6.16.23.Football Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Could Auburn football make a giant leap in Year 2 under Hugh Freeze?

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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If you are an Auburn fan, you have to be feeling confident in Auburn’s chances to get back to its old ways by the end of the 2024 season.

The SEC released its 2024 slate for all 16 teams on Wednesday, and Auburn picked up one of the more favorable draws in the conference. Sure, the Tigers will have to visit Athens and Tuscaloosa, but they get to play Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt at home, which makes up for a challenging road tilt against the SEC’s top brands.

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For a program looking to get back to relevancy, having an easier road than the typical gantlet of SEC West teams is welcomed. On3’s Jesse Simonton included Auburn in his five takeaways from the SEC’s schedule release and expects Hugh Freeze’s program to take great strides in getting back to its traditional ways.

Similarly, Auburn (four winnable home games + road dates at UK and Missouri) looks set up for a potential Year 2 leap under Hugh Freeze if the roster continues to improve.

Simonton also shared the same sentiment as several Auburn fans by mentioning the absence of Florida on the schedule. The Tigers and Gators have played 84 times in history, but only seven times since 2000. Auburn has not hosted Florida for a game at Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2011. Maybe the SEC will move to a nine-game format in 2025, which will make way for more games between these two old rivals.

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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Auburn Tigers Preview 2023: Offense

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

Auburn Tigers Preview: Offense

Look … out. Freeze knows offense, and former Tulsa head coach - and Baylor offensive coordinator - Philip Montgomery really knows how to crank up an attack. They should make the Auburn offense immediately go from meh to magnificent.

Other schools are loading up on new prospects from the transfer portal. Freeze is loading up on real players who can and should start right away at an SEC level. At least seven new prospects from the transfer portal could end up starting on offense, and that projection might turn out to be way low.

2022 leading starting quarterback Robby Ashford is still around, but TJ Finley is gone to Texas State. The QB play overall wasn’t good enough last year, and that’s about to change with Payton Thorne (Michigan State) about to bring the deep ball to the Plains. He can run a little bit - that’s what works in Montgomery’s offenses - but he’s there to bomb away after throwing for close to 6,000 yards and 46 touchdowns over the last two seasons.

You might not know the names at receiver, but this bunch is going to be really, really good. Leading yardage receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson is the main holdover after averaging 19 yards on his 26 catches last year, and Koy Moore is a playmaker who should be more dangerous in the new offense.

Jyaire Shorter (North Texas) is coming in after catching 23 passes last year, 11 of them for touchdowns. Shane Hooks (Jackson State) is a 6-4 matchup nightmare who caught 66 passes for 775 yards and ten scores last season for Coach Prime, and Rivaldo Fairweather (FIU) is an NFL-caliber tight end who can get deep.

The Auburn offense wasn’t always great, but it averaged over 200 rushing yards per game. The line has upside, but it’s undergoing a full overhaul needing C Avery Jones (East Carolina), OT Dillon Wade (Tulsa), and OT Gunner Britton (WKU) to play up to their experience. Give it a game or so and this bunch will be terrific.

Leading rusher Tank Bigsby is off being a Jacksonville Jaguar, and QB Robby Ashford accounted for a slew of rushing yards, but Jarquez Hunter should be able to handle more of the workload after averaging 6.5 yards per carry with seven scores. Brian Battie (USF) ran for 1,185 yards and eight scores averaging close to seven yards per pop last year - there’s a place for him.

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

 

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theplainsman.com

 

Auburn’s 2024 SEC opponents announced by conference - The Auburn Plainsman

 

3–4 minutes

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Auburn now knows its full SEC schedule for the 2024 football season. On Wednesday, the Southeastern Conference released which opponents each member of the conference will face in 2024, including Texas and Oklahoma.

The announcement confirmed that each SEC team will play an eight-game conference schedule in 2024. However, the conference will reevaluate the scheduling format for the 2025 season and beyond at a later time, possibly considering a nine-game conference schedule as every other Power Five conference plays.

As a part of the announcement, Auburn found out it will still face both of its top rivals in Alabama in the Iron Bowl and Georgia in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

The Tigers will also host one of the newcomers, the Oklahoma Sooners. The matchup will mark just the third time the two programs have met and the first time Oklahoma will travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Here is the complete list of Auburn’s SEC opponents for the 2024 season: at Alabama, at Georgia, at Kentucky, at Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

Dates for the SEC matchups were not announced.

With the exclusion of LSU from Auburn’s schedule, the Tigers will not face one another for the first time since 1991.

As for the nonconfernce games, Auburn’s out-of-counference opponents include California, New Mexico and Louisiana Monroe. Every nonconference game currently scheduled is a home game for the Tigers while Auburn has one game left to fill for the 2024 season.

While the SEC coaches and presidents agreed to an eight-game schedule for the 2024 season, the conference will scrap the East and West divisions starting in 2024. With divisions out of the picture, the two teams with the best conference record will square off in the SEC Championship, allowing the possibility of Auburn facing a team previously in the West in the SEC Championship. The SEC has used divisions since 1992.

As for the 2023 season, Auburn kicks off the Hugh Freeze era on Sept. 2 against the UMass Minutemen. 

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

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Jacob Waters | Sports Editor

Jacob Waters is a junior majoring in journalism. From Leeds, Alabama, he started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.

Twitter: @JacobWaters_

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247sports.com

 

Waytooearly outlook for Auburns 2024 SEC opponents

Nathan King

8–10 minutes

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John Cohen sees a bright future for Auburn athletics. (Photo: Auburn University)

AUBURN, Alabama – John Cohen was an Alabama fan. As a young teen-ager, he could name every player on Alabama’s 1978 and 1979 national championship football teams. And why not? His father was a law professor on the university faculty. His mother was a history teacher at Central High School. He had grown up in Tuscaloosa surrounded by all things Crimson Tide.

Now, more than four decades later, Cohen lives again in his home state for the first time since he left to play baseball for Mississippi State. But he is separated from his childhood home, where his 91-year-old mother still lives, by more than miles. He oversees the sprawling enterprise that is Auburn athletics. Cohen was named Auburn athletics director on Oct. 31 of last year, after six years as athletics director at Mississippi State.

After a standout career at Tuscaloosa Academy, Cohen played a season at Birmingham-Southern College, transferred to Mississippi State, played in the minor leagues, became a coach and then a head coach, led Kentucky to its first SEC baseball championship, went to Mississippi State and led his alma mater to the national championship series, was named athletics director, celebrated a baseball national championship and then took a leap of faith to move to Auburn.

Having crossed the hall and taken over the office occupied by every Auburn head football coach since Pat Dye, Cohen surveys his domain. His mission is to take Auburn athletics to another level of excellence.

“I think Auburn is on a nice trajectory,” Cohen says. “There is room for improvement. Our facilities are good, but not where they could be. I think we are just scratching the surface of where we can go. We have really good coaches. We have an incredible fan base. We are really going to push our messaging to a higher level. We are going to take care of our athletes at a higher level. I would not have come here if I didn’t believe we could make it better.”

After an extended search, first-year Auburn president Chris Roberts settled on Cohen as his first choice. And Roberts is a big reason Cohen and his wife, Nelle Bashinsky Cohen, reside in Auburn now.

“I absolutely believe Chris Roberts is outstanding,” Cohen says. “He is like an Auburn encyclopedia. He has such reverence for Auburn University and the Creed and the people who came before him. He’s been a great mentor. I have learned a lot from him.”

These are different days for college administrators. NIL and penalty-free transfers have changed college athletics in ways no one could have foreseen not so long ago. But Cohen says players haven’t really changed. He says coaches must continue to insist on the same things that have always led to success.

“What is different now is the level of awareness they have,” Cohen says. “Educationally, all over the country, we are moving away from mentorship and toward partnership. I still believe the 18-20-year-old needs mentors, needs people to say ‘This isn’t going to be fun, but this is what we are going to do. You don’t get a vote.’”

Cohen with his wife, Nelle

Cohen believes Auburn can achieve at the highest level in all sports. He well understands that success in football and basketball are most important, but he doesn’t stop there. On his desk is a softball signed by the members of the 2023 Auburn team. He is enamored by tennis. He’s a baseball man at heart. He likes soccer. You name it, and he believes it is important.

“I think we have coaches who are mentors and not necessarily partners,” Cohen says. “I think Auburn is positioned for greatness across the board.”

It was in 1986, after his freshman season at Birmingham-Southern, that Cohen’s life and what would be his professional trajectory changed. He decided that he would transfer to Mississippi State. His father had taken a sabbatical and his parents were in London. He called them, forgetting that it was after 3 a.m. in London. After getting over the fright of a phone call at 3 a.m., they gave their blessing.

“It was one of the great things that ever happened to me,” Cohen says. “It changed my life. I wanted to see up close and personal what it was supposed to look like. Even though I was raised by two educators - a law professor and a high school English teacher – baseball was everything in the world to me. I wanted to be a big leaguer, and I wanted to be around greatness. It was a thrilling time to be at Mississippi State.”

Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin and Cohen have been friends since Cohen was a senior at Mississippi State and Stricklin was a student assistant in the sports information office who oversaw baseball. They were together at Kentucky when Cohen was the head coach and Stricklin was head of communications. And then they were together again at Mississippi State when Cohen was the baseball coach and Stricklin was the senior associate athletics director and then the athletics director.

Stricklin remembers a Sunday when Mississippi State was awaiting a series finale against Auburn. A handful of players, including Cohen, were chatting in the dugout before the game about their plans for success in playing professional baseball and making it to the big leagues.

“He said, ‘I don’t think I will ever make the big leagues but I want to play pro ball for a couple of years. I want to be an AD one day, and I think that will help me stand out.’ I just remember thinking ‘This guy has a plan. He is thinking years down the road.”

Over the years Stricklin and Cohen became close friends, and they still are today. They talk regularly. Stricklin was impressed that day in the Plainsman Park dugout, and he is more impressed with what Cohen has accomplished.

“John is incredibly bright,” Stricklin says. “He has a great work ethic, and he is intensely competitive. He ended up in a good line of work for those qualities. … I know John as well as I know anybody in this business. I know his work ethic, drive and attention to detail. No one researches hiring people as much as John does. He grinds. He comes up with obscure information about people. I think he used that in recruiting players. He wanted all the information he could get.”

At Mississippi State, Cohen was a good player on great teams. He was drafted by the Minnesota Twins, but soon realized his childhood dream of playing in the major leagues would not come to fruition. He wanted to be an intern in the SEC office, but that didn’t happen. Mike Ruth, the scout who signed him, suggested he consider being a coach and told him there was an opening at Missouri.

And so it was that Cohen’s coaching career and the journey that would eventually make him an athletics director began. At Missouri, he met athletics director Joe Castiglione, now the athletics director at Oklahoma.

“I really didn’t think I would enjoy the coaching and recruiting as much as I did,” Cohen says. “Joe was great to me. I was always asking him questions, trying to gain information. I got a wonderful education and learned from the kids as we always do. You learn more from your players than you do at any coaching clinic.”

Auburn president Chris Roberts a 'mentor' for Cohen. (Photo: Auburn University)

Cohen moved on to become the head coach at Northwest Louisiana, following Dave Van Horn. Then, he moved to Florida as an assistant to Pat McMahon. From there, it was on to Kentucky, where he took Wildcat baseball where it had never been, and finally back to his alma mater.

In 2016, Cohen was named Mississippi State athletics director. Last October, he moved to Auburn, where his first big decision was the hiring of Hugh Freeze as head football coach..

“I really didn’t know if Auburn had an interest or not,” Cohen says. “When it became clear Auburn had an interest and I started looking into it, I just couldn’t imagine a better time to be at Auburn. You look at the collection of coaches we currently have. Across the landscape in this department, we have really solid coaches.

“It is an incredible opportunity and an incredible institution. When you really start looking at it, you realize that this year alone more than 50,000 kids have applied at Auburn. You look at the geographic recruiting landscape. I just wanted this great opportunity.”

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al.com

 

4-star LB Joseph Phillips commits to Auburn over UGA

Updated: Jun. 15, 2023, 12:29 p.m.|Published: Jun. 15, 2023, 12:07 p.m.

3–4 minutes

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1. Sports

Booker T. Washington 4-star LB Joseph Phillips commits to Auburn over UGA

Booker T. Washington LB Joseph Phillips, right, had 19 tackles for a loss and 9 sacks as a junior last season. (Contributed)

Four-star Booker T. Washington linebacker Joseph Phillips has committed to Auburn, choosing the Tigers over SEC rivals Georgia and Tennessee among others.

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Phillips is Auburn’s third commitment in as many days following Baker wide receiver Bryce Cain and Naples, Fla., defensive back Kensley Faustin on Tuesday.

Hugh Freeze and company now have eight commitments in the Class of 2024.

“As long as he stays injury free and keeps developing, I think Joseph will be a guy who plays on Sundays,” Booker T. head coach Lawrence O’Neal told AL.com.

Phillips finished with 75 tackles, 19 tackles for a loss and 9 sacks in 2022. He also caught 6 touchdown passes on offense.

“He’s really only played one year of football,” O’Neal said. “He quickly took ownership of the football team and took on a leadership role on the defense. He’s one of the smartest guys on the team. He’s a joy to coach because he is still so raw that he soaks up everything you give him. He wants to be the best.”

Phillips saw himself as more of a basketball player early in his high school career, but a conversation with O’Neal changed his future.

“He had told me basketball was his sport,” O’Neal said. “They were playing him at center. I just told him one day to go home and look up how many basketball centers in college are 6-2.5 or 6-3 and 240 pounds. He came back to me the next day and said, ‘Coach, I couldn’t find one.’

“I told him at his size in basketball, he would need to be a 1 or a 2 guard and be able to fill it up, and he didn’t play either. But at his size in football, he was already a grown man. He started lifting weights and coming to meetings. We played him out of position to start so he could get the hang of it. He started three games at safety before we moved him to the box. The rest is history.”

Phillips has steadily climbed the recruiting rankings after his banner junior year. He is currently No. 8 among rising senior prospects in the state in the latest 247 composite rankings. He is Auburn’s highest-ranked in-state commit in the Class of 2024.

“He has speed, explosiveness,” O’Neal said. “When he gets to the ball, he’s very violent. He’s also a smart kid. You might get him once, but you are not going to keep getting him with the same thing over and over again.”

Phillips is Auburn’s fifth in-state commitment in the class, joining Cain, Andalusia running back J’Marion Burnette, Moody defensive back A’Mon Lane and Anniston defensive back Jayden Lewis.

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247sports.com

 

College footballs firstyear coaches Forecasting success levels in 2023

Brad Crawford

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College football's first-year coaches: Forecasting success levels in 2023

Projecting which Power Five programs will be happy with their coaching hires at season's end.

Forecasting success levels for first-year college football coaches is a challenging task. The transfer portal provided opportunity to alter respective rosters quickly, but not all acquisitions are immediate success stories. Changing the culture is paramount for the new guys leading programs and some of that foundation has already been laid.

However, not all coaches inherited situations ripe for winning and it's going to take longer to find success as a result.

Optimism is the goal, not projections of impending disaster. Schedule favorability has been taken into account along with insight gathered from team insiders and reporters who have been around these programs from the outset.

The SEC's most grueling 2024 football schedules, ranked by difficulty

Here is a detailed look at 11 first-year Power Five head coaches and their projected 2023 finishes.

 

Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati

 

(Photo: Stephanie Scarbrough/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK, USA TODAY Sports)

Late-season opinion (projected): Who do the Bearcats want to be?

Establishing an identity as a head coach should be Satterfield's chief objective in 2023 at Cincinnati while maintaining the program's relevancy on a national scope during its first year in the Big 12. He knew who he wanted to be over his successful tenure at Appalachian State, but seemed to lose that sense of confidence at Louisville. At his best, Satterfield is an elite play-caller who finds ways to win. At his worst, execution lacks in late-game situations.

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Troy Taylor, Stanford

 

(Photo: Jackson Moore, 247Sports)

Late-season opinion (projected): Patience is a virtue

How many Power Five first-year coaches battle potentially five top-20 opponents this season? You guessed it — one. Taylor has his work cut out from him after coming over from Sacramento State. His history of success in the FCS ranks is notable and he should be commended for wanting to follow David Shaw in hopes of lifting the Cardinal, but this job is one of the nation's most difficult, at least where it currently sits within the Pac-12's hierarchy.

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Brent Key, Georgia Tech

 

(Photo: Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports)

Late-season opinion (projected): Luster wearing off

One of the feel-good stories of the 2022 season after going 4-4 under the interim tag with the Yellow Jackets, Key watched his players and the Georgia Tech fanbase rally around his guidance with a whirlwind of momentum down the stretch. Sometimes, an emotion-driven hire works, but Key's going to need time. The Yellow Jackets went portal-heavy this cycle and hopes they landed several immediate impact starters within the 16 transfer signees. Whether those additions will be difference-makers and help Georgia Tech win ACC games remains to be seen.

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Ryan Walters, Purdue

 

(Photo: Mick Walker - @MickWalker247, 247Sports)

Late-season opinion (projected): Wild ride for Boilermakers

Don't expect Purdue to fight for a spot in the top tier of the Big Ten this season under Walters, but his hire of Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator is intriguing for a number of reasons. Under Walters' guidance last fall, Illinois ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense, much of that coming as a result of a grind-it-out approach on the other side of the football. Can that still happen with an Air Raid advocate calling plays on offense? The dynamic between Walters and his OC is one to watch nationally.

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Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

 

(Photo: Patrick Breen/The Republic, USA TODAY Sports)

Late-season opinion (projected): ASU's turnaround is bigger obstacle than expected

Herm Edwards left the Sun Devils in a state of relative chaos, so Dillingham's first order of business was to sweep away the remnants and begin with a fresh slate. Like Deion Sanders at Colorado, Dillingham made recruiting within the transfer portal his top priority and has injected this roster with new blood. You can alter play on the field with different players, but it takes more than a few months time to operate under a different culture and that's what will take the longest for the former Oregon offensive coordinator.

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Jeff Brohm, Louisville

 

(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)

Late-season opinion (projected): Brohm was the spark the Cardinals needed

By all accounts, Brohm landing at Louisville was one of this cycle's perceived home runs. He makes the Cardinals go and could be a dark-horse contender in the ACC this year. That being said, this is eerily similar to Nebraska's Scott Frost hire, which was universally well-received from the outset. Here's a former record-setting quarterback returning to his alma-mater after success elsewhere with offensive innovation at the forefront. For Louisville's sake, let's hope it works out better for the Cardinals.

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Zach Arnett, Mississippi State

 

(Photo: Getty)

Late-season opinion (projected): More recon needed in Starkville

Under Mike Leach, you simply knew what you got with Mississippi State, a tough out in the SEC that would do everything in its power to out-scheme the opposition and do what it did best. Arnett, 36, has been in Starkville three seasons and carries the blue-collar mentality as a defensive-minded head coach. That's essentially the opposite of Leach and with the philosophical changes, there could be some noticeable growing pains for the Bulldogs this fall. Mississippi State should get to bowl season, but it'll be interesting to see how this program is viewed in the SEC after moving to a pro-style look.

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Luke Fickell, Wisconsin

 

(Photo: Getty)

Late-season opinion (projected): Badgers, Fickell win first-year coach sweepstakes

Wisconsin landed a big fish with the acquisition of Fickell, who turned Cincinnati into a respected power within the Group of Five ranks and pushed the Bearcats' brand into the nationally-relevant spectrum as a College Football Playoff participant. He has more talent with which to work in the Big Ten with heightened resources and that makes him extremely dangerous as one of the elite group of head coaches without a national championship who could be next in line.

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Hugh Freeze, Auburn

 

(Photo: Jason Caldwell/Auburnundercover, 247Sports)

Late-season opinion (projected): Auburn made the right hire

Landing Hugh Freeze was a calculated move for Auburn's power brass after their disastrous decision to bring Boise State's Bryan Harsin to the Plains previously following the messy Gus Malzahn situation. The disarray that lingered prior to Freeze's arrival has been cleaned up a bit by the new regime and the former Liberty coach took his recruiting-first mindset to impressive levels in the transfer portal. You can tell Freeze is bringing in his pieces to win on the Plains and that's going to happen sooner rather than later.

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Deion Sanders, Colorado

 

(Photo: CU Athletics)

Late-season opinion (projected): Thrill ride continues

Deion Sanders won the offseason, that much we know. And this rollercoaster is not going to slow down until it hits the first drop and tries getting its momentum back to scale the first hill. There will be peaks and valleys for Coach Prime in Year 1 — the schedule says as much. Colorado has transformed its roster with the nation's top-ranked transfer class due to sheer numbers after the Buffaloes replaced more than half of their roster after spring. Among the most notable impact players from the portal who will start for Colorado this season include his son, Shedeur Sanders, and two-play playmaker, Travis Hunter.

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Matt Rhule, Nebraska

 

(Photo: Getty)

Late-season opinion (projected): Rhule has resuscitated Nebraska football

By the end of November, college football will discuss the Huskers and their first-year coach as a tandem on the rise in the Big Ten. Rhule doesn't yet have a stockpile of talent at Nebraska, but it's coming. He'll use the same techniques he perfected at Temple and Baylor to win at a program where he faces considerably more pressure. However, expectations are low for 2023 and that's a good thing for Rhule and his coaching staff. They can go out there, reach bowl eligibility, and be told "well done" at season's end.

Overtime OT7 Finals: Initial eye-catchers from the first day

Jeremiah Mcclellan, Kwazi Gilmer, Elijah Moore and Gabe Williams all impressed as did others.

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – It turns out the Elite 11 Finals is not the only show in town this week in the greater Los Angeles area this week as Overtime’s OT7 Finals got underway late Thursday morning at Golden West College. With 12 teams in attendance from coast to coast, here are some initial eye-catchers from the morning and early afternoon games as some of the nation’s best prospects flock to the Golden State. 

–Jeremiah McClellan, WR, Saint Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers: A recent riser in last month’s Top247 rankings update, the St. Louis (Mo.) native made his presence felt early and often on Thursday. Hovering around 6-feet and 190-pounds, McClellan’s physical frame can easily distract you from the fact he’s an excellent pass catcher with the ability to make highlight plays somewhat rather routine. Injecting some energy into one of Thursday morning’s earliest matchups, the Top247 standout reeled in a beautiful one handed touchdown reception that drew the attention of every spectator in attendance. Typically known for his run after catch ability, McClellan did not waste any opportunity to prove that his hands are of the best aspects of his skillset.

–Julian McFadden, WR, Chestnut Hill (Pa.) Springside, class of 2025: One of the early head turners of this morning's round of matchups, McFadden out of Philadelphia is a name to know. Listed at 5-foot-10 and 150-pounds, it’s fair to say McFadden is closer to 170-pounds then his listed weight. A sticky route runner with excellent change of direction ability and suddenness, the rising junior stood out with his ability to create consistent separation and make plays down the field. Although McFadden reportedly holds no offers, expect that to change quickly with his impressive play during the offseason circuit and a reported 10.78 100 meter to his name this March. 

–Alessio Milivojevic, QB, Wheaton (Ill.) St. Francis, Ball State commit: With the Elite 11 Finals taking place just down the road at Redondo Union High School it was hard to not come away impressed with what we saw from Milivojeic this morning at OT7. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 210-pounds, the Ball State commit impressed throughout the morning displaying a strong arm and fitting a variety of throws into tight windows down the field to help Midwest Boom take advantage of explosive plays. Possessing a sturdy frame, the Illinois native showed that he’s more than just a strong arm as the accuracy and touch was also on display as well. 

–Gabriel Williams, LB, Laurel (Md.) St. Vincent Pallotti: A long, fluid athlete at the linebacker position, it’s rare to see someone with Williams’ size and athleticism at the second level. Standing at 6-foot-4 and 195-pounds, the Virginia Tech commit was certainly someone we highlighted coming into the event as he boasts an impressive testing resume which includes a 6-foot-7 wingspan and a 10-foot broad jump. A smooth mover with excellent length, the Top247 standout was active in the passing lanes throughout the day deflecting a handful of balls and flashing the ability to play sideline to sideline as well. 

–Elijah Moore, WR, Olney (Md.) Good Counsel: Representing Team Toa on Tuesday, Moore is what one would undoubtedly describe as an “eye-catcher” before even stepping foot on the field. The 6-foot-4 pass catcher from Maryland had himself a productive morning, hauling in a couple of touchdowns with the help of his size and ability to play above the rim. As the field shrinks it feels as if Moore’s catch radius and targets only expand. Regardless of his size, the Maryland native’s ability to attack the football and win one-on-one battles on the perimeter is a valuable trait that continues to attract some of the very best programs in the country. 

–Kwazi Gilmer, WR, Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon: Gilmer easily had one of the most productive days of any player in attendance on Thursday, Gilmer and Jeremiah McClellan created all sorts of issues for opposing defenses as there were almost no answers for California Power throughout the day. The 6-foot-2 California native appeared more than at home in his home state as he got loose behind the defense a couple of times and hauled in a few touchdown passes. Similar to Moore, Gilmer’s body control and ability to make contested catches stood out this morning, helping steady a strong performance by California Power on Thursday. 

MORE FROM AROUND THE FIELDS

-2025 Top247 safety Matai Tagoa'i did some nice things on Thursday for California Power, showcasing his knack for the football as he was one of the most active defenders in attendance.

-2025 Top247 tight end Ethan Barbour flashed while hauling in a couple of receptions, one of which was a touchdown while getting loose on a seam down the field. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215-pounds, Barbour moves well for his size and showed some nimble athleticism.

-Colorado wide receiver commit Zycarl Lewis found himself making play after play on Thursday for the Legends. A crafty mover, Lewis has a good feel for how to get open and attack space out of the slot. Add the route running ability to his elusiveness in space and it appears Coach Prime has a good one out of the Sunshine State.

-A couple of other notable standouts from Thursday include: Ohio State five-star wide receiver commit Jeremiah Smith, 2025 Top247 cornerback Dijon Lee, 2025 Top247 cornerback Devin Sanchez, 2025 Top247 quarterback Madden Iamaleava, 2025 Top247 wide receiver Talyn Taylor, 2025 Top247 linebacker Marco Jones, Florida wide receiver commit Izaiah Williams, athlete I'Marion Stewart, wide receiver Chanz Wiggins, tight end KJ Duff Jr., quarterback Ty McCutcheon, safety Justin Denson, athlete Kobe Boykin, Furman quarterback commit Terry Hedden III, and 2025 athlete Joey O’Brien,

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SEC 2024 schedule: The 3 toughest schedules around the league

Derek Peterson

5–7 minutes

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The SEC released matchups for the 2024 football season on Wednesday, and, naturally, the conversation immediately shifted to trying to figure out which teams were helped and hurt most by the league’s schedule makers.

Fans were quick to point out that Texas A&M and Arkansas managed to avoid both Alabama and Georgia. Tennessee, meanwhile, has to face Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma — with the latter 2 coming on the road. Auburn plays both Alabama and Georgia on the road. Vanderbilt was made to be the conference punching bag in 2024, with games against Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, and LSU.

On paper — and considering the fact it’s still June 2023 and we know nothing about how these teams will look on the field in September 2024 — the SEC looks to have done a solid job at balancing the schedule. Lots of intriguing matchups that will keep TV executives happy, but nothing seems overkill.

Still, who has the hardest 8-game SEC slate in 2024? Here’s how I’d put it on June 14. (In no particular order. Yes, it’s a bit of a cop-out; deal with it.)

Oklahoma Sooners

2024 schedule: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (neutral), at Auburn, at LSU, at Ole Miss, at Missouri

First and foremost, Oklahoma gets what it wanted.

Look at the 2023 schedule for the Sooners. The top 2 conference home games are TCU and… who? Central Florida? Iowa State? Now flip the calendar to 2024 and it becomes immediately clear why Joe Castiglione wanted this move. Alabama and Tennessee come to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

That’s what it’s about.

The Sooners will get to sell the crap out of the return of Josh Heupel to Norman. Alabama’s arrival needs no billing. South Carolina coming to Norman also means the return of one-time OU assistant Shane Beamer. Castiglione can charge whatever he wants for tickets in 2024.

Though Oklahoma doesn’t get to necessarily complain about a tough schedule, that doesn’t make it any lighter of a schedule.

There are 5 games away from Norman. That’s something to consider. Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee are all potentially championship-caliber teams. We’ll see what happens with Texas in 2023 before labeling the Longhorns the same, but that game is rarely ever an easy one. The 2022 outcome will make things extra spicy for the next few years.

Auburn Tigers

2024 opponents: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, at Alabama, at Georgia, at Kentucky, at Missouri

Only 1 SEC team gets the distinct honor of visiting both Athens and Tuscaloosa in 2024.

That team is Auburn.

I don’t really feel like I need to say much more than that, but I will.

Tennessee is the only other team that faces both, though the Alabama game will be played in Knoxville. Hugh Freeze has 1 season to get everything in place before it’s all hands on deck. Because in addition to the Tide and Bulldogs, Auburn will also host Oklahoma and whatever becomes of A&M. Kentucky, by the way, is 46-22 at home since the start of the 2014 season.

Depending on the order, this could be a wild ride.

Florida Gators

2024 opponents: Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia (neutral), at Mississippi State, at Tennessee, at Texas

Again, it’s tough to project what teams will look like in 2024 given how quickly rosters can change (hello, Coach Prime), but looking at Florida’s 2024 schedule with the knowledge of where these teams are entering 2023 gives me a bit of a queasy feeling on the Gators’ behalf.

Florida will face 6 teams currently inside Bill Connelly’s 2023 SP+ top 20 — Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss. Georgia and LSU aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Tennessee has a big season ahead of it as far as establishing a standard under Heupel, but I’m willing to give the Vols the benefit of the doubt right now. See above for Texas.

Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas all come away from home. Florida went 1-4 away from Gainesville in Billy Napier’s first season, and he enters the 2023 campaign with mounting pressure. Namely, Florida needs to sort out its quarterback situation.

If the inevitable answer is 2024 5-star commit DJ Lagway, there will be a ton on his plate in Year 1. Even more so if Florida is so-so in 2023.

Much like with Auburn, the order here could take this from a difficult ordeal to a march through Dante’s Inferno.

Derek Peterson comes to the Pac-12 after years of serving as a college football beat writer at Oklahoma and Nebraska. He's a firm believer that teams should never punt. Follow on Twitter.

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Why Rivaldo Fairweather will break out in 2023

Joshua Collins

3–4 minutes

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Will Rivaldo Fairweather be the breakout performer for Auburn football in 2023?

When taking the time to select a significant breakout playmaker from the 2023 haul of high school and transfer portal players Auburn fans have been afforded a litany of options.

These range from significant upgrades across the offensive field with additions like Dillon Wade from Tulsa, and Payton Thorne from Michigan State to upgrades across the defensive board with the additions of Austin Keys from Ole Miss, and Justin Rogers from Kentucky. Any of these players alongside several others have equal opportunity to become break out performers for the Auburn Tigers in the upcoming 2023-2024 season.

All things considered, my money would have to be placed on Auburn’s first transfer portal pickup this offseason, Rivaldo Fairweather, to be the most significant “Break Out” player this incoming season. The 6-foot-5 in 250-pound Tight End hails originally from Boyd Anderson High School out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After committing to Florida International University on November 11th, 2019, the young man played three seasons with the Panthers.

Despite the Panthers only winning five out of 24 games over the course of his three seasons on their roster, Fairweather put up consistently increasing receiving numbers. These numbers totaled to the tune of 54 receptions amounting to 838 yards with 5 touchdowns. Fairweather has averaged roughly 15.5 yards per catch over the course of his college career, with his longest being a 75-yard reception last season.

With these modest numbers thus far, one might pose the question as to why one may hedge their bets upon this young man being the breakout performer this year. For those who may question this call consider the following. Through the course of Fairweather’s tenure at FIU he played with three different young men under center, having a different QB1 each season.

Even with the consistent adjustments at QB1, Fairweather maintained upward momentum with his numbers. This is not to throw stones at the performance of these young men, however none of the quarterbacks Rivaldo played with at FIU had a completion percentage higher than 59%. With Auburn’s addition of Payton Thorne at the helm he will now have a quarterback who has consistently put up 60% + completion ratings the past two seasons. 

I believe that with Fairweather’s size and speed off the line of scrimmage coupled with the accuracy of Payton Thorne under center could present a dangerous mix against any opposing defense. In short Rivaldo Fairweather’s numbers are showing a significant upwards trajectory poising him to be a significant breakout performer this season.

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Athlon, Lindy's differ slightly on Auburn football predictions, see tough rebuild ahead

Justin Hokanson

Robby Ashford (Photo by Matt Rudolph/Auburn Live)

AUBURN — Auburn football isn’t close to where Hugh Freeze wants it to be, but you have to start somewhere.

“I want our fans to be excited about the momentum we’ve created here. Do we have a ways to go? Yes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be excited about where we are currently,” Freeze said in April.

The Tigers have landed eight commitments for the 2024 class so far, with six of them being four-star prospects according to the On3 Consensus Rankings. That’s a good start, but still only ranks them 15th nationally and 7th among SEC teams. Rank by average rating per commitment and the Tigers sit 11th nationally. 

Freeze and staff secured the nation’s 17th-ranked recruiting class, 8th in the SEC, after their arrival in late November.Most of that class is on campus as summer workouts have begun.

Auburn made up ground in the transfer portal finishing with the 5th-ranked portal class , tops among SEC teams. That group is made up of expected impact players like Payton Thorne, Justin Rogers, Rivaldo Fairweather, Shane Hooks, Jyaire Shorter, Brian Battie, Gunner Britton, Avery Jones, Dillon Wade and others.

While we await SEC media days and preseason media predictions in July, that’ll be held in Nashville and not Birmingham or Atlanta by the way, we do have some other popular preseason fodder to react to. Lindy’s Sports and Athlon Sports (click links to purchase the magazines, or grab one wherever magazines are sold) preseason college football magazines hit the newsstands recently, both having some interesting things to say about the Tigers.

LIMITED TIME FATHER’S DAY PROMO: JOIN AUBURN LIVE — 6 MONTHS FOR $40, ONE YEAR FOR $75

Athlon’s opinions and predictions

An anonymous SEC assistant coach says the gap between Auburn and foes Alabama and Georgia is the biggest gap its faced in “decades.”

Here’s the entire quote from an anonymous SEC assistant coach: “It’s gonna be another weird year. They’re getting a boost from Freeze coming back in the league and just not being Bryan Harsin. For all of Freeze’s problems, he can manage an SEC culture a thousand times better than Hars…They’re starting over, but its Auburn, so they have good running backs. After that, they’re pretty mediocre. This is a messy-looking roster compared to the top half of the league… Freeze didn’t really bring in the all-star staff he promised. It’s weird, there’s a lot of his Liberty dudes, and then you have Ron Roberts and the old Tulsa head coach (Philip Montgomery)… He’s going to use the entire season as a recruiting platform like he did those first two years at Ole Miss because the offensive line and the receivers are bad and don’t know the system, but Auburn is going to expect him to operate on a faster timeline. They’r so far behind ‘Bama and Georgia; it’s maybe the biggest gap in decades.”

Athlon’s final analysis says, “Freeze has his work cut out for him trying to revive the program that bottomed out under Bryan Harsin, finishing 5-7 and missing a bowl game for the first time since 2012. Freeze has tried to temper expectations while still maintaining a belief that he can turn things around in quick order. Whether he’ll be able to do that will hinge on finding the right quarterback to helm his system, but just making a bowl game in Year 1 should be considered progress.”

ATHLON PREDICTIONS: Athlon predicts Auburn to finish dead last in the Western Division with a 6-6 overall record, 2-6 record in SEC play, and ranks the Tigers the 39th best team in college football.

The magazine says Auburn will face N.C. State in the Gasparilla Bowl at season’s end.

The magazine says Auburn’s position group rankings among SEC teams are as follows: QB 14th, RB 5th, WR 14th, OL 11th, DL 10th, LB 11th, DB 5th.

Lastly, the magazine predicts Jarquez Hunter as All-SEC second-team selection at RB, with Justin Rogers a third-team selection at DL, DJ James a third-team selection at CB, and Brian Battie a third-team selection as kick returner.

Lindy’s opinions and predictions

Lindy’s doesn’t quote anonymous coaches, but does offer analysis.

Here’s what Lindy’s says about Auburn’s strengths…: “Deep, talented running back room. Tight end position loaded with size and experience. Veteran offensive line. Helped offensively and defensively through transfer portal additions. One of the best defensive backfields in the SEC, if not the country. Reliable kicking game.”

…and weaknesses: “Few returning starters on offense. Need to determine starting quarterback sooner rather than later. Wide receiver group needs more depth, deep threats. Defensive front seven needs more depth, too. Will this many incoming transfers mesh well with returners?”

Lindy’s final overview says, “Auburn hadn’t had back-to-back losing records since 1998-99 — until 2021-22. Still, enthusiasm generated by interim head coach ‘Cadillac’ Williams caught the nation’s attention and is still there. Since then: new head coach, significant transfer portal additions, and an impressive signing class. As usual, the schedule is tough. If the Tigers settle on an effective quarterback and develop a deeper receiving corps, have a big-play defensive front seven and flip the negative turnover ratio, Auburn might surprise some folks. But that’s a lot of big ‘ifs.'”

LINDY’S PREDICTIONS: Lindy’s predicts Auburn to finish sixth in the Western Division ahead of only Mississippi State, and ranks the Tigers the 42nd best team in college football.

The magazine predicts Hunter as All-SEC second-team selection at RB, and James a third-team All-SEC selection at CB.

The magazine doesn’t list any player from Auburn among the league’s Top-10 NFL talent, or any incoming freshman among the league’s Top-20 incoming recruits.

The magazine selects incoming freshman Keldric Faulk as its “top newcomer,” saying of Faulk, “Auburn wasn’t always on the top of Faulk’s list. The 6-5, 270-pound defensive lineman originally committed to Florida State…he was a prized Seminole catch… until he flipped to Auburn.”

Edited June 16, 2023 by toddc

[aubiefifty 18,259]

10 minutes ago, toddc said:

Athlon, Lindy's differ slightly on Auburn football predictions, see tough rebuild ahead

Justin Hokanson

Robby Ashford (Photo by Matt Rudolph/Auburn Live)

AUBURN — Auburn football isn’t close to where Hugh Freeze wants it to be, but you have to start somewhere.

“I want our fans to be excited about the momentum we’ve created here. Do we have a ways to go? Yes. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be excited about where we are currently,” Freeze said in April.

The Tigers have landed eight commitments for the 2024 class so far, with six of them being four-star prospects according to the On3 Consensus Rankings. That’s a good start, but still only ranks them 15th nationally and 7th among SEC teams. Rank by average rating per commitment and the Tigers sit 11th nationally. 

Freeze and staff secured the nation’s 17th-ranked recruiting class, 8th in the SEC, after their arrival in late November.Most of that class is on campus as summer workouts have begun.

Auburn made up ground in the transfer portal finishing with the 5th-ranked portal class , tops among SEC teams. That group is made up of expected impact players like Payton Thorne, Justin Rogers, Rivaldo Fairweather, Shane Hooks, Jyaire Shorter, Brian Battie, Gunner Britton, Avery Jones, Dillon Wade and others.

While we await SEC media days and preseason media predictions in July, that’ll be held in Nashville and not Birmingham or Atlanta by the way, we do have some other popular preseason fodder to react to. Lindy’s Sports and Athlon Sports (click links to purchase the magazines, or grab one wherever magazines are sold) preseason college football magazines hit the newsstands recently, both having some interesting things to say about the Tigers.

LIMITED TIME FATHER’S DAY PROMO: JOIN AUBURN LIVE — 6 MONTHS FOR $40, ONE YEAR FOR $75

Athlon’s opinions and predictions

An anonymous SEC assistant coach says the gap between Auburn and foes Alabama and Georgia is the biggest gap its faced in “decades.”

Here’s the entire quote from an anonymous SEC assistant coach: “It’s gonna be another weird year. They’re getting a boost from Freeze coming back in the league and just not being Bryan Harsin. For all of Freeze’s problems, he can manage an SEC culture a thousand times better than Hars…They’re starting over, but its Auburn, so they have good running backs. After that, they’re pretty mediocre. This is a messy-looking roster compared to the top half of the league… Freeze didn’t really bring in the all-star staff he promised. It’s weird, there’s a lot of his Liberty dudes, and then you have Ron Roberts and the old Tulsa head coach (Philip Montgomery)… He’s going to use the entire season as a recruiting platform like he did those first two years at Ole Miss because the offensive line and the receivers are bad and don’t know the system, but Auburn is going to expect him to operate on a faster timeline. They’r so far behind ‘Bama and Georgia; it’s maybe the biggest gap in decades.”

Athlon’s final analysis says, “Freeze has his work cut out for him trying to revive the program that bottomed out under Bryan Harsin, finishing 5-7 and missing a bowl game for the first time since 2012. Freeze has tried to temper expectations while still maintaining a belief that he can turn things around in quick order. Whether he’ll be able to do that will hinge on finding the right quarterback to helm his system, but just making a bowl game in Year 1 should be considered progress.”

ATHLON PREDICTIONS: Athlon predicts Auburn to finish dead last in the Western Division with a 6-6 overall record, 2-6 record in SEC play, and ranks the Tigers the 39th best team in college football.

The magazine says Auburn will face N.C. State in the Gasparilla Bowl at season’s end.

The magazine says Auburn’s position group rankings among SEC teams are as follows: QB 14th, RB 5th, WR 14th, OL 11th, DL 10th, LB 11th, DB 5th.

Lastly, the magazine predicts Jarquez Hunter as All-SEC second-team selection at RB, with Justin Rogers a third-team selection at DL, DJ James a third-team selection at CB, and Brian Battie a third-team selection as kick returner.

Lindy’s opinions and predictions

Lindy’s doesn’t quote anonymous coaches, but does offer analysis.

Here’s what Lindy’s says about Auburn’s strengths…: “Deep, talented running back room. Tight end position loaded with size and experience. Veteran offensive line. Helped offensively and defensively through transfer portal additions. One of the best defensive backfields in the SEC, if not the country. Reliable kicking game.”

…and weaknesses: “Few returning starters on offense. Need to determine starting quarterback sooner rather than later. Wide receiver group needs more depth, deep threats. Defensive front seven needs more depth, too. Will this many incoming transfers mesh well with returners?”

Lindy’s final overview says, “Auburn hadn’t had back-to-back losing records since 1998-99 — until 2021-22. Still, enthusiasm generated by interim head coach ‘Cadillac’ Williams caught the nation’s attention and is still there. Since then: new head coach, significant transfer portal additions, and an impressive signing class. As usual, the schedule is tough. If the Tigers settle on an effective quarterback and develop a deeper receiving corps, have a big-play defensive front seven and flip the negative turnover ratio, Auburn might surprise some folks. But that’s a lot of big ‘ifs.'”

LINDY’S PREDICTIONS: Lindy’s predicts Auburn to finish sixth in the Western Division ahead of only Mississippi State, and ranks the Tigers the 42nd best team in college football.

The magazine predicts Hunter as All-SEC second-team selection at RB, and James a third-team All-SEC selection at CB.

The magazine doesn’t list any player from Auburn among the league’s Top-10 NFL talent, or any incoming freshman among the league’s Top-20 incoming recruits.

The magazine selects incoming freshman Keldric Faulk as its “top newcomer,” saying of Faulk, “Auburn wasn’t always on the top of Faulk’s list. The 6-5, 270-pound defensive lineman originally committed to Florida State…he was a prized Seminole catch… until he flipped to Auburn.”

thanks for posting. i love those magazines. i think phil steele is supposed to be the most accurate. but feel free to post anytime. this is everyones thread and not just mine.

Edited June 16, 2023 by aubiefifty

[WarTim 3,525]

Thanks Fifty 

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yahoo.com

 

J’Marion Burnette becomes latest Auburn commit to ‘shut down’ recruitment

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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This is a trend that we could all get used to.

J'Marion Burnette, a four-star running back from Andalusia, became Auburn’s fourth commit of the 2024 class when he pledged to Auburn in March. On Thursday, he shared that he would shut down his recruitment and focus solely on Auburn until signing day in December.

He becomes the latest 2024 commit to make such a decision. Four-star QB Walker White kicked off the trend and has basically served as an extra recruiter for Auburn since committing to the program in February. Three-star tight end Martavious Collins announced earlier this week that he would shut down his recruitment. Four-star DB A'mon Lane followed suit by doing the same on Tuesday.

As Hugh Freeze works to rebuild the program, it can not be stressed how important it is for him to hold on to his best recruits. If Burnette and fellow pledges continue to convince others to follow the trend, the days of “waiting until signing day” to get excited over a top recruit will soon end.

More Recruiting!

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On3 Roundtable: Previewing potential playmakers for Auburn at wide receiver in 2023

Barkley Truax

Ja'Varrius Johnson (Photo by Getty Images)

Most people would agree that the turnover throughout the Auburn football program was much-needed. Hiring Hugh Freeze as the Tigers’ next head coach and bringing in transfers that fit his vision, the public has little knowledge of what that actually looks like.

The Tigers haven’t been able to publicly showcase themselves aside from the spring game — but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to be excited about, especially in the wide receivers ranks. Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson joined the On3 Roundtable alongside JD PicKell to discuss what fans should expect from the Tigers’ group out wide in 2023. 

“One of them is Rivaldo Fairweather, a tight end from Florida International they brought in; 6’5, 250. He’s only played football for four or five years of his life, but played basketball, played soccer in high school, super athletic and super raw,” Hokanson told PicKell. “That kid’s got NFL potential written all over him. He’s going to be really interesting to see. 

“Is he involved in just the red zone or is he involved all the way up and down the field? He’s a guy that’s going to be a big target.” 

Hokanson specifically noted two incoming transfers in particular: Shane Hooks(Jackson State), who is 6’5, and Jyaire Shorter (North Texas), who scored touchdowns on half of his catches lasy season, are going to be players out wide for Auburn this season. He also praised Ja’Varrius Johnson, who has been around the program for a couple years, for his speed in the slot

“I think he’s a guy that could catch a lot of passes for Auburn as well,” Hokanson said of Johnson. “I think there’s a lot to be determined. I don’t know that there will be a premier pass catcher. I’m not — I mean, maybe. I feel like you’ve got some guys that can maybe turn into reliable guys across the board but I would probably start with those four.”

On paper, Auburn begins the season with a few opportunities to get all four of these men involved in the passing game. Hosting UMass and Samford during two of the first three weeks and traveling to Cal in their Week 2 matchup presents the perfect opportunities to work out the kinks while still sharing the ball around.

The UMass game will kick off the season, and is set for Sept. 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.