s totally different,” Scott said. “What coach Freeze is about and what he brings to the table is totally different than the prior administration. He has a magnetic personality. He is out recruiting for sure.”

Auburn currently has five high school commitments in its Class of 2024, including three in-state stars – Andalusia running back J’Marion Burnette, Moody defensive back A’Mon Lane and Anniston defensive back Jayden Lewis. Each of those are top 20 recruits from the state this cycle. Lane committed to the previous staff.

Freeze successfully flipped Highland Home’s Keldric Faulk from Florida State in the 2023 class and could use that one big commitment from a blue chip recruit this cycle. Could that be Central-Phenix City 5-star wide receiver Cameron Coleman?

Time will tell but already, in just his first full cycle recruiting class, Freeze is changing the perception of Auburn in many recruits’ minds.

“I would say it’s night and day, but it’s almost like black hole and day. It is that different,” said AuburnUndercover.com’s Jason Caldwell recently on Sports Talk 99.5 in Mobile. “It was pouring down rain (at A-Day). It was a nasty Saturday, and there were some guys who couldn’t make it. Ryan Williams was unable to get there and a few others, but there were a lot of really good players on hand for what they knew was going to be a not-very-much-to-see football game. They still came up. It’s crazy how different it has been.”

There is plenty of work to do obviously. On Wednesday, Vestavia Hills’ EDGE Jordan Ross – the top senior prospect in the state, according to 247 Sports – listed his top eight and Auburn was not included.

Still, in talking with high school coaches and recruits, the progress under Freeze already is significant.

“The staff did what they could do, but if your head coach doesn’t recruit then it’s impossible,” Caldwell said of Harsin’s tenure. “This shows you what happens when your head coach does get out there, and he’s recruiting at a high level. Kids react well. We’ve talked to recruit after recruit and they all say that, ‘no head coach is recruiting me harder than Hugh Freeze is.’ That is what it takes, and that wasn’t happening. When you do those things, it makes a dramatic impact.”

If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Trovon Reed gives interesting answer on Auburn quarterback battle

Lance Dawe

3–4 minutes

Reed had an interesting response when asked who he thinks Auburn's starting QB will be if they don't add anyone through the transfer portal.

Auburn football has yet to add a quarterback through the transfer portal.

Mostly because very few worthy of note have entered.

With only four days left in the transfer portal window, are the Tigers still waiting for the right QB to enter? Are they holding out for a graduate transfer after the window closes? Or are they okay with heading into the summer with what's on roster? It's a legitimate question that fans are starting to have considering the lack of movement in the portal.

Trovon Reed, Auburn's director of football and recruiting relations, has been an phenomenal addition to the Tigers' support staff, having become one of Auburn's recruiting leaders on social media.

Reed spoke earlier today at a local Kiwanis club. The final question of the day came from a reporter asked who Reed would put the betting odds favorite on who's going to be Auburn's starting quarterback in 2023, and whether or not Auburn is still recruiting a quarterback in the transfer portal.

Reed confirmed that the Tigers are still in search of a transfer portal QB, but noted that if (Auburn) is not going to get a top tier quarterback, the his bet would be on Holden Geriner being the starter.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze praised Geriner for his progression through spring practice a month ago, claiming Geriner "really, really, really stood out all week with his improvement and his play," calling his showing "impressive" and eventually allowing him to run the first-team offense during the pacing drills second-to-last week of practices. While struggling with inconsistencies alongside the other two signal-callers on roster, Geriner turned things around since he threw at Auburn's Pro Day last Tuesday with Cam Newton.

Zac Blackerby, host of the Locked On Auburn Podcast and writer for us here at Auburn Daily, tweeted out a text he received from a source within Auburn back in March:

"Text I just received from a source within the Auburn Football program," Blackerby wrote. 'I definitely believe Pro Day did something to Holden.' Added he’s taken big strides in practice since Auburn’s Pro Day."

If the Tigers don't get a quarterback in the transfer portal this offseason, could we see Holden Geriner take the reigns for the Tigers in the fall?

[aubiefifty 18,259]

247sports.com

Auburn DL Tobechi Okoli enters transfer portal

Christian Clemente

~2 minutes

Auburn defensive lineman Tobechi Okoli has entered the transfer portal, a source told Auburn Undercover.

Okoli, a 3-star in the Class of 2021, didn't record a stat during his two years at Auburn and only played minimally as a freshman in 2021. Okoli becomes the sixth Auburn player to enter the transfer portal, joining Powell Gordon, Desmond Tisdol, Kameron Brown, Tar'Varish Dawson and Jeffrey M'ba.

In the 2021 cycle, Okoli was part of Auburn's transitional class between Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin. Okoli was the No. 524 overall player, No. 67 defensive lineman and No. 7 player from Missouri out of Lincoln College Prep high school.

Auburn listed Okoli at 6-foot-5, 275 pounds and as a defensive end.

12COMMENTS

So far, the second transfer portal window has been pretty quiet as Auburn has lost only six players and only two have visited campus. Offers have been slim, too.

"We really weren't sure what to expect, and I do think it's been quite a bit slower," Hugh Freeze said at Auburn's AMBUSH Atlanta event about the second portal window. "I'm not sure that it's a bad thing. Of course, we have the SEC agreement that we don't go SEC-to-SEC in this portal, and so I haven't really kept up with the number of kids that would have been of interest to us. Outside of that, it's kind of been a bit slower than we anticipated."

">247Sports

[aubiefifty 18,259]

247sports.com

As SEC eyes heavier field-storming penalties, Auburn leadership prioritizes safety

Nathan King

5–6 minutes

ATLANTA — As thriller as a field-storming is in college football — the climax of a standout victory, with an entire student section’s worth of fans riding adrenaline down the bleachers and onto the grass — it’s undoubtedly a risky celebration.

And safety will be at the forefront for SEC decision-makers next month at the conference’s spring meetings, when possible penalties and regulations are set to be proposed by commissioner Greg Sankey and a working group of SEC athletic directors devoted to the topic, Sports Illustrated reported this week.

Having seen more than their fair share of field-rushing victories on the Plains, Auburn’s leadership will enter the discussions prioritizing the safety of students and student-athletes.

“Listen, nobody wants to take away the fun from the fans,” Auburn athletic director John Cohen said Tuesday before an Auburn AMBUSH alumni event in Atlanta. “But there is a safety element here that is very important. I think we all recognize that. Both of these guys (gestures to Hugh Freeze and Bruce Pearl) have been involved in situations — they've been in areas or on the court where the field was stormed. Safety has got to be the most important thing. There has to be a way to preserve the fun for the fans and create that environment that makes the Southeastern Conference so special — but also provide safety for everybody involved. I feel really confident we can get there.”

Jordan-Hare Stadium has been the site for plenty of monumental wins that led to fans storming the field — mainly when the Tigers take down their top-ranked rivals. Since 2017, Auburn fans have rushed Pat Dye Field three times: after beating No. 1 Alabama and No. 1 Georgia in 2017, and No. 5 Alabama in 2019.

Freeze celebrated on the field with Ole Miss fans back in 2014, when his Rebels defeated No. 3 Alabama, and the goal posts were torn down.

“I hope we have some games that we win (at Auburn) soon where people want to storm the field,” Freeze said with a laugh. “I hope we have some that it feels like you would want to do that. We would abide by whatever the administration and SEC decides is the safest manner to celebrate.”

The conference has dolled out millions in fines for field-stormings over the past few years, but to a high-level SEC athletic department, it usually feels like a slap on the wrist. Tennessee even used its fine from the SEC last season after beating Alabama as a fundraising tool, joking that the Neyland Stadium goal posts needed replaced after fans tossed them in the Tennessee river.

While many field-stormings across the sport come and go with no issues, there have been plenty that have featured injuries or altercations, usually between the home fans and visiting student-athletes. Most notably, after Alabama lost at Tennessee last season, Crimson Tide receiver Jermaine Burton shoved his way through the crowd before swiping at a female Tennessee student as he exited the field.

Sankey said this week in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Ross Dellenger that severe penalties are being discussed, including a team losing a home game off its schedule, or being banned from playing in a bowl game. The commissioner noted that nothing is finalized and there are less drastic proposals on the table, as well. The SEC’s working group on the matter consists of Alabama AD Greg Byrne, Georgia AD Josh Brooks and Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart, all of whom lead programs that have been part of more than their fair share of field- or court-stormings on the road.

“I don’t think just passing a rule can stop it,” Sankey said. “People have to stop it. Has the fine system changed behavior? Yes. Can you stop it? Sure. You can send teams into stands to celebrate with fans. We see that in basketball pretty frequently. You can educate your fans: Stay off the floor, we’re going to come to you and let's celebrate that way.

“There are positive ways to engage in postgame celebration that don’t involve rushing the field and tearing down goalposts.”

Auburn basketball’s rise saw Pearl’s team involved in fans rushing the court after Arkansas beat the No. 1-ranked Tigers during the 2021-22 season. Auburn fans last stormed the court after the Tigers beat No. 14 Kentucky in Pearl’s second season.

Pearl isn’t the biggest fan of flooding the court, though, and said he’d rather take the fans to the edge of campus to roll Toomer’s Corner.

“After one or two of those wins, I'm just gonna lead everybody down to Toomer's Corner and let's just throw toilet paper,” Pearl said. “That's what we'll do when we win.”

[aubiefifty 18,259]

247sports.com

Hugh Freeze hasn't seen 'no-brainer' QB for Auburn in transfer portal

Nathan King

3–4 minutes

Hugh Freeze knows Auburn fans are antsy.

He sees the tweets, after all, on an almost daily basis — fans sharing the latest transfer portal entries, convincing themselves why the Tigers should add them to the fold in their starting QB competition this coming season. And it’s no secret Auburn could use some help under center, where it collectively had one of college football’s least efficient passing games with returning signal-callers Robby Ashford and T.J. Finley last season.

But in what Freeze admitted earlier this week has been a surprisingly thin crop of available talent in the spring portal window, no one has jumped off the screen yet.

“I get the tweets, trust me,” Freeze said Thursday at an Auburn AMBUSH alumni event in Huntsville, Alabama. “‘There he is.’ Then I watch the film and I’m like, that’s really not the one I’m looking for."

Of the top 30 transfer quarterbacks in 247Sports’ ratings, all but two committed to their new programs during the first portal window. Auburn was involved with names like Devin Leary and Spencer Sanders a few months ago but didn’t end up signing a QB as part of its 12-man spring transfer class.

There’s not nearly as much experience on the market in the second portal window. Cincinnati’s Ben Bryant, who started 11 games last season, with 21 touchdowns to seven picks, is likely the top available quarterback, follow by former Old Dominion starter Hayden Wolff, who threw for nearly 3,000 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions last season.

“Truthfully, I haven’t seen one yet that I thought was just bam, that’s the no-brainer and he’s ahead of the ones we have,” Freeze said.

Auburn’s three-way quarterback competition between Ashford, Finley and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner was tight during spring ball, and there wasn’t much separation over the course of the 15 spring practices. Ashford and Finley combined to complete 51.4 percent of their passes, with eight touchdowns and 11 picks.

“I get excited about Holden, Robby, T.J. and Hank Brown, who’s coming in,” Freeze said. “... I’m going to be excited to coach the ones we have and improve them.”

3COMMENTS

The portal closes again in a matter of days, as players have until Sunday to submit their names in order to be eligible next season; of course, teams can add players from the available transfer pool after that point. The Tigers' pre-spring haul was rated as one of the best in the country, with key roster holes shored up in a number of areas, but they've yet to pick up any new faces since.

“There could be (a quarterback) that goes in tomorrow or the next day where I’m like alright, this one makes sense,” Freeze said.

">247Sports

[aubiefifty 18,259]

yardbarker.com

 

An Auburn fan's guide to the 2023 NFL Draft

Lance Dawe

5–6 minutes

---

The 2023 NFL Draft is almost here, and it should be a good one for Auburn fans.

After watching Roger McCreary become the Tigers' only selection last season, fans are excited to see more hype surrounding several players. Auburn could have as many as five or six players drafted when all is said and done.

Here's a guide for Tiger fans to follow through the weekend:

How to watch the 2023 NFL Draft:

• Round 1: Thursday, April 27, beginning at 7 p.m. CT.
• Rounds 2 and 3: Friday, April 28, beginning at 6 p.m. CT.
• Rounds 4 through 7: Saturday, April 29, beginning at 11 a.m. CT

First round order:

Auburn football's draft prospects:

Derick Hall, EDGE

Height: 6-3

Weight: 256

What he does well

Along with outstanding leadership qualities, it doesn’t take Hall long to track the ball once the play starts, using his honed instincts to get to whoever has it quickly. He’s a hard hitter, tackling with a burst of anger, and will always be in pursuit of the ball regardless if the runner (rarely) got away from him or not. His frame and freak athleticism is also a must-have for the modern day edge rusher.

What he needs to work on

Scouts probably would’ve wanted to see more quarterback pressures from him this year, and the injury he sustained against Alabama will cause some concern, as scouts that had him high on the draft board will probably wish he hadn’t demanded to go back into the game. Once the ball carrier gets away from him, he’s not going to be able catch up once the play is beyond the linebacker’s area.

Draft projection: Borderline round 1

Tank Bigsby, RB

Height: 6-0

Weight: 210

What he does well

Everything is there. Patience to let the run develop, agility to break away from tackles and his speed makes him a hard target to catch. He refuses to give up on the run and can force extra yardage after the tackle, bringing traffic along with him. The simple looks extraordinary with his burst of speed and ability to finish plays.

What he needs to work on

The one popular concern with Tank would be his hands. As a runner, he’s dynamic, but as a pass-catcher there are concerns with ball security and reading the routes. His decision making while trying to decide between speed or power has also cost him a few yards.

Draft projection: Round 4

Owen Pappoe, LB

Height: 6-1

Weight: 225

What he does well

Every scout who’s looked at him has immediately noticed his intelligence and ability to read the opposing offensive line to block the run. He possesses freaky athleticism and is a hard hitter with natural instincts during the game, and he uses his quickness to get to the quarterback. He uses his hands well to keep blockers from preventing him from breaking toward the opposing runner. His leadership skills are also a strength and his character makes him a “locker room” guy that every team, especially ones going through a rebuild, would want in their culture.

What he needs to work on

Perhaps the biggest problem, if he has ANY, is his size. Position scouts have listed him as undersized for the role of a traditional linebacker, but Kyler Murray is shorter than me and he still made it, so I wouldn’t see that as a reason to not draft him. When he doesn’t use his hands fast enough, he does have a hard time escaping blockers, and while he may not miss many tackles he still has a few where the opponent was able to escape from him, so his hard-hitting ability needs to be harder, which is absolutely coachable in the pros.

Draft projection: Rounds 4-5

Colby Wooden, DL

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Premieres Apr 28, 2023 7 am central

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Hugh Freeze likes Auburn football's current QBs, may play multiple in regular season

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

3–4 minutes

---

HUNTSVILLE — Speaking at an AMBUSH event Thursday, Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze felt the need to get something off his chest regarding his team's quarterback situation.

"I need to get this out there: I like our quarterbacks, all right? I guess I'm too honest and transparent sometimes, but I tell you the good and the bad," Freeze said. "Obviously, we need to improve that position. We do. Does improving it mean we improve the ones we have? Or does it mean getting one in the portal? I think it can mean both.

"I kind of get excited about Holden (Geriner) and Robby (Ashford) and TJ (Finley) and Hank Brown, who is coming in. Does that mean that we won't continue to look? Truthfully, I haven't seen one (a transfer QB) yet that I thought was just, 'Bam, that's the no brainer and he's ahead of the ones we have.' ... There could be one that goes in tomorrow or the next day that I'm like, 'All right, this one makes sense.' That's about as clear as I could put it, I think."

KEEPING TRACK: Auburn football transfer portal tracker: Here's who Tigers added, lost in second window

LOOKING AHEAD: Auburn football's 5 best 2024 NFL Draft prospects, and 5 more who can play their way in

NEW RULES: Why new clock rules won't have an impact on Hugh Freeze's offense with Auburn football

Freeze, who hasn't been shy in critiquing his quarterbacks throughout spring practice, said after A-Day on April 8 that the Tigers would be open to adding a QB from the portal, but didn't fully commit to the idea: "Do I think we can win some games with what we have? Yes. I do," he said. "But, you know, I don't want to ever be put in a box where I say something and I do the opposite. ... I don't know if we are (adding a transfer QB)."

In terms of what traits he's looking for in his future starter, Freeze highlighted a QB's ability to bring the locker room together, consistency in moving the offense and being efficient "at whatever the skillset is that we're asking them to do."

"Truthfully, I could see us playing a few of them early in the season," Freeze added. "I don't think you ever have the greatest judge in practice. There's a lot of things you can, but I didn't know Malik Willis was going to be what he was until we started playing games.

"And I said, 'OK, we've got something.' Bo Wallace was the worst practice quarterback that I ever had at Ole Miss, and the guy turned (out to be) maybe the most important recruit I had in the first year. He takes us to a bowl game in Year 1 and beats Alabama. So, I'm not sure that in our current state, if it remains the way it is, that we don't have some game reps for several of them to kind of see."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Hugh Freeze on QB battle, potential for transfer

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Auburn defensive back Craig McDonald re-enters transfer portal

Published: Apr. 28, 2023, 9:43 a.m.

Auburn safety Craig McDonald (24) during a drill on Day 6 of fall camp, Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. )Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics)Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

NEW!

By

Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Craig McDonald is on the move again.

Less than a year after transferring to Auburn from Iowa State, McDonald re-entered the transfer portal on Friday, he announced on Twitter. He is the seventh Auburn player to hit the portal since the start of spring.

Read more Auburn football: Auburn still in search of “no-brainer” quarterback target in transfer portal

Auburn’s recruiting under Hugh Freeze is “100 to 1″ change from previous coaching staff

Spring transfer portal window “quite a bit slower” than anticipated for Hugh Freeze, Auburn

McDonald, a native of Minneapolis, appeared in just two games for the Tigers last season. The 6-foot-2, 199-pounder first saw the field against Mercer. He did not record a stat for Auburn last season. This was after he played in all 13 games for Iowa State in 2021 while making three starts for the Cyclones and finishing with 41 tackles and a team-high two interceptions.

This spring, McDonald was seen with the fourth pairing in the rotation at safety, though he saw time with the second-team defense on A-Day. Still, he appeared to be behind a group that included Jaylin Simpson, Marquise Gilbert, Zion Puckett, Cayden Bridges and Caleb Wooden.

McDonald is the latest departure from the program this spring and the second in the last 24 hours after reserve defensive end Tobechi Okoli hit the portal Thursday evening. Auburn has also seen a trio of reserve linebackers -- Kameron Brown, Desmond Tisdol and Powell Gordon -- exit the program, as well as defensive end Jeffrey M’ba and wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. Brown has since committed to UT-Chattanooga, while Tisdol is headed to Florida Atlanta, M’ba is off to Purdue and Dawson is transferring to Cincinnati.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.