6.13.23.Football Articles

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Montgomery Advertiser sheds light on Auburn's five key position battles

Taylor Jones

~4 minutes

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Hugh Freeze took over as Auburn football’s leading man in November and has worked around the clock to improve the Tigers’ program in every aspect.

Freeze brought in 20 transfers from the transfer portal, with every addition having the potential to contribute immediately. Not only that but there are several members of Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class that can see early playing time as well.

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With so many new faces that will grace the gridiron this season in orange and blue, Richard Silva of The Montgomery Advertiser shared his take on Auburn’s top five position battles heading into the summer portion of the preseason.

From transfer-heavy units to experienced homegrown talent, here’s a look at Auburn’s top five position battles ahead of the 2023 season.

For Silva’s complete breakdown of each position, click here. 

AP Photo/Stew Milne

This group will have a balanced mix of returning players and transfers vying for adequate playing time. Transfers such as Austin Keys and Larry Nixon III could make an immediate impact, but we can not count out returners such as Wesley Steiner, Cam Riley, and Robert Woodyard to be productive as well.

Photo by Austin Perryman

This unit can make or break Auburn’s entire offense. Hugh Freeze has revamped the offensive line, as transfers such as Avery Jones, Gunner Britton, Dillon Wade, and Jaden Muskrat bring plenty of experience to the roster.

It is important for the offensive line to improve its protection skills from last season. In 2022, Robby Ashford was pressured a total of 127 times (25 sacks), while Payton Thorne was pressured 125 times (19 sacks) at Michigan State. The quarterbacks desperately need a break from the constant pressure, and Auburn’s transfer haul at the position should give the quarterbacks some relief.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn has two quarterbacks that will thrive in this offense when given the opportunity to be successful. As previously mentioned, Ashford was pressured 127 times last season, but still managed to pass for 1,613 yards and rushed for 849 additional yards.

Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne also joins the mix for the starting spot, and will eventually be named the starter due to his experience. Expect Ashford to still play a role in the offense in some way, however.

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser

No matter how Auburn splits carries, they will be in good shape in this regard. Jarquez Hunter is expected to become the premier back after two seasons as Tank Bigsby’s apprentice. Damari Alston is poised to have an excellent sophomore season, and USF transfer Brian Battie brings versatility to the unit. As long as the offensive line shows an improvement from last season, expected the Tigers to become one of the SEC’s top rushing attacks.

Michael Chang/Getty Images

Players such as Zion Puckett, D.J. James, Keionte Scott, and Nehemiah Pritchett bring experience to the Auburn secondary, while true freshman Kayin Lee looks to gain experience this season. This group will feature the most experience on the defensive side of the ball, with the vast majority of players being homegrown talent.

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Auburn briefing: Tigers going to work on recruiting trail

Lance Dawe

3–4 minutes

Hugh Freeze and the Tigers are putting in the effort on the trail right now.

Auburn added a lot via the transfer portal leading many to believe this football team can win seven-plus games this season.

The FPI numbers give Auburn a 58.3% chance to win six games. FPI projects the Tiger's record to be in the range of 5.8-6.2, so there isn't a belief this team could be the sleeping giant.

The portal will give the Tigers an opportunity to win this season, but it will be the recruiting trail that benefits Hugh Freeze and Auburn the most in future seasons.

Auburn is currently hitting the trail hard, pursuing a variety of high-end 2024 prospects.

We wrote it

Auburn is now looking to add a three-star Mobile native Bryce Cain. The Baker High School standout has shown his skills at many camps across the country and has gained momentum across recruiting sites and team boards for these dynamic showings. Cain also put up respectable numbers in his Junior season racking up almost 500 yards and five touchdowns. 

Read more about Bryce Cain here.

Jalyn Crawford, one of the highest priorities on Auburn's defensive back recruiting board, came to the plains over the weekend for his official visit.

The Atlanta native has visited Auburn three times since being offered by the staff on December 20th of last year. The Parkview High School star has built a healthy relationship with DB coaches Wesley McGriff and Zac Etheridge. The reason for being in contact with both is that Auburn sees him as a player that could play both cornerback and safety.

Read more about Jayln here.

The Tigers have appeared as the frontrunner for four-star linebacker D'Angelo Barber. Read more about his recruitment here.

Tweet of the day

Bruce Pearl got some love for what he's accomplished at Auburn compared to the Tigers' previous seasons.

The Tigers kick off the 2023 season on September 2nd at home vs UMass at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN.

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