7.14.23 Football Articles

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al.com

 

Year 1 on The Plains: Meet Auburn’s transfer jack linebacker Elijah McAllister

Published: Jul. 13, 2023, 2:00 p.m.

3–4 minutes

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After transferring from Vanderbilt, Elijah McAllister has a strong case to start at Auburn's Jack linebacker spot this season. Photo by Austin PerrymanAuburn University Athletics

A new coach at Auburn meant significant roster turnover would surely follow. Before Hugh Freeze’s team lines up for fall practices in a few weeks, his roster has more than three dozen new faces, including more than 20 transfers. In his first offseason back in the SEC, Freeze took advantage of the new landscape the transfer portal has made for college football to reshape the Tigers. Auburn brought in the fifth-ranked transfer class, according to 247Sports, and led the nation with 11 four-star rated transfers.

Here’s a look at one of them…

No. 11 Elijah McAllister, Jack linebacker, graduate transfer

Hometown: Asbury Park, N.J. (Rumson-Fair Haven)

Previous university: Vanderbilt (2018-22)

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 271 pounds

A look back at the past: Hailing from the Jersey Shore area, McAllister helped lead the Rumson-Fair Haven football program to four conference titles and a state championship. McAllister also played on Rumson-Fair Haven’s state championship-winning basketball team. On the football field, McAllister doubled as a defensive end and wide receiver but ultimately stuck to the defensive side of ball and was rated a 3-star strongside defensive end by 247Sports. After garnering 22 offers, including the likes of Tennessee and UCF, McAllister went on to play at Vanderbilt, where he appeared in 37 games. McAllister tallied 65 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception during his time with the Commodores.

2023 season outlook: McAllister is joined by four other new faces at the Jack linebacker spot, which will be without much returning production after sending Derick Hall and Eku Leota to the league and Dylan Brooks transferring to Kansas. With a need to fill the role, the case for McAllister to get the starting nod is a strong one given his experience at the SEC level. Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod and true freshman Keldric Faulk, who was the gem of Auburn’s recent recruiting cycle, could also compete for play time. Should the Tigers go with McAllister, they know what they’re getting: experience and efficiency. McAllister’s time at Vanderbilt proved he’s capable of holding his own in the conference. It’s worth noting McAllister’s transfer to Auburn also serves as a reunion with defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, who mentored McAllister at Vanderbilt in 2019 as a quality control assistant.

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al.com

 

Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter preparing for increased role in 2023

Published: Jul. 14, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

5–6 minutes

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Despite the unforgiving summer heat, Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter sometimes has to be reminded to drink water during his offseason workouts, says Brad Lester, who has trained Hunter this offseason.

Hunter just doesn’t want to stop.

“He’s that hard of a worker and that mentally tough, which says a lot about him because a lot of players can’t do that,” Lester said.

Lester is a fitting coach for Hunter, who enters his junior season this fall. A former Auburn running back himself from 2004-2008, Lester is helping Hunter prepare for a new role: becoming starting running back.

In a way, it felt like the torch had been passed to Hunter from former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby in last season’s Iron Bowl — the final game of the Tigers’ 2022 season.

Bigsby rushed for just 63 yards in the Iron Bowl that day. All the while, Hunter, a sophomore at the time, rushed for 134 yards against the Crimson Tide, eclipsing his average of 56 yards per game.

After playing behind Bigsby, who went on to be a third-round draft pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in this year’s NFL Draft, Hunter knows the expectations of him are lofty. Then again, that’s what you sign up for as a running back at Auburn.

Nonetheless, tasked with filling the shoes Bigsby left for him, Hunter knew he could turn to Lester — the same man who mentored and trained Bigsby.

“He’s the next guy up at Auburn,” Lester said of Hunter.

Fortunately, Lester and Hunter established a relationship last offseason as Bigsby continued to train with Lester. So, when a family member of Hunter’s asked if Lester would work with Hunter, it was easy for Lester to say yes.

This offseason, Hunter has trained frequently with Lester — most weeks every Monday and Tuesday.

“I felt like he was so dominant as a downhill runner and a power runner last year, the biggest thing we’ve been working on these past few weeks is his open-field moves, pass protection… just things to add to his game,” Lester said. “He’s already probably one of the better running backs I’ve ever worked with.”

Considering Lester’s resume, for him to speak so highly of Hunter shouldn’t go unnoticed.

In addition to Bigsby, Lester has also worked with former Alabama and current Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back Najee Harris and former Tennessee and current New Orleans Saints’ running back Alvin Kamara.

This offseason, Lester is also working with Tennessee running backs Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson, along with Georgia running backs Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton.

What is it that sets Hunter apart from the others?

“Mental toughness and effort,” Lester said. “Those two things you cannot coach. And those are two things that both Hunter and Tank both have.”

Surely, with a coaching change in the middle of the season, Hunter was forced to tap into his mental toughness. Yet despite the roller-coaster-of-a-season in 2022, Hunter still posted strong numbers as Bigsby’s backup.

During his sophomore campaign last fall, Hunter rushed for 675 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry.

Dangerous downhill and between the tackles, Hunter came into the offseason wanting to develop his lateral movement.

“He’ll tell you the same thing, his lateral movement has gotten a lot better. He’s gotten a lot more comfortable with making open-field moves,” Lester said. “Because he’s so much stronger and bigger than most of the players on the field, he doesn’t have to use that often, but he felt like that was part of his game that has really elevated over the last few weeks.”

With Lester supplementing the foundation Auburn associate head coach and running backs coach Cadillac Williams built in Hunter, the junior tailback sounds primed for a breakout season with the Tigers.

Lester expects Hunter’s season could come in the shape of 1,500 to 1,600 rushing yards.

“That’s something that’s more than attainable, especially with Coach (Hugh) Freeze,” Lester said. “When people talk about Coach Freeze, they talk about throwing the football. But from what I’ve seen in the past years, when he has solid running backs, he really likes to establish the run game.”

As the football season rapidly approaches, there’s a lot of buzz surrounding Hunter’s potential.

Earlier in the offseason, Freeze called Hunter the best running back he’d ever coached. Meanwhile, On3′s Jesse Simonton named Hunter one of the “most intriguing” players in the SEC in 2023.

Yet while everyone else is talking about him, Hunter doesn’t have much to say.

“It’s funny, he doesn’t really say much. Jarquez, he’s a really quiet person. He’s a very respectful person. It’s yes sir, no sir,” Lester said. “But you can tell he’s hungry for this season. Last year he just had to play the role behind Tank, but now that Tank is gone, he gets his opportunity.”

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si.com

 

Jayson Jones shares his thoughts on the matchup with Cal

Andrew Stefaniak

2–3 minutes

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Jayson Jones is ready to "beat up" on Cal.

Jayson Jones joined the Locked On Auburn Podcast to discuss the upcoming 2023 football season. 

Host Zac Blackerby asked Jones which road game he is most excited about this season.

Jones responded, "Definitely Cal in Berkley. I shouldn't even say Cal; it's Berkley to me. I played up at Oregon; we beat on them then we're going to beat on them now, so you know I'm ready for that game."

Blackerby then asked why Jones chose this matchup with Cal as the game he is most excited about. 

Jones had this to say, "For me, it's more so that I played in the Pac-12, and I played against them. I have a little beef with them. But it's all good; it's all love." 

I love hearing this from Jones because it proves something we already knew. He has that dog in him. 

This matchup with Cal will be a big one for the landscape of Auburn's 2023 football season, so the Tigers need to leave California with the victory. 

This will be a fun football game with a lot on the line for both teams. 

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al.com

 

Tide commit Perry Thompson still weighing decision

Updated: Jul. 13, 2023, 6:07 p.m.|Published: Jul. 13, 2023, 5:39 p.m.

~4 minutes

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1. Sports

Perry Thompson still feels strongly about Tide, but ‘Auburn is definitely there’

Foley's Perry Thompson competes during a 7-on-7 event at the Sports Tourism Complex on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Foley, Ala. Thompson, an Alabama commit, is still weighing a final decision between the Tide and Auburn. (Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com)

Foley wide receiver and longtime Alabama commit Perry Thompson told AL.com on Thursday that his final recruiting decision is still up in the air between the Tide and rival Auburn.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Thompson is planning to attend Auburn’s Big Cat Weekend later this month.

“Me and my uncle like the atmosphere up there,” Thompson said following Foley’s win in the Jubilee 7-on-7 tournament in Daphne on Thursday. “I just wanted to get up there one more time before the end of July.”

Thompson, the No. 3 senior recruit in the state according to On3, has been committed to Alabama since last June, but he said the situation at Auburn changed when the Tigers hired new coach Hugh Freeze.

“I didn’t even hear from them before coach Freeze came in, but (wide receivers) coach (Marcus) Davis offered me when he was at Georgia Southern, so we had a relationship there,” Thompson said. “I went up there (when Davis was hired at Auburn) and met all the other coaches, and it felt like a family environment.”

Thompson said Thursday point blank:

“I feel strongly about Alabama, but Auburn is definitely there.”

He said any final decision on college would come down to relationships.

“If I feel like they are better at Alabama, I’ll go to Bama,” he said. “If I feel like they are better at Auburn, I’ll go to Auburn.”

A Class 7A first-team wide receiver as a junior, Thompson caught 87 passes for 1,059 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Lions. He also had a pair of interceptions on defense. He played defense all day on Thursday without seeing time on offense.

“It’s all about development and growing our team,” Foley coach Deric Scott said. “We are trying to put the best team we can on the field and that allows us to do that.”

Thompson said he plans to play wide receiver in college, but is trying to get reps on defense while he can.

“Obviously, we will face some talented receivers during the season that we need to stop, so it’s good for me to get out here and get experience on that side of the ball,” he said.

Scott said Thompson is handling the recruiting attention as most student-athletes do.

“Some days they are in love with it. Some days I think they hate it,” he said. “He is probably somewhere in the middle. I do think he is pretty tired right now of people asking him what he is going to do and where he is going to go. I think he’s pretty solid on what he is going to do, so we will see.”

Thompson and Foley defeated Vigor 19-18 in the championship game Thursday. Thompson had an interception in the final. The Wolves went for 2 and the win after their final score but came up short.

“At the end of the day, it was coming down to one play anyway,” Vigor coach Markus Cook said. “We had our play. I was confident with it. It was open. It just didn’t turn out how we wanted it to.”

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al.com

 

Year 1 on The Plains: Meet Auburn’s transfer running back Brian Battie

Published: Jul. 13, 2023, 12:00 p.m.

~4 minutes

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AUBURN, AL - March 01, 2023 - Auburn Running Back Brian Battie (#21) during spring practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, AL. Photo by Austin PerrymanAuburn University Athletics

A new coach at Auburn meant significant roster turnover would surely follow. Before Hugh Freeze’s team lines up for fall practices in a few weeks, his roster has more than three dozen new faces, including more than 20 transfers. In his first offseason back in the SEC, Freeze took advantage of the new landscape the transfer portal has made for college football to reshape the Tigers. Auburn brought in the fifth-ranked transfer class, according to 247Sports, and led the nation with 11 four-star rated transfers.

Here’s a look at one of them…

South Florida running back Brian Battie (21) runs past the Florida defense for a 10-yard touchdown during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)AP

No. 21 Brian Battie, running back, junior

Hometown: Sarasota, FL

Previous University: USF

Height: 5-foot-7

Weight: 170

A look back at the past: Battie was a star on a struggling USF team before entering the transfer portal. In 2021, he returned three kickoffs back for a touchdown and was named an All-American. In 2022, he set a program record for the Bulls with 1,936 all purpose yards. He had five straight 100-yard rushing games. The Tampa Bay Times reported that after the end of the 2022 season, Battie said he would not enter the transfer portal. But USF fired head coach Jeff Scott following the season and about a month before Battie entered the portal, hired former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh to lead the program.

Battie, albeit a smaller running back, is known for his speed and in 2022 he developed into a more complete ball carrier. Auburn offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery saw Battie first-hand in games against USF as the former head coach at Tulsa.

“He was the guy we needed to stop, for sure,” Montgomery said of that game during Auburn spring practices. “Because he’s electric with the ball in his hands. And if you notice, he doesn’t take many straight-on hard hits if you go back and truly watch his tapes. He’s a guy that understands how to maneuver himself and find ways to stay positive and finish forward.”

2023 season outlook: Auburn’s running back room may be the strongest position group on the team. That makes Battie’s role a bit hard to decipher. But what is sure is Battie will be a part of Auburn’s special teams, especially given his previous All-American status as a returner.

Freeze brought in an experienced and productive running back of course with the expectation he would contribute. He had seven carries in the A-Day game, though it’s hard to take too much from a spring game. Junior running back Jarquez Hunter is still expected to lead the backfield and highly ranked freshman Jeremiah Cobb seems to figure into the rotation. Barring injuries, Battie’s most likely role as a running back will be part of a rotation of ball carriers behind Hunter.

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Previewing the wide receivers

AUBURN | With nearly 50 percent of Auburn’s roster turned over for the 2023 season, there will be plenty of new faces in the lineup.

In today’s series previewing Hugh Freeze’s first season on the Plains, we take a look at the wide receivers.

It’s probably Auburn’s most competitive position going into fall drills with 11 scholarship players and only one, senior Ja’Varrius Johnson, as a proven returning starter.

Brown showed a lot of potential as a true freshman last fall. (Austin Perryman/Auburn athletics)

The Tigers brought in four transfers including three after spring practice to bolster the ranks. All three — Shane Hooks, Jyaire Shorter and Caleb Burton — will be in the mix for starting positions.

There are also three sophomore wideouts — Camden Brown, Jay Fair and Omari Kelly — looking to take a big step up in year two along with two juniors — former LSU transfer Koy Moore and Malcolm Johnson, who is returning from an injury.

Below is a potential depth chart going into fall drills…

WR1

1. Shane Hooks, Sr. (6-4, 191)

2. Camden Brown, So. (6-3, 203)

3. Nick Mardner, Sr. (6-6, 206)

WR2

1. Ja’Varrius Johnson, Sr. (5-10, 167)

2. Caleb Burton, RFr. (5-11, 171)

3. Jay Fair, So. (5-10, 186)

4. J.C. Hart, TFr. (6-2, 195).,

WR3

1. Jyaire Shorter, Sr. (6-2, 209)

2. Koy Moore, Jr. (6-1, 198)

3. Malcolm Johnson, Jr. (6-1, 193) -OR-

3. Omari Kelly, So. (6-0, 178)

Quick hitters…

** Ja’Varrius was Auburn’s top receiver in 2022 with 26 catches for 493 yards and three touchdowns. It wouldn’t be surprising if AU’s top receiver in ’23 at least doubled that production assuming a clear top target emerges.

** Hooks, with 66 catches for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns at Jackson State, and Shorter, with 23 catches for 628 yards and 11 touchdowns at North Texas, put up big numbers last fall. Doing it in the SEC is another matter, however, and working against AU’s talented defensive backs this summer and fall will be huge for both transfers.

** Burton was a 4-star and the nation’s No. 36 receiver coming out of Austin, Texas in the class of 2022. He didn’t play at Ohio State last fall but was very productive in high school totaling 131 catches for 2,360 yards and 33 touchdowns despite missing his junior season with a knee injury.

** Malcolm Johnson was limited by an injury in spring but is expected to be full speed for fall drills. He’s probably the biggest wildcard of the group. He skipped his senior season to enroll at AU early, redshirted in 2020 and totaled eight receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown over the last two seasons. But he remains one of AU’s most athletic players on either side of the ball.

** Brown is another wildcard after catching nine passes for 123 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman last year.

** Signee Daquayvious Sorey is still working to qualify and report to Auburn this fall.

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yahoo.com

 

Bo Nix achieved ‘ultimate goal’ while at Auburn

Taylor Jones

3–4 minutes

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For two seasons, the pairing of Bo Nix and head coach Gus Malzahn was a great match.

Nix passed for 4,957 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 701 additional yards and 14 touchdowns in two seasons under Malzahn. After a slight drop in production due to a coaching change and an ankle injury, Nix felt that he needed a change.

“Everything led to Oregon,” Nix said in an interview with Pro Football Focus. “Coaching staff, players, situation. Everything was just Oregon all the way. I kept asking myself, ‘Why not Oregon?’ and I could not find the answer. Oregon was by far the best situation for me, and it’s worked out unbelievably well, far better than what I could’ve imagined. I wanted to go somewhere and give myself a chance, and a chance I definitely got.”

The change ultimately worked out for Nix, as he got to experience his most successful season at the college level by passing for 3,593 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also had his best season on the ground by rushing for 510 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Ducks won 10 games in 2022, including three games over top-25 opponents.

Although he has moved on from Auburn, he has not forgotten how special his time was on the Plains. He tells Pro Football Focus that he accomplished several goals during his three years at Auburn.

“My whole life, I wanted to play football at Auburn,” Nix said. “I got to accomplish my dream and do a lot of really fun things around some great people. I met my wife at Auburn and got my diploma from there.”

However, he achieved his top goal on the football field in 2019.

“One of my ultimate goals was to play football at Auburn and beat Alabama. I did that,”  Nix said. “That’s what I’ll remember. We had some fun seasons and some not-so-fun ones. That’s what made me into who I am today.”

Nix passed for 173 yards and rushed for 44 more in Auburn’s 48-45 win over the Crimson Tide in 2019. Running back Shaun Shivers infamously trucked Alabama’s Xavier McKinney on his way to an 11-yard touchdown rush in the 4th quarter. Nix’s two-point conversion pass to Shedrick Jackson would be the deciding factor in Auburn’s win.

Heading into his fifth season of eligibility, Nix is the No. 3 quarterback in the country behind USC‘s Caleb Williams and North Carolina‘s Drake Maye. Is he focused? Absolutely. Will he have fun? you bet.

More Football!

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 19 Omari Kelly

On3 includes Jarquez Hunter in top 10 most intriguing SEC players list

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 18 Stephen Sings V

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__

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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Auburn Jack/DL Keldric Faulk named to 20 impactful SEC freshman list

Cole Pinkston

Keldric Faulk (Photo Credit: Cole Pinkston On3)

Keldric Faulk, a former 4-star recruit from Highland Home (Ala.) has made On3’s Matt Zenitz’s 20 freshmen to watch list. 

Faulk was one of the big December flips for Tigers’ coach Hugh Freeze as he had just taken over the program. Faulk was committed to Florida State since June and decided to flip to the Tigers on signing day. 

Now, Faulk has been noticed by both Zenitz and by 247sports as a freshman who is ready to make an impact. 

Faulk was the No. 64 overall player in the country, the No. 10 defensive lineman, and the No. 9 player in the state of Alabama according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Listed at 6-foot-6 288 pounds, Faulk is expected to split time between the Jack/Outside linebacker position and the defensive line–most notably at the 5-technique with a hand on the ground.

Freeze is impressed

Several coaches and players have notated Faulk’s appearance and work ethic during his time so far at Auburn. Freeze spoke highly of him recently.

“I love Keldric,” Freeze said during the spring. “I love his attitude, I love the way he comes to work. … He and Connor Lew and Kayin Lee really stood out as three freshmen that we think in the ’23 class we’ll look back on and say, ‘Man, we got us three really good ones.’ Number one, (Faulk) is a great human being. He doesn’t know anything yet about the college game and all that. He’s raw in some ways. But he’s very talented, and I love the way he went about his business the whole spring.”

Defensive coaches rave about Faulk

Auburn defensive coordinator Ron Robertsalso joined in on the praise for Faulk.

“I think he’s grown quite a bit, I think we really started on practice six to really start seeing his ability go up,” Roberts said during the spring. “There’s so much hesitation, what do I do, what am I doing, how am I playing this, how am I playing that. Which is normal and kind of expected. He really is a guy who should be going to his high school prom right now. I think he’s done an outstanding job and shown the ability to be a heck of a football player for us.”

Jeremy Garrett, Auburn defensive line coach, has been excited about Faulk since signing him in December. He sees a high ceiling and quick success for Faulk.

“A young Jack, I’m going to tell you–Keldric Faulk is going to be it,” Garrett said. “He’s going to be it. Really excited about the way he rushes and the way he’s progressed since he got here. He’s going to be good. He’s rare, and he’s so unassuming. Like, I don’t think he realizes how good he can actually be. He has come in and worked. He’s not listening to anybody tell him how good he is or anything like that. He’s coming in and studying, he’s working hard, he’s trying to learn. He is out there early walking through techniques. I just think the kid is going to be special and has a bright future as he keeps progressing.”