6.20.23 Football Articles

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Auburns Battie tabbed preseason AllAmerican by Phil Steele

Nathan King

~3 minutes

Auburn hopes one of its most productive transfer additions is a game-breaker on special teams in 2023.

And Brian Battie is being recognized as such, at least by one notable outlet early in the summer. Phil Steele’s annual college football preview magazine has hit the stands, and the new Auburn running back has earned third team All-American honors in the all-purpose category.

This time last year, Steele tabbed Auburn’s Derick Hall (second team defensive line) and Owen Pappoe (fourth team linebacker) as preseason All-Americans.

An All-America nod in 2023 would be the second of Battie’s career; the USF transfer was a consensus first team All-American kick returner in 2021, after he led all of college football with three kick-return touchdowns, and was No. 6 nationally at 32.5 yards per return.

The two players chosen above Battie by Steele were Louisiana Tech’s Smoke Harris on the first team, and Colorado’s Travis Hunter on the second team.

Looking to create one of the SEC’s best rushing duos with rising junior Jarquez Hunter in the Auburn backfield, Battie ran for 1,185 yards last season (6.8 yards per carry). According to Pro Football Focus, Battie’s “breakaway percentage” of 45.8 was the ninth-best in college football last season, directly behind All-SEC running backs Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss) and Raheim Sanders (Arkansas).

The 5-foot-7, 170-pound Battie was one of Auburn’s first transfer pickups back in early January, and 247Sports rates him as the No. 6 transfer running back this cycle. His overall grade of 87.5 by Pro Football Focus last season is the highest of Auburn's 20 incoming transfers, followed closely by App State pass-rusher Jalen McLeod (86.6).

“I’m super excited about Brian,” Auburn running backs coach Cadillac Williams said during spring practice. “He’s dynamic, explosive, a one-cut runner. Like I said before, I know he’s a smaller guy, but you don’t see clean licks on him. He understands leverage, angles — tough kid, will stick his face in the fan, pass block.”

Auburn’s top kick-return option last season was Hunter, who averaged 21.6 yards per return. During spring practice, Battie also repped on kick returns with fellow running back Damari Alston, defensive back Keionte Scott and receiver Ja'Varrius Johnson, among others.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn makes its pitch to 5-star WR Perry Thompson

JD McCarthy

~2 minutes

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Auburn is once again looking to pry an elite recruit away from a rival. This time Hugh Freeze and Co. are going after five-star wide receiver Perry Thompson, who has been committed to Alabama since June 24, 2022.

Thompson took an official visit to The Plains over the weekend, and the Tigers once again made their pitch to the Foley, Alabama, native.

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“Hugh Freeze, cool guy, fun guy,” Thompson told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “He wants me to come here, build a legacy. He pitched me as another DK, AJ Brown.”

The visit was his fourth to Auburn since the new staff took over as the Tigers continue to make up ground with Alabama.

“They’re right there,” Thompson said. “I’d say right there with Alabama.”

He is the No. 31 overall player and No. 8 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 5 player from Alabama.

Thompson is coming off a dominant junior season for Foley High School. He caught 87 passes for 1,059 yards and nine touchdowns in 11 games.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pounder is planning to make a final decision a week before his high school season starts.

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 JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

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this is old but i do not remember seeing it................

 

 

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as an aside when i looked up mr white on youtube the white walkers popped up. lets hope he brings fear to our opponents. grins

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Auburn football coaching staff’s energy is big deal for 4-star OL

Mary Kate Hughes

2–3 minutes

It was a big weekend for the Auburn football program as they hosted a number of highly-ranked offensive linemen and other recruits on campus for official visits. For one of those prospects, it was not only his first trip to Auburn’s campus but his first trip to the state of Alabama.

4-star offensive lineman Preston Taumua made the trip this weekend all the way from Hawaii and was blown away by the coaching staff’s energy and involvement on his visit. Taumua already had a connection with his primary recruiter, tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua, who is from the same place that Taumua’s father is from and has already been to visit Taumua in Hawaii.

But during his official visit, he got to know head coach Hugh Freeze and his would-be position coach Jake Thornton. Their high energy and their vision for Taumua were a big deal for the visiting O-lineman, per Auburn Rivals:

“Coach Jake (Thornton) is full of energy, I’m not gonna lie,” Taumua said. “He’s good. He gave me the spill of what their O-Line is looking like this year and if I were to come here, I feel like I’d be a freshman starting off the bat. Especially playing in the SEC, it’s the best competition.”

Taumua is ranked as the #200 overall prospect and the #8 inside offensive lineman in the recruiting class of 2024. He is the #1 recruit out of Hawaii and has already been invited to play in the 2024 Polynesian Bowl.

Along with Auburn, Taumua has already officially visited Arizona and plans to get to his other top schools (Oregon, Nebraska, and Alabama) later this summer. The OL wants to check out the other programs before making his final decision, which he is set to do on August 24.

Currently, Taumua has one 247 Sports Crystal Ball projection to land at Oregon, and his On3 Recruiting Profile indicates that Arizona is leading his recruitment, but a lot could change over the next few months with his visits. As of now, Auburn football is in a good spot.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Three-star OL Kahlil House to announce commitment this week

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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After earning three commitments last week, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn coaching staff could keep their momentum going this week.

Kahlil House, a three-star offensive lineman from Warner Robins, Georgia, ended his official visit tour by stopping in Auburn. Following his official visit to the Plains, House told Auburn Undercover he plans to announce his commitment this week.

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Joining Auburn in the race for his commitment are Ole Miss, Cincinnati, Louisville and UCF. According to 247Sports, his final visit is Louisville later this week.

Auburn was drawn to House because of his versatility. He tells Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover that offensive line coach Jake Thornton plans on using him in several ways if he ends up at Auburn.

“Right tackle, guard and center,” House tells Auburn Undercover. “Coach (Jake) Thornton, what he explained to me was if I was to come here he’d start me off at tackle and then move me on inside and I’d develop and learn more.”

In what has become a norm, House also said he enjoys the family-like atmosphere he feels at Auburn.

Auburn offered House earlier this month, and almost immediately became the favorite to earn his commitment. 247Sports has already given Auburn two crystal ball predictions, and On3’s recruiting prediction machine gives Auburn a 73.8% chance to land him.

House stands 6 feet, 4 inches and weighs 300 pounds. He is a three-star interior offensive lineman according to 247Sports and is the No. 86 player from the state of Georgia for the 2024 class.

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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on3.com

 

'It's just a matter of time': Former Hugh Freeze receiver sees Auburn as a future championship contender

Cole Pinkston

6–8 minutes

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The Hugh Freeze era is on its way for Auburn football.

Auburn fans have already gotten an idea of what to expect in recruiting with some late flips in the 2023 class, a top 5 transfer portal class, and a some big wins so far in the 2024 class.

There is plenty of evidence of Freeze turning programs around. He brought both Ole Miss and Liberty up during his time at those schools.

What about when Freeze took over at Arkansas State in 2011? He took the Red Wolves from a 4-8 record as offensive coordinator to 10-3 as head coach the very next year.

One of his top players on that team, wide receiver Dwayne Frampton, still covets his time under Freeze. His son, class of 2027 athlete Hakim Frampton, has already received an offer from Auburn and Freeze. The bond between Frampton and Freeze is still going strong today.

[ California ATH Hakim Frampton has deep ties with Hugh Freeze, Auburn ]

Frampton spoke in-depth with Auburn Live about what Auburn fans can expect with Freeze in charge.

Dwayne Frampton at Arkansas State

Frampton was a play maker for Freeze’s offense at Arkansas State. In 2010, when Freeze was the offensive coordinator for the Red Wolves, Frampton had 69 catches, 738 yards, and 6 touchdowns.

In 2011, when Freeze went from offensive coordinator to head coach, Frampton had a huge uptick in stats. He recorded 94 catches, 1,156 yards, and 6 touchdowns.

One of those touchdown catches came in the 2010 season opener against Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium, a place that Frampton remembers fondly.

via GIPHY

“My first collegiate football game at the division one level was against Auburn,” Frampton said. “I scored on them first. When Cam was there, I scored on them first. That’s when Steve Roberts was our head coach, still. When I came into that stadium, I was like wow, what it would feel like to play here. Wish I could have had the opportunity to play here. I was playing against Trovon Reed, Zac Etheridge, Neiko Thorpe, Josh Bynes, I was playing against some serious talent. I had their respect because I had about 8 catches for 74 yards, and a touchdown.”

“For them (Auburn) to be my son’s first scholarship, from the man that coached me in that same stadium–for me, it’s just nothing short of God’s work,” Frampton said. “That’s so ironic for my son to get a scholarship offer from the man who is now the head coach in that same stadium in which I played in.”

Frampton knew Freeze would be a head coach while he was an offensive coordinator

Frampton learned how to appreciate the game of football from Freeze.

“Man, my time with Pop (Freeze) was beautiful, I was blessed,” Frampton said. “He was the first coach I ever had change my mindset on the game of football and my approach. I learned how to be more appreciative. God says when you’re grateful, he gives you more, and that is what Freeze taught me. He has been my father-like figure ever since.”

Frampton knew when he met Freeze that he would be a head coach.

“Freeze got there 2010 when I got there. Clay Helton was my original offensive coordinator, he got the USC job. Then they brought Freeze in, I believe from Lambuth,” Frampton said. “He was the OC, but I knew he was going to be our head coach. Just the way Coach Steve Roberts allowed him to take the floor, how we just all bought into his system, bought into his beliefs, and bought into what it was that he was selling. We turned the tide from 4-8 to 10-3.”

Frampton still uses Freeze’s offensive philosophy to this day. In his opinion, there was no better offensive mind that he came across during his football career.

“I played slot receiver and on the outside,” Frampton said. “Freeze, the way he dissects, man he is a chemist when you sit on the board with him. His football knowledge is, in my opinion, second-to-none, especially offensively. He has this thing called the Talladega system where it’s just go, go, go. We bought into it so much to where we didn’t know anything else but to hurry up. He would either say Talladega or he would say Nascar. It’s just the system that I learned and now it is helping me bring that back to these kids that I’m coaching out here in Cali.”

He knows how to connect with people, first and foremost

Former Arkansas State receiver Dwayne Frampton and his son, 2027 Athlete Hakim Frampton, after a game

Aside from football, Freeze had a unique approach with his football team. When it came to appreciating football, he first wanted his team to appreciate life. Frampton says he broke everything down to a specific science.

“Obviously, man, I don’t know how much people believe in God, but I do and he does,” Frampton said. “I promise you man, if I could write a book about it we should. The way he told us to be more appreciative for our opportunities. 95 percent of the team bought in to that saying: ‘Be grateful.’ When you were grateful you received more. We all just started to appreciate being able to have the legs to run around, the hands to catch the ball, the sight to see. Coach just broke it down to a science. Man, these things are a privilege that we are allowed to use. We all bought in man. I’m sure he did that at Liberty just as he did at Ole Miss. And, I’m sure he’s going to do that at Jordan-Hare Stadium.”

What, in Frampton’s opinion, made Freeze so great? Why does the relationship between the two mean so much to him years later?

“He’s a great head coach because he knows how to connect with people,” Frampton said. “He knows how to connect with his players, he is a player’s coach. Anybody who played for Freeze will love him. Yes, he is going to ride you when you’re messing up, that’s what his job is, but for the most part, he is a great man. Everybody is flawed, I’m sure there are a lot questions about what happened at Ole Miss and stuff like that, but the only man who should cast a stone is the one who hasn’t committed sin. Freeze, to me, is the epitome of a man that I would want my son to play college football for. I was blessed with the luxury to do so.”

What can Auburn fans expect from Freeze?

“What Auburn fans can expect from him, realistically, is for him to put everything on the line and to get them back to that national championship era. I highly doubt he won’t, I highly doubt he won’t, it’s just a matter of time,” Frampton said.

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on3.com

 

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

Justin Hokanson

6–7 minutes

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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.

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.”

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it is early this morning so i will check back later to see if they throw more articles and pods out there today. thanks for stopping by..................

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Ranking most intriguing games on Auburn's 2024 SEC schedule

What's the biggest game on Auburn's 2024 conference schedule?

Nathan King3 hrs

There’s still an entire season of college football to be played this fall, but the SEC has been focused on 2024 of late.

Last week, the conference announced each team’s eight 2024 opponents in the 16-team, divisionless league, with Texas and Oklahoma set to join the party next year. Auburn’s games are as follows: home against Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and away against Alabama, Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky.

It’s going to be some unfamiliar territory for the Tigers, who drop LSU off the schedule for the first time since 1991, and aren’t playing either of the Mississippi schools for the first time since 1936. In their place are the Sooners, who will face off with Auburn in the regular season for the first time, and road trips like Kentucky and Missouri, where Auburn hasn’t traveled since 2015 and 2017, respectively.

It’s obviously extremely early to make any sort of projections about what the conference could look like in 2024; assumptions can be made that the likes of Georgia and Alabama will still be chugging along, but then again, most expected Texas A&M would begin challenging for an SEC crown last year. The transfer portal can also change rosters in a hurry — not to mention the small likelihood that all 16 SEC head coaches will still be the same come next year, too. 

In Auburn’s case, recruiting looks to be on the upswing, and by Year 2 under Hugh Freeze in 2024, the Tigers should be trending toward a much healthier roster in all areas. A return to the eight- or nine-win will be the expectation. 

Of course, there will also be the added layer of an expanded College Football Playoff (12 teams) in 2024, and it seems likely that multiple SEC programs will be positioned to make the field and contend for a national championship. It’s not apples to apples, but the SEC has had at least three teams finish in the top 12 of the CFP rankings every season since 2017.

Since Auburn fans have had some time to marinate over their team’s new foes, let’s take a look — from a way-too-early perspective, obviously, and with completely subjective rankings — at which games have the most potential for intriguing matchups for the Tigers in 2024. 

8. VS. VANDERBILT

(Michael Chang, Getty)

Series history: Tied 21-21-1

Last meeting: Auburn 23-16 (2016)

Next year will mark only Vanderbilt’s third trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2007, as this series becomes one of several helped in 2024 by a divisionless SEC. Of course, Auburn will face Vanderbilt in Nashville this fall, which makes the 2024 matchup a bit less exciting than the one that marks the teams’ first meeting since 2016. On paper, an Auburn team in Year 2 under Freeze should always be in a distinct advantage at home against Vanderbilt, though Clark Leaseemed to put the Commodores back on track last season. If the program continues to trend upward after 2023, this matchup will become a bit more interesting.

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7. AT MISSOURI

Series history: Auburn 3-1

Last meeting: Auburn 17-14 (2022)

After only meeting once in the regular season through Missouri’s first six seasons in the league, the Tiger teams will now do so twice in the span of three years, after former Auburn analyst Eli Drinkwitz’s team choked away a clear victory not once, but twice inside Jordan-Hare Stadium last season with a missed field goal at the horn, and a fumbled touchdown into the end zone. Drinkwitz certainly isn’t on the hot seat — he was extended through 2027 this past fall — but he’s still under .500 at Mizzou entering Year 4. His program could be positioned to take a step forward and win, say, seven games this year. But at the moment — zoomed out by more than a year — this looks to be Auburn’s lightest SEC road game.

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6. AT KENTUCKY

Series history: Auburn 27-6-1

Last meeting: Auburn 29-13 (2020)

The job Mark Stoops has done in Lexington has been nothing short of superb, taking the conference’s third-least winningest team all time to seven straight bowls, including a pair of 10-win seasons. Will the Wildcats still be chugging along that path in 2024? Auburn and Kentucky have found themselves in a number of recruiting battles over the past few years, and Kentucky as a program would like to think that a home game against any team with a second-year coach should be a winnable one. Looking at the Wildcats’ success under Stoops, they’re probably right. Will that hold true against Freeze and the Tigers? At this current juncture, a victory here would certainly be a strong notch for Auburn’s 2024 resume.

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5. VS. ARKANSAS

(Kyle Okita, 247Sports)

Series history: Auburn 19-12-1

Last meeting: Arkansas 41-27 (2022)

The SEC West will be no more, but Auburn and Arkansas will still meet for the 33rd straight season in 2024. It’s bizarre to think about the fact that the programs only faced off once prior to the SEC’s expansion in 1992 — and shortly after 2024, they likely will put the series on pause for a year again. Auburn won six straight over the Hogs until last season, and a tricky road game in Fayetteville awaits Freeze in Year 1 this fall. Sam Pittman appears to be the right man for the job, making this 2024 matchup a strong one on paper. Still, when Auburn has stability as a program, it rarely loses to Arkansas at home; the last time the Tigers did so and still finished the season with a winning record was 2006.

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4. AT GEORGIA

Series history: Georgia 63-56-8

Last meeting: Georgia 42-10 (2022)

Freeze will become the latest Auburn coach to take a crack at winning a football game in Athens, after the previous three all failed to do so (0-7). As Georgia looks to three-peat in 2022, its winning streak in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry sits at six games, extending back to the 2017 SEC championship. Getting the Bulldogs at Jordan-Hare Stadium in his first season this fall is a nice plus for Freeze, as the Tigers will look to steal at least one home game against their two arch rivals. Maybe Freeze will get Auburn quickly to a place where it’s already swinging above its weight class in Year 2. But for now, simply playing a competitive football game in Athens has been a struggle for the Tigers for several years.

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3. VS. TEXAS A&M

(Jake Crandall, USA TODAY Sports)

Series history: Texas A&M 7-6

Last meeting: Auburn 13-10 (2022)

Will Jimbo Fisher finally bring the Aggies where they believe they should be atop the SEC? Or will last year’s spiral continue? Texas A&M won at least eight games in each of Fisher’s first four years before a 5-7 faceplant in 2022, which included a loss at Jordan-Hare Stadium with Cadillac Williams as Auburn’s interim coach. Texas A&M hopes its greatest-ever recruiting class from 2022 will develop over the next couple years into one that turns the tide in the SEC’s hierarchy, but Fisher still has a ton to prove to show the program is capable of doing so. Both these teams will look very different come kickoff in 2024, but this still sets up to be the second-biggest home game for the Tigers — and possibly the biggest, depending on which direction Oklahoma goes in Year 2 under Brent Venables.

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2. AT ALABAMA

Series history: Alabama 49-37-1

Last meeting: Alabama 29-27 (2022)

Auburn’s road losing streak against Alabama isn’t as heinous as the Georgia series, but it’s still been since Cam Newton was playing quarterback for the Tigers that they’ve walked away victorious in Tuscaloosa. However, there have been more competitive games, including last season, when the Tigers ran for more yards (318) than anyone ever had against a Nick Saban-led Alabama team. With the Iron Bowl shifting to the Plains this fall, Freeze has an opportunity to start his Auburn tenure with a bang and pick up his third career win over the Crimson Tide. Alabama certainly isn’t going anywhere under Saban anytime soon — the program just brought in the No. 3 highest-rated recruiting class in college football history — but Auburn’s coach will continue to be measured against Saban until he retires. A chance at a streak-snapping road win in Year 2 is certainly a big one for Freeze, and if he can pull it off, could signal more momentum toward Auburn closing the gap on its championship-laden rivals.

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1. VS OKLAHOMA

(Brian Bahr, Getty)

Series history: Oklahoma 2-0 

Last meeting: Oklahoma 35-19 (2017 Sugar Bowl)

From this far out, there’s little doubt this is the most anticipated home game on Auburn’s 2024 schedule. The Sooners join Cal as two Power Five teams set to visit Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time — and Auburn will be looking to give Oklahoma a resounding welcome to the conference with an electric atmosphere. That’s all not to mention the Tigers might be catching Oklahoma at a good time; the program is still in the process of rebuilding under Venables after Lincoln Riley took the Sooners to the Playoff three times, then left for USC. In Venables’ first season, Oklahoma won its fewest games since 1998. Of course, the Sooners’ expectation will be to trend back toward championship contention by Year 3 in 2024, but Auburn will have an opportunity to curtail those hopes, as part of Oklahoma’s SEC schedule that also features road games at LSU and Ole Miss, and home games against Alabama and Tennessee.

Edited June 20, 2023 by toddc

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yahoo.com

 

Hugh Freeze among SEC coaches with least amount of pressure heading into 2023 season

Taylor Jones

~3 minutes

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The head coach of Auburn’s football program IS NOT under immense pressure heading into a season? That is a change of pace from years past.

On3’s Jesse Simonton broke down each SEC head coach’s situation heading into the 2023 season and ranked each coach based on their pressure to perform at a successful rate. Simonton says that Hugh Freeze has nothing to worry about running into the season, as he is ranked No. 13 in Simonton’s 2023 Pressure Cooker rankings.

Simonton says that his rankings should not be considered a “hot seat” list, but rather a “pressure gauge” based on which coaches need to win plenty of games in order to meet expectations and avoid the dreaded “coaching carousel” in November.

Freeze may be under a small amount of pressure now, but do not expect that level to remain steady says Simonton.

After the disastrous Brian Harsin tenure, Hugh Freeze arrived on the Plains and quickly established some goodwill within the program. He retained key assistants like Cadillac Williams, signed a bunch of plug-and-play starters from the transfer portal and has Auburn in the mix to sign a Top 10 class in 2024.

This is the least amount of pressure Freeze will face his entire Tigers’ tenure, but at least he’s capitalizing on the long leash to start. Auburn has a cakewalk non-conference schedule in 2023, so if Freeze can bank an upset or two in the SEC, he’ll have Auburn positioned for a potential takeoff season next fall.

The only coach under less pressure than Freeze is Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, who is entering his third season at his alma mater. The top five coaches under the most amount of pressure this season according to Simonton’s list are Jimbo Fisher (Texas A&M), Eli Drinkwitz (Missouri), Zach Arnett (Mississippi State), Billy Napier (Florida), and Nick Saban (Alabama).

 

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si.com

Auburn's Ben Aigamaua named top-50 TE coach in college football

Lance Dawe

3–4 minutes

The Tigers should have one of the better tight end rooms in the SEC underneath the new coaching staff's guidance.

Ben Aigamaua, Auburn's new tight ends coach that was hired by Hugh Freeze this offseason, has been putting in the work on the recruiting trail, having already landed Martavious Collins for the Tigers' 2024 class.

He's got a proven track record and has had a handful of very solid pass-catchers play underneath his tutelage.

Big Game Boomer, a college football social media influencer, has released a graphic including his top 50 tight ends coaches in college football. Auburn's Aigamaua is ranked No. 35 nationally. That puts him at No. 8 in the SEC.

READ: Why Auburn tight end Rivaldo Fairweather could break out in 2023

Aigamaua comes to Auburn with 13 years of experience at the collegiate level, including seven years at Ole Miss, and spent the last four seasons as tight ends coach at Liberty.

Under Aigamaua’s leadership in 2022, Liberty saw three different tight ends haul in a touchdown pass and the group accounted for 236 yards on 27 receptions.

In four seasons, Aigamaua’s tight end group hauled in a collective 109 receptions for 1,267 yards and 20 touchdowns while Liberty finished top 25 in the country in total offense on a pair of occasions. The Flames finished the 2020 season with a 10-1 record and ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press poll, its highest end-of-year ranking in program history.

Individually, a pair of Aigamaua’s tight ends earned accolades as Johnny Huntley was named to the Phil Steele FBS Independent All-Conference Team in 2020 and 2021, and Michael Bollinger was named to the 2022 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team.

Prior to his time at Liberty, Aigamaua served as a graduate assistant, offensive analyst and assistant athletic director of community relations at Ole Miss from 2012-18, the first five seasons with Freeze as the head coach. The Rebels were ranked as high as No. 3 in the country on a pair of occasions and finished top 10 in the final polls for the first time in nearly 50 years. The team finished top 25 in the country in total offense five times during the seven-year span.

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IN PHOTOS Payton Thorne others in Auburn football summer practice

Jason Caldwell

2–3 minutes

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A look at some of the newcomers for Auburn football on campus this summer, including quarterback Payton Thorne.

Check out some photos from this summer's camps on the Auburn campus as well as a throwing session featuring new quarterback Payton Thorne and others in this gallery.

Quarterback Payton Thorne has been working on his timing with the receivers, backs and tight ends. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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Thorne looking for his receiver in a throwing session on Thursday. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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Damari Alston is noticeably bigger and stronger from the guy that arrived on campus last year. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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Ohio State transfer Caleb Burton shows his speed after grabbing a pass. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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In a case of what could have been, Tre Donaldson hangs out at one of Auburn's camps with a friend on campus to work out. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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Wide receiver Shane Hooks swallows up the football with his hands after running a route. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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Keionte Scott has become 'the closer' in recruiting for Auburn this summer. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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Impressive true freshman Keldric Faulk watches a camp. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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True freshman DB Tyler Scott is an impressive newcomer for the Tigers (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

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Another true freshman, Wilky Denaud, shows off the guns during a recent camp. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)