6.30.23 Football Articles

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Bo Wallace on Hugh Freeze: 'He can get people to believe'

Taylor Jones

~3 minutes

Hugh Freeze is known to be a wizard at developing quarterbacks, and one of his former players is shedding light on what it is like to play for him.

In a conversation with Richard Silva of the Montgomery Advertiser, former Ole Miss quarterback Bo Wallace shares his reasoning behind choosing Ole Miss and Hugh Freeze following his lone season at East Mississippi Community College.

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“Just the culture that he sets,” Wallace said. “He’s one of the best I’ve been around in creating buy-in with his roster and his coaches. I think he can get people to believe. The buy-in that he creates is something I knew was going to happen at Ole Miss, and I think you can see it in the other places he’s been since Ole Miss. I think that’s one of his best qualities.”

Similar to Auburn’s situation, Wallace entered Ole Miss to become part of a quarterback competition. He battled fellow quarterback Barry Brunetti and ultimately won. Freeze has shown in his short time at Auburn that he is going to take his time in picking the right quarterback, and Wallace can back that claim up.

“(Freeze is) a guy that is going to take it up all the way to game week, unless somebody just goes out and just takes it over,” Wallace said. “He’s going to keep that competition going all the way up until, like I said, game week or maybe two weeks before the game, just because he believes in the competition.”

Wallace says that the reason for his careful nature when it comes to quarterback competition is that he wants to see how each candidate handles adversity. However, he will prove to be the winning quarterback’s “biggest fan” during games.

“He kind of throws you in the fire in the practice, Wallace said. “There were some days where I felt like he just picked the day and I couldn’t do anything right that day. Just to throw some adversity at me. But I think he’s very different in the game. He’s your biggest fan during the game. But during practice, he definitely throws you in the heat and tries to create adversity and really stays on you.”

Wallace played for Freeze for three seasons and threw for a total of 9,534 yards and 62 touchdowns. The 2013 season, where Wallace threw for 3,346 yards and 18 touchdowns, was the fourth-best season by a Freeze-led quarterback since 2011.

For more of Silva’s conversation with Wallace, click here. 

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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si.com

Donovan Kaufman is one of the highest graded returning safeties in the SEC

Andrew Stefaniak

~2 minutes

Donovan Kaufman was graded as one of the top ten returning safeties in college football on PFF. 

Let's take a look at the top ten list. 

1. Wesley Walker Tennessee 77.5

2. Hudson Clark Arkansas 77.0

3. Zion Childress Kentucky 76.5

4. Al Walcott Arkansas 75.4

5. CJ Taylor Vanderbilt 74.6

6. Daylan Carnell Missouri 73.9

7. Alex Afari Kentucky 73.8

8. Greg Brooks Jr. LSU  73.0

9. Jaylen Key Alabama 72.9

10. Donovan Kaufman Auburn 72.1

My biggest takeaway is that Kaufman might not even be first up at safety, and he is still on this list. 

The point here is the Tigers have a ton of depth in the defensive backfield. 

Players like Kaufman are the reason Auburn has one of the best defensive backfields in college football. 

That reason is he might not be on the field a ton but would start at a ton of power five schools. 

This proves Auburn has a deep defensive backroom that will make it tough to throw the ball against this Tigers defense. 

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne finally has his number with Tigers

Derek Peterson

3–4 minutes

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Auburn updated its online roster this week and added new jersey numbers for the upcoming 2023 football season. Everyone, including post-spring transfers and summer enrollees from the 2023 signing class, has a number now for the Tigers.

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And that includes Michigan State transfer quarterback Payton Thorne. Thorne is largely expected to win the battle with Robby Ashford for the Tigers’ starting quarterback spot; fitting, since he has taken the No. 1 jersey for the new season.

Defensive back Nehemiah Pritchett is also moving from No. 18 to No. 1 on the defensive side of the football.

Thorne wore No. 10 during his time with the Spartans in East Lansing.

At Auburn, he looks like the guy to lead the charge for Hugh Freeze in Year 1. The 6-foot-2 junior from Naperville, Illinois, went 16-10 as a starter at MSU before hitting the transfer portal. He ranks fourth in program history in career passing touchdowns (49) and sixth in career passing touchdowns (6,494).

The updated roster can be found here. Auburn held its in-house media day earlier this week. SEC Media Days are fast approaching in July. The start of fall camp and a new era for the Tigers is inching closer.

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auburntigers.com

 

On The Plains with Kam Stutts: 'Auburn will love you back'

Auburn University Athletics

5–6 minutes

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AUBURN, Ala. – When Auburn plays at California Sept. 9 in Berkeley, it will be Kam Stutts’ second Golden State visit this year.

Always up for a road trip, Stutts visited Miami in May and travels to Los Angeles in July during breaks from football and academics.

“I like seeing new places,” Stutts said. “Anything where there’s people. I just like being around people.”

Entering his fifth fall on the Plains, Stutts started six games at right guard in 2022 and two at left guard. He graduated from Auburn’s School of Kinesiology in fitness, conditioning and performance in May, 2022, and plans to earn a second undergraduate degree in business administration from the Harbert College of Business this December.

“I just love Auburn,” said Stutts, who hopes to use his additional season of eligibility due to the pandemic to bolster his NFL resume. “I wanted to come back and help us get on the right track. I think Coach (Hugh) Freeze has done a really good job and I’m liking everything going on. I thought it would be fun. I love Auburn and I wanted to play.” 

An all-state standout at Brooks High School in northwest Alabama, Stutts chose Auburn in part because it reminded him of his hometown of Killen.

“The family atmosphere,” Stutts said. “If you love Auburn, they say, Auburn will love you back, and I believe that. Coming from a small town where I’m from – that family atmosphere, I’ve been around it my whole life.”

With professional football aspirations, Stutts has tried to acquire knowledge from each position coach, coordinator and head coach for whom he’s played.

“You learn something from everybody,” Stutts said. “I’ve always tried to do that – listening to what people say and trying to take something every day and get one percent better. The small things and the details start to become more consistent, and you get a little groove going. I’ve tried to make the most out of every situation, try to be positive and control what I can control.”

When his football career concludes, Stutts plans to trade his traveling ways for a return to his hometown.

“I want to move back there one day and help out people there,” Stutts said. “Right now while I’m younger, I want to go to some bigger areas.

“I want to open up my own gym one day, help people and do offseason training. Being around people and helping others is something I’m really passionate about. That really fits in the Auburn way.”

Stutts welcomes a host of new o-line teammates this season, a blend of freshmen and transfers to mesh under offensive line coach Jake Thorton.

“(Thornton) is really detail-oriented,” Stutts said. “He’s a really cool guy to be around and he’s a really good coach. Everybody’s done a really good job of building that chemistry, getting to know each other and communicating. That’s one of the biggest things.

“There are a lot of older dudes who have played some football; we’ve got some experience.  I think we have a really good opportunity. Everybody’s in high spirits and ready to get to work in the summer and carrying it into the fall.

“We all lead each other. Being an older guy, I’m definitely a big part of that. I look forward to leading them and hopefully winning as many games as we can this year.”

The 6-foot-5, 343-pound Stutts wants to help first-year head coach Hugh Freeze flip the script.

“He always keeps it straight up with us,” Stutts said. “That’s really big whenever you’re trying to turn a program around, get a program going in the right direction or continue to win games. Having everybody on the same page – he’s doing a really good job with that.”

Kam Stutts persevered on the Plains, earning a starting position and two degrees before his tenure ends. As he embarks on his final season at Auburn, his message is one of perseverance.

“Keep working,” he said. “To anybody who’s going through adversity, keep working and make one good decision at a time. Eventually things will work out.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer

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247sports.com

 

Most Valuable Tigers No 19

Nathan King

6–8 minutes

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We're still in the heart of the college football offseason, more than two weeks removed from spring practice, media days still a month away, and more than two months until the start of the 2023 season, Auburn’s first under Hugh Freeze.

So what better time to crank up the rankings? As we do annually this time of year, Auburn Undercover is counting down the top 25 most valuable players for the Tigers' 2023 season.

A few notes to set the table: These rankings are based on a player's previous contributions to the team, as well as his assumed impact in 2023 — how important he is expected to be to Auburn's success in both production and the win-loss column.

It is not simply Auburn's best players in descending order. If a freshman is included on the list, his positioning is obviously a projection of his talent and significance to his respective position group.

Next up is No. 19: sophomore receiver Camden Brown.

AS A RECRUIT

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Class: 2022

247Sports ranking: No. 66 WR, No. 435 overall

247Sports high school scouting report: “A big-framed wide receiver that produced as a senior at one of the more storied programs in South Florida. Aces the eye test with lean, muscular build. Looks to be over 6-foot-3 and could eventually play at 215 pounds or more. Seems to be the most comfortable at this stage in his development working the deeper parts of the field. Adjusts well once the ball is in the air and will elevate over defenders in order to make a grab. Also isn’t afraid to layout for a pass and get his jersey a little dirty. Shouldn’t be viewed as a burner, but does a nice job of firing out of his stance and chewing up yardage as he looks to get vertical. Has the size to be a rather effective blocker at the next level, but will need to keep adding strength. Could also eventually find some more wiggle and will need to keep progressing as a route runner in hopes of consistently creating separation against much quicker college defensive backs. Figures to settle in as an outside receiver for a Power Five program. Skillset suggests that he can be a multi-year starter with the right mindset. Likely to excel in more of a pro-style attack that asks its wideouts to master the higher numbers of the route tree.”

AS A PLAYER

(Zach Bland / Auburn Athletics)

Brown was originally committed to Pitt, and Auburn’s previous staff nearly fumbled Brown’s recruitment, canceling his official visit but later scrambling to attempt to reel him into the class, as suitors like Georgia and Florida State began taking interest late in the cycle. Two weeks after decommitting from Pitt, Brown signed with Auburn’s 2022 class.

Brown caught two touchdowns as a true freshman, appearing in all 12 games. He finished as Auburn’s No. 7 leading receiver in 2022, but in terms of a downfield presence and catch radius, Brown certainly didn’t look like a player in his first college season. His prowess as a red-zone threat was unlike anything the Tigers had on the roster last year.

Nine receptions for 123 yards don’t exactly shake the stat sheet from the former 3-star recruit. But his blend of size and athleticism turned heads immediately last season, and now it appears the Louisiana native is primed for a starting role — at least based on how his first spring with the program progressed.

In addition to his apparent improvements this past spring as a player, Brown was also credited as a mature leader within first-year position coach Marcus Davis’ room.

“Really just his everyday approach,” Davis said in the spring. “You don’t know that from talking to a guy, it’s more of an action behind it. And so, his everyday approach is what separates him and makes him get and makes him want to get better because he – attention to the detail that you’re coaching and he wants to get better.”

2023 OUTLOOK

For the first time in several seasons, Auburn has more than a few big-bodied targets in the passing game that seem ready to contribute this season.

Cincinnati transfer Nick Mardner, who played under Davis at Hawaii, is possibly the tallest receiver in program history at 6-foot-6 and 209 pounds; Auburn has never had a wideout listed above 6-foot-5 on any of its official team rosters. FIU tight end transfer Rivaldo Fairweather is an impressive athlete at 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds. Jackson State transfer Shane Hooks is a speedy and lean threat at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds. North Texas transfer Jyaire Shorter is 6-foot-2 and led all of college football at 27.3 yards per reception.

Those kinds of weapons track with Freeze’s offensive history.

“I think you have to have a catch radius in this league,” Freeze said earlier this spring. “You're not going to create tremendous separation in this league when they're in man-to-man situations all the time. And so what happens when that's the case? We can't just decide we're going to be a scrambling team when that happens. If you get a one on one, and the ball is correctly placed, really good receivers that have some catch radius, I've seen with my own eyes, are able to make plays and it'd be really really advantageous to an offense.

“So I think at the tight end position and at the wide receiver position, particularly the outside guys, to have some length is very beneficial."

Then, of course, there’s Brown, whose potential seems to be through the roof, according to the buzz from Auburn’s building in spring practice. He dealt with a minor ankle injury, but when healthy, he looked all the part of a No. 1 receiver in the Tigers’ new-look offense.

Spoiler alert: There are still a couple other receivers on this list ahead of Brown, considering their experience level versus just one season of work for Brown. But it wouldn’t be surprising in the least if the ultra-athletic Brown continues developing into one of the best players on the entire team by the end of his sophomore year.

WHAT THEY SAID

“That’s a guy that has changed from Year 1 to Year 2. He’s developed. He’s gotten bigger, faster and stronger. I like him.” — Auburn CB D.J. James

WHAT SAY YOU?

What do you think of Brown’s spot in our Most Valuable Tigers rankings? Too high? Too low? Just right? Share your thoughts on the Bodda Getta message board, on Twitter or on Facebook.

 

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al.com

Arrest warrant prompts release of former Auburn WR

Updated: Jun. 29, 2023, 10:44 p.m.|Published: Jun. 29, 2023, 10:33 p.m.

5–6 minutes

Sports

Arrest warrant causes CFL team to release former Auburn wide receiver

Montreal Alouettes wide receiver Quan Bray runs with the football during a CFL game against the Ottawa Redblacks on Oct. 11, 2021, at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium in Montreal.(Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

By

Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

The Ottawa Redblacks had Quan Bray listed as a starting wide receiver for their Friday night game against the Edmonton Elks – until the Canadian Football League team learned of the arrest warrant that had been issued for the former Auburn standout on Thursday.

Quebec Court Judge Alexandre Dalmau issued the warrant on Thursday when neither Bray nor a representative was in the Montreal court at his scheduled time, the Montreal Gazette reported. The allegations against Bray include assault, sexual assault and obstruction of justice. The judge canceled the warrant when Bray’s attorney got to court later on Thursday, and his next court date was set for August.

Although Bray was arrested in April and made his first court appearance in the case on May 1, the Redblacks seemed to have learned about Bray’s legal troubles only on Thursday.

“The Ottawa Redblacks were made aware Thursday of criminal charges pending against receiver Quan Bray,” the CFL team announced. “Bray has been released by the organization.”

Bray’s mother was murdered by his father on July 3, 2011. In 2017, Bray started the Quan Bray All-Purpose Foundation, which aimed to help children who experience domestic violence. Bray wrote the book “Keep the Dream Alive,” published in 2019, about dealing with his mother’s murder just as he was to report to Auburn for his freshman year.

Bray and former Auburn teammate Greg Robinson were charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute marijuana after they were stopped while transporting approximately 157 pounds of it, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Feb. 19, 2020.

According to the federal criminal complaint, a U.S. Border Patrol dog alerted to their sport utility vehicle on Interstate 10 in western Texas, and the accompanying agent radioed the Sierra Blanca Checkpoint Station. U.S. Border Patrol agents there stopped the vehicle for inspection, which turned up about 157 pounds of marijuana in duffel bags.

Bray told the Montreal Gazette that he didn’t know the amount of marijuana being carried, but “because it’s kind of legal in certain states,” he didn’t consider the trip risky.

Bray received an undisclosed fine after pleading to guilty to one charge in the case.

“I prefer not to go into too much detail, but what I can tell you is that I learned from my mistake,” Bray told La Presse in Montreal at the time. “There were consequences, including a fine. I turned the page on this situation.

“People often judge a situation before knowing all the details. I had no criminal record and had never had a problem with the law before this story, and I think that was a big factor in the equation. I didn’t have a big role in this whole story.”

Bray had started both Ottawa games this season and had seven receptions for 153 yards.

Bray had 35 receptions for 481 yards and two touchdowns for the Montreal Alouettes in 2021 as the CFL returned to the field after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 campaign.

During his three seasons at Auburn, Bray became the first player to score rushing, receiving and punt-return touchdowns in the same season for the Tigers.

Bray earned a place on the Indianapolis practice squad as an undrafted rookie, and the Colts called him up on Oct. 27, 2015. He played in 24 games over the next three seasons for Indianapolis, even though his 2016 and 2017 campaigns were affected by injuries.

Bray returned 48 kickoffs for a 25.6-yard average and 45 punts for a 7.0-yard average, caught six passes for 75 yards and had a 7-yard run while with the Colts.

After being released by the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before the start of the 2018 NFL season, Bray returned to the field with the Birmingham Iron in 2019. He played in three games before the Alliance of American Football folded. He returned seven punts for 51 yards and had a 3-yard rushing attempt.

But Bray wasn’t through with football for that year. He joined Montreal and caught 58 passes for 818 yards and six touchdowns, returned 14 punts for an 8.8-yard average and had a 22.5-yard average on two kickoff returns for the Alouettes in 2019.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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I hope number four and one turn out to be true and they over perform!

Top 5: Underrated

Johnson is toughness personified on Auburn's offensive line. (Jay G. Tate/AuburnSports.com)

AUBURN | With a new coaching staff and 40 newcomers, there’s a lot of unknowns going into the 2023 season.

Below is a look at Auburn's top five most underrated players, which includes several key players on offense.

5. TE’s LUKE DEAL/TYLER FROMM

They can play tight end, slot, H-back or even fullback. Both excel at blocking but can make plays in the passing game too. They’re also key leaders that this team and coaching staff can count on in crunch time. Auburn’s tight end position is a team strength and Deal and Fromm are a big reason why. The two seniors have combined for 25 catches for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

4. OL AVERY JONES

Jones gives Auburn exactly what it needs at the center position with his size — 6-foot-4 and 307 pounds — athleticism and perhaps most importantly leadership and dependability. The East Carolina transfer picked up the offense quickly and was able to call out signals and make sure the rest of Auburn’s offensive line was lining up right during spring. He’s only got one year of eligibility remaining but he’s got a chance to be Auburn’s best center since Reese Dismukes nearly a decade ago.

3. RB BRIAN BATTIE

The USF transfer joins a talented running back group at Auburn but should be able to carve out an important role in the offense and on special teams. Despite being 5-foot-7 and 170 pounds, Battie has proven to be adept at running in-between the tackles as much as bouncing outside. He’s also an excellent pass catcher and was an All-American kick returner in 2021. He rushed for 1,842 yards and 10 touchdowns in 31 games at USF.

2. S JAYLIN SIMPSON

Simpson excelled after making the move to safety during last season. Not surprisingly, the former starter at cornerback has a lot of range and coverage ability in the backend. Simpson has played in 36 career games with 12 starts. He finished last season with 37 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. 

1. OL TATE JOHNSON

If he can stay healthy, Johnson has a pretty good chance of earning a starting position at guard this season. He began last season as the starting center before being injured against Missouri Sept. 24. and requiring elbow surgery He also missed time this spring with an elbow injury. Johnson has a lot of toughness and plays with a lot of effort. He's worked hard to get his weight up to 302 pounds on his 6-foot-4 frame.The competition at guard will be intense with five players in the mix: Johnson, Kameron Stutts, Jeremiah Wright, Jaden Muskrat and Connor Lew.