4/30/23 Football Articles

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Transfer target Isaac Ukwu visiting Auburn

JD McCarthy

~2 minutes

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Auburn is looking to land its first transfer of the spring window and one of the top players available is visiting. Former JMU edge rusher Isaac Ukwu has arrived on the Plains, he announced.

The graduate transfer entered the portal on Tuesday and already has over 10 offers. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound has had a winding journey since signing with JMU in 2017. He appeared in three games in 2018, missed the next two seasons with injury, and broke out in 2021 and 2022.

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He racked up 83 tackles, 27.0 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery over the past two seasons.

RELATED: Live updates of Auburn Tigers in the portal

The Tigers are recruiting him at the jack linebacker spot, where they have just four scholarship players. They added Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister in the earlier portal window but he is backed up by an inexperienced and unproven trio of Dylan Brooks, Keldric Faulk, and Brenton Williams.

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Former Colorado WR Montana Lemonious-Craig visiting Auburn this weekend

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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Just one week after putting on an amazing display at Colorado‘s spring game, it appears that wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig is heavily considering a new home in Auburn.

Auburn Undercover reported Saturday that Lemonious-Craig, who reeled in six passes for 168 yards in Colorado’s spring game last Saturday, is in town visiting Auburn just six days after entering the transfer portal.

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Lemonious-Craig was Colorado’s leading receiver in terms of receptions, as he hauled in 23 catches for 359 yards and three touchdowns for the Buffaloes last season. New head coach Deion Sanders has taken his share of criticism, as over 50 players from last season’s roster at Colorado have entered the transfer portal. However, the departure of Lemonious-Craig appears to have caught several people off guard, including Jackson State transfer and son of Deion, Shedeur Sanders.

“MLC is the TP right now,” Sanders said in a recent video. “That’s foul.”

Lemonious-Craig is a 6-2, 210-pound receiver who signed with Colorado as a three-star receiver from Inglewood, California in the 2020 recruiting cycle. His presence could enhance Auburn’s receiving room which includes Koy Moore and Cincinnati transfer Nick Mardner.

Check out some of Lemonious-Craig’s Colorado highlights below:

 

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Auburn offers North Texas LB transfer Larry Nixon III

Christian Clemente

~2 minutes

As Auburn continues to look and rebuild its roster, a new name has appeared out of the transfer portal as an option at linebacker. After entering the transfer portal on Saturday, former North Texas linebacker Larry Nixon III has been offered by Auburn, according to his Twitter account.

Spending four seasons at North Texas, Nixon III is a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining at his next stop. After redshirting in 2018, Nixon III worked his way into the rotation for the Mean Green, eventually becoming the second-leading tackler during the 2022 season.

Nixon III was a first team All-Conference USA selection in 2022 as he totaled 105 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He finished his career at North Texas with 246 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

Out of North Richland Hills (Tx.), Nixon III garnered a two-star rating as a recruit. He ranked as the No. 198 outside linebacker prospect in the country for the 2018 cycle with North Texas being his only known offer at the time.

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So far in the second portal window, Auburn has also hosted former Cincinnati linebacker Jaheim Thomas on a visit, as the staff looks to add to that room.

Already adding former Ole Miss linebacker Austin Keys and former LSU linebacker DeMario Tolan in the first portal window, Nixon III is listed at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, bringing a big, physical presence to a linebacker room.

">247Sports

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Former Ohio State wide receiver Caleb Burton is expected to visit Auburn this week

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

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Auburn football is expected to host Caleb Burton, who could be a great addition in a position of need.

The Auburn Tigers are expected to host former Ohio State wide receiver Caleb Burton on a visit this weekend according to multiple reports.

Burton, a former 4-star standout, did not see the field in his lone season with the Buckeyes. Wherever he chooses to transfer, he will have four years left of eligibility.

The Austin, Texas native had quite the roster list coming out of high school. He was offered by Auburn in April of 2020.

On last year's roster, Ohio State listed Burton at 5-foot-11, 169 pounds. He was recruited to play both the outside and the slot positions when he was coming out of the high school ranks.

Burton is expected to visit Auburn on the same weekend as former Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson and former Colorado wideout Montana Lemonious-Craig. All three would make Hugh Freeze's offensive roster better for the 2023 season.

The transfer window has been slower than many expected but things seem to be heating up at Auburn on the final weekend of the portal window before it closes on April 30th for undergrad transfers.

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Tracking Auburn players in undrafted free agency

Nathan King

3–4 minutes

The draft has concluded, but a handful of former Tigers are still looking to begin their professional careers.

Auburn saw five players taken in the 2023 NFL draft, heavily improving upon its output from last year, when cornerback Roger McCreary was the only player selected. Edge rusher Derick Hall and running back Tank Bigsby were drafted on Day 2, going in the second and third rounds, respectively, to the Seahawks and Jaguars. Saturday saw defensive lineman Colby Wooden go in the fourth round to the Packers, linebacker Owen Pappoe in the fifth round to the Cardinals, and kicker Anders Carlson join Wooden in Green Bay after being picked in the sixth round.

Within the next few hours Saturday evening, and into Sunday and the early stages of the week, a few more Auburn players will likely get picked up in undrafted free agency, or will receive invites to rookie minicamps in hopes of earning their way onto a roster. Keep track of the latest moves here. All times are central.

UNDRAFTED FREE AGENCY (latest update: Saturday 8:07 p.m.)

• EDGE Eku Leota —> Carolina Panthers (reported by The Charlotte Observer): The former Northwestern transfer was a productive pickup for the Tigers the past two years. Leota was second on the team in both sacks and tackles for loss in 2021, and had two sacks and five TFLs before a season-ending pectoral injury in Week 5. Leota had 15 tackles for loss in 17 games as a Tiger.

• TE John Samuel Shenker —> Las Vegas Raiders (per Auburn): The Tigers’ top tight end for the better part of the last four seasons, Shenker caught 68 passes in his career for 779 yards and three scores. He holds the Auburn record for tight end catches and Auburn, and No. 2 in yards.

• WR Shedrick Jackson —> Cincinnati Bengals (per Auburn): After biding his time as a blocking specialist early in his career, Bo Jackson’s nephew emerged as a starter in Auburn’s receiving corps over his last two seasons. The former 4-star recruit snagged 56 receptions over the past two years, with 744 yards and a touchdown. He ran an unofficial 4.25 on his 40-yard dash at pro day, which, if correct, would be the fastest in Auburn history and the fastest at this year’s NFL Combine.

• OT Kilian Zierer —> Houston Texans (per his agent): The No. 1 JUCO offensive tackle in 2020, Zierer started 16 games at Auburn, including all 12 at left tackle last season. At 6-foot-7 and 307 pounds, Zierer is originally from Germany.

AUBURN PLAYERS AVAILABLE 

• OG Brandon Council

• NT Marquis Burks

2023 NFL DRAFT RECAP

• EDGE Derick Hall —> Seattle Seahawks (second round, No. 37 overall)

• RB Tank Bigsby —> Jacksonville Jaguars (third round, No. 88 overall)

• DE Colby Wooden —> Green Bay Packers (fourth round, No. 116 overall)

2COMMENTS

• LB Owen Pappoe —> Arizona Cardinals (fifth round, No. 168 overall)

• K Anders Carlson —> Green Bay Packers (sixth round, No. 207 overall)

">247Sports

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Auburn LB Owen Pappoe goes 168 overall to Arizona in 2023 NFL Draft

Updated: Apr. 29, 2023, 2:39 p.m.|Published: Apr. 29, 2023, 2:08 p.m.

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Owen Pappoe can be "explosive and disruptive" in right scheme | NFL Draft analysis from Cole Cubelic

By

Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Auburn linebacker and two-time team captain Owen Pappoe is headed to the next level.

The Arizona Cardinals picked him 168 overall in the fifth round of the 2023 National Football League Draft.

Pappoe was a 5-star recruit by ESPN and 247 in the 2019 class entering Auburn when Guz Malzhan was the Tigers’ head coach. It didn’t take long for Pappoe to hit the field at Auburn. He started all 13 games in 2019 while posting 49 tackles and three tackles for loss.

The 6-1, 225-pound linebacker had 93 tackles in 2020 during his sophomore season. He also racked up six tackles for loss and three sacks.

High expectations for Pappoe in 2021 got dashed in State College during a loss against Penn State. Pappoe got injured and missed three games with a leg injury. Several draft boards ranked Pappoe high on their preseason lists, but the injury caused him to return for the 2022 season.

Pappoe bounced back in 2022 with 91 tackles and three sacks. He showed the athleticism that earned him the nickname “The Freak” when he left high school. His best last season was a 16-tackle performance in a loss against Ole Miss. Pappoe left Auburn with 256 tackles.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group

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Auburn DE Colby Wooden picked 116 by Green Bay in 2023 NFL Draft

Updated: Apr. 29, 2023, 12:42 p.m.|

Published: Apr. 29, 2023, 11:46 a.m.

Colby Wooden 2023 NFL Draft Preview: Edge rusher or Defensive line at the next level?

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By

Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Auburn defensive end Colby Wooden witnessed a lifelong dream come true on Saturday when the Green Bay Packer picked him as the 116th pick in the 2023 National Football League Draft.

Wooden was a 3-star recruit, according to ESPN, and got a 4-star evaluation by 247 Sports in 2019 before arriving on the Plains. He was a three-year starter for the Tigers with 152 career tackles, 30 tackles for loss, and 17 sacks as a stalwart for Auburn.

The Atlanta native made the 2020 all-Southeastern Conference freshman team as a redshirt.

Read More Auburn Football: Auburn’s Derick Hall selected in the 2nd round of 2023 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks

Auburn’s Tank Bigsby selected in 3rd round of 2023 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars

Wooden had 41 tackles and was third in the SEC with 9.5 tackles for loss one season after playing three games as a freshman. Wooden followed the 2020 season in 2021 with 61 tackles, seven sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 26 quarterback hurries.

Wooden started all 12 games in 2022, recording 45 tackles (11.5 for loss with six sacks), three pass breakups, and a team-high three forced fumbles.

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Seattle Seahawks have a spot for Auburn’s Derick Hall

Published: Apr. 29, 2023, 11:19 a.m.

4–5 minutes

Auburn used Derick Hall in multiple ways, but the Seattle Seahawks had one defensive spot in mind when they chose him with the 37th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on Friday night.

“He’s an outside backer that in the nickel stuff would be an outside rusher,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said on Friday night. “There’s no question for us. He and (Seahawks outside linebacker Boye) Mafe are very similar. They both run 4.5s. They’re both 250 or 60, right in there. They both are really aggressive, attacking guys, so I think you see us fitting the mold.”

Hall was an All-SEC defensive end in 2022 after receiving second-team recognition at that spot in 2021. In his senior season at Auburn, Hall recorded 60 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss and one interception.

“The last two years, I had to do a lot of different things,” Hall said. “I was on the line of scrimmage, playing outside, I played the end, I played outside backer, I dropped, I rushed, I was stacked back at the Mike position doing a whole bunch of different stunts, so I was moved around a lot.”

Carroll said Hall would join an outside-linebacker group that’s on the rise in Seattle’s 3-4 defense as the Seahawks seek to improve from last year’s defensive showing, when they finished 25th in points allowed and yards allowed, 14th in passing yards allowed and 30th in rushing yards allowed among the NFL’s 32 teams.

Seattle’s most frequent starting pair at outside linebacker last season were Uchenna Nwosu and Bruce Irvin. Nwosu started every game and tied for the team lead with 9.5 sacks. Irvin started 10 games, but he was not re-signed after the season. Mofe and Darrell Taylor played more defensive snaps than Irvin in 2022, and Taylor also had 9.5 sacks.

“We’re expecting big things from this group,” Carroll said. “It’s a good group. They were very productive last year, but I think we’re just scratching the surface. I think Darrell can have a huge year, and Chenna’s really excited about adding to what he did. He had his best season ever, and I don’t see any reason why that should fall off.

“And then having the chance to put Derick in that rotation – because we want to rotate these guys. We want these guys to play fresh and fast, and that looks like it’s taking really good shape.”

Fast was one of the operative words for the Seahawks where Hall was concerned.

“He’s really fast,” Carroll said. “Again, we added another fast guy to play on the edge. That will show up in particular if you’ve seen the highlights of his pass rush and how he digs into guys. Speed and power are really his strengths, and he pursues the ball really well. He chases it. Probably why that happens, why he gets those numbers is because of the motor that he brings. It’s really a constant. He brings it with great energy. He played a ton of plays. I think he played 80-some percent of the time last year.

“He’s a tough-minded kid as well. He’s going to really be a help for us on (special) teams because he fits right into all of the core areas. He’ll be a big guy for us in all that stuff.”

Seattle general manager John Schneider said Hall had boosted his stock during the pre-draft process.

“A really impressive pro day,” Schneider said. “Some of his deficiencies in his game during the fall, he really showed well to compensate for some of those things at his pro day.”

After choosing Hall in the second round, Seattle came back 15 picks later and added UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet to the roster.

“We drafted two grown men today,” Schneider said. “Huge competitors. Excellent human beings. Alpha-dog guys. Leaders. Derick and Charbonnet are just really impressive people.”

Hall and Charbonnet followed first-rounders Devon Witherspoon, a cornerback from Illinois, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, a wide receiver from Ohio State, as the Seahawks’ draft choice through the first three rounds.

“When we finished the season last year, we said we wanted to add some toughness and some juice to this football team,” Schneider said, “and we feel like we’ve really done that.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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https://twitter.com/CoachCaddy24/status/16524751https://twitter.com/CoachCaddy24/status/1652475183217754112?ref_src=twsrc%

@Shedjackson11 is signing with the @Bengals

 

 

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247sports.com

Tracking Auburn players in undrafted free agency

Nathan King

3–4 minutes

The draft has concluded, but a handful of former Tigers are still looking to begin their professional careers.

Auburn saw five players taken in the 2023 NFL draft, heavily improving upon its output from last year, when cornerback Roger McCreary was the only player selected. Edge rusher Derick Hall and running back Tank Bigsby were drafted on Day 2, going in the second and third rounds, respectively, to the Seahawks and Jaguars. Saturday saw defensive lineman Colby Wooden go in the fourth round to the Packers, linebacker Owen Pappoe in the fifth round to the Cardinals, and kicker Anders Carlson join Wooden in Green Bay after being picked in the sixth round.

Within the next few hours Saturday evening, and into Sunday and the early stages of the week, a few more Auburn players will likely get picked up in undrafted free agency, or will receive invites to rookie minicamps in hopes of earning their way onto a roster. Keep track of the latest moves here. All times are central.

UNDRAFTED FREE AGENCY (latest update: Saturday 8:07 p.m.)

• EDGE Eku Leota —> Carolina Panthers (reported by The Charlotte Observer): The former Northwestern transfer was a productive pickup for the Tigers the past two years. Leota was second on the team in both sacks and tackles for loss in 2021, and had two sacks and five TFLs before a season-ending pectoral injury in Week 5. Leota had 15 tackles for loss in 17 games as a Tiger.

• TE John Samuel Shenker —> Las Vegas Raiders (per Auburn): The Tigers’ top tight end for the better part of the last four seasons, Shenker caught 68 passes in his career for 779 yards and three scores. He holds the Auburn record for tight end catches and Auburn, and No. 2 in yards.

• WR Shedrick Jackson —> Cincinnati Bengals (per Auburn): After biding his time as a blocking specialist early in his career, Bo Jackson’s nephew emerged as a starter in Auburn’s receiving corps over his last two seasons. The former 4-star recruit snagged 56 receptions over the past two years, with 744 yards and a touchdown. He ran an unofficial 4.25 on his 40-yard dash at pro day, which, if correct, would be the fastest in Auburn history and the fastest at this year’s NFL Combine.

• OT Kilian Zierer —> Houston Texans (per his agent): The No. 1 JUCO offensive tackle in 2020, Zierer started 16 games at Auburn, including all 12 at left tackle last season. At 6-foot-7 and 307 pounds, Zierer is originally from Germany.

AUBURN PLAYERS AVAILABLE 

• OG Brandon Council

• NT Marquis Burks

2023 NFL DRAFT RECAP

• EDGE Derick Hall —> Seattle Seahawks (second round, No. 37 overall)

• RB Tank Bigsby —> Jacksonville Jaguars (third round, No. 88 overall)

• DE Colby Wooden —> Green Bay Packers (fourth round, No. 116 overall)

2COMMENTS

• LB Owen Pappoe —> Arizona Cardinals (fifth round, No. 168 overall)

• K Anders Carlson —> Green Bay Packers (sixth round, No. 207 overall)

">247Sports

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