5.17.23 Football Articles

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Former North Texas LB Larry Nixon III commits to Auburn

Christian Clemente

33–42 minutes

The former North Texas standout arrives with one year of eligibility remaining.

AUBURN, Alabama — A first team All-Conference USA selection will spend his final year of collegiate eligibility at Auburn.

Former North Texas linebacker Larry Nixon III announced on Tuesday his commitment to Auburn, choosing the Tigers over Miami and West Virginia. Nixon III visited Miami last weekend, with trips to Auburn and West Virginia over this past weekend. His transfer commitment is the second of the day for Auburn — and the second former North Texas transfer — as he joins wide receiver transfer Jyaire Shorter.

Ultimately, the SEC was his choice.

"Being in Auburn, it’s crazy," Nixon III said. "You can’t beat that stadium, being in the SEC."

Spending five 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.

After landing Austin Keys and DeMario Tolan in the first portal window, Keys solidified his role as Auburn's mike linebacker in spring practice. Nixon III is expected to play at will linebacker, along with Tolan.

"Speed, coverage ability," Nixon III said. "I can get one-on-ones, blitzing ability and everything. That’s what they’re looking for out of me. Everything I just saw on film now is perfect. I can do everything that they want me to do."

In the 247Sports transfer portal player rankings, Nixon III is a 3-star and the No. 418 overall player. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 35 linebacker. Auburn currently holds the No. 3 class in the 247Sports transfer portal team rankings.

Nixon III is transfer pickup No. 6 for Auburn in the second portal window, joining Shorter, former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne, former Ohio State receiver Caleb Burton, former Tulsa offensive lineman Jaden Muskrat and former App State edge rusher Jalen McLeod.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Payton Thorne's commitment to Auburn was an 'easy decision'

Daniel Locke

~2 minutes

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The news of former Michigan State Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne announcing his decision to play for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers is only a few weeks old, but everyone from the fans of the program to Freeze and Thorne himself seems to be excited about the pairing.

Thorne joined a recent episode of the MAX Roundtable hosted by Doug Amos who asked the former Spartan what drew him to Auburn.

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You know when I was down for my visit, I was there for a day,” Thorne said. “Just an unofficial visit, but you know it was a great time. I obviously got to meet Coach Freeze and Coach Montgomery and listen to them talk football and watching what they do on offense, along with many other things, getting to see the facilities getting to see the town. Then just everything that I’ve heard about Auburn and Auburn football has been nothing but great things. I was very excited when I was down there with my dad; we talked for a while about it, and Coach Freeze made it an easy decision for me.”

Thorne was a three-star recruit coming out of Matea Valley High School in the class of 2019. The Naperville, Illinois native was the No. 18 ranked dual-threat quarterback and the No. 16 ranked player in the state of Illinois according to 247Sports.

Thorne played four seasons for Michigan State, starting two of them. In 2022 Thorne went 242-387 for 2,679 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Thorne is the front-runner for the starting quarterback position for the Tigers in 2023, expected to beat out Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner.

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 Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke

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SEC football recruiting grades Georgia earns A as Dylan Raiola commits while LSU Alabama also stand out

Chance Linton

49–62 minutes

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Checking in on the SEC recruiting classes with spring winding down…

The 2024 recruiting cycle is heating up with the spring winding down and summer approaching, but several SEC schools are already making waves on the recruiting trail. On a recent episode of 247Sports’ College Football Recruiting Show, 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins handed out his mid-spring recruiting grades for every SEC program in the 2024 cycle.

According to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, the SEC currently boasts 12 of the top-50 recruiting classes in the country.

That includes seven teams ranked inside the top-20 nationally, headlined by two of the top four classes in the country.

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Below are Ivins’ grades for every SEC team up to this point in the 2024 recruiting cycle, along with where they stand in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Georgia Bulldogs: A+

5-star QB Dylan Raiola (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 245.86

Class rank: National — No. 2 | SEC — No. 1

Total commits: 12

Average rating: 94.90

From Ivins: “As crazy as it sounds, anytime I talk with someone in Athens, they continue to bring up how this is such a pivotal class for them — they have to get dudes on campus. And UGA, right now, it feels like they’re just drafting on the defensive side of the ball. They continue to get talent there. … So, Georgia, it’s a fine-tuned machine right now. Not surprising.”

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LSU Tigers: A+

4-star TE Trey'Dez Green (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 226.96

Class rank: National — No. 5 | SEC — No. 2

Total commits: 15

Average rating: 90.39

From Ivins: “We saw in that initial 2023 class, that first cycle for (Brian Kelly’s staff), they recruited nationwide. Fast forward to this 2024 class, he’s already got seven prospects from the state of Louisiana committed. LSU leads on the Crystal Ball for three more guys right in their backyard, so it seems like LSU has figured things out. … They love to use the tight ends, get them involved, that’s kind of the X-factor for the Tigers on offense, and I think (Top247 tight end commits Trey’Dez Green and Tayvion Galloway) are as good of a duo as you’re going to find so far in the 2024 cycle. … So, I really like the group LSU has assembled. I think this is exactly what the Tigers needed to do, and we’ll see how they finish it out.”

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Alabama Crimson Tide: A

4-star QB Julian Sayin (Photo: 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 145.45

Class rank: National — No. 20 | SEC — No. 7

Total commits: 6

Average rating: 95.42

From Ivins: “I mean, they only have a few guys committed right now. And I always caution people this time of the year when we talk about the Crimson Tide, they really haven’t took that recruiting machine out of the driveway yet and put it into drive. Traditionally, July and August is when they start picking up all of their commitments, and I think that will be the case once again. I do like the group they have committed right now. … We know the quarterback position is somewhere where Alabama is trying to find answers, and (top-50 QB commit Julian) Sayin is one of the best guys there.”

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South Carolina Gamecocks: A

4-star OT Kam Pringle (Photo: Don Callahan/Inside Carolina, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 191.91

Class rank: National — No. 9 | SEC — No. 3

Total commits: 10

Average rating: 92.04

From Ivins: “I gave the Gamecocks an A. They are absolutely passing right now, and I think it starts with the offensive line. We keep bringing up how the 2024 cycle lacks those blue chip offensive tackles, it seems like it’s a down year. And South Carolina, they need help in that offensive line room right now and they need it long term, and the Gamecocks have two really good guys committed — (Top247 prospects) Kam Pringle and Josiah Thompson, I like those guys a lot, and then they’ve got two projects in Blake Franks and Mike Williams. So, they are loading up at a key position where there really isn’t a ton of elite talent out there like that.”

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Florida Gators: A

5-star S Xavier Filsaime (Photo: Parker Thune, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 176.20

Class rank: National — No. 11 | SEC — No. 5

Total commits: 8

Average rating: 94.04

From Ivins: “I don’t think enough has been said on a national level about them getting five-star safety Xavier Filsaime out of the state of Texas. That is about as impressive of a get we have seen so far in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Yes, they’re going to need to hang onto him. But they also got some good linebackers committed, and then the quarterback, DJ Lagway. … DJ Lagway is probably the closest thing we have seen to Anthony Richardson in this cycle. He’s an elite athlete with a big arm, just needs to get more consistent.”

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Tennessee Volunteers: B+

4-star CB Kaleb Beasley (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 191.27

Class rank: National — No. 10 | SEC — No. 4

Total commits: 11

Average rating: 90.50

From Ivins: “Tennessee’s M.O. has really been the past few years finding potential impact players on the defensive side of the ball, and they continue to do that. (Top247 cornerback) Kaleb Beasley is a guy that had nine interceptions as a junior – I haven’t found a defensive back with that many takeaways in terms of the blue chippers in the 2024 cycle. So, I like what they’re doing there. I think (top-100 QB Jake Merklinger) is the perfect guy for the Volunteers to take after (2023 signee) Nico Iamaleava. Merklinger has started more games than anyone else in the 2024 cycle. He doesn’t get rattled, he can run the football, and I think he’s someone that if something were to happen to Nico, he can step in and carry that offense.”

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Arkansas Razorbacks: B+

4-star QB KJ Jackson (Photo: Elite 11)

247Sports Composite Score: 157.12

Class rank: National — No. 16 | SEC — No. 6

Total commits: 9

Average rating: 89.66

From Ivins: “When you talk about Arkansas, they already got a few of the state’s top-ranked prospects committed. Sam Pittman, we know that he can recruit. They missed out on Air Noland, the quarterback, but they get KJ Jackson, a kid from the state of Alabama. He’s also left-handed. That’s notable because new offensive coordinator Dan Enos has worked with some lefties in the past. Dan Enos coached (Tua Tagovailoa) up when he was at Alabama. So, I like what Arkansas is doing. They’re always going to be — as long as Sam Pittman is there — focused on finding big individuals and dominating the trenches.”

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Texas A&M Aggies: B

4-star S Jordan Pride (Photo: Parker Thune, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 120.70

Class rank: National — No. 25 | SEC — No. 8

Total commits: 6

Average rating: 91.12

From Ivins: “I really like what Texas A&M is doing on defense. We’ll see what they’re going to do on offense. But they pick up a commitment earlier this week from Jordan Pride, a Top247 safety — I think he’s got the tools and is someone that can play a variety of different positions on the back end. They also got a linebacker out of the state of Mississippi, Tristan Jernigan — he’s got some traits, not talked about enough. And then Daelyn Evans, a longtime defensive line commit. Remember two years ago what the Aggies were able to do with that defensive front – this is a guy that would rank right there with all those five-stars that they took. … I think Texas A&M needs to hold onto Dealyn Evans. He is a key piece to the class, reminds me of Gervon Dexter, who was at Florida, just selected in the second round of the NFL Draft.”

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Vanderbilt Commodores: B

3-star QB Jeremy St-Hilaire (Photo: Andrew Nelles/The Tennessean, USA TODAY Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 75.79

Class rank: National — No. 40 | SEC — No. 12

Total commits: 5

Average rating: 85.67

From Ivins: “I look at Vandy’s class and I know our former colleague Barton Simmons is there, but man, every take they have I think makes a ton of sense. And the reason Vandy got a B is because they needed to find a quarterback. They didn’t take one last cycle, and they got two guys committed. Whit Muschamp, who is the son of UGA defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, and then this kid Jeremy St-Hilaire. Both those guys are in-state prospects, and you put on the tape and there’s a lot to like about them. … So, I think Vandy, they’re doing just what they need to do.”

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Auburn Tigers: B

4-star QB Walker White (Photo: Elite 11)

247Sports Composite Score: 102.66

Class rank: National — No. 31 | SEC — No. 10

Total commits: 5

Average rating: 91.22

From Ivins: “I think it’s been really impressive what (Hugh Freeze) has done since he has arrived on The Plains. Late in that 2023 cycle, they flipped a ton of kids, got them committed, and they’ve made a big splash in the transfer portal in that second window. 2024 recruiting, we haven’t really seen it yet. (Top-100 quarterback) Walker White picked Auburn, but just a handful of guys committed. I think they’re going to hit their stride here as we get to the summer months and then into the season.”

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Ole Miss Rebels: B

4-star QB Demond Williams (Photo: Blair Angulo, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 106.83

Class rank: National — No. 30 | SEC — No. 9

Total commits: 7

Average rating: 88.69

From Ivins: “When you look at their class, I like Jeffery Rush, the interior defensive lineman they have committed. But I still think the folks in Oxford are kind of juggling, hey, how much do we want to be involved in the transfer portal, how much do we want to be involved in the high school recruiting process. … Not a ton of guys in the boat so far. I will say, Demond Williams, the quarterback they have committed out of Arizona, I think he could be exciting in Lane Kiffin’s offense. He’s a dual-threat talent. Now, I don’t know when he’s going to get on the field … but he’s kind of electric and someone that I think can move the chains with both his arm and legs.”

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Mississippi State Bulldogs: C+

4-star QB Josh Flowers (Photo: Steve Wiltfong, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 82.93

Class rank: National — No. 38 | SEC — No. 11

Total commits: 5

Average rating: 87.15

From Ivins: “(Four-star quarterback commit) Josh Flowers is an electric dual-threat talent, a guy that can move the chains certainly with his legs. I still think (head coach Zach Arnett) and his staff are trying to find their footing. Go back to the 2023 cycle — really difficult situation with him taking over for the late Mike Leach — and they closed well on the recruiting trail. They got five guys committed, but only one prospect from their backyard — one of the top-25-ranked prospects in the state of Mississippi is committed to the Bulldogs. So, it’ll be interesting to see how, really, the next few months go for them. … But right now, definitely some work left to do for Mississippi State and first-year head coach Zach Arnett.”

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Kentucky Wildcats: C

3-star OT Hayes Johnson (Photo: 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 34.35

Class rank: National — No. 70 | SEC — No. 14

Total commits: 2

Average rating: 87.22

From Ivins: “I think it’s hard to poke holes in Mark Stoops and his staff’s philosophy, what they do. I mean, over the past few years, Kentucky has had 13 players selected in the NFL Draft. … But they’re not getting the blue chippers. Now, when you look at the prospects expected to visit this upcoming summer, there are some big names there, so I think you gotta be patient. But right now, certainly, Kentucky — it’s lacking on the recruiting front. I would think Mark Stoops, a guy that continuously puts out good squads, gets guys to the NFL, we would see a little bit more. Not seeing it right now. And I do think it’s a bit of a down year in-state there in Kentucky, so that’s playing a little bit into this as well.”

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Missouri Tigers: C

3-star QB Daniel Kaelin (Photo: Mick Walker, 247Sports)

247Sports Composite Score: 49.65

Class rank: National — No. 64 | SEC — No. 13

Total commits: 3

Average rating: 86.71

From Ivins: “Another program that’s kind of lived in the transfer portal. Let’s not forget, it wasn’t too long ago that they signed five-star wide receiver Luther Burden. But it seems like the recruiting has dropped off here a little bit. It’s been a bit difficult for them to kind of connect with some of the local prospects. They do have a quarterback committed, but you would think you would have seen a little bit more for the Tigers. … So, we’ll see how much more they look to the high school ranks, but it’s a program that’s really saving some of those counters and spaces for veterans and mercenaries that can come in and play right away.”

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Former Jackson State WR Shane Hooks visited Auburn on Tuesday

JD McCarthy

2–3 minutes

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Despite the addition of former North Texas wide receiver Jyaire Shorter on Tuesday, the Auburn Tiger may not be done adding receivers.

According to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, Jackson State transfer wide receiver Shane Hooks unofficially visited Auburn on Tuesday.

Hooks entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer on Dec. 21, 2022. He then committed to Ole Miss on April 20 but backed off that pledge on April 28. That is when Auburn got involved, offering him a scholarship on May 13.

The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder also has offers from UCF, Utah, Mississippi State and Liberty. This is his second time in the portal, he started his career at Ohio before transferring to Jackson State prior to the 2019 season.

He did not play in 2019 or 2020 but started to emerge in 2021. He caught 16 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns in six games.

Hooks became Jackson State’s top wideout last season, snagging 66 passes for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns, leading the team in all three categories.

Auburn has already added three wide receivers between the two transfer windows, Nick Mardner (Cincinnati) committed during the first window with Caleb Burton (Ohio State) and Shorter (North Texas) committing during the spring.

They have also added former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne and FIU tight end Rivaldo Fairweather as they look to overhaul a passing attack that struggled last season.