8.7.23 Football Articles

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Auburn Briefing: Three Tigers that I'm excited to see more of this week

Zac Blackerby

3–4 minutes

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Here are three Auburn Tigers that could have a big second week of fall camp.

Auburn football's fall camp is already filled with storylines thanks to half the roster being brand new.

Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford dominated headlines all summer as well as questions about who could start at wide receiver. We still have a long way to go but some of these questions could be on their way to being answered before AUburn hosts UMass to start the season.

This week could be a big week for some Auburn Tigers. Sunday was the first day in pads. Long physical days in the August heat will show the Auburn coaching staff plenty of information on who deserves reps this season. 

Here are three Auburn Tigers worth following this week.

Holden Geriner, QB

As I said above, off-season chatter was dominated by the battle between Thorne and Ashford. Geriner has been running with the ones with Thorne during the open media windows and when I asked a source if that trend continued throughout the remainder of practice, they said yes. 

Geriner came on late during Spring practice and has held onto that momentum. His mustache game is strong as well.

Zykeivous Walker, DL

Auburn needs movement and rotation on the defensive front. From my sources, Walker has turned in early and turned some heads early in fall camp. The junior looks the part standing at 6-foot-4, 296 pounds. Walker seems like a player that could be gaining a market share of the snaps early in fall camp.

Big weekend for his family as his younger brother, Jalewis Solomon committed to Auburn over South Carolina on Saturday.

Jeremiah Cobb, RB

The freshman running back is passing the eye test early. He may be getting more reps than some expected due to Jarquez Hunter missing at least the first two practices of fall camp and Brian Battie returning from an injury he suffered back in spring. 

What's happening today

The media will hear from offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts after practice at 11:30 CT today.

We will have stories with quotes from these press conferences later today at Auburn Daily. 

Today's podcast

You cant watch today's Locked On Auburn. I'm joined by Auburn Daily's Lindsay Crosby as we recap the eventful weekend. Auburn landed Solomon and the two discuss some notes from Sunday's practice.

We wrote it

Auburn Daily's Lance Dawe wrote about the CBS preseason poll and where Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers fit into it. 

CBS Sports has released their preseason college football rankings for all 133 FBS teams. According to the rankings, Auburn will have to do some work to get back into the top 25.Hugh Freeze's Tigers rank No. 38 in the preseason rankings. That's good for 10th in the SEC.

Read the full thing here.

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Edited August 7, 2023 by aubiefifty

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn football cracked the top five of this recruiting category over the weekend

Taylor Jones

6–7 minutes

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Auburn football fans have had plenty to cheer about over the last month, as their favorite program has continued to rise in the 2024 recruiting rankings.

After securing eight commitments since July 4, the Tigers have climbed into the top 25 in recruiting after spending several weeks in the mid-40s. The biggest jump has taken place over the last three weeks. Since landing four-star cornerback Jayln Crawford on July 15, Auburn has climbed from No. 37 to No. 16. That rise in stock is due mostly to the commitments of two-five star players and the recent pledge from four-star athlete Jalewis Solomon.

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Auburn is No. 16 in 247Sports’ rankings and No. 14 in On3’s, but that does not tell the full story. The industry rankings combine overall talent, plus the number of commits. The Tigers are ranked lower than expected due to only having 15 commitments through August 5, which same number as Kentucky, Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama, However, only Missouri has fewer commitments.

When it comes to the “quality over quantity” factor, Auburn has one of the best classes in the nation, as every commitment averages a grade of 90.75. Auburn has seven commits with a grade of 90 or higher, with the remaining eight being on the cusp of earning a 90 grade.

How does that compare to the country’s top programs? Here is a look at the current 2024 recruiting rankings based on average commit grade:

© Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Average score: 90.10

Leading the Gamecocks to eight wins and a win over Clemson in 2022 is paying off for Shane Beamer. Beamer, who is heading into year three at South Carolina, currently holds a top-25 class which features a five-star in EDGE Dylan Stewart. South Carolina will always have stiff competition with in-state rival Clemson as well as their SEC East foes, but they are doing a great job of keeping up with the challenge.

© Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Average rating: 90.41

Clemson continues to be the king of recruiting in the ACC by currently holding on to a top-10 class. Wide receiver Bryant Wesco and linebacker Sammy Brown are the top prizes so far, and the Tigers will need to keep up their hard work in order to keep a rising Florida State program at bay. The Seminoles are rising after landing five-star safety KJ Bolden over the weekend.

For more Clemson football news, check out Clemson Wire.

© Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Average rating: 90.49

Josh Heupel is doing well by recruiting the state of Tennessee, as he has landed four of the state’s top-10 players (including the top two). His best effort to date is snagging five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews, who is the No. 3 prospect from the talent-rich state of Georgia.

For more Tennessee football news, visit Vols Wire.

Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

• Average score: 90.60

Jimbo Fisher’s top commitment, Cam Coleman, hails from Auburn’s backyard, but he has also managed to snag great talent from his home state as well. Texas A&M has secured three of Texas’ top-25 players and has top-15 players from Alabama, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

For more Texas A&M football news, visit Aggies Wire.

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

• Average score: 90.70

Billy Napier has been given the tall task of making Florida competitive with Georgia and Tennessee in the SEC East. While the results may not be on the field yet, he is proving that he is the right man for the job by leading the Gators to a top-3 class in both rankings by On3 and 247Sports. Safety Xavier Filsaime and quarterback DJ Lagway are the Gators’ top prizes so far.

For more Florida recruiting news, visit Gators Wire.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

• Average score: 90.73

Lincoln Riley has done a great job by bringing USC back to relevancy in the recruiting world since taking over prior to the 2022 season. The Trojans have a top-15 class to this point, which includes three of the top players from California.

For more USC football news, visit Trojans Wire.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

• Average score: 90.75

Auburn has picked up speed over the last two weeks thanks to the commitments of wide receiver Perry Thompson and linebacker Demarcus Riddick. Auburn has six players with a grade of 90 or higher, with four more knocking on the door with an 89.

© Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Average score: 91.95

Alabama is third in line but has a great NIL average as well. Depending on which service you trust, the top commit for the Tide is either quarterback Julian Sayin or athlete Jaylen Mbakwe. Outside of those two, the Crimson Tide has nine players with a grade of 90 or higher.

For more Alabama football news, visit Roll Tide Wire.

© Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

• Average score: 92.04

Georgia, like Auburn, boosted their score last weekend by adding four-star running back Nate Frazier. Georgia owns the most commits of any program on this list with a whopping 27 so far, and is tied with Ohio State with three five-stars. Five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola still claims the top spot on Georgia’s list, with defenders Ellis Robinson and Justin Williams behind him.

For more Georgia football news, visit UGA Wire.

Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports

• Average score: 92.26

The Buckeyes are tied with Georgia by reeling in three five-stars to this point but are slightly ahead of the Bulldogs for the top spot. To get to this position, Ohio State has secured the No. 1 player from Florida, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. In their home state, the Buckeyes have the top two recruits from the cycle in Aaron Scott Jr. and Bryce West.

For more Ohio State recruiting news, visit Buckeyes Wire.

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247sports.com

Jason Caldwells Monday morning quarterback column

Jason Caldwell

7–9 minutes

Talking about the Auburn QB race, recruiting, and the Pac-12.

And now it begins

After three practices and just one in helmets and shoulder pads, this is the week where we could finally start to get some real news from Hugh Freeze’s first Auburn team. With a huge group of newcomers trying to transition after arriving this summer, the first few days have been spent rotating different groups and trying to get everyone on the same page and ready to roll this week heading into the first scrimmage on Saturday.

All eyes will be on the quarterback position and it’s going to be really interesting to see how this thing shakes out. We’ve heard plenty about Payton Thorne and his leadership abilities early in preseason camp. Robby Ashford has thrown the ball well and we know what we can do athletically. 

That brings us to redshirt freshman Holden Geriner. He lacks experience, but he absolutely checks off the boxes in terms of stretching the field and his ability to make all the throws in the offense. 

This is a three-man battle for the next week or two, but they’ll quickly narrow things down to just two. That means this Saturday is a huge, huge day for all three quarterbacks if they want to make a run at the starting job for the opener against UMass.

What’s interesting is that Freeze talked about continuing to grade the quarterbacks even into the season and didn’t rule out the possibility of a different starter later in the season. That likely means getting more than one guy in the game to let them run the offense and show what they can do.

Going to be an interesting next month to see what happens.

Stockpiling talent

There’s still a lot of work to be done for this staff to continue to get a roster that can consistently challenge the Alabamas and Georgias of college football, but this class is currently fifth in average star rating and now has 15 commitments. That’s a pretty strong group of top-level talent in the 2024 class with guys like DeAndre Carter and TJ Lindsey still very much possibilities to add to the class in the near future. If that happens the Tigers could have a class knocking on the door of the Top 10 before the season even begins.

Best year of Pac-12 football ever?

With the Pac-12 on its last leg and down to just four schools after this season, it’s wild to think about the 2023 season potentially being one of the best in the history of the conference. There have been some strong USC teams over the years and Washington was a beast in the 1990’s, but it has been almost 20 years since the Trojans won the title. That was the last time the conference had the champion in football. Before that? You’ve got to go all the way back to Washington in 1991 to find the next team to win the championship. The next one? How about USC in 1978. That’s three championships for the league in 45 years. 

With Caleb Williams at USC, Bo Nix at Oregon, Michael Penix at Washington, Cam Rising at Utah, and Ben Gulbrason back at Oregon State along with Clemson transfer D.J. Uiagalelei, the Pac-12 is loaded at quarterback this season and that could make for a really strong season for teams that all be gone other than Oregon State.

As it stands today, only Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Stanford will be around for 2024 in the Pac-12. That’s not nearly enough to build a power league around in today’s world and there’s not enough programs left to make it that way. I believe we’re seeing the last season of one of the founding fathers of modern college athletics, but it may be one for the ages.

Auburn’s Week 2 camp schedule, storylines to watch

The Tigers will ramp up practices with pads in the next few days

VIDEO: Late Kick: Latest whispers and intel from Auburn's fall camp

Auburn’s first full week of camp is here, as the Tigers will ramp up practices with pads in the next few days, followed by the first preseason scrimmage Saturday morning inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. It should be an eventful week of work, so let’s set the table for what to expect from Hugh Freeze’s squad in the team’s last full week of the offseason before classes start at the university next Wednesday.

SCHEDULE

* Monday, Aug. 7: Practice; media meets with coordinators Philip Montgomery, Ron Roberts (11:30 a.m. CST)

* Tuesday, Aug. 9: Practice (media viewing at 9:30 a.m. CST); media meets with players (11:30 a.m. CST)

* Wednesday, Aug. 10: Off day

* Thursday, Aug. 10: Practice (media viewing at 9:30 a.m. CST); media meets with defensive assistants (11:30 a.m. CST)

* Friday, Aug. 11: Practice; media meets with players (11:30 a.m. CST)

* Saturday, Aug. 12: Scrimmage (media viewing at 9:20 a.m. CST); media meets with Hugh Freeze 11:30 a.m. CST); Auburn Family Football Preseason Kickoff event (2:15 p.m. CST)

WHAT TO WATCH

Pads coming on

After getting their feet wet in jerseys and shorts in the first few days of practice, Auburn will put on shells early this week before transitioning to full-pads practices leading up to Saturday’s scrimmage. While coaches review terminology and other basics during the opening stanza of camp, there’s always increased energy and intensity when the pads come on — and those in tight position battles across the roster will be expected to raise their game, too.

Trimmed QB reps

Freeze said on the opening day of preseason camp that he and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery expected to evenly rotate all the quarterbacks — not just the main contenders for the starting job — after approximately five practices. Sunday marked three practices, meaning Thursday could be the first day of camp where reps start to trim down. While it’s assumed Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne, who’s received plenty of first-team work thus far, will be comfortably positioned to continue occupying a portion of the starting reps, redshirt freshman Holden Geriner has made things interesting so far with some precise passing in camp, and his ability to potentially push incumbent starter Robby Ashford this week could make the reps in Saturday’s scrimmage highly intriguing.

Jarquez Hunter’s status

As redundant as it’s become, the availability of Auburn’s starting running back will continue to be under a microscope until he returns to practice. Could that be this week? The last media viewing session Friday did not feature Hunter on the field, though Auburn Undercover reported Saturday that Auburn expects its top tailback to practice. It’s worth noting Hunter has been with the team in camp so far but has been withheld from practice.

Litmus test in Jordan-Hare

The first scrimmage of camp — this one set for Saturday morning inside Jordan-Hare Stadium — is always a useful litmus test for the coaching staff to observe and dissect how various personnel is progressing in a game-like setting. Of course, the QBs will be a major topic, and it’s usually tough to hide who’s running the offense well, and who isn’t. Coaches will heavily review the scrimmage tape over the weekend, and next week’s practices could reflect the trends from Saturday morning.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Auburn-Cal considered to be a 'must see' nonconference game

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

Due to the current state of the Pac-12, Cal is more than likely not thinking about their date with the Auburn Tigers in September.

However, ESPN is.

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ESPN recently dropped their superlatives ahead of the 2023 season and has included Auburn’s game with Cal on Sept. 9 in Berkeley, California as part of the “Must-see nonconference games” section.

The Tigers will experience their first (and most likely last) dose of “Pac-12 after dark” as the game will kick off at 9:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. That is one of the few headlines surrounding this game. ESPN has dubbed the game a “clash of cultures” due to the differences in conferences and lifestyle.

The culture shock game of the year has to be Auburn traveling to Cal on Sept. 9, the first meeting ever between the teams. At Auburn, they’ve been known to roll trees with toilet paper after big wins. At Cal, they’ve been known to strip naked and climb trees to save them. It’s a 2,438-mile trip for the Tigers and only Auburn’s third regular-season game ever on the West Coast. The Bears are 9-1 at home in nonconference games under Justin Wilcox. The hardwoods will be watching.

Auburn has played 13 games against current Pac-12 teams and owns a 10-3 record. The last time Auburn defeated a Pac-12 foe was in 2019, when the Tigers knocked off Oregon at the Cowboys Kickoff Classic, 27-21.

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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Three Tigers named to Preseason All-SEC team by PFF

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

The Auburn Tigers are poised to being their journey back to the top of the SEC this season and will rely heavily on several players to get there.

Pro Football Focus recently released their Preseason All-SEC team and feels that three players will be instrumental in Auburn’s success this season. PFF has placed transfer defensive lineman Justin Rogers on the second team, with running back Jarquez Hunter and cornerback D.J. James finding places on the third team.

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Rogers, a transfer from Kentucky, joins Auburn after appearing in 13 games last season for the Wildcats. In 450 snaps, he made 35 total tackles and 11 total pressures. His final grade was 70.9, which was 9th highest among Kentucky defenders.

Joining Rogers on defense this season is D.J. James. James recorded 37 tackles last season, which was 10th highest among Auburn defenders. He was Auburn’s highest-graded defender at 82.3 and was best at coverage by grading out at 85.7. He allowed opposing receivers to catch 40.7% of passes, and he gave up just two touchdowns.

Finally, Hunter is Auburn’s lone representative on offense to make the team. Hunter is projected to be the Tigers leading rusher this season after spending time in Tank Bigsby’s shadows for the last two seasons. He rushed for 668 yards and seven touchdowns last season and graded out at 80.1.

Check out the entire 2023 Preseason All-SEC team from Pro Football Focus 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

Fall Camp Source: 'Jay Fair is the real deal'

Zac Blackerby

~2 minutes

Auburn slot receiver Jay Fair is having a strong start to fall camp per source.

Jay Fair has taken advantage of opportunities this offseason and is off to a strong start during fall camp.

The Auburn sophomore slot receiver has been seen with the first group during offensive drills in the media viewing window early in fall camp. He lined up as the starting slot receiver alongside fellow wideouts Camden Brown and Nick Mardner.

Per a source, "Jay Fair is the real deal," when I asked about his early success in fall camp. He is seemingly getting reps over Ja'Varrius Johnson and former Ohio State receiver Caleb Burton.

Fair, the Rockwall, Texas native, made it a priority to get in off-season work with Michigan State transfer quarterback Payton Thorne and appears to be in great physical shape as the grueling fall practices move on in the intense August heat.

Last season, Fair played in 10 games as a true freshman. He bought in a 23-yard catch against Ole Miss and an 11-yard catch against Western Kentucky. 

Fall camp is still in the early stages before Auburn hosts UMass to open the 2024 season but Fair is off to a strong start in a position group that potentially has the most questions on the entire Auburn roster.

Sunday was Auburn's first day in pads. On Monday, the media will hear from offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts after practice. On Tuesday, there is expected to be another media viewing window.

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How Auburns newlook defensive front lines up early in preseason camp

Nathan King

5–7 minutes

Marcus Harris has trouble keeping track sometimes.

His Auburn defensive line, on which he’s now a third-year starter, had eight new faces in the spring. It’s now added four more from summer enrollees.

“I didn’t expect those guys to transition this fast,” Harris said Friday. “That’s the good thing about fall camp and the offseason we had, we had time to train and get those young guys prepared for stepping into roles they might have to this season.”

The Tigers hope their eclectic personnel along the defensive front — three returning contributors, six transfers when including “jack” pass-rushers, five true freshmen and one JUCO addition — yields a group that could utilize its depth to offset the loss of a trio of now-NFL players: Colby Wooden, Derick Hall and Eku Leota.

It might start with Harris, the former Kansas transfer whom position coach Jeremy Garrett called one of the most important players on the entire roster. After 6.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last season, Harris is hoping for his best Auburn season yet, working as the primary defensive tackle during first-team reps early in the Tigers’ preseason practices.

Harris can also kick to defensive end, where Maryland transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite is the primary option right now — at least during the media viewing periods. Their combined versatility will make lineups easier on defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, they hope.

“He plays end, I'll play tackle; I'll play end, he'll play tackle,” Harris said. “He just brings that versatility that we need at the end, especially when we play, like, heavy-run teams. We need a heavy 5 out there instead of just a skinny jack. For heavy-run teams, you need a heavy 5 to play the end. That's another plus we have.”

The team’s top-rated signee in its 2023 class, Keldric Faulk, has now switched full time from outside linebacker to defensive end, now bulked up to 6-foot-6 and 288 pounds. At the moment, he appears to be the first rotational player at the position behind Nasili-Kite.

“He learned how to fit into the defense and not just freelance,” Harris said of Faulk’s improvements this offsason. “In high school, a lot of dudes are just told, 'do this.' And, probably, his defense was built around him in high school. Everything was based off of him. So, getting to college, he's recognizing that it's a team sport, and everybody's got their job. Everybody's got to be in their gap at the same time. That's been a very big improvement for him — just understanding his role in the defense.”

Purdue transfer Lawrence Johnson was worked into second-team defensive tackle reps in the first couple days of camp, while the anticipated competition at nose tackle saw Jayson Jones with the 1s, and Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers behind him.

Auburn’s personnel is all brand-new at outside linebacker, where Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister saw first-team reps last week. He was present in the spring however, while fellow transfers Jalen McLeod (App State) and Stephen Sings V (Liberty) are still finding their footing. They shared reps on the second-team defense, with McLeod serving as a more explosive and twitchy defender for pass-heavy downs, while Sings has a bit more size and physicality at the position.

McLeod was one of the most consistently praised newcomers for Auburn all offseason, and Harris is excited to see how he develops within the system.

“I feel like he's going to be ready,” Harris said. “He trains better than I've seen from a lot of other people. He trains hard, and he's quick off the ball. He's got a great first step, quick get-off. I'm excited to see what he does this season.”

The final addition to the D-line room was JUCO transfer Quientrail Jamison-Travis, who arrived just last week. At 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, Harris said Jamison-Travis is repping at nose tackle as well as defensive tackle.

Statistically, Auburn’s defensive front had more than its fair share of struggles last year, when the Tigers finished No. 11 in run defense and allowed more rushing touchdowns (28) than any Auburn team in program history.

The new run-defense philosophy under Roberts focuses on slanting the Tigers’ defensive linemen, rather than attacking with a hat on a hat against offensive linemen. That will be a major focus in the early stages of camp.

“We’ve got a lot of slanted plays,” Harris said. “That’s the difference from this year from last year. Last year, we were kind of playing on the offensive line, kind of standing on them. This year, we got more freedom to move around and get to the quarterback, so that’s the difference. It’s a lot of run focus, but that’s good because in the SEC, if you can’t stop the run, they’re just gonna run all game. That’s one thing we had to get better at as a defense. Last year, there were a couple games, one in particular — Penn State — we weren't happy with that outcome.

“We got to get better as a run defense, and (Roberts) is bringing that hard-nosed mentality to this. I can’t wait for the season to see how that turns out.”

After an off day Saturday, Auburn returns to the practice field for Day 3 of camp Sunday morning.

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Hugh Freeze delivers message on NIL deals, financial literacy

Grant Grubbs

Every head coach wants success on the field. However, Auburn head coach Hugh Freezewants his players to succeed off the gridiron, as well. When a reporter recently asked Freeze about how Auburn teaches its players financial literacy, Freeze had no shortage of examples.

“This one could take a while to answer, but the education part, I think, is absolutely vital. We’re creating a SOAR Program within our building that stands for the students and their opportunities that they’re getting, both athletically, academically, and with the resources that they have.

“I have five people that work in that arena. They don’t have anything to do with football. They have to do with our player development, and how are we going to educate them.

“We also depend upon, once a deal is done, after they’ve gotten to Tower Campus and a deal is done with On to Victory, they have an incredible board that is set up with financial advisors that are willing to help them do that,” Freeze said.

Auburn players have an influx of capital. The Tigers boasted an NIL average of $56,000 per player last season. With Freeze’s recent success, that number will only go up. Freeze encourages his players to take their financial literacy seriously.

“I tell every kid that I think you’re very, very wise if you take us up on the resources we’re offering you. Ultimately they get to make that decision, but I do think you’re dead on that if we’re not educating them, then we’re just setting ourselves up for even more issues.

“I think it’s incredible that young men get to benefit. Do I think that, at some point, it needs some more parameters around it? Of course. You’ve heard that.

“But I do think that managing the locker room is one of the things that keeps you up at night as a coach right now. I was very candid with our team and said, ‘Listen, how many of you wanted the NIL opportunities?’ How many hands do you think went up? All of them.

“I said, ‘That’s great, but you also need to know that it will never totally be fair in your eyes, but accept it as a blessing and be accountable for yours,'” Freeze said.

Freeze’s players aren’t the only ones making big money. Freeze is set to earn $6.5 million a year. Additionally, Freeze can make an additional $2 million if he takes Auburn to the NCAA National Championship. Freeze will also earn $150,000 if the Tigers win five SEC contests. The 53-year-old head coachsimply hopes his words get through to his players.

“Will everybody hear that message and accept it? I sure hope so. I think the ones that do are going to have a better chance to have a better team, but that’s the reality that we live in, that life is not always fair, and everybody won’t look at everybody else in the sportswriter world or in the coaching world and feel like I got the fairest deal that he got.

“Until we start — we need to quit looking at other people because comparison is the chief enemy of joy. It’ll steal it, and it’ll steal from our team.

“We’ve got to focus on, man, the facts are that I’m very blessed that I am getting this education, that I am getting the opportunities that a collective deal may give me. That is a blessing. So rejoice in that and go work as hard as you can to get a better blessing,” Freeze said.

Fans will see if Auburn’s hard work pays off on Sept. 2 when the team takes on Massachusetts in its season opener.

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Thanx Fiddy

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Auburn's Jalen McLeod has been impressive early in preseason camp.

Jason Caldwell

AUBURN, Alabama—Listed at 6-1, 237, Appalachian State jack linebacker transfer Jalen McLeod was one of Auburn’s top targets when he went into the transfer portal and early in preseason camp he’s showing why. 

A player that made 76 total tackles and added nine sacks and 12.5 tackles for a loss in three seasons with the Mountaineers, McLeod showcased his skills against top competition, giving Auburn’s coaches a good idea of what to expect when he got on campus.

Coming in at a big position of need for the Tigers following the losses of Derick Hall and Eku Leota, McLeod has immediately shown up and made his teammates and coaches take notice of what he brings to the table.

“He brings the explosiveness and quickness off the edge that we need,” Auburn senior defensive lineman Marcus Harris said of McLeod. “Of course, we lost D-Hall last year, we lost Eku. But he's another guy who can step up and fill those shoes. I feel like he's going to be ready. He trains better than I've seen from a lot of other people. He trains hard, and he's quick off the ball. He's got a great first step, quick get-off. I'm excited to see what he does this season.”

Getting after the quarterback is one of the most important things a defense can do in this era of football, and it was a noticeable concern for Auburn in the spring following a season when the Tigers finished with 26 total sacks, but with 13 coming from Hall and fellow departed defensive lineman Colby Wooden. 

With Marcus Harris (2) and walk-on Hayden Brice (1) accounting for the three total sacks returning from last year’s team from defensive linemen, Auburn had to go find an answer coming off the edge. Coordinator Ron Roberts said they feel like they’ve found their guy in McLeod.

"He’s a special talent, especially when it comes time to pin it back and go rush," Roberts said of the transfer. "Now, we haven’t done any real third down stuff, so everything he’s done right now has really been sitting on first, second down, so he hasn’t had, really, the opportunities to do those. But he’s been very productive every practice really when he gets the opportunity to rush the quarterback. He did some things today. He’s got a good—His physical toolset is pretty amazing. He’s a very talented individual. We’ve just got to get on the right track and make sure I’m putting him in the right spots."

That's something that Roberts and Auburn will continue to figure out as they prepare for the first preseason scrimmage this Saturday. With both sides of the ball trying to find out exactly what they've got heading into the 2023 season, McLeod and the Auburn defense have a chance to make some early noise this weekend.

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Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery breaks down Auburn's QB contenders

Auburn's first-year offensive coordinator dishes on the Tigers' quarterback competition thus far in preseason camp — and leading into Saturday's scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium

Nathan King

Auburn's quarterback competition is starting to heat up.

The Tigers completed their second practice in shells Monday morning, as Hugh Freeze and his offensive coaches will begin to trim down reps between Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner in the coming days. Freeze had planned for approximately five days of practice before tightening up reps, though all three contenders have made strides in the early stages of preseason camp.

Saturday morning's scrimmage inside Jordan-Hare Stadium could provide some important

"I just want to see somebody take control," offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery said Monday of the quarterback race heading into a full week of practice.

Montgomery, who also serves as the QBs coach, met with reporters Monday afternoon and broke how the group has progressed thus far, offering his impressions of each player through four days of practice — and detailing what he wants to see from the Tigers' signal-callers moving forward.

Payton Thorne: "You want to talk about a guy who is professional about the way he goes after his work? He's another guy you have to run out of the building. He's always watching tape. He's always studying. He'll text me, 'Hey, what do I read on this? What do I read on that? I saw this on tape, how are we progressing through this?' He wants to be on top of every detail that is involved in our offense. And he's seeing things right now at a really good rate. You've gotta remember, he wasn't here in the spring. Some of the things that he's picked up on, we've gotta get everybody else around that to be on the same page with him. But I think he's done a great job with his leadership. He's disciplined, and he's professional about what he does."

Robby Ashford: "I honestly think Robby has thrown the ball better this fall camp. I've seen him progress in that manner. He's hit a good sum of deep balls. He's been a little more consistent on his underneath stuff. And that's an area where he wants to improve. He's got a big arm. But it's the consistency of the fundamentals that kind of go into that part of it. He's worked really hard on that. I think he's really operated. He does a really good job of trying to lead and be positive and do the things that we're asking him to do. He comes out, and he loves competing. So he's gonna come out and compete every day. When he pulls it down, you better hold on, because he can do some things with it. But I think his biggest progression has been in the throwing side of it."

Holden Geriner: "I think he's a natural thrower. The ball just zips off his hands. He stands tall in the pocket, and he's doing a really good job of working through his progression, putting his eyes in the right spot and not hanging too long. I think he has the ability to do some things with his feet and be able to do some things when things break down. But the best part of his game is mentally, he's on point with what he's got. Again, his arm is really natural when it comes off. He spins it tight. He can hit small windows. He can push the ball down the field. I think he does a great job of that.”