7.28.23 Football Articles

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247sports.com

 

How every player on Auburns roster ranked in recruiting

Nathan King

12–15 minutes

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In the spirit of Big Cat Weekend, let's take a look at how Auburn's current roster was ranked during their high-school recruiting days

As Hugh Freeze and his first-year staff continue to work toward reversing Auburn’s recruiting woes from the Bryan Harsin era, this weekend’s annual Big Cat event will serve as a significant benchmark, bringing some of the nation’s top talent to the Plains.

And Auburn is already riding some momentum, after 5-star linebacker and Georgia commit Demarcus Riddick flipped to the Tigers on Wednesday, giving the program its highest-rated commitment since fellow 5-star linebacker Owen Pappoe back in 2019. Pappoe was the lone 5-star on Auburn’s roster last season, but now that he’s in the NFL, who are the top recruiting talents left for Freeze and his staff to work with?

In the spirit of what could be a massive recruiting weekend for Auburn, we’ll take a look at how every player on the Tigers’ 2023 roster ranked during their days as a high-school prospect — or on the JUCO level, if applicable. For this exercise, we’re only looking at scholarship players, and ratings will be pulled from the 247Sports Composite.

(Troy Taormina, USA TODAY Sports)

81. P Oscar Chapman (unranked)

80. WR Nick Mardner (.7798, 2-star)

79. OT Gunner Britton (.7863, 2-star)

78. OL Jaden Muskrat (.7935, 2-star)

77. LB Larry Nixon III (.7964, 2-star)

76. OT Dillon Wade (.8053, 3-star)

75. WR Shane Hooks (.8054, 3-star)

74. TE Rivaldo Fairweather (.8093, 3-star)

Auburn’s four-year starting punter didn’t have a recruiting grade coming from the Australian Prokick program just a couple weeks before 2020 preseason practices began. Meanwhile, it shouldn’t be overly surprising to see so many incoming transfers at the bottom of these rankings, as every transfer listed above came from a non-Power Five program. A major theme for Auburn’s 2023 transfer class overall is how the players have significantly outperformed their low recruiting statuses at their previous institutions.

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(Greg McWilliams, 247Sports)

73. WR Jyaire Shorter (.8164, 3-star)

72. DT Marcus Harris (.8204, 3-star)

71. S Cayden Bridges (.8280, 3-star)

70. RB Brian Battie (.8306, 3-star)

69. JACK Jalen McLeod (.8336, 3-star)

68. DT Lawrence Johnson (.8367, 3-star)

67. K Alex McPherson (.8378, 3-star)

66. DT Stephen Johnson (.8492, 3-star)

The trend continues, as more than half of Auburn’s 19-man transfer class is included in the bottom 20 of the roster’s recruiting ratings. While McPherson’s rating simply comes with the territory of being a specialist, names like Shorter, Harris and Battie were high-impact starters last season and certainly haven’t looked the part of low 3-star prospects.

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(Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch, USA TODAY Sports)

65. QB Hank Brown (.8489, 3-star)

64. QB Payton Thorne (.8544, 3-star)

63. JACK Stephen Sings V (.8593, 3-star)

62. JACK Elijah McAllister (.8642, 3-star)

61. RB Jarquez Hunter (.8647, 3-star)

60. DT Enyce Sledge (.8652, 3-star)

59. S Caleb Wooden (.8663, 3-star)

58. LB Austin Keys (.8663, 3-star)

Auburn’s starting quarterback and running back might be included here, as Thorne developed patiently for two years at Michigan State before taking the reins of the Spartans’ offense. Three more transfers enter the fray here, while a pair of 2022 Auburn signees on defense — Sledge and Wooden — are still looking to make an impact entering their second seasons with the program.

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(Michael Chang, Getty)

57. OG Jeremiah Wright (.8676, 3-star)

56. TE Luke Deal (.8676, 3-star)

55. S Chancellor Anthony (.8678, 3-star)

54. DL Quientrail Jamison-Travis (.8681, 3-star)

53. OL Garner Langlo (.8688, 3-star)

52. JACK Brenton Williams (.8717, 3-star)

51. CB D.J. James (.8726, 3-star)

50. OG Kam Stutts (.8735, 3-star)

Some JUCO flavor appears here in Anthony and Jamison-Travis, the latter of whom is still not officially enrolled but is expected to join the team for preseason practices next week. James, a former in-state prospect from Spanish Fort, enters 2023 as arguably Auburn’s most important player on defense, after the former Oregon transfer was the SEC’s top-rated cover cornerback last year.

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(Todd Van Emst / Auburn Athletics)

49. LB Powell Gordon (.8741, 3-star)

48. CB JC Hart (.8761, 3-star)

47. OG Tate Johnson (.8784, 3-star)

46. WR Jay Fair (.8785, 3-star)

45. S CJ Johnson (.8786, 3-star)

44. C Jalil Irvin (.8804, 3-star)

43. OT Tyler Johnson (.8808, 3-star)

As we make our way into the higher-rated 3-stars, Auburn has a number of quality depth pieces of varying experience — but most have yet to make a substantial impact on the team just yet.

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(PMichael Chang, Getty)

42. CB Nehemiah Pritchett (.8809, 3-star)

41. C Bradyn Joiner (.8854, 3-star)

40. S Donovan Kaufman (.8860, 3-star)

39. S Marquise Gilbert (.8867, 3-star)

38. TE Tyler Fromm (.8882, 3-star)

37. OT Izavion Miller (.8886, 3-star)

36. WR Camden Brown (.8889, 3-star)

35. OG Clay Wedin (.8891, 3-star)

Auburn’s final batch of 3-stars includes a pair of returning starters in the secondary, a probable starting receiver, a veteran tight end and three first-year offensive linemen. Pritchett turned down a Senior Bowl invite and NFL draft prospects for a final go-around with the Tigers, while Brown is one of the more exciting pieces for Freeze’s passing game — both this season and beyond.

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(Elaina Eichorn / Auburn Athletics)

34. OL Connor Lew (.8903, 4-star)

33. WR Ja’Varrius Johnson (.8918, 4-star)

32. TE Micah Riley-Ducker (.8922, 4-star)

31. DE Wilky Denaud (.8925, 4-star)

30. TE Brandon Frazier (.8934, 4-star)

29. S Jaylin Simpson (.8958, 4-star)

28. CB Colton Hood (.8963, 4-star)

27. DT Jayson Jones (.8964, 4-star)

It’s only former blue-chip prospects from here on out, as the Tigers have nine fewer 4-star recruits on the roster compared to last season, after transfers and NFL draft departures. Veterans like Johnson and Simpson have slowly progressed from highly touted prospects into unquestioned starters entering their final seasons on the Plains in 2023.

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(Michael Chang, Getty)

26. WR Omari Kelly (.8967, 4-star)

25. LB Cam Riley (.8976, 4-star)

24. RB Damari Alston (.8995, 4-star)

23. WR Koy Moore (.8996, 4-star)

22. CB Keionte Scott (.9000, 4-star)

21. S Tyler Scott (.9001, 4-star)

20. QB Robby Ashford (.9006, 4-star)

19. OL E.J. Harris (.9008, 4-star)

There’s a nice blend of youth and experience for Auburn in some of the top former recruits on the roster — and, of course, there’s the team’s incumbent starting QB, Ashford, a former Oregon transfer who will compete with Thorne after starting nine games last season.

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(Greg McWilliams, 247Sports)

18. C Avery Jones (.9026, 4-star)

17. LB Eugene Asante (.9031, 4-star)

16. QB Holden Geriner (.9060, 4-star)

15. S Terrance Love (.9081, 4-star)

14. S Sylvester Smith (.9156, 4-star)

13. WR Malcolm Johnson Jr. (.9189, 4-star)

12. DT Darron Reed Jr. (.9267, 4-star)

11. CB Austin Ausberry (.9275, 4-star)

In the final grouping before we enter the top 10, there’s little-to-no Auburn production. Jones started his career at North Carolina as a top-rated offensive lineman before transferring to ECU, and he projects as Auburn’s starting center this season. Geriner is the roster’s highest-rated quarterback recruit for the second straight year, while freshmen Love and Smith give Auburn eight defensive backs in the top 25 highest-rated prospects on the team.

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10. CB J.D. Rhym (.9286, 4-star)

 

(Austin Perryman / Auburn Athletics)

After Simpson transitioned to safety late in the season, Rhym staked his spot as Auburn’s No. 3 cornerback behind James and Pritchett. As a true freshman, Rhym had 14 tackles and a pair of pass breakups, and his reception rate allowed (50 percent) was the third-best mark in the secondary.

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9. RB Jeremiah Cobb (.9326, 4-star)

 

(Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Auburn’s best running back recruit since Tank Bigsby in 2020, Cobb is rated as the No. 9 tailback in the country coming out of Montgomery Catholic. Cobb committed to Auburn last July and, thanks in large part to retained assistant Cadillac Williams, stuck with the program through the coaching change, despite increased interest from Georgia, Tennessee and Clemson. At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Cobb likely won’t be looked to for a massive role as a true freshman, considering the Tigers’ experience in the backfield, but he has the talent to make waves immediately, if given the opportunity.

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8. CB Kayin Lee (.9386, 4-star)

 

(Declan Greene / Auburn Athletics)

While Rhym was sidelined for most of spring practice due to a lower-body injury, Lee grabbed the No. 3 cornerback spot, and had an impressive month of practice under new position coach Wesley McGriff. The No. 2-rated signee in Auburn’s 2023 class, Lee flipped from Ohio State on signing day. Auburn’s cornerback room has NFL talent at the top, but Lee will look to challenge Rhym for playing time in the second wave of the secondary rotation.

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7. S Zion Puckett (.9420, 4-star)

 

(Austin Perryman / Auburn Athletics)

Injuries had slowed Puckett’s progression throughout his Auburn career until the past two seasons, where he posted 93 combined tackles. Puckett paired well with Simpson down the stretch last season, and might be the team’s most physically imposing defensive back at 6 feet and 230 pounds. Like several members of Auburn’s secondary, Puckett will be looking for a big final college season in hopes of turning pro in 2024.

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6. LB Robert Woodyard (.9425, 4-star)

 

(Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

The top-rated recruit in Auburn's 2022 class, Woodyard got his feet wet on special teams as a true freshman but still maintained a redshirt. The former Alabama commit spent a good portion of his first offseason with the program recovering from the season-ending knee injury he suffered as a senior at Williamson High School in Mobile, but he was still able to earn scout team player of the year honors by last year’s coaching staff. Senior linebacker Cam Riley said in the spring that a healthy Woodyard looks like “a whole new guy from a couple months ago.”

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5. WR Caleb Burton (.9465, 4-star)

 

(Adam Cairns, USA TODAY Sports)

Auburn’s best receiver recruit on the roster since Kobe Hudson in 2020, Burton transferred in from Ohio State after signing with the Buckeyes as 247Sports’ No. 71 overall prospect in the 2022 class. The Texas native doesn’t bring any production to the table after redshirting as a true freshman last season, but there’s plenty of talent for Auburn’s new coaching staff to mold this season and beyond.

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4. LB Wesley Steiner (.9558, 4-star)

 

(Greg McWilliams, 247Sports)

A record-setting power lifter in Georgia, Steiner steadily grew within Auburn’s defense over the past three seasons, culminating in a starting role for most of last season. Though he’s the Tigers’ No. 3 returning tackler, Steiner’s usage fell off down the stretch last year, as he played only 12 combined snaps over the final four games of the season. He’ll likely compete with Keys for the starting middle linebacker spot this preseason.

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3. DL Zykeivous Walker (.9649, 4-star)

 

(Todd Van Emst / Auburn Athletics)

The No. 79 overall recruit in the 2020 class, Walker was a massive recruiting win over the likes of Georgia, Alabama and Florida. The 6-foot-4, 304-pound defensive lineman has the look of one of Auburn's recently dominant players at the position, and he's shown flashes of freakish athleticism. But the bottom line is Walker simply hasn't gotten himself on the field yet. He entered the transfer portal midway through last season but pulled out and rejoined Auburn’s defensive line three weeks after Freeze was hired.

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2. JACK Keldric Faulk (.9655, 4-star)

 

(Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Speaking of recruiting wins, Auburn flipped Faulk — a top-75 overall recruit from Highland Home, Alabama — from Florida State on signing day, making the 6-foot-5, 278-pound pass-rusher the No. 1 signee in the Tigers’ 2023 class. Faulk then enrolled early in the spring and immediately made his presence felt at the “jack” outside linebacker position. While he’s obviously outclassed in experience by Auburn’s three transfers in the room, Faulk is undoubtedly one of the most talented pieces on the entire team — and a building block for Freeze’s defensive staff for years to come.

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

3rd-year DB no longer on Auburn football 2023 roster

Andrew Olson

2–3 minutes

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A veteran defensive back appears to no longer be a member of the Auburn Tigers. Cayden Bridges has been removed from the team’s online roster. Brian Stultz of Rivals observed the change and tweeted the news Thursday.

ESPN stats shows 9 games in which Bridges recorded a defensive statistic in 2022. He logged 19 tackles, including 12 solo stops, on the season. Bridges also had a pass breakup in AU’s 13-10 win over Texas A&M.

Bridges redshirted in 2021, his first year on The Plains. He played in 3 games on special teams.

A former Magee (Mississippi) standout, Bridges signed with Auburn over offers from Mississippi State, South Alabama, Central Arkansas and Florida A&M. On the 247Sports composite rankings, Bridges was rated 3-stars, the No. 32 recruit in the state of Mississippi, No. 151 safety and No, 1,743 prospect overall in the Class of 2021.

Stultz points out that with Bridges’ exit, just 2 members of Auburn’s 2021 class signed under the former coaching staff remain on the team.

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auburntigers.com

 

Meet the Coaches: Auburn defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett

Auburn University Athletics

6–8 minutes

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AUBURN, Ala. – Jeremy Garrett knows Auburn well. He knows what it’s like to come in as an opponent and play at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He’s been on the visiting sideline as a player. But last November, when he flipped on the Auburn-Texas A&M game to watch Carnell Williams, there was a new level of appreciation.

Both teams were 3-6. Nothing to play for. And yet, the Auburn fans packed the stadium to support Williams, one of their own, who was making his home debut as the interim head coach.

“You would have thought they were playing for the SEC Championship with how into it they were,” Garrett said. “I watched how the kids played for him. I watched how excited the fan base was. You turn the TV on and see the excitement and see what Auburn is – the family atmosphere, the fans rallying the troops and supporting the program. It was great to see.”

Less than a month later, Hugh Freeze called and asked Garrett, his defensive line coach at Liberty last season, to follow him to Auburn and serve in the same role. The choice was easy. 

Obviously, the fans had shown Garrett how special a place Auburn can be – both when he played there as a defensive lineman at Ole Miss and when he watched that game on TV last fall. But he also knew the history and the names associated with Auburn on the defensive line: Tracy Rocker, Nick Fairley, Derrick Brown. That’s just to name a few. Since 2008, Auburn has had 16 defensive linemen drafted.

“Auburn has a great tradition of really good defensive lines,” Garrett said. “That’s attractive to me because I believe we can build a really good front here at Auburn. It’s been proven. This is one of the top five jobs in the country to have as a defensive line coach.

“You can go all the way back and look at Tracy Rocker. You can look at Nick Fairley. The aggressiveness they played with. You can even look at the guys from last year’s team – Colby Wooden. You just look at how those guys played and the history of draft picks in those positions. Guys come here and reset the line of scrimmage, rush the passer, good edge-rushers. You look at the history of those guys, it’s here.

“That mentality is what we want to instill in these guys, and we’re constantly talking to them about history and how it is our responsibility to uphold that. To go out and set that standard in how we play and how we perform.”

Looking at the history here and what’s been played up front, we want to go and try to match that. Let’s try to give this place what they deserve. That’s a front that’s dominant in the SEC.

Jeremy Garrett

Garrett brings a unique perspective with him to Auburn. Since 2018, he’s coached at the high school level, the college level and in the NFL – spending two seasons with the Cleveland Browns in 2020 and 2021. When a freshman arrives on campus, he knows where they’re coming from and the environment they just left. At the same time, he also knows where his players are trying to go. He’s been at that level, too.

“I love my process,” Garrett said. “I love the journey that I took because I think I know where these guys are coming from and I know where they’re trying to go. So, now it’s developing a plan for them to achieve their goals and walking them through this thing called life and football.

“I want to be a great teacher and a developer for these guys and really develop them on and off the field. I think it’s critical because if you have distractions outside of football, you’re not going to be your best football self. I believe in developing these guys so that 10 years from now, I can see their success – whether it’s in the NFL, whether it’s with a family, whether it’s on their job – whatever it may be. I want to see that success in my players.”

At every stop along the way, Garrett has reached out to the same person for advice. Hugh Freeze. Before he took a job at Ensworth Academy, he called Freeze. Before he took a job at Vanderbilt, he called Freeze. Before he went to the NFL, he called Freeze.

“Throughout my entire career, he’s always been like a mentor,” Garrett said. 

The two first crossed paths in 2006 when Garrett was a defensive lineman at Ole Miss and Freeze was a position coach working with the tight ends. Freeze never coached the defensive line, but he still formed a great relationship with Garrett – a relationship that carried on even after the two went their separate ways.

“How many d-linemen have great relationships with receivers’ coaches? It’s bigger than just football with him,” Garrett said. “When people come on our campus, not only do they see it, but I’m an example of knowing him since 2005 and just how every time I called, he picked up the phone. He wasn’t even my position coach.”

In January 2022, it was Freeze who called Garrett – not the other way around – and asked him to leave the NFL to be his defensive line coach at Liberty.

“I was just thinking, ‘Now is my time to return the favor, return the support and go be there for him when he needs a defensive line coach,’” Garrett said.

Eighteen months later, the two are still together. This time at Auburn where Freeze is trying to rebuild the Tigers into a national contender and Garrett is trying to assemble a defensive line reminiscent of what Auburn fans grew accustomed to watching over the years.

“Looking at the history here and what’s been played up front, we want to be able to go and try to match that,” Garrett said. “Let’s try to give this place what they deserve. That’s a front that’s dominant in the SEC.”

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al.com

An Auburn Q&A: Here’s what Barrett Sallee thinks about Auburn’s 2023 season

Updated: Jul. 27, 2023, 3:48 p.m.|Published: Jul. 27, 2023, 3:35 p.m.

8–10 minutes

The calendar is about to turn to August, and the 2023 season ticks ever closer. But this is still the time for predictions. So AL.com sat down with a few national media members to get their thoughts on Auburn’s upcoming campaign. AL.com asked the same questions to each reporter it spoke to so fans can compare answers. On Wednesday, Cole Cubelic gave his own thoughts on Auburn.

Next up, CBS Sports college football writer and SiriusXM radio host Barrett Sallee. Sallee is an Auburn graduate in 2002 and has been around the SEC throughout his career.

The quotes have been edited slightly for clarity and brevity.

Cohen: At SEC Media Days, head coach Hugh Freeze said Auburn is a ‘work in progress.’ So what does Auburn need to work on?

Sallee: “Well, rebuild the roster because the roster at Auburn is as far away from Alabama, Georgia and LSU as it ever has been. I think that the neglect that Bryan Harsin gave to that program is monstrous. The inability to recruit, the lack of effort to recruit, the lack of effort to truly hit the transfer portal, the lack of understanding of what it takes to be an SEC football coach set the program back several years in an era where it’s two chief rivals, specifically Georgia, became a monster. And so now you have two chief rivals who continue to separate from Auburn, and right now Hugh Freeze is kinda left holding Harsin’s bag. And I think the fact that he that Freeze recognized that, and first went through the portal as best he could during an extremely difficult time in the winter where coaches get asked to do 15 different things all at once, you know, the fact that he ended up with one of the best transfer portal classes in the country is huge. And I think that led to a little bit more excitement in the spring and then obviously following through with maybe the starting quarterback in Payton Thorne led to I think a positive mindset among the fan base. And that’s really it. I mean the lifeblood of every football program is recruiting. And the fact that Auburn was basically set back two years really led to Hugh recognizing that this is a work in progress. But I think also led to him understanding how to operate in the SEC in this new era. The way you fix a problem that’s broken is through the transfer portal. And I talked to him three, four months ago and he said he doesn’t want to build a program with this many transfer players every single year, but he had to this year. I think that goes to show how well he understands what needs to be done in this day and age.”

Cohen: What are some of the biggest differences you’ve noticed so far between Bryan Harsin’s coaching staff and Hugh Freeze’s?

Sallee: “It’s definitely recruiting. You know, like I said, the fact that Hugh understands what needs to be done through his time at Ole Miss, that helps. That is something that every program needs. It’s something that Bryan Harsin didn’t care to do. And I think the fact that Hugh was able to do that I think goes to show you know where his mindset is. I think the ability to go play the political game helps too. Hugh is fully comfortable with going to booster clubs and talking to boosters and making sure that part of the program is happy with him. Where the program is listening to feedback, giving feedback, things like that. Bryan Harsin didn’t want to do that. Just flat-out didn’t do that. So I think those are the two biggest things and really, I think for Auburn, before you even be competitive, you have to win off the field. And Hugh Freeze is winning off the field after a two-year debacle in which Bryan Harsin took Ls basically at every turn.”

Cohen: As Auburn puts a roster together, what level of patience is appropriate?

Sallee: “A ton of patience because if you look at Auburn’s roster right now, there are some good players on there, there might be a couple of great players. But there is in no way shape or form a roster that can compete at a national level. So if the goal is for Auburn to win the SEC West, you got to give him a ton of patience. A ton of patience. If the goal is to compete for a national championship, I mean, you have to talk five years. I know in this day and age it’s crazy to think somebody would have a five-year plan because that’s, you know, something of a previous generation and no one really believes that now. But with the landscape of the SEC with Georgia and Alabama plus, you know, expansion, transfer, NIL, all this stuff, it’s gonna take a very long time to build a two-deep, three-deep roster like national championship contenders. I thought about this two, three weeks ago, we talked about it on the SiriusXM show, how Auburn is sort of in a position that Florida State was in after Willie Taggart. Different reasons in terms of you know, program instability because that program is instability at Florida State is basically just 85 guys going 85 different directions. That’s not what’s wrong With Auburn, but the state of the program I’d say was in a similar spot. So it took Mike Norvell a long time to get that roster where it needs to be, to get the mindset where it needs to be, and for Florida State, they’re going to be mentioned in the College Football Playoff discussion this year. That’s kind of the path that I think Auburn fans, Auburn boosters, Auburn alums sort of need to follow because it is not going to be a quick fix.”

Cohen: What are you expecting from Auburn’s quarterback battle in fall camp? Will Payton Thone be the guy? Robby Ashford? Someone else?

Sallee: “Well, you know, it’s obviously two different styles. Styles make fights, we all know that. I think the biggest thing for Auburn in the quarterback battle: It’s not who’s the better quarterback, it’s how much the offensive line has progressed and more specifically, what the offensive line does well. Because if the offensive line shows that it can pass block, Payton Thorne is going to be the winner. If they struggle in that department, Robbie Ashford is going to be the winner. You know, I hate to oversimplify things, but that’s just the way I see it. And I think the one thing about Hugh Freeze is that he understands how to play to your strengths, and I think more importantly how to play around your weaknesses. And I think that’s the biggest thing with Auburn because like I said before, there’s a talent issue at Auburn and because of that, you need to limit your exposure to those problems. So to me, it’s all about the offensive line. If it struggles in pass protection Robby Ashford is gonna be the guy. If it excels in pass protection Payton Throne is gonna be the guy and Hugh knows how to coach around problems. I think he showed that when he was building that Ole Miss roster. There were times where that roster well, I wouldn’t say fine, that roster was nowhere close to what Alabama and LSU and even Auburn was at time, and yet you still found ways to win games consistently. So I think that goes to show you just kind of how he thinks, how he operates. Ultimately I think that’s a good thing for Auburn because again, it’s gonna take a little while to strengthen that roster to a point where every single unit is at least competitive and that there are no liabilities.”

Cohen: Okay, predictions time. What’s your realistic prediction for Auburn this year? Your dream scenario? Worst case scenario?

Sallee: “We do an optimistic, pessimistic and realistic story. Optimistic, I would say 9-3. Schedule is easy by Auburn standards. That’s not necessarily saying a lot because it’s always really difficult for Auburn with Georgia and Alabama, but they’re at home. The Vandy rotator is great. Cal is a pretty, pretty solid matchup if you want to get an easy Power 5 win. So you get Georgia and Alabama you know, give them a loss and then give Auburn a loss somewhere else. A toss-up, or an upset, whatever. So 9-3. I would say 7-5 is fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. Then 5-7 without going to a bowl game, it’s pessimistic, but I could conceive of a situation where that could happen. I don’t think it will. If you lose every toss-up game? Whatever. It’s hard to be that unlucky.”

Matt Cohen is an Auburn beat writer for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com.

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247sports.com

Auburn fall camp preview 5 breakout candidates on offense

Nathan King

10–12 minutes

One of the most exciting offseasons at Auburn in recent years is almost wrapped up, and football is almost back on the Plains.

Next Thursday, the Tigers will kick off their first preseason camp under head coach Hugh Freeze. Since spring ball ended in early April, Freeze and his staff added eight more players from the transfer portal, continued to chip away at their 2024 recruiting class, and saw the current roster put in work with strength coach Dominic Studzinski. Now it’s finally time for things to resume on the field in preparation for the season opener Sept. 2 against UMass

“We're excited to get started,” Freeze said at SEC Media Days. “We've got a lot of questions about exactly how we're going to be, and truthfully I don't know all the answers to that yet. This is a strange feeling, and in some ways for me I've never experienced going into fall camp and having so many unknowns in my mind, whether that's because of the new world of you gained some of your roster from transfer portal world, or you gained it even after spring practice through the portal world, and then obviously summer enrollees come. There's a lot of things that I'm not quite certain about, also, but excited about the opportunity.”

In the week leading up to a highly anticipated fall camp, Auburn Undercover will dig into several aspects of the team exiting summer workouts, previewing the newcomers on campus, breakout candidates, position battles and more.

Our first installment looks at five potential breakout candidates for Freeze and first-year offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery’s unit — players who have not yet made a substantial impact since arriving on campus but could be situated to do so with opportunities in preseason practices over the course of the next month.

RB DAMARI ALSTON

Any assessment of Auburn’s strong running back room this preseason must include the caveat of Jarquez Hunter’s murky status. The junior tailback — and Auburn’s top returning rusher — has been involved in a university investigation into possible misconduct this offseason, and Freeze has been unable to update his status, most recently at SEC Media Days earlier this month.

There’s optimism within the program that Hunter will be good to go for the start of camp, but if he’s unavailable for any period of time, there will obviously be an increased load on the Tigers’ other tailbacks.

Even if Hunter is practicing next week, however, there’s still an intriguing pecking order to sort behind him. USF transfer Brian Battie, a 1,000-yard rusher last season, is primed to create a talented one-two punch for the Tigers’ rushing attack. But if Auburn’s offense is to lean on its ground game while working through a quarterback competition and a new-looking passing attack, there should be plenty of carries available for a player like Damari Alston.

The former 4-star recruit appeared in every game last season as a true freshman, and had 85 rushing yards, serving as the offense’s No. 3 option at running back. While that could once again be his role in 2023, Alston impressed the new coaching staff in spring practice with his blend of speed and physicality.

“”I’ve thought from the start of spring camp, he’s the guy that’s probably surprised me a little bit more out of the running back room than anybody,” Montgomery said of Alston in the spring. “From Day 1, I thought he had a pretty good feel with what we were trying to do in the run game, with seeing it, setting up blocks and still had that physicality about him. But the speed that he brings — man, he’s got gears in there.”

That improvement yielded some second- and first-team opportunities for Alston in practice and scrimmage settings, where Alston should be able to pick up where he left off this preseason.

He’ll have to fend off freshman summer enrollee Jeremiah Cobb — the nation’s No. 9 running back recruit — for reps, but Alston has already proven himself to be a valuable asset to his new offensive coaches.

WR CALEB BURTON

Auburn’s receivers have generated more buzz within the building than perhaps any other position group this offseason, and Freeze was quick to heap praise onto Burton, the Ohio State transfer, at media days.

“His high school tape was pretty dang special,” Freeze said. “The other (transfer receivers) are one-year stop-gap guys that help improve our room I think some way or another. But Burton’s a little different. Burton’s got four years left with us and I think he’s got skill sets that are really going to help us in the future.”

Rated as the No. 71 overall prospect in the 2022 class by 247Sports, Burton now becomes the top-rated former recruit in the Tigers’ receiving corps. He didn’t appear in a game as a true freshman with the Buckeyes, but as Freeze mentioned, brings plenty of talent to a room that’s dealt with more than its fair share of inconsistency over the past couple seasons.

At 5-foot-11 and 171 pounds, Burton is quick and shifty like a traditional slot receiver, but also made plenty of plays as an outside receiver in high school. His catch radius and ability to high-point deep balls were some of his top qualities in high school. He could work with someone like Ja'Varrius Johnson in the slot but is versatile enough to receive reps across the formation.

Burton’s fit within the room will be one of the more intriguing aspects of the offense to watch at the start of fall camp. But regardless of where he’s positioned, the Texas native essentially serves as a retroactive, redshirt freshman addition from last year’s class for Auburn — raw and talented, but still waiting to flex his abilities on the field at the college level. Burton is the highest-rated receiver recruit at Auburn since Kobe Hudson in 2020.

Auburn has plenty of experience in its receiving corps after mining the portal, but Burton is perhaps a name that’s flown under the radar compared to veterans like Shane Hooks (Jackson State) and Jyaire Shorter (North Texas), who bring 20 combined touchdowns to the room.

WR JAY FAIR

(Declan Greene / Auburn Athletics)

Speaking of second-year receivers from Texas, Fair is one of three signees at the position from Auburn’s 2022 class — joining Camden Brown and Omari Kelly — and all three stuck with the program through the coaching change.

While Brown looks primed to be a possible No. 1 target for the Tigers on the outside, Fair and Kelly’s 2023 roles aren’t as solidified within the offense — yet — after combining for just five receptions during their freshman seasons.

Fair, however, could be in position for increased reps in the slot this preseason, after Tar'Varish Dawson, who took first-team reps alongside the veteran Johnson in the spring, transferred out. Burton could fit into the slot, but the 5-foot-10, 180-pound Fair also fits the bill of a player who could make some noise not only as a target in the passing game, but also with the ability to contribute in the ground game on sweeps.

That’s all not to mention Freeze in April put Fair right alongside Johnson as having “the most consistent spring camp” in the receiving corps — a redshirt freshman and a fifth-year senior.

OG JEREMIAH WRIGHT

Wright already grabbed a starting job in the spring, but Auburn’s staff feels he’s only begun to build toward a high ceiling of a physical and mauling role at left guard.

After flip-flopping between the offensive and defensive line under the previous staff, Wright is solidified within Jake Thornton’s unit entering the 2023 season. He started one game last year then continued to rotate in at left guard over the final half of the season, quickly developing a reputation for physicality — pummeling defenders into the dirt and playing with a mean streak Auburn’s been missing on the front line for the past few seasons.

And right when he was set to settle down as a starter for the first time in his career, Wright was nagged by an injury in the spring that kept him in a non-contact jersey for the majority of practice.

At 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds, not only is Wright entering fall camp healthy, but he’s still raw in terms of his skill set on the offensive line of scrimmage. If he can continue to develop this preseason under Thortnon’s tutelage, he certainly has the size to become one of Auburn’s more imposing O-linemen in recent memory.

“I do believe he's still learning how to play offensive line,” Thornton said. “He went back and forth, from my understanding, the last couple of years. So, I'm certainly excited to get him molded as an offensive lineman through an entire spring, summer and fall camp. And I certainly think he can be a big-time factor, and he's got all the physical traits. And I think he's developing the mentality to be one of the better ones in this league."

OG CONNOR LEW

It’s near impossible to talk about Auburn’s offensive line this offseason and for a player or coach to not bring up Lew’s name.

After flipping from Miami in December, it didn’t take long for Lew to turn heads in spring ball. While Auburn dealt with minor injuries to Wright and Tate Johnson, Lew was able to slide in and immediately displayed his polished skill set.

Though Lew is at a significant disadvantage in terms of experience — and might be a bit undersized at 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds — at the end of the day, Auburn has an opening at right guard, and there’s no clear leader in terms of who will fill it. Johnson did so in the spring, as did fifth-year senior Kameron Stutts. But right behind them was Lew, who mostly repped as the backup center but has already shown his ability to play all three spots on the interior O-line. Auburn also brought in Tulsa transfer Jaden Muskrat after the spring as a contender at guard.

The consensus from those within Auburn’s building this summer has been that Lew certainly projects as a future contributor at either guard or center, but there’s no ruling out the possibility of him seeing the field as a true freshman.

“Really smart guy, really strong,” Stutts said at media days. “He’s kind of smaller right now but I think once he starts getting developed — I think he can play some this year, but as he keeps getting developed, he’s going to be one of those guys, for sure.”

*** Subscribe to Auburn Undercover for the latest news and intel, podcasts, recruiting coverage and more ***

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al.com

Auburn’s Elijah McAllister the kind of player who ‘only comes around every once in a while’

Published: Jul. 27, 2023, 2:00 p.m.

6–8 minutes

Auburn football’s Elijah McAllister has a knack for making things look easy.

When McAllister entered his senior season of high school football at Rumson-Fair Haven in Asbury Park, N.J., he hadn’t played a lick at defensive end. But as he came back after tearing both his ACLs, he had to try something new.

“He missed a ton of time in football, missed a ton of time in basketball,” said Jeremy Schulte, who was Rumson-Fair Haven’s defensive line coach when McAllister was a player. “When he came back as a senior, he had never played defensive end before. And that was his future.”

McAllister’s lengthy, 6-foot-6 stature and 230-pound build had schools looking at him more as a defensive end than a tight end.

Knowing he had some catching up to do after his time away from the field, McAllister and Schulte would work for 15-20 minutes before the start of football practice.

“Everything that he did during that time was to get better. And we have that with a lot of kids,” Schulte said. “A lot of kids are very intrinsically motivated. But to watch how he went about it, it was different.”

By the end of his senior campaign at Rumson Fair-Haven, McAllister tallied 23 tackles for a loss, forced a pair of fumbles and defended six passes.

It was a comeback story that McAllister not only made look easy, but one few at the school have forgotten about. Instead, McAllister’s success is used as a school-wide example of what can be accomplished with hard work.

“We tell them that, Elijah has told them that… Our kids know that,” said Schulte, who now serves as the school’s head football coach. “He’s left that impact on our school.”

Considering the footprint McAllister left out of high school, no one has been surprised by his journey since.

After excelling in the classroom at Rumson-Fair Haven, where Schulte jokes he probably didn’t miss a single homework assignment, McAllister knew he wanted to get the best education possible in college.

Eventually, after being rated a 3-star prospect by 247Sports, Vanderbilt came knocking with an offer.

“Really there wasn’t a long time between the offer and the acceptance there,” Schulte said of the Commodores’ offer.

At Vanderbilt, McAllister went on to major in medicine, health and society with double minors in psychology and business. He eventually graduated with his bachelor’s degree and went on to pursue his master’s degree in education studies and diversity.

Surely juggling his studies and playing football in the SEC wasn’t easy. But McAllister made it appear that way.

After not seeing action in his freshman season in 2018, McAllister appeared in all 12 games as a sophomore before returning to the bench during 2020′s coronavirus-abbreviated season. In 2021, McAllister returned to the rotation as an outside linebacker and appeared in all 12 games, finishing with 23 tackles, a sack and an interception against Florida.

Not too bad for a guy who had limited experience heading into his senior season of high school.

“He is one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met in my entire life,” Schulte said, adding that as nice as McAllister is, he finds his mean streak come game time. “It’s a totally different person. It’s really funny. But that’s the mark of a competitor.”

But after not securing a starting spot at Vanderbilt in 2022 but still appearing in all 12 games, McAllister’s competitiveness led him to the transfer portal, where he hoped to land at a program that would give him an opportunity to earn a starting spot, as well as continue his education.

McAllister’s name was in the transfer portal for just 11 days when Hugh Freeze’s football program and Auburn’s College of Education got the veteran player’s nod.

Freeze’s commitment to leading a faith-based football program was a selling point for McAllister, whose father is a pastor.

“The foundation of our relationship is based off faith. That’s a unique thing that not a lot of people have,” McAllister said of his relationship with Freeze. “I think that allows us to have confidence in who we are as people and also confidence leading the program. It’s something that he stays strong with. He’s an amazing person of faith. I’m excited about that.”

The opportunity to lead Auburn’s locker room, which is set to feature more than 40 new names on the roster, was another part of the Tigers’ pitch to McAllister, who was a captain at Vanderbilt in his final season.

And if you need proof that McAllister is doing just that on The Plains, turn to the fact that the first-year Tiger was selected to represent Auburn at SEC Media Days.

What came as a surprise to some considering McAllister has yet to play a down for Auburn, was all but that for those who know him.

“I’m glad that he’s here, because the college football world needs him to have a platform,” Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea said of McAllister at SEC Media Days. “I’m proud of him and appreciate him for what he contributed to our program.”

Being a player representative at media days is never easy and it comes with pressure. And one can imagine that becomes amplified when you’re a first-year player being asked about a first-year head coach of a program that is surrounded by nothing but question marks.

But in true fashion, McAllister, prepared with his own opening statement, made it look easy.

“Anyone who’s ever talked to him, they know what it’s like meeting him for the first time. You’re very impressed by him. When he talks to you, he makes you the most important person around,” Schulte said. “And he was that way as a freshman in high school. Everything he’s doing now, none of us are really surprised about because when he came in freshman year, that’s exactly the type of kid that he was.

“I think a lot of people are going to know Elijah McAllister’s name within the next decade or so, just based on things he’s gonna do. He’s something special. He only comes around every once in a while.”

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al.com

What to know about new Auburn’s 5-star commit Demarcus Riddick

Updated: Jul. 26, 2023, 5:23 p.m.|Published: Jul. 26, 2023, 4:13 p.m.

4–5 minutes

Chilton County’s Demarcus Riddick announces he is committing to Auburn, Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at Chilton County High School. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt

Demarcus Riddick, a class of 2024 5-star rated linebacker in the 247Sports composite rankings, announced his commitment to Auburn on Wednesday. The Chilton County High School player’s announcement is a major win for Auburn just days before its Big Cat Weekend recruiting event, which Riddick is expected to attend.

Here’s three things you should know about Auburn’s newest commitment.

Riddick is Auburn’s highest-rated recruit since 2019

Yeah, it really has been that long. The last time Auburn got a commitment from a recruit with a 5-star composite ranking was Owen Pappoe in 2019. Funny enough, Pappoe and Riddick are actually quite similar players. Both are regarded as highly athletic linebacker prospects.

Based on the 247Sports class calculator, Riddick’s commitment could vault Auburn into the top 30 recruiting classes nationally for 2024. Though Auburn’s 2024 class is not large in quantity by this point — Riddick is Auburn’s 12 commitment for this cycle — it is quite strong in quality. Before Riddick’s commitment, Auburn already had a top 10 class based on average player rating, according to 247Sports.

Chilton County’s Demarcus Riddick announces he is committing to Auburn, Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at Chilton County High School. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt

Auburn beat its two biggest rivals for Riddick’s commitment

The means of Riddick’s commitment to Auburn may be more notable than the ends. Riddick had been committed to Georgia for close to a year before Wednesday. And while Georgia was still in contention for Riddick, it became clear his choice was going to come down to the two biggest programs in his home state: the Crimson Tide and the Tigers.

Auburn won out.

But it’s been a while since Auburn was successful in a direct recruiting battle with Alabama for a player of this caliber. Beating out Georgia and Alabama could be a turning point for Auburn. Riddick’s commitment could open the doors to other top Auburn targets like 5-star in-state wide receiver Perry Thompson, a current Crimson Tide commit.

Riddick’s stats back up his ranking. His experience, too.

Many times, recruiting rankings have a lot to do with the potential of a player who may or may not have blossomed in high school. Coaches will see a freak athlete and try to mold them into a football player. And while Riddick’s coaches do laud his athleticism, he has the numbers to support his ranking. And he still has his senior year of high school to go.

Last year, Riddick had 109 tackles, including 19 for a loss, and seven sacks. He also had 11 quarterback hurries.

Are stats from his actual position not enough? Well, Riddick has played offense too. He also played a bit as a returner for Chilton County. Oh, and he plays basketball.

He’ll only be a linebacker in college. But his experience doing far more than that now is a testament to the athlete Auburn is getting.

In an interview with AL.com, Morton called Riddick a “mature” player who is going to make an impact on and off the field.

Matt Cohen is an Auburn beat writer for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com.

Chilton County’s Demarcus Riddick announces he is committing to Auburn, Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at Chilton County High School. (Vasha Hunt | preps.al.com)Vasha Hunt

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Kicks off at Seven am

Edited July 28, 2023 by aubiefifty

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yahoo.com

 

Big Cat preview: Here are this year’s top 10 attendees

Taylor Jones

~4 minutes

---

The biggest recruiting weekend is here.

A plethora of talent from across the country will be on the Plains this weekend to attend Big Cat Weekend, which will be a crucial time for Hugh Freeze and staff as they look to build their roster for the future.

Many members of Auburn’s 2024 commitments will be there such as Walker White, Joseph Phillips, A'mon Lane, and J'Marion Burnette. Those players have publically announced that they have shut down their recruitment in an effort to help the coaching staff recruit players to join them at Auburn. This weekend will be a great measuring stick to see just how good their recruiting efforts are.

There will be plenty of talented players on campus this weekend, some are even committed to other programs.

Here’s a look at the top recruits who are scheduled to visit Big Cat Weekend.

KJ Bolden

Bolden is one week away from announcing his commitment, and if Auburn wants to seal the deal, they will need to do so this weekend. The Tigers will need to battle Alabama, Ohio State, and home-state school Georgia to land the No. 1 safety in the 2024 class.

Perry Thompson

The top committed player to attend this weekend is Alabama commit Perry Thompson. After Auburn flipped Demarcus Riddick from Georgia, most feel that Thompson could be the next one to do so. Riddick will also be at Big Cat Weekend, could he do enough to sway Thompson to Auburn?

Bradley Shaw

Keeping talent in-state is something that Hugh Freeze is working towards. One of the biggest names in the state of Alabama for the 2024 cycle is Hoover linebacker Bradley Shaw, and things are looking great as Shaw tells multiple outlets that Auburn makes him a priority. He has zero crystal ball predictions from 247Sports as of now, but Auburn, Alabama, and Notre Dame appear at the front of the pack.

DeAndre Carter

Auburn is in need of offensive linemen for the 2024 class, and landing the 6-4, 340-pound product from California would be a great start. Making a great impression this weekend is crucial for Auburn.

Jalewis Solomon

The four-star corner will commit next weekend, which means that Auburn will need to make a lasting impression this weekend in order to land the talented defensive back.

Malcolm Simmons

Could Simmons be Auburn’s next commit? The Alexander City product loves Auburn, and Auburn loves him back. The deal could be sealed for Auburn and the four-star wide receiver this weekend.

Zaquan Patterson

Patterson was recently named a five-star safety, which would mesh well with Auburn’s 2024 haul of A’Mon Lane, Jayden Lewis, Jayln Crawford, and Kensley Faustin in the defensive backfield.

Duke Watson

It wasn’t long after Watson committed to Louisville for Auburn to extend an offer. The Tigers have a four-star RB in J’Marion Burnette but are looking to take another for the 2024 class. Watson is the top option now for Auburn, as the four-star from Forsyth, Georgia is coming to town for the weekend.

Zion Grady

Grady is heading into his junior season at Charles Henderson in Troy, but he has already gained plenty of attention on the recruiting trail. He is a five-star EDGE and is the No. 6 player from the state of Alabama for the 2025 cycle. If Auburn were to land Grady, it would definitely help build depth at EDGE.

JaKaleb Faulk

His brother, Keldric Faulk, was a late flip to Auburn from Florida State. The youngest Faulk is a four-star LB and is near the top of Auburn’s board for the 2025 cycle.

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Previewing the quarterbacks

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 safeties.

The most high-profile position battle gets underway with the start of fall camp Aug. 3 as Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner will all vie for starting quarterback spot.

Ashford finished spring atop the depth chart. (Declan Greene/Auburn athletics)

Thorne, a Michigan State transfer, is the odds-on favorite but Ashford returns after starting the final nine games of last season. Freeze plans to cut the competition from three to two after the first 10 days of camp.

Below is a potential depth chart going into fall drills…

Quarterback

1. Payton Thorne, Jr. (6-2, 203) - OR-

1. Robby Ashford, So. (6-3, 218)

3. Holden Geriner, RFr. (6-3, 212)

4. Hank Brown, TFr. (6-4, 201)

Quick hitters…

** Thorne transferred to Auburn this summer after completing 524 of 860 passes (60.9 percent) for 6,494 yards with 49 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in 29 career games with the Spartans.

** Thorne’s Power 5 starting experience, completion percentage and knowledge of running an RPO offense are his biggest advantages going into the competition.

** Ashford completed 123 of 250 passes (49.2 percent) last season with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 707 yards and seven touchdowns on 153 carries.

** Ashford’s SEC experience and running ability are his two biggest assets going into the competition.

** Geriner redshirted last season before joining the competition in spring. It would be a surprise if he was able to move into the top two but that will be decided on the practice field.

** Brown signed with Auburn in the 2023 class after previously being committed to Freeze at Liberty. He’s expected to redshirt this fall and join the competition in full next spring.

** Freeze has stated he wants to have four scholarship quarterbacks for the start of every preseason practice.

 

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It's rough on that entire team breakdown of ratings and rankings seeing so many O-linemen so low  

[gr82be 14,913]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

 

Way more being made of this than it should be. Vandy basically had Auburn and Georgia to choose from in the months of October and November as home games. Unless you want your homecoming game in September who else would you pick? Based on recent history you can't bland them. 

[aubiefifty 18,259]

2 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Way more being made of this than it should be. Vandy basically had Auburn and Georgia to choose from in the months of October and November as home games. Unless you want your homecoming game in September who else would you pick? Based on recent history you can't bland them. 

i figured it was click bait i just thought it was funny and thought others might? i promise i am not going to sleep at ight worried about vandy. could i be shocked? maybe but i doubt it. war eagle baby! the middle of next week cannot get here fast enough. i would like more real news and less fluff pieces but it is what it is.

[gr82be 14,913]

Just now, aubiefifty said:

i figured it was click bait i just thought it was funny and thought others might? i promise i am not going to sleep at ight worried about vandy. could i be shocked? maybe but i doubt it. war eagle baby! the middle of next week cannot get here fast enough. i would like more real news and less fluff pieces but it is what it is.

I know you're just posting what you find and it's appreciated. It's just that anyone who gets bothered by this might have a confidence problem. They literally play every game on the road except Auburn and Georgia after September. There's only one logical choice and I doubt they are thrilled about it. I certainly don't think it was a jab at Auburn on their part. 

[AuburnNTexas 7,329]

4 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

al.com

An Auburn Q&A: Here’s what Barrett Sallee thinks about Auburn’s 2023 season

Updated: Jul. 27, 2023, 3:48 p.m.|Published: Jul. 27, 2023, 3:35 p.m.

8–10 minutes

The calendar is about to turn to August, and the 2023 season ticks ever closer. But this is still the time for predictions. So AL.com sat down with a few national media members to get their thoughts on Auburn’s upcoming campaign. AL.com asked the same questions to each reporter it spoke to so fans can compare answers. On Wednesday, Cole Cubelic gave his own thoughts on Auburn.

Next up, CBS Sports college football writer and SiriusXM radio host Barrett Sallee. Sallee is an Auburn graduate in 2002 and has been around the SEC throughout his career.

The quotes have been edited slightly for clarity and brevity.

Cohen: At SEC Media Days, head coach Hugh Freeze said Auburn is a ‘work in progress.’ So what does Auburn need to work on?

Sallee: “Well, rebuild the roster because the roster at Auburn is as far away from Alabama, Georgia and LSU as it ever has been. I think that the neglect that Bryan Harsin gave to that program is monstrous. The inability to recruit, the lack of effort to recruit, the lack of effort to truly hit the transfer portal, the lack of understanding of what it takes to be an SEC football coach set the program back several years in an era where it’s two chief rivals, specifically Georgia, became a monster. And so now you have two chief rivals who continue to separate from Auburn, and right now Hugh Freeze is kinda left holding Harsin’s bag. And I think the fact that he that Freeze recognized that, and first went through the portal as best he could during an extremely difficult time in the winter where coaches get asked to do 15 different things all at once, you know, the fact that he ended up with one of the best transfer portal classes in the country is huge. And I think that led to a little bit more excitement in the spring and then obviously following through with maybe the starting quarterback in Payton Thorne led to I think a positive mindset among the fan base. And that’s really it. I mean the lifeblood of every football program is recruiting. And the fact that Auburn was basically set back two years really led to Hugh recognizing that this is a work in progress. But I think also led to him understanding how to operate in the SEC in this new era. The way you fix a problem that’s broken is through the transfer portal. And I talked to him three, four months ago and he said he doesn’t want to build a program with this many transfer players every single year, but he had to this year. I think that goes to show how well he understands what needs to be done in this day and age.”

Cohen: What are some of the biggest differences you’ve noticed so far between Bryan Harsin’s coaching staff and Hugh Freeze’s?

Sallee: “It’s definitely recruiting. You know, like I said, the fact that Hugh understands what needs to be done through his time at Ole Miss, that helps. That is something that every program needs. It’s something that Bryan Harsin didn’t care to do. And I think the fact that Hugh was able to do that I think goes to show you know where his mindset is. I think the ability to go play the political game helps too. Hugh is fully comfortable with going to booster clubs and talking to boosters and making sure that part of the program is happy with him. Where the program is listening to feedback, giving feedback, things like that. Bryan Harsin didn’t want to do that. Just flat-out didn’t do that. So I think those are the two biggest things and really, I think for Auburn, before you even be competitive, you have to win off the field. And Hugh Freeze is winning off the field after a two-year debacle in which Bryan Harsin took Ls basically at every turn.”

Cohen: As Auburn puts a roster together, what level of patience is appropriate?

Sallee: “A ton of patience because if you look at Auburn’s roster right now, there are some good players on there, there might be a couple of great players. But there is in no way shape or form a roster that can compete at a national level. So if the goal is for Auburn to win the SEC West, you got to give him a ton of patience. A ton of patience. If the goal is to compete for a national championship, I mean, you have to talk five years. I know in this day and age it’s crazy to think somebody would have a five-year plan because that’s, you know, something of a previous generation and no one really believes that now. But with the landscape of the SEC with Georgia and Alabama plus, you know, expansion, transfer, NIL, all this stuff, it’s gonna take a very long time to build a two-deep, three-deep roster like national championship contenders. I thought about this two, three weeks ago, we talked about it on the SiriusXM show, how Auburn is sort of in a position that Florida State was in after Willie Taggart. Different reasons in terms of you know, program instability because that program is instability at Florida State is basically just 85 guys going 85 different directions. That’s not what’s wrong With Auburn, but the state of the program I’d say was in a similar spot. So it took Mike Norvell a long time to get that roster where it needs to be, to get the mindset where it needs to be, and for Florida State, they’re going to be mentioned in the College Football Playoff discussion this year. That’s kind of the path that I think Auburn fans, Auburn boosters, Auburn alums sort of need to follow because it is not going to be a quick fix.”

Cohen: What are you expecting from Auburn’s quarterback battle in fall camp? Will Payton Thone be the guy? Robby Ashford? Someone else?

Sallee: “Well, you know, it’s obviously two different styles. Styles make fights, we all know that. I think the biggest thing for Auburn in the quarterback battle: It’s not who’s the better quarterback, it’s how much the offensive line has progressed and more specifically, what the offensive line does well. Because if the offensive line shows that it can pass block, Payton Thorne is going to be the winner. If they struggle in that department, Robbie Ashford is going to be the winner. You know, I hate to oversimplify things, but that’s just the way I see it. And I think the one thing about Hugh Freeze is that he understands how to play to your strengths, and I think more importantly how to play around your weaknesses. And I think that’s the biggest thing with Auburn because like I said before, there’s a talent issue at Auburn and because of that, you need to limit your exposure to those problems. So to me, it’s all about the offensive line. If it struggles in pass protection Robby Ashford is gonna be the guy. If it excels in pass protection Payton Throne is gonna be the guy and Hugh knows how to coach around problems. I think he showed that when he was building that Ole Miss roster. There were times where that roster well, I wouldn’t say fine, that roster was nowhere close to what Alabama and LSU and even Auburn was at time, and yet you still found ways to win games consistently. So I think that goes to show you just kind of how he thinks, how he operates. Ultimately I think that’s a good thing for Auburn because again, it’s gonna take a little while to strengthen that roster to a point where every single unit is at least competitive and that there are no liabilities.”

Cohen: Okay, predictions time. What’s your realistic prediction for Auburn this year? Your dream scenario? Worst case scenario?

Sallee: “We do an optimistic, pessimistic and realistic story. Optimistic, I would say 9-3. Schedule is easy by Auburn standards. That’s not necessarily saying a lot because it’s always really difficult for Auburn with Georgia and Alabama, but they’re at home. The Vandy rotator is great. Cal is a pretty, pretty solid matchup if you want to get an easy Power 5 win. So you get Georgia and Alabama you know, give them a loss and then give Auburn a loss somewhere else. A toss-up, or an upset, whatever. So 9-3. I would say 7-5 is fine. There’s nothing wrong with that. Then 5-7 without going to a bowl game, it’s pessimistic, but I could conceive of a situation where that could happen. I don’t think it will. If you lose every toss-up game? Whatever. It’s hard to be that unlucky.”

Matt Cohen is an Auburn beat writer for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com.

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Cole Cubelic really knows football and especially Auburn football.  He hit the nail on the head whether talking about how bad Harsin was or how he has been impressed by what Freeze has done considering what we had here when Freeze arrived.  Everything he said about our possible record was on the money.