5.2.23 Football Articles

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Auburn makes top five for class of 2024 offensive tackle

Andrew Stefaniak

3–4 minutes

Auburn made the top five for six-foot-eight offensive tackle Fletcher Westphal.

Fletcher Westphal is a six-foot-eight 305-pound offensive tackle from Leesburg, Virginia. 

Westphal recently released his list of top schools, including Auburn, Georgia, Clemson, Arkansas, and Florida. 

Brian Dohn is a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports. Here is Dohn's scouting report on Westphal. 

"Verified size and frame to be prototypical left tackle. Has length to match frame. Takes meaningful snaps on defense as well. Moved well and showed ability to bend during in-person evaluation. Despite size can sink hips and explode up and into defensive end when run blocking. Able to stay engage and drive legs to move defender. Is physical and finishes blocks. Has a nasty streak. Embraces competition. Fires off quickly as snap. Has quick feet and plays balanced. Shows strength in lower body to recover within a play. Good down blocker. Can scrape and get to second level. Strong initial punch in pass pro. Has length to cover edge. Has to continue to develop footwork when pulling to get out sooner and be cleaner leading the play. Has to continue to improve mirroring ability in pass pro. Increasing upper body strength will come with time. Multi-year starter at Top 20 program. Has NFL draft potential."

Coach Freeze was recruiting Westphal when he was at Liberty, as the school is located in Westphal's home state of Virginia. 

This has to be good news for the Tigers, as this massive tackle knows Auburn's head coach well. 

Westphal was recently on the Plains for an unofficial visit, so he definitely has interest in Auburn. 

Auburn class of 2024 quarterback commit Walker White sent a message to Westphal when he put out his top five schools. The message read, "First time I saw you, we were on a visit to Virginia, let’s start the recruiting process together, and let’s end it together!"

We already know how good of a recruiter Coach Freeze is, but Auburn's quarterback of the future might be even better. 

The goal now will be to get this talented offensive tackle on campus for an official visit in hopes he will play his college football at Auburn. 

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What could Auburn's 2024 draft class look like?

ByNathan King 21 hours ago

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Hugh Freeze obviously can’t claim any of Auburn’s 2023 draftees as his players, but the program’s improved draft output this year is nonetheless a good place for the new head coach to start.

Auburn saw five players selected in the draft — edge rusher Derick Hall to the Seahawks in the second round, running back Tank Bigsby to the Jaguars in the third round, defensive lineman Colby Wooden to the Packers in the fourth round, linebacker Owen Pappoe in the fifth round and kicker Anders Carlson to the Packers in the sixth round — bringing the Tigers back to having one of the strongest draft hauls in the country, after only one player was taken (Roger McCreary) in 2022. And Auburn feasibly could have had a couple more picks, had pass-rusher Eku Leota been taken in the late rounds, or if cornerbacks D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett had not elected to return to school for another year.

Highlighted by those secondary standouts, Auburn’s roster looks to have the makings of another successful draft class in 2024. Let’s run down who those NFL-caliber players could be.

CB D.J. JAMES

(Todd Van Emst / Auburn Athletics)

2023 classification: Senior (fourth year)

Way-too-early draft stock: Round 1-3

The former Oregon transfer had the opportunity to turn pro this year, even receiving a Senior Bowl invite. His draft stock was favorable after he was the SEC’s top-graded coverage cornerback, per Pro Football Focus numbers, in his first season as a Tiger. But he chose to spurn the draft and return to school for another year, making James Auburn’s top NFL prospect in 2023, with a chance to continue the program’s recent legacy of producing high draft selections at that position. With another comparable, All-SEC-caliber showing next season, there’s no doubt James would put himself in position to be an early draft pick, as one of the most efficient returning players in the conference.

CB NEHEMIAH PRITCHETT

2023 classification: Senior (fifth year)

Way-too-early draft stock: Round 3-5

Auburn’s starter opposite James, Pritchett also could have turned pro and likely been drafted. Instead, his return gives the Tigers one of the top cornerback duos in the league. Last season, Pritchett returned to playing on the outside the majority of the time, after a good portion of his snaps came at nickel in 2021, when he wasn’t as effective in the secondary. Auburn’s first-year defensive staff will look to highlight Pritchett’s speed and ball skills within the unit next season, after he was likely already on some professional radars after considering a jump to the NFL a few months ago.

RB JARQUEZ HUNTER

2023 classification: Junior (third year)

Way-too-early draft stock: Round 5-7

Before Tank Bigsby was selected in the third round Friday, Auburn hadn’t had a running back drafted in five years — since Kerryon Johnson in 2018. Could the Tigers now make it two in a row? Hunter touts a much different style as a ball-carrier than Bigsby, who fits more of the mold of a prototypical, one-cut NFL tailback. But there’s also plenty of value for a shifty player like Hunter, who will now get to display his full skill set for Auburn as the team’s top option in the backfield. If Hunter puts up impressive numbers and continues to improve as a player — as he’s done through his first two seasons with the program — he’ll at least have a decision to make at the conclusion of his junior year.

S JAYLIN SIMPSON

(Jake Crandall / Syndication: Montgomery Advertiser, USA TODAY Sports)

2023 classification: Senior (fifth year)

Way-too-early draft stock: Round 5-7

When Simpson made the full-time move from cornerback to safety this spring, position coach Zac Etheridge said Auburn did so because the staff believes Simpson can be a “Sunday player” there. Those expectations are based on the final few games of the 2022 season, where Simpson had to fill in at safety due to injury, and he looked like a natural on the back end of the defense. A loaded Auburn secondary includes plenty of other names who could make splashes in 2022 — like Keionte Scott, Donovan Kaufman and Zion Puckett — but Simpson might be the most anticipated of them all right now because of what he flashed at the safety spot last season. Auburn’s coaches have already set their expectations for one of the most experienced players on the roster, and Simpson’s NFL draft stock might in a strong position if he can deliver on them.

TE RIVALDO FAIRWEATHER

2023 classification: Senior (fourth year)

Way-too-early draft stock: Round 5-7

Our first transfer of this list is a player Freeze called Auburn’s most consistent pass-catcher over the course of spring practices. Fairweather is one of the most impressive athletes on the roster, at 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds. It didn’t take long for Fairweather to solidify himself as the Tigers’ first-team tight end in spring ball, and all indications are that he will be an integral part of Freeze’s passing game in 2023. Freeze has a history of effectively utilizing big-bodied tight ends and receivers, and that’s in addition to the production Fairweather already brings to the table from his time as an all-conference player at FIU: 28 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns last season. It’s been several seasons since Auburn had an explosive tight end in the passing game, and the early returns on Fairweather are that he’s capable of being one of the team’s most important overall players in 2023.

DT MARCUS HARRIS

2023 classification: Senior (fifth year)

Way-too-early draft stock: Round 5-7

Size, experience and production are all starting to rack up for Harris, the former Kansas transfer who’s now set to enter his third season as a starter along Auburn’s defensive line. At 6-foot-3 and 294 pounds, Harris has the chance to be Auburn’s alpha on the defensive front this season, after the likes of Wooden and Hall departed to the NFL. If he’s up to the challenge and can continue to develop as a versatile defensive lineman in a feature role, he’ll likely get an NFL opportunity. New position coach Jeremy Garrett in the spring called Harris the group’s most consistent overall player.

P OSCAR CHAPMAN

2023 classification: Senior (fourth year)

Way-too-early draft stock: Undrafted

For the majority of the past two seasons, Chapman has been one of the SEC’s most effective punters, including a stint of several weeks in 2021 when PFF graded him as the conference’s best. Now entering his fourth season as the program’s starter, Chapman should be in position to contend for All-SEC accolades and continue to improve his skill set into that of an NFL-caliber punter. Only three punters were selected in the 2023 draft, though, all coming in the sixth round or later, so banking on a selection won’t be as important for Chapman as getting himself prepared to impress teams as an undrafted free agent and in rookie minicamp settings.

TRANSFER OFFENSIVE LINEMEN

(Greg McWilliams, 247Sports)

Auburn’s offensive line is expected to take a nice jump forward in terms of overall talent and production in 2023 after a few seasons’ worth of subpar performances along the front lines. The Tigers haven’t had an offensive lineman drafted since Braden Smith in 2018 — and in that same vein, the program hasn’t had much consistency in terms of O-line play since that 10-win season in 2017. Perhaps one or multiple of the team’s transfer additions up front — left tackle Dillon Wade (Tulsa), center Avery Jones (East Carolina) or right tackle Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky) — could change that this season. All three had strong spring practices and seem to represent sizable upgrades from the quality of offensive line talent Auburn has been working with for the better part of the past five seasons.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

• RB Brian Battie

• WR Ja’Varrius Johnson

• NT Justin Rogers

2COMMENTS

• LB Austin Keys

• DB Keionte Scott

• DB Donovan Kaufman

• DB Zion Puckett

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247sports.com

Jason Caldwell's Monday morning quarterback column

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

Football portal thoughts

What had been a pretty quiet first two weeks for the spring transfer portal in football turned into a wild last few days for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers with everything changing in just about 48 hours. 

With Robby Ashford, Holden Geriner and T.J. Finley battling for the starting job in the spring, Auburn has competition at the quarterback position, but there’s no question that Freeze and his staff have been keeping a close eye on the portal in case the right guy opened up to add to the room.

The first shoe dropped when Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson announced his intentions to enter the portal. It didn’t take long for the Tigers to talk to him and he was visiting just a few days later. Coming off a shoulder issue, his health is probably the only question mark for a guy that has experience and has been very productive.

On Sunday another big addition to the portal happened when Michigan State’s Payton Thorne announced he was entering the portal. This is a two-year starter for the Spartans and a guy that has been very productive in mostly a run-based offense.

Taking over as the starter in 2021, Thorne set Michigan State records as he led the team to an 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl win, finishing the year as an honorable mention for All-Big Ten accolades and being ranked No. 8 in the final poll. Thorne completed over 60 percent of his passes for 3,240 yards, 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, also rushing for 181 yards and four touchdowns. Thorne's 27 passing touchdowns broke Kirk Cousins' single-season record at Michigan State. Last season Thorne had 2,679 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 62.5 percent of his passes. Thorne was a team captain for the Spartans in both 2021 and 2022.

It was going to take the right guy for Auburn to make a move. We’ll see what happens, but I think either Thompson or Thorne could be the guy that the Tigers were waiting for to join the fray in August.

A visitor to keep an eye on from the weekend is Appalachian State outside linebacker Jalen McLeod. He's a speed guy that could add some much-needed help at the jack linebacker spot for the Tigers. With his versatility, McLeod could give the Auburn defense the opportunity to be more multiple, which is a big deal.

Big weekend in South Carolina

Going into road trips at South Carolina over the weekend, both Auburn baseball and Auburn softball needed series wins, but for much different reasons. While the softball Tigers are firmly in the NCAA Tournament because of what they have accomplished this season, coach Butch Thompson and the baseball Tigers are still fighting to get into both the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament following a slow start.

Standing at 5-10 in SEC play at the halfway mark thanks in large part to a 1-5 record in road trips to Arkansas and Florida in the first three weeks, the Tigers did what few expected them to do in Columbia, beating the No. 2 team in the country on Friday and Saturday before pushing them to the limit on Sunday. 

14COMMENTS

Going 4-2 the last two weekends against Mississippi State and South Carolina, Auburn is now 9-12 in league play and back in the hunt for postseason play. Things don’t get any easier with No. 1 LSU coming to town this weekend after sweeping Alabama, but it’s another big opportunity for this team to make more noise.

For the softball Tigers, the weekend series at South Carolina was an opportunity to move closer to hosting a regional at Jane B. Moore Field. Winning two out of the three from the Gamecocks has made that much more doable with Mississippi State coming to Auburn for the final series of the SEC regular season. Currently third in the league with a 13-8 record and with series wins over both Alabama and LSU, another series win to finish things off this week should get the job done for the Tigers.

">247Sports

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flywareagle.com

 

Former Auburn QB solidifying himself as ‘greatest to ever do it’

Andrew Hughes

2–3 minutes

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Former Auburn football quarterback Bo Nix is solidifying himself as "legitimately close to solidifying himself" among "some of the greatest to ever do it" Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

 

Former Auburn football quarterback Bo Nix is “legitimately close to solidifying himself in college football record books among some of the greatest to ever do it” according to Auburn Daily’s Lance Dawe.

“Bo Nix is legitimately close to solidifying himself in college football record books among some of the greatest to ever do it,” Dawe wrote.

He then listed off a number of passing records he is close to breaking.

“The former Auburn quarterback threw for 7,251 yards during his three seasons at Auburn,” Dawe prefaced before saying, “That’s third all-time in Auburn history. He threw for 3,593 yards in his first season at Oregon, giving him 10,844 career passing yards. That ranks 89th all-time in college football history. If he replicates his first season with the Ducks again in 2023, he will have 14,437 yards. That would place him at No. 9 in all-time career passing yards in college football history, passing Colt Brennan.”

Former Auburn football QB Bo Nix enjoying luxury in Oregon he didn’t on Plains

The former Auburn football QB Nix was highly complimentary of his Oregon offensive line, which was ranked third in line yards during the 2022 season according to Football Outsiders, following the Ducks’ spring game.

“I think they do a really good job,” Nix said. “There are new faces, but still very talented players. You get them going together and they start communicating more and more with more experience and as we go they’re only gonna get better. With that group, the name of the game is just staying healthy and so doing what’s right throughout the season with their bodies.”

Nix never had much of a fair chance in Auburn after Gus Malzahn underrecruited in the offensive trenches in the years preceding and during his Tigers tenure. If he becomes an all-time great, a formidable pass-protection unit in Eugene will be a big reason why — though even with an underwhelming OL, Nix still played admirably under center for AU.

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flywareagle.com

 

Auburn DB ‘one of the most efficient returning players in the conference’

Andrew Hughes

2–3 minutes

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Auburn football defensive back DJ James was called "one of the most efficient returning players in the conference" by 247Sports' Nathan King Mandatory Credit: The Montgomery Advertiser

 

Returning Auburn football cornerback DJ James received high praise from 247Sports’ Nathan King — who called the 2022 transfer from Oregon “one of the most efficient returning players in the conference.”

“With another comparable, All-SEC-caliber showing next season, there’s no doubt James would put himself in position to be an early draft pick, as one of the most efficient returning players in the conference,” King said of the potential Day 1/2 draft pick in 2024.

King believes James is the top Auburn football NFL draft prospect Hugh Freeze has to work with in his first season on the Plains.

“The former Oregon transfer had the opportunity to turn pro this year, even receiving a Senior Bowl invite,” King prefaced before saying, “His draft stock was favorable after he was the SEC’s top-graded coverage cornerback, per Pro Football Focus numbers, in his first season as a Tiger — but he chose to spurn the draft and return to school for another year, making James Auburn’s top NFL prospect in 2023, with a chance to continue the program’s recent legacy of producing high draft selections at that position.”

DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett give Auburn football ‘one of the top cornerback duos in the league’

In addition to James, returning defensive back Nehemiah Pritchett was deemed 1/2 of what should be one of the top cornerback duos in the SEC according to King.

“Auburn’s starter opposite James, Pritchett also could have turned pro and likely been drafted,” King prefaced before saying, “Instead, his return gives the Tigers one of the top cornerback duos in the league. Last season, Pritchett returned to playing on the outside the majority of the time, after a good portion of his snaps came at nickel in 2021, when he wasn’t as effective in the secondary.”

New Auburn defensive coordinator Ron Roberts and returning cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff will have two highly-touted potential NFL draft picks at their disposal in 2023.

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Jeffrey Lee   Auburn offers ULL defensive back Trey Amos.

 

the articles behind a pay wall so we just get the headline

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Ohio State WR Caleb Burton blown away by his Auburn visit

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

One of the positions that Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze hopes to enhance this offseason is wide receiver. He took a step in the right direction last weekend by bringing in two candidates for a visit.

Former Colorado playmaker Montana Lemonious-Craig commenced the weekend by visiting campus on Saturday, with former Ohio State receiver Caleb Burton stopping by on Sunday.

Buy Tigers Tickets

The latter says that he truly came away impressed with his visit.

“Personally, I didn’t think it was going to be this nice,” Burton said of Auburn’s Woltosz Football Performance Center. “I’ve never even heard about this facility or ever seen it and it’s really nice.”

While on campus, Burton took a tour and had the chance to sit down with wide receivers coach Marcus Davis. He tells Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover that he gelled well with Davis, and was able to learn new things.

Burton was a highly-touted recruit out of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas in the 2022 recruiting class. He was a four-star receiver according to 247Sports, and was the No. 22 overall prospect from the state of Texas for the cycle.

However, he has not had the chance to see the field at Ohio State and is looking to make a name for himself at a new place. Burton received an Auburn offer on April 22, 2020, a few months before ultimately committing to Ohio State.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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College football: Phil Steele makes his preseason AP top 10 prediction

Nick Shepkowski

3–4 minutes

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There is something about this time of year that excites me. Sure, May generally means the weather is going to soon turn (not the case today if you live anywhere near Chicago), and the days will soon be filled with sunshine.

It also means that before long you’ll be able to walk into your local drug store or book store and college football preview magazines will be lining the shelves. I’ve always enjoyed reading them and as odd as it probably sounds, I genuinely think the excitement of getting a college football preview magazine helped lay the groundwork to why I turned into such a fan of the sport at a young age.

I digress, though. One of my favorites each summer is the magazine (or more accurately – college football bible) that Phil Steele puts together. It’s loaded with information as he capitalizes on the access he gets to so many coaches and programs.

Before his magazine goes to print, Steele also releases a variety of items through his website. One such piece is when he projects the Associated Press preseason top 10. He does it annually and usually does it rather well.

He already has that out for this year. A quick glance shows Notre Dame just cracking the top 10 as the Irish welcome the Sam Hartman era (or season) along with a new play-caller, no Michael Mayer, and what should be one of the best offensive lines in football.

Below is the top 10 Steele projects the AP Poll to resemble when its released in August.

Notre Dame

Bob Self/Florida Times-Union

Last season: 9-4 overall, won Gator Bowl vs. South Carolina

Southern Cal

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Last season: 11-3, lost Cotton Bowl vs. Tulane

Visit Trojans Wire for everything regarding USC football

Clemson

Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Last season: 11-3, lost Orange Bowl vs. Tennessee

For more information on the Tigers be sure to check out Clemson Wire

Florida State

Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Last season: 10-3, beat Oklahoma in Cheez-It Bowl

LSU

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Last season: 10-4, beat Purdue in Citrus Bowl

For more on Brian Kelly and the Bayou Bengals, visit LSU Tigers Wire

Penn State

Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Last season: 11-2, beat Utah in Rose Bowl

For more on Penn State football visit Nittany Lions Wire

Michigan

USA TODAY SPORTS

Last season: 13-1, lost to TCU in College Football Playoff Semi-final (Fiesta Bowl)

For all your Michigan needs visit Wolverines Wire

Ohio State

Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Last season: 11-2, lost to Georgia in College Football Playoff Semi-Final (Peach Bowl)

For all of your Ohio State information visit Buckeyes Wire

Alabama

Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Last season: Beat Kansas State in Sugar Bowl

Georgia

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Last season: 15-0, national champions

For all of your Georgia needs visit UGA Wire

Story originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire

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