6.15.23 Football Articles

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SEC unveils Auburn’s 2024 conference opponents

Auburn University Athletics

~2 minutes

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AUBURN, Ala. – A mix of new matchups and old rivalries highlight Auburn's conference schedule in 2024, which was released by the Southeastern Conference on Wednesday. 

Auburn will maintain an eight-game conference schedule in 2024, but with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas to the SEC, the slate will look a little different. For starters, the Tigers will welcome Oklahoma to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time. The two teams have met just twice before – both matchups coming in the Sugar Bowl (1972, 2017). 

Auburn will also host Arkansas, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt in 2024. It will be Vanderbilt's first visit to the Plains since 2016. 

The road schedule will feature two of college football's best rivalries with trips to Alabama and Georgia on tap. Auburn is at home against Alabama and Georgia this coming season. The Tigers will also trek to Kentucky and Missouri in 2024. It will be their first visit to Kentucky since 2015 and just the second ever visit to Missouri with the first coming in 2017.

Absent from the schedule in 2024 are regulars LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. The conference is doing away with divisions in football for the 2024 season. 

Dates for the 2024 SEC schedule will be announced at a later date. 

Auburn will open the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 at home against UMass. Fans are eligible to buy season tickets for the upcoming season. Click here to purchase. 

2024 SEC OPPONENTS 

Home

Arkansas
Oklahoma
Texas A&M
Vanderbilt

 

Away
Alabama
Georgia
Kentucky 
Missouri

Edited June 15, 2023 by aubiefifty

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al.com

 

Auburn will play at Georgia, host Oklahoma in 2024

Updated: Jun. 14, 2023, 6:56 p.m.|Published: Jun. 14, 2023, 6:10 p.m.

3–4 minutes

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Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter (27) breaks away from Georgia defensive backs Tykee Smith (23) and Daylen Everette (6) after a catch for a touchdown during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)AP

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will continue on in 2024.

The Southeastern Conference released its new-look schedule Wednesday night, and it included Auburn playing at Georgia in 2024.

Earlier this month, the league presidents voted to adopt an eight-game league schedule for the first season with Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC. The eight-game schedule with two new teams clearly put some traditional games at risk, but the Tigers and Bulldogs remain on each other’s schedule for now.

“It’s no accident that this is the oldest rivalry in the South, and it will continue to appease all the fans,” said former Auburn linebacker and current SEC Network analyst Takeo Spikes.

The Tigers and Bulldogs first played in 1892, and the rivalry has been played annually since 1944. Georgia has won the last six games between the teams and now leads the series 63-56-8.

Auburn also will host newcomer Oklahoma in 2024. Each SEC team will play either Texas or Oklahoma in the first two years that those teams are in the league. The Tigers and Sooners have played only twice in history -- the 1972 and 2017 Sugar Bowls.

In addition to Georgia, the Tigers’ road games will be the annual Iron Bowl against Alabama in Tuscaloosa as well as games at Kentucky and at Missouri. Arkansas, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt will join Oklahoma in playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The exact dates of the games will be released at a later date.

Noticeably absent from the Auburn schedule -- home or away -- is LSU, a perennial SEC West opponent. However, the SEC is going away from divisions in 2024 with the top two teams in the league overall playing for the title at the end of the year. Auburn and LSU have played every year since 1991.

“I think the one thing that is interesting about the Auburn schedule is you get the two games you have to have, and that’s Alabama and Georgia,” SEC analyst Paul Finebaum said. “You are probably disappointed about LSU, but you make it up with Oklahoma.

“I think the first couple of years and maybe forever, schools want to see Oklahoma and they want to see Texas on the schedule. With LSU, something has to go. If you get nine games in a couple of years, that game may or may not come back, but that is to me what it is all about – getting Texas and Oklahoma on your schedule.”

Auburn also won’t play tradition SEC West rivals Mississippi or Mississippi State in 2024 or former “Amen Corner” rival Florida.

“I was 0-2 against Auburn so I’m Ok not seeing them on the schedule,” former Gator Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow joked on the SEC Network.

The Tigers will host California in a non-conference game.

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Auburn adds commitment from 4star DB Kensley Faustin

Christian Clemente

11–14 minutes

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Shortly after his official visit, Faustin has announced his commitment to Auburn.

Much of Kensley Faustin's official visit this weekend was about figuring out where the 4-star defensive back fits in the secondary. That's because he plans to be in Auburn's secondary, as he announced his commitment to the Tigers on Tuesday.

In the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Faustin is the No. 408 overall player, No. 36 safety and No. 62 player from Florida.

"The visit went great," Faustin said on Sunday. "Everything I expected went great. We went over how I could fit into the scheme and it caught me by surprise just how easy it is how I could fit into the scheme and how I’d transfer over and how we basically play the same defense in high school. So the visit went great, I like everything about it. Small town, not too much to do, I like that because I’m not a big party person. I like how everything is so close by.

"They see me fitting in at whatever position is going to get me on the field early. They see me as a safety, star, nickel, whatever’s going to get me on the field. They see me as very versatile and that’s what they like about me."

LSU, Florida State, Texas A&M and UCF were also in the mix for Faustin, but after his official visit he knew where he wanted to be.

From Naples, Florida, Faustin is planning to graduate early and be an early enrollee.

"In this generation of football it’s either you’re ready or you’re not and if you’re not ready you enter the transfer portal and that’s not something I want to do," Faustin said. "I believe with my mindset, when I’m ready and I know I’m going to be ready whenever I come, I’m going to be ready to play. Because I’m so versatile it’s hard to keep me off the field and I’m willing to play any position or learn any position."

Faustin was recruited heavily by Wesley McGriff, Zac Etheridge and Hugh Freeze leading into his official visit, giving him the comfort to hop on board.

"With Coach Freeze, I believe that he’s a great man and he’s going to be a great coach," Faustin said. "Just sitting down and talking to him, he’s honest."

Auburn now has three commitments in the secondary from Faustin, A'Mon Lane and Jayden Lewis.

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Payton Thorne excited to work with Freeze, Montgomery in RPO heavy offense

Lance Dawe

4–5 minutes

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The Tigers' new signal-caller is excited to step into a new offense this fall.

Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne joined the Locked On Auburn podcast to discuss how his arrival to the Plains has been.

Thorne voiced his excitement to podcast host Zac Blackerby about getting to work with Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery in an offense that is proven.

"Looking at his track record with quarterbacks, and then pairing that with Coach Montgomery’s quarterbacks that he has worked with, that was very intriguing," Thorne said. "To be with those two guys that have been around and developed really good quarterbacks that’s really something you can trust."

The conversations Thorne, Montgomery and Freeze have had have been encouraging. Now, Thorne is diving into the playbook to take in what they're teaching him.

"I’m just looking to soak it all up. What they’re displaying to me, what they’re saying to me, and I’m really excited to get going with them once the summer progresses."

Thorne explained in the interview that having played three years of college football has helped him pick up on some things quickly, but he's still walking through the start of the process - drawing up plays is first.

"I got the whole playbook when I got here," Thorne said. "Just going through it, trying to get very familiar with it and to be able to draw up the plays is the first step. Once you’re able to draw everything up, all the formations, all the motions, then you can take a deeper dive into it and figure out the details of each play, the little things."

"Being in an offense for three years like I was, you pick up on stuff over that course of time, so that’s why people talk about quarterbacks that have experience in an offense - there’s stuff you learn - so right now, I’m trying to bang out the X’s and O’s of trying to draw out the plays… watching as much film as I can to pick up on things,”

RPO isn't something Thorne really got to see during his time at Michigan State, but he believes he's comfortable with it and has enjoyed learning about the nuance of the way Freeze and Montgomery want to run things.

"(RPO) is a big part of this offense," Thorne said. "I am excited about that, that’s one of the strengths of my game… learning the in’s and out’s of our run game here, and obviously that is part RPO, is how we block things. Most of it stuff that I’ve done in terms of the run game. There’s definitely different wrinkles and I really want to get sharp with it. The RPO stuff, who we’re reading, what our rules are for when we’re going to decide to pull it or when we’re giving it, all of that stuff is stuff I’ll be learning here shortly."

It's unknown how Hugh Freeze is going to play things out before Auburn takes the field vs UMass, but expect incumbent Robby Ashford to push for the job regardless.

Thorne finished an accomplished quarterback at Michigan State, setting single-season records for total yards, total touchdowns and passing touchdowns. He ranks fifth in career total touchdowns, fifth in career total yards, fourth in career passing touchdowns and third in single-season passing yards.

He's not a dazzling arm talent, but was excellent attacking downfield in his two seasons with the Spartans. He's a great system fit for Freeze and Montgomery.

Some of Thorne's career statistics:

Career pass attempts - 861 (7.5 YPA)

Career pass yards - 4,693 (61.0%)

Career pass touchdowns - 49

Career rush yards - 270

Career rush touchdowns - 6

Best game of career: Vs Pittsburgh (12/30/2021) - 29-of-50 passing, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception

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Auburn football adds commitment from lighting quick in-state WR

Ethan Stone

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Auburn football added a commitment from Class of 2024 wide receiver Bryce Cain Tuesday, the Tigers’ first WR commitment of the 2024 cycle. He also represents Auburn’s 6th commitment of the class.

Cain stands at 5-11, 170 pounds and is lightning quick. He committed to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers following an unofficial visit this past weekend.

Cain chose the Tigers over offers from Ole Miss and Wake Forest, to name a few.

Cain is considered to be the No. 682 overall prospect in the country, as well as the No. 88 WR and No. 32 player from the state of Alabama.

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Auburn Tigers College Football Preview 2023: What's Going To Happen, Top Players, Keys To The Season

Pete Fiutak

5–7 minutes

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Auburn Tigers Preview 2023: Keys to the season, top 10 players, win total, what's going to happen

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn Tigers Preview 2023: Keys to the season, top 10 players, win total, what's going to happen

Auburn Tigers College Football Preview 2023: What's Going To Happen

2023 Auburn Preview: Offense | Defense  

Auburn Tigers Key To The Season

Stop with all the turnovers. The offense should be better. The defense should be better. The coaching should be better. Even the schedule should be a wee bit better - more on that in a moment. But none of it matters if the Tigers don’t stop giving the ball away in bunches.

2012. That was the last time turnover margin was a huge issue for Auburn, going -12 in a lost 3-9 season. In 2017 the team was -1, but it wasn’t that big a deal until it screwed up and gave it up three times in the Peach Bowl, and unleashed all the UCF National Champion stuff on the world. Other than that, Auburn hadn’t finished a season on the wrong side of the turnover margin in almost ten years, and then came 2022.

The 22 turnovers were the most since that 2012 season, the turnover margin was a killer, and that can all flip. Go from -9 to, say, +3 on the year, and watch Auburn go back to being a winning team.

Auburn Tigers Top Transfer, Biggest Loss

DT Justin Rogers in from Kentucky, DE Jeffrey M’Ba gone to Purdue. This might be a bit of a reach on who Auburn will miss most, but that’s mostly because it didn’t really lose anyone who wasn’t replaced by a better option.

M’Ba didn’t do much for the Tigers in his one year from the JUCO ranks - six tackles with a sack - but he’s a 6-6, 300-pound interior lineman. There’s always a place for veterans with his size in the rotation, and now he’ll likely start for Purdue.

Rogers is literally a bigger replacement. The 6-3, 346-pounder isn’t going to do much of anything in the backfield, and he’s not going to be on the field for every defensive down, but he’s a huge body who’ll gum up the works for a defense that needed a huge anchor last year. However …

Auburn Tigers Key Player

Payton Thorne, QB Jr. There are other options - Robby Ashford is still in the mix - and Thorne might not be the dangerous runner the coaching staff would like, but he’s a great leader who has been through the Big Ten East wars over the last few seasons.

He’ll hit the deep ball and he’ll keep spreading it around, but he has to cut down on the picks. For a team that needs to start winning the turnover margin, the 21 interceptions over the last two years is a concern. Even so, he’ll keep the offense moving.

 

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Auburn Tigers Key Game

at Cal, Sept. 9. Auburn’s last non-conference road win was … 2014.

That’s not quite fair considering there were a few neutral site games, that’s not including bowls, and there weren’t all that many non-SEC opportunities away from Jordan-Hare, but the team is about to do the ultimate fish out of water thing going to Berkeley.

It’s a tone-setter for the early part of the Hugh Freeze era against a Cal team that’s going to be far more dangerous this season. Win, and with UMass and Samford at home, go 3-0 to start the season for just the second time since … 2014.

Auburn Tigers 10 Best Players

1. DJ James, CB Sr.
2. Jarquez Hunter, RB Jr.
3. Nehemiah Pritchett, CB Sr.
4. Justin Rogers, DT Sr.
5. Payton Thorne, QB Sr.
6. Larry Nixon, LB Sr.
7. Keionte Scott, S Jr.
8. Rivaldo Fairweather, TE Sr.
9. Jalen McLeod, EDGE Jr.
10. Jaylin Simpson, S Sr.

Auburn Tigers 2022 Fun Stats

- Opponent 1st Quarter Scoring: 52, Opponent 2nd Quarter Scoring: 142
- Net Punting Average: Auburn 42.33 yards, Opponents 37.73 yards
- Passing TDs; Opponents 15, Baylor 9

Auburn Tigers Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

Set The Win Total At: 6.5

A few things to remember in all of the excitement. First, it took a little bit for Hugh Freeze to get the ball rolling at Ole Miss - he went 6-6 in his first regular season before winning the bowl game. He also won seven games in his first regular season at Liberty, but won the bowl game that year, too.

Second, for all of the problems under former head coach Bryan Harsin, he deserves a wee bit of a break for one thing - the Auburn schedules over the last two seasons were NASTY

Penn State was on the slate twice, and San Jose State ended up with a winning campaign in 2022. That means Auburn played just two FBS teams - Akron in 2021 and Texas A&M last year - that didn’t get to six wins. More than that, out of the 14 losses under Harsin, none of them came against teams that finished with a losing record.

Swap out Penn State for Cal this year. That’s at least a 50/50 game, and UMass, Samford, and New Mexico State should all be wins. That’s - at worst - 3.5 against the win total.

Vanderbilt is a winnable road game, Georgia and Alabama - while both are at home - should be, to be kind, challenging, and LSU is going to be dangerous on the road.

Even with all the transfers, and as good as Freeze is, it’s still a big puzzle being put together. There should be at least seven wins here, though, and with a bowl game, don’t be shocked if the overall final record is closer to around 8ish than under six.

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Refresher on Auburns future nonconference foes ahead of SEC schedule reveal

Nathan King

14–18 minutes

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The 2024 schedule is only a one-year fix at the moment, as the conference unanimously voted at SEC spring meetings to stick with an eight-game league schedule for now — with no divisions

It’s never too early to look ahead.

Auburn’s 2024 schedule is set to be released Wednesday evening as part of the SEC’s unveiling, which will reveal the regular-season conference opponents for each team in the league with Oklahoma and Texas on board. 

The 2024 schedule is only a one-year fix at the moment, as the conference unanimously voted at SEC spring meetings to stick with an eight-game league schedule for now — with no divisions — as the model will continue to be evaluated moving forward, and could expand to nine games in the future.

As it pertains to nonconference competition, though, the SEC mandated that each team must have at least one Power Five or high-level Independent opponent on its schedule, starting with 2024. 

The Auburn football program has a fun list of nonconference opponents upcoming within the next decade. It's not as extensive as some schools that are looking even more down the road, but it does feature some historically significant games that also have the potential to be significant to their respective seasons come that year. 

The fact that fans can look ahead and tentatively make plans all the way to 2030 may seem silly, but eight years isn't that long relative to some other Power Five schools that already have scheduling plans comfortably into the late 2030s. Plus, does 2013 really seem like 10 years ago?

With Auburn’s 2024 SEC schedule set to be unveiled tonight, let’s take a look at all nine teams currently on the docket for the Tigers for the next eight seasons.

2024

• Cal

• New Mexico

• Louisiana-Monroe

2025

• at Baylor

• Ball State

• South Alabama

2026

• Baylor

• Southern Miss

2027

• at UCLA

2028

• UCLA

2029

• at Miami

2030

• Miami

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(James Snook, USA TODAY Sports)

vs. Cal (2024)

Previous meeting: N/A

Series history: N/A

A road trip to the Bay Area against a team Auburn's never played before. That's a lot of positive buzz words for college football fans. Cal may not be as perennially successful as Auburn or a bunch of other SEC schools, but it's still a tradition-rich program from a conference across the country for Tiger fans to understand and appreciate more over the span of a home-and-home series. The Tigers head to Cal this fall in Week 2 before the Golden Bears make the trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2024.

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vs. New Mexico (2024)

Previous meeting: N/A

Series history: N/A

At least half of Auburn’s 2024 conference slate will feature first-time matchups, as the Tigers are set to welcome the Lobos to Jordan-Hare Stadium. New Mexico hasn’t beaten a Power Five opponent since defeating Arizona in 2008.

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vs. Louisiana-Monroe (2024)

Previous meeting: Auburn 42-14 (2017)

Series history: Auburn 11-0

Perhaps former Auburn coach Terry Bowden will still be at the helm at Louisiana-Monroe next year — and if so, an otherwise unintriguing matchup would become a big day on the Plains to honor Bowden and his accomplishments with the Tigers in the ‘90s. The programs met three times from 2012-17 but haven’t played since.

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(John E. Moore III, Getty)

@ Baylor (2025), vs. Baylor (2026)

Previous meeting: Baylor 15-14 (1976)

Series history: Baylor 2-1-1

Auburn travels to the Lone Star State every other year anyway to play Texas A&M, but the Tigers haven't played a game in Waco since 1975. Auburn is always looking to improve its Texas recruiting stamp, and this matchup should do just that, especially with a win on the road before the series returns to the Plains the following year.

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vs. Ball State (2025)

Previous meeting: Auburn 54-30 (2009)

Series history: Auburn 3-0

Having never met before the turn of the century, Auburn will host Ball State at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the fourth time in a couple years. It’s been uncompetitive so far, to say the least, with an average score across the three meetings of 49-11.

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vs. South Alabama (2025)

Previous meeting: N/A

Series history: N/A

This matchup will mark the first time Auburn will face an in-state FBS opponent in nearly 30 years (1996 vs. UAB) by the time the game is played. A home-and-home would have been a lot cooler, and maybe that's still in the works for the future. Still, many South Alabama fans are familiar with Auburn and vice versa, so it should make for a fun atmosphere where fans of both sides can hopefully tailgate with some friends.

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vs. Southern Miss (2026)

Previous meeting: Auburn 24-13 (2018)

Series history: Auburn 18-5

Assuming Hugh Freeze is still Auburn’s head coach, he’ll be the third of the program’s past five coaches to play Southern Miss. It wasn’t too long ago — relatively speaking — that the Golden Eagles notched a win in the series, beating Pat Dye in the Tigers on the Plains in 1991. Southern Miss played its first season in the Sun Belt last year after moving from Conference USA.

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(Ric Tapia, Getty)

@ UCLA (2027), vs. UCLA (2028)

Previous meeting: N/A

Series history: N/A

For fans who didn't get to see Auburn in the Rose Bowl in the 2013 BCS title game against Florida State, now — or, seven years from now — is the chance. UCLA is another squad out in California that Auburn's never had the opportunity to face before on the gridiron. The timing of the matchup on the 2027 schedule could be a factor. The Rose Bowl is notorious for being a pain to get to, even from UCLA's main campus. And if the Bruins just aren't that good, students have proven they won't put in the effort, especially if they're not even moved in near campus yet. If the Auburn game is played early enough in the year, orange and blue could dominate the Rose Bowl bleachers.

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Way-too-early outlook for Auburn's 2024 SEC opponents

247Sports experts offer their assessments of what 2024 could look like for Auburn's eight newly announced opponents

It's (almost) a new era in the SEC, and Auburn now knows what its first season in the expanded conference will look like.

Announced Wednesday by the conference, the Tigers' 2024 SEC slate is as follows: home against Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and away against Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky. The league is retaining an eight-game schedule at least through 2024, after which it can decide whether to expand in the future. For now, as the conference will eliminate divisions, Auburn won't face now-former SEC West foes LSU, Ole Miss or Mississippi State. Instead, the Tigers will host the Sooners in the programs' first-ever meeting in the regular season, Vanderbilt will come to Jordan-Hare Stadium for only the second time since 2007, and Auburn will travel to Kentucky and Missouri for the first time since 2015 and 2017, respectively.

To help look ahead to what the conference could look like next year, 247Sports experts from across the league offered insight on their respective programs. Let's take a look at what they have to say about the Tigers' eight 2024 SEC opponents.

 

VS. OKLAHOMA

 

(Parker Thune, 247Sports)

"By the time Oklahoma makes the transition over to the SEC in 2024, the hope will be this: That Brent Venables has righted the ship, former five-star Jackson Arnold is prepared to lead the way at quarterback and the personnel is prepared for a new conference. The Sooners didn't meet expectations in year one of a new staff, but it's well known a rebuild needed to take place. Continuous roster turnover and a strong, relentless recruiting effort from Venables' crew keeps the program optimistic moving forward. The Sooners have added some impressive defensive depth so far and an offense structured under Jeff Lebby to get playmakers open bodes well on paper. But, the proof still needs to be seen and a young roster that features names like Adepoju Adebawore, Peyton Bowen and others must be developed in order for OU compete at its consistent level of expectation." — Collin Kennedy, Sooners Illustrated

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VS. ARKANSAS

 

"There is still an entire season to be played in 2023, but in 2024 the Razorbacks should be heading into Sam Pittman’s fifth season as the head coach. Quarterback KJ Jefferson will be a third-year starting redshirt senior in 2023 with eyes on the NFL Draft, even though he has a 2024 super senior option if he wants it. North Carolina transfer Jacolby Criswell is the likely starter if Jefferson leaves. After rushing for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2022, Raheim Sanders will be a junior in 2023, though he too could jump to the NFL after this season. Every starting offensive lineman in 2023 has eligibility remaining out to 2024 (though two would be super seniors). The same is true for every wideout and tight end on the roster. Defensively, Arkansas will likely need to replenish the defensive end room. Linebacker should be in good shape with all but one key player back, and at least two starting spots in the secondary will need to be addressed." — Trey Biddy, HawgSports.com

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VS. TEXAS A&M

 

"Texas A&M’s No. 1 2022 recruiting class will comprise the majority of the team’s two-deep in 2024. Former five star quarterback Conner Weigman should have another season under his belt by then, and receivers Evan Stewart and Noah Thomas could comprise one of the better duos in college football. Tight end Donovan Green blocked well in the spring. The defensive line will have multiple 5-star prospects on hand from the class including interior men Walter Nolen and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy as well as ends LT Overton and Shemar Stewart. The rest of the offense might have to be built up from other classes including 2023 five-star running back Rueben Owens and 2021 offensive linemen Reuben Fatheree and Bryce Foster, but the Aggies could have four starters back up front. The remainder of the defense will be a different story as the Aggies will have to bring in new 'backers and perhaps new corners, but Bryce Anderson could be the nation’s best backend player by the time his junior year rolls around." — Jeff Tarpley, GigEm247

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VS. VANDERBILT

 

"With big-armed quarterback AJ Swann entering his second full season as the starter, Vanderbilt could find itself in the unusual position of featuring one of the SEC's better passing offenses in 2024. Weapons like Quincy Skinner Jr., Jayden McGowan and Sedrick Alexander should all still be on the roster too. By 2024, coach Clark Lea will have added substantial speed and athleticism to a defense that lacked those in past years — edge defender Darren Agu profiles as a potential mid-round NFL Draft pick in 2025. This will be the fourth season of Lea's tenure, so Vanderbilt will expect to have a bowl-caliber roster and would be disappointed otherwise." — Robbie Weinstein, Vandy247

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@ ALABAMA

 

(Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY Sports)

"The winner of the great Alabama quarterback battle of 2023 could say a lot about the Crimson Tide’s 2024 outlook. If one of Tyler Buchner, Jalen Milroe or Ty Simpson emerges as a viable SEC quarterback in 2023, Alabama’s expectations will again be sky-high in 2024 given all the other returning talent Nick Saban should have coming back. Saban is coming off signing his best recruiting class ever in 2023, with Justice Haynes already looking like the next great Alabama running back. The talent gulf between Alabama and the rest of the SEC isn’t what it used to be, but this should still be a top contender to win the SEC and more." — John Talty, Bama247

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@ GEORGIA

 

"Given how frequently Georgia sends players to the NFL, it’s hard to get a good gauge on what the Bulldogs’ roster will look like in 2024. Quarterback Carson Beck could potentially go pro after one season as a starter, and the Bulldogs could lose multiple playmakers at receiver. There’s no doubt tight end Brock Bowers will be NFL bound after this season as will right tackle Amarius Mims, and there could be additional departures by left guard Xavier Truss, center Sedrick Van Pran and right guard Tate Ratledge. Defensively, I would expect Nazir Stackhouse, Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Smael Mondon, Kamari Lassiter and Javon Bullard to also try their luck in the pros.As for what you can count on for 2024, Georgia will bring back a running back room that is deep even after some significant losses, a tight end room that will be young but quite talented, and a receiver room that is likely unproven but full of potential. The Georgia offense will also welcome five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, who will immediately contend for the starting role. On the other side, Georgia can count on defensive end Mykel Williams; outside linebackers Jalon Walker, Marvin Jones Jr. and Damon Wilson; and safety Malaki Starks to be back on a defense that will be one of the best in the nation once again." — Jordan Hill, Dawgs247

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@ KENTUCKY

 

"Kentucky is set to lose quarterback Devin Leary off a 1-year loan from NC State, and offensive coordinator Liam Coen will look to make another big splash in the transfer portal for another one-year stop gap until 2024 Top247 QB Cutter Boley is ready to take the reins of the offense. That should be an easy sell, considering the young weapons the Wildcats have on offense, headlined by wide receivers Barion Brown and Dane Key, as well as tight ends Josh Kattus and Khamari Anderson. UK will also be forced to replace SEC 1,000-yard rusher Ray Davis at running back but could have a budding star in Jamarion Wilcox, who chose Kentucky over Ohio State and Clemson among others. Defensively, Brad White’s rock solid unit will be anchored by monstrous All-SEC nose tackle Deone Walker combined with some young playmakers in the secondary, including safeties Zion Childress and Jordan Lovett." — Chris Fisher, CatsPause.com

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@ MISSOURI

 

(Jeff Blake, USA TODAY Sports)

"After reaching another bowl game, Eli Drinkwitz has solidified himself as the head coach at Mizzou and the recruiting battle he won two years ago for in-state 5-star wide receiver Luther Burden will pay off dividends. The 2024 season is likely going to be Burden's last with the Tigers before he's a high draft pick, and you can expect Drinkwitz to build the offense around him. Players to note that bring a punch are Ja'Marion Wayne and Mekhi Miller. The question of who throws Burden the ball by 2024 will be a fascinating one to answer. Will it be Miami transfer Jake Garcia, or former elite recruit Sam Horn? They're jockeying now, with 2022 incumbent Brady Cook, for the starting job. I think Mizzou needs one of Garcia or Horn to be a star.The defense the last two seasons has been stout and the Tigers have done a nice job recruiting that side of the ball and supplementing losses with transfers. The big key to me, by 2024, is whether great defensive coordinator Blake Baker is still in Columbia or if he's a head coach by then." — Carl Reed, 247Sports

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All SEC teams to face either Texas or Oklahoma in 2024 season, Peter Burns report

Published: Jun. 14, 2023, 11:36 a.m.

~2 minutes

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DeMarvion Overshown #0 of the Texas Longhorns reacts after tackling Frank Harris #0 of the UTSA Roadrunners in the fourth quarter at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)Getty Images

When the 2024 SEC football schedule is revealed on Wednesday, it will show that every current conference school will play either Texas or Oklahoma, according to the SEC Networks’ Peter Burns.

The conference will reveal the 2024 schedule at 6 p.m. (7 p.m. ET) on Wednesday, June 14. The reveal will be live streamed on fuboTV (free trial) and televised on the SEC Network.

The SEC is set to play an eight conference-game schedule after it was announced during the league’s spring meetings in Destin.

With the news from Burns, it appears Texas and Oklahoma will play each other, while splitting the other 14 conference opponents.

It was reported earlier in the day that Alabama will host Georgia in the 2024 season.

Also, it is being reported Georgia will travel to Texas to face the Longhorns in 2024. Texas will have a home game against Georgia and road games at Texas A&M and Arkansas. It will also play Oklahoma in Dallas.

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.

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sandmountainreporter.com

 

BECK: Defense will be lifeblood of Tide, Tiger football in ’23

TAYLOR BECK Guest columnist

5–6 minutes

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However, this season the defense will not just be the backbone of a successful campaign for Alabama and Auburn. No, the defense will be the lifeblood for each team’s chance at success.

Over the last 15 years, I can’t remember a time we entered a preseason with so many questions and concerns about each of our top state teams – especially on offense.

For example, who will be the starting quarterback for the Tide and Tigers? I can make an educated guess, but I wouldn’t put much stock in it. What about the offensive line and wide receiver units? Neither team’s groups in question played particularly well last season, and there’s no guarantee of significant improvement – only a few new faces.

Luckily, I think fans can have much more confidence in the defenses of Alabama and Auburn. In fact, both teams’ defenses should be among the nation’s best. And if so, both could be in the Playoff hunt by the time the Iron Bowl rolls around.

Finishing 11-2 in 2022, Alabama’s defense ranked No. 9 nationally with 18.2 Points Allowed Per Game and was No. 13 in Total Offensive Yards Allowed Per Game (318.2).

Alabama lost a considerable amount of talent to the NFL this offseason, including Will Anderson Jr., Henry To’o To’o, Jordan Battle, Brian Branch and others. But, as in years past, the Tide has reloaded and remains stocked with NFL talent.

Returning to lead the defense will be Dallas Turner, Alabama’s next star pass rusher who some may not be familiar with because he has been playing opposite Anderson; Kool-Aid McKinstry, the Tide’s No. 1 cornerback entering his third year as a starter; and Malachi Moore, a senior defensive back who could be Alabama’s biggest playmaker after earning the Dixie Howell Memorial Award (MVP) at the spring game in April.

The Tide’s defensive line unit, which struggled to stop the run compared to years past, is set to be anchored by senior Tim Smith and sophomore Jaheim Oatis.

Last season, Alabama allowed 130 rushing yards per game, while in 2021 the defense only allowed 85 rushing yards per game.

A few new guys primed to burst onto the scene for Alabama are Deontae Lawson, a redshirt sophomore inside linebacker, and the highly-touted five-star freshman defensive back Caleb Downs.

Lawson worked his way into the rotation last season and even started four games, including the Sugar Bowl against Kansas State, and has shown flashes of greatness with the ability to stop the run and solid coverage skills. In 11 games, Lawson tallied 51 total tackles and four pass deflections.

As for Downs, reports from Tuscaloosa point to him potentially being one of the team’s starting safeties after head coach Nick Saban said he showed “lots of maturity” and was a “smart … good player.”

During a 5-7 campaign one year ago, Auburn ranked 98th in the nation with 29.5 Points Allowed Per Game last season and was 78th in Total Offensive Yards Per Game (395.3).

If the Tigers and first-year head coach Hugh Freeze aim to bounce back from an abysmal 2022, the jump begins on defense, led by a secondary that’s loaded with talent and experience. As of this writing, every scholarship player to take a snap last fall at cornerback and safety returns to Auburn this fall.

At cornerback, seniors D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett will likely start the season again as No. 1 and 2, and junior Keionte Scott, whose stock rose throughout last season, will be the Tigers’ nickelback.

Seniors Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett will likely be Auburn’s starting safeties, but expect to see junior Donovan Kaufman on the field a lot, too.

The defensive line is arguably the biggest question for Auburn’s defense after impactful players like Derick Hall, Eku Leota, Colby Wooden and Marquis Burks departed for the NFL. But the Tigers may not skip a beat with seniors Marcus Harris and Mosiah Nasili-Kite, and junior Jayson Jones stepping in to fill the void.

Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister is likely to take the starting spot at jack linebacker, which new linebackers coach Josh Aldridge told reporters “lines up on the edge and can be used as a stand-up pass rusher or drop into coverage.” Over 36 career games as a Commodore, the 6-foot-6 senior recorded 65 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, an interception and a touchdown.

Projected starters at the off-ball linebacker positions currently include juniors Cam Riley and Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys, who started alongside fifth-round NFL Draft pick Owen Pappoe last year.

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collegefootballnews.com

 

Auburn Tigers College Football Preview 2023: Breakdown, Prediction, Top Players, Win Total

Pete Fiutak

3–4 minutes

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Auburn Tigers Preview 2023: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the season with what you need to know.

Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Auburn Tigers Preview 2023: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the season with what you need to know.

2022 Record: 5-7 overall, 2-6 in SEC
Head Coach: Hugh Freeze, 1st year: 0-0, 11th year overall: 83-43
- Auburn 2023 Football Schedule
@ColFootballNews | @PeteFiutak

2023 Auburn Preview: Offense | Defense 
What Will Happen, Top Players, Win Total

Hugh Freeze and Ole Miss pulled out a thriller of a win over Alabama in 2014 - and the Crimson Tide won the SEC Championship and went to the College Football Playoff.

Freeze and Ole Miss again pulled out a thriller of a win over Alabama in 2015 - and the Crimson Tide won the SEC Championship and the College Football Playoff National Championship.

And then in 2016, Ole Miss went 5-7 - and Alabama won the SEC Championship and played for the national title - and that was about it for the Hugh Freeze era in Oxford.

Forget the silly vacated wins thing - Freeze went a solid 39-25 at Ole Miss with three bowl victories in five seasons for a program that won six games in two years before he took over.

New Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze beat Nick Saban twice, and that was enough to get on just about every SEC coaching vacancy wish list - at least when it came to the fan bases.

Freeze really is a very, very good college football coach - Liberty won eight games or more in all four of his seasons, and he won a Sun Belt title in his one year at Arkansas State - but he's been mythologized by the SEC world without winning anything big ... yet.

That, and there’s the Hugh Freeziness of the hire. There's baggage, but it’s 2023 - let’s just say the world has changed a tad bit since 2016.

Not saying in any way that past sins should be swept aside just because a guy is a good football coach, but it’s not like people remember what happened ten minutes ago … unless you beat Nick Saban twice.

But that’s not enough. Gus Malzahn beat Alabama three times and came within a defensive stop of winning a national title. Bryan Harsin came within a run out of bounds away from not only beating Bama, but from possibly having his own issues later swept aside in a but-he-beat-Saban sort of way.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has to beat Saban. And Brian Kelly. And Lane Kiffin. And Jimbo Fisher. And Kirby Smart. And he has to win the SEC West. And he has to win the SEC Championship. And he has to get to the College Football Playoff. Maybe not this year, but soon.

You only do that with talent, and few are as good as Freeze at getting the guys, and there’s the difference, which is why …

2023 Auburn Preview: Offense | Defense 
What Will Happen, Top Players, Win Total

 

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