8.9.23 Football Articles

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[aubiefifty 18,259]

wow. no new articles but one podcast. of course i will check back throughout the day for updates. even tigerland is the same articles that were all posted yesterday.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

Jarquez Hunter returns, Robby Ashford’s best day

Updated: Aug. 08, 2023, 4:33 p.m.|Published: Aug. 08, 2023, 11:57 a.m.

5–6 minutes

Auburn held its third open practice of the preseason Tuesday morning, and its fifth practice overall. After early morning rain, Auburn used both the indoor and outdoor fields, but the biggest headline was certainly junior running back Jarquez Hunter being back on the field.

Here are our notes from practice Tuesday, starting with Hunter and hitting other key points on the offense.

Jarquez Hunter, Caleb Wooden return to practice

In what finally answered a looming question over Auburn’s offense — at least on the field — Jarquez Hunter was seen at practice during the period open to the media Tuesday.

Nor did it seem like Auburn was slowly working him back in. Hunter was in pads with the rest of the team and took snaps behind the projected offensive line starters.

He’s going to be Auburn’s starting running back, but many questions remain regarding the circumstances of his absence and return to practice. Auburn has not commented on Hunter’s status throughout the offseason after a sex tape was released allegedly showing the running back.

Defensive back Caleb Wooden also returned to practice Tuesday. He was also not seen at the first two open periods of Auburn practices.

Wide receiver Koy Moore has been at practice throughout the first few days, but has not been a full participant. He was again standing off on the sideline during offense drills Tuesday.

Robby Ashford and QB rotation continues

During the first two periods of practice open to the media, the order of quarterbacks seemed fairly static. Payton Thorne practiced behind the first-team offensive line, Holden Geriner with the second and Robby Ashford third.

That changed Tuesday. Ashford was with that projected offensive line starters, then Thorne, then Geriner.

How much does that mean? Well, hard to know. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery both said there would be a rotation of quarterbacks throughout the first five practices before beginning to narrow down. Today was the fifth practice, so Ashford’s play with the top offensive line may be part of that.

On Tuesday, Ashford did have his best set of throws during any of the open portions to media, including his best-thrown deep-ball: hitting Cincinnati transfer wide receiver Nick Mardner for a touchdown. But again, all the drills open to media are without a defense.

Ashford is Auburn’s incumbent starter after showing some strong flashes at the end of the 2022 season. His 49% completion rate from last season though remains his biggest limitation.

Auburn’s next open practice is Thursday. How Auburn whittles down reps — if it does at all — could be telling. Montgomery mentioned looking to Auburn’s scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday as a point where a quarterback could separate themselves.

A look at some depth chart changes on the offensive line, wide receivers

Outside of Hunter’s return, arguably the biggest change to Auburn’s practice was on the offensive line.

After junior Tate Johnson was seen as the left guard on the top offensive line group, junior Jeremiah Wright. Wright started multiple games at that spot last season. Wright had been with the projected second-team offensive line during the first few days of fall camp.

Unlike many of the other position groups on Auburn’s offense that have seen significant rotation, the offensive line groupings had been static before Wright’s move. That means a change on the offensive line likely has more significance and in turn signifies Wright back on the first team.

Johnson played left guard with the second team.

Certainly, a lot of time remains before the opener against UMass on Sept. 2, so nothing is finalized yet.

Elsewhere on the offensive line, recent Northwestern transfer Dylan Senda worked on the second group as a left tackle.

The wide receivers, meanwhile, saw a lot of rotation again. Nick Mardner, Jay Fair, Omari Kelly, Shane Hooks and Jyaire Shorter all saw some amount of run with the top offensive line grouping and Jarquez Hunter on Tuesday. Ja’Varrius Johnson has been seen with all three offensive line groupings throughout the first feOn the second time through the teams on offensive drills, freshman Jeremiah Cobb played with Ashford and the first-team offensive line.

Later in practice, Mardner practiced with the tight end group at the Jugs machine while wide receivers worked elsewhere.

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[SaltyTiger 8,579]

46 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

wow. no new articles but one podcast. of course i will check back throughout the day for updates. even tigerland is the same articles that were all posted yesterday.

[aubiefifty 18,259]

 

247sports.com

 

Teammates react to Jarquez Hunter's reinstatement at Auburn practice

Nathan King

8–10 minutes

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• 

• 

"Just the energy he brings, the confidence he brings to the team, that was just great to have him back out there with us."

The biggest offseason question mark for Auburn has seemingly been resolved.

Following a murky offseason investigation in possible misconduct, Auburn starting running back Jarquez Hunter practiced for the first time this preseason Tuesday morning, suiting up with his teammates after missing the first four days of camp.

While the nature of Hunter’s absence has been a subject avoided by Hugh Freeze and Auburn’s football program — considering it was a university issue handled by the school — the Tigers now hope they can put it behind them as they continue to charge forward to the 2023 season opener Sept. 2 against UMass.

Though Auburn has other talent and experience in its backfield, the top dog in the room is Hunter, who’s improved in each of his two seasons with the program and is now looking to take over for Tank Bigsby as the starter. And his teammates said his impact on the offense was felt immediately upon his return.

“I mean, anyone wants Jarquez back there,” offensive guard Tate Johnson said Tuesday. “Jarquez is just phenomenal, and it's awesome to have him back. Today he was making plays and we went live the last period and man, it was hard for those guys to tackle him.”

Hunter immediately slotted back in with the first-team offense in Tuesday morning’s practice. During a break in the action, sophomore tailback Damari Alston approached Hunter with a big smile on his face: “We’re back, baby.”

“Super excited to have him back,” cornerback D.J. James said. “I'm so happy to see my guy. Just the energy he brings, the confidence he brings to the team, that was just great to have him back out there with us. I'm very excited for him.”

Though he’s back on the practice field, whether Hunter will serve any sort of suspension once Auburn starts the season is something Freeze is likely to address with reporters after Saturday morning’s scrimmage.

In May, Hunter was the target of social media allegations from a now-suspended Twitter account, which posted explicit videos and claimed they were recorded and shared without consent of at least one of the participants. That led to a university investigation, the nature of which Freeze wasn’t able to comment on in the offseason. On May 18, a statement from Auburn University was provided to Auburn Undercover that said at least one member of the Auburn football program has been suspended for violation of team rules, though Hunter was never named specifically in any statement. Freeze said of the situation before Auburn’s first day of practice last Thursday: “Matters related to team rules and procedures, they're handled internally, and it will not be discussed publicly."

“He’s somebody that I trust,” receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr. said. "He brings a different element to the game that we all enjoy.”

After a freshman campaign in which he established himself as the Tigers’ No. 2 ball-carrier, Hunter had more yards (668), carries (104) and touchdowns (seven) in 2022. As Auburn hopes its offensive line production will be significantly improved this season, with 10 newcomers in the room, Hunter will likely be looked to as the driving force of an offense that will need a strong running game to support possibly a new starting quarterback.

“I think any team can appreciate having a good player back on the team,” linebacker Wesley Steiner said. “... It’s good to have another good player back on the field.”

Alston and USF transfer Brian Battie saw plenty of first-team reps in Hunter’s absence, and 4-star freshman Jeremiah Cobb has been impressive across the first few practices, too. Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery said this week that the room was taking more of a “by committee” approach — though that was before Hunter’s return to the practice field Tuesday.

“All those guys are contributing,” Montgomery said. “And I feel good about where they're headed right now.”

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Phillip's Tuesday afternoon musings

Hunter returns as the college football landscape continues to change

Amid the craziness that continues in board rooms, college football players are doing what they always do in August. They are working in stifling heat toward a season that will be here before you can say “realignment.”

At Auburn, there was a bit of good news on Wednesday. Running back Jarquez Hunter returned to the practice field and, according to reports, brought the hammer on some defenders in full-speed work. For players and coaches, excitement is in the air. After all, everybody is undefeated.

Meanwhile, athletics directors, presidents and boards of trustees/regents are trying to figure out what the heck has happened to the game and how it is going to impact them.  These are unique times and scary times for college football and the non-revenue sports college football supports.

Some very random thoughts about those things and more:

* It is popular to say that college athletics programs are trying to make a profit. They are not. That’s not what they do.

* I read and hear that the term “student-athlete” is no longer fitting. Been hearing that for a long time. Facts: You have to be a college student in good standing to participate in college athletics. How is one who does that not a student-athlete?

* I saw a story that said Cal’s athletic department has more than $400 million in debt. How in the world can that be dealt with, other than the university have to shell out the money to pay it. Cal and Stanford, with huge endowments, can do what they have to do. What about Oregon State and Washington State?

* A radio talk show host said he talked to Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff at an alumni gathering several months back and asked him what had surprised him most. Kliavkoff said he expected collegiality among programs and conferences when he took the job but instead found a cut-throat mentality. I could have warned him about that.

* Those who criticize the NCAA for letting the realignment craziness happen don’t understand or don’t want to understand. The NCAA is not some monolithic organization. It is a collection of universities. The presidents of those universities make the rules. The NCAA has no power to tell any program it can’t change conferences just like it has no ability to regulate coaches’ salaries.

* At the American Conference media days, UAB coach Trent Dilfer once again “warned” major programs from trying to poach his players. Dilfer talks a good game, but here is the question: What can he do about it? The answer: Nothing.

* I grow weary and have for a long time about the idea that some schools don’t want to be in a conference with others because of academics. Academics are important. Cal and Stanford are among the two top academic institutions in the country. What in the world does who they play in football have to do with that? By the way, don’t buy the notion that they make no allowances for athletes. They always have and still do.

* I really wish people would stop comparing college football to the NFL. Other than they both play football, they are not similar in any way. The NFL is made up of 32 teams whose only mission is to win football games. They are part of the wealthiest sports league in the world. College football programs – more than 130 of them in the FBS alone - are not like that. They have students playing their game. They sponsor dozens of other sports. They are not like the NFL, and if they try to be, it will be a disaster.

* Did college football – with the help of TV networks – get too popular for its own good? Considering recent developments, that is a legitimate question.

* Remember you read this prediction here first. Well, maybe not first. Payton Thorne will be Auburn’s starting quarterback against UMass on Sept. 3.

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si.com

 

Auburn football's most valuable players in 2023: No. 9 Shane Hooks

Lance Dawe

~2 minutes

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Hooks could be Auburn's leading receiver in 2023.

We continue our countdown towards Auburn's 2023 season with a ranking of their most valuable players.

Wide receiver Shane Hooks makes his way into the top 10 at No. 9.

Shane Hooks' Bio

© Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

- 6-foot-4

- 191 pounds

- Senior

Previous school: Jackson State

Big body on the outside. That's what Shane Hooks is.

Hooks was Coach Deion Sanders and Jackson State's leading receiver in 2022, reeling in 64 passes for 748 yards and ten touchdowns. 

He played 711 snaps on the outside while only playing 11 snaps in the slot.

Hooks also played at Ohio where he recorded 665 yards and six receiving touchdowns over the course of two seasons.

Hooks has a very real shot at leading Auburn in receiving this season even with the other additions surrounding him.

Auburn football's most valuable players in 2023:

10. Alex McPherson, K

11. Larry Nixon III, LB

12. Rivaldo Fairweather, TE

13. Cam Riley, LB

14. Justin Rogers, DL

15. Keionte Scott, CB

16. Jyaire Shorter, WR

17. Elijah McAllister, JACK

18. Koy Moore, WR

19. Kam Stutts, OL

20. Ja’Varrius Johnson, WR

21. Austin Keys, LB

22. Zion Puckett, S

23. Camden Brown, WR

24. Marcus Harris, DL

25. Robby Ashford, QB

---

Related stories

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Auburn football 2023 position preview: Quarterback

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Auburn is voted sixth in the SEC West in SEC Media Days Poll

Five Auburn Tigers make Preseason All-SEC teams

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Meet Auburn football's 2023 coaching staff

Taylor Jones

4–5 minutes

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The 2023 season is getting closer, and it will surely be exciting for Auburn as they get set to take the field under new head coach Hugh Freeze.

Freeze comes to Auburn after a successful four-year stint at Liberty, where he led the Flames to 34 wins in 49 tries. At Liberty, he earned victories over several Power Five programs such as Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Arkansas.

Buy Tigers Tickets

Prior to his tenure at Liberty, Freeze coached Ole Miss for five seasons from 2012-2016. He won 39 games with the Rebels and was best known for his explosive offenses and for beating Alabama two seasons in 2014 and 2015.

Freeze hopes to enjoy the same success at Auburn that he had at Ole Miss and Liberty, and he has assembled quite a staff to get the job done.

Here’s a look at the 2023 Auburn football coaching staff.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Montgomery comes to Auburn following an eight-year campaign as the head coach of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Prior to being a head coach, Montgomery was best known for his explosive offenses at Baylor. As a coordinator for Art Briles, he coached Robert Griffin III, Nick Florence, and Bryce Petty.

Check out the history of quarterbacks coached by Montgomery here.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn’s favorite son, Cadillac Williams, returns to Auburn’s staff to serve as running backs coach and associate head coach. Williams was called upon to lead the program following the dismissal of Bryan Harsin and ended the season with a 2-2 record. After Freeze was hired, it was imperative that he remain on staff.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

A former Auburn receiver, Marcus Davis is set to begin his first season as the Tigers’ receivers coach. He is young in his coaching career, but he has made stops at Florida State, Hawaii, and Georgia Southern prior to his return to his alma mater.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Ben Aigamaua is a 13-year coaching veteran and has built a solid relationship with Hugh Freeze. He spent seven seasons at Ole Miss in a variety of roles, and most recently spent the last four seasons as tight ends coach at Liberty.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Jake Thornton joins Auburn’s staff after spending the last two seasons at Ole Miss. Prior to his time with the Rebels, Thornton spent time with Gardner-Webb, Tennessee Tech, and Western Carolina.

© Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Kicking off the defensive side of the football is defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. Roberts has been a coach for 31 seasons and has even been a head coach at Delta State and Southeastern Louisiana. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator at Baylor for three seasons.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Outside of the three former players on staff, Wesley McGriff has the most experience with being on the Plains, as he returns for his third stint with the program. Last season at Louisville, his secondary forced 10 interceptions, which ranked 10th best in the country.

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Joining Cadillac Williams as a “non-negotiable” in the hiring process, Zac Etheridge returns as the Tigers’ secondary coach. He began his coaching career in 2016 as the cornerbacks coach for Western Carolina for two seasons. He has also coached at Louisiana and Houston.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Josh Aldridge is an up-and-coming linebackers coach who is ready to make an appearance in the Power Five. He comes to Auburn after spending four seasons at Liberty. Prior to Liberty, he was an instrumental part of 10-win teams at Lenior-Rhyne and West Georgia.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

Jeremy Garrett comes to Auburn with several years of experience at both the NFL and collegiate levels. He worked with the Cleveland Browns’ staff from 2020-21 before making the move to Liberty in 2022 to work under Freeze.

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247sports.com

 

PMARSHONAU After more than half a century Pete Jenkins still teaches his game

Phillip Marshall

12–14 minutes

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• 

• 

Pete Jenkins, who spent three seasons at Auburn, is widely considered the best DL coach in the history of the game.

Pete Jenkins is still teaching his game to college coaches.

In the interest of full disclosure, Pete Jenkins is my friend. He isn’t my friend because he is widely considered the best defensive line coach in the history of the game. He’s my friend because of who he is and not what he is. It is a delight to talk to him about football and about life.

Last Monday, I wrote about the changes Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts have witnessed in their careers. I thought about Pete and decided to give him a call. My intention was to use some quotes from him in that column. But after we talked for an hour about football, family and life as senior citizens, I decided it deserved a column of its own.

When Pete arrived at Auburn in 1996, I knew him but not well. The first time I talked to him, he was glowing. His wife, Donna, is an Auburn graduate. She was finally getting to go back home. Over the next three years, I spent a lot of time talking to him. He let me sit in on position meetings. One time, early in the morning during two-a-days, I fell asleep in one of those meetings. I haven't heard the end of it to this day. He taught me about football, particularly the defensive line. It ended too quickly. When Terry Bowden left and Tommy Tuberville was hired, Tuberville did not retain him. Pete and Donna were bitterly disappointed, but they moved on with their overwhelmingly positive outlook on life.

Pete spent his first four years out of college as a high school coach. He went to Troy as defensive coordinator in 1968 and helped the Trojans win the NAIA national championship. Thus began a long and distinguished college and professional coaching career that took him to North Alabama, South Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Oklahoma State, three stints at LSU, Mississippi State, Auburn and USC. He coached three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

At 82, Pete gets as excited about the game as he did when he was walking sidelines. So great is his reputation that he is hired by multiple programs every year to visit and share his knowledge with coaching staffs. He is about to make his ninth such trip this year. He visited Auburn for a week shortly after spring practice. He works regularly with seven of 14 SEC programs. He trains NFL players.

In the 55 years since he became a college coach, Pete has seen the game undergo revolutionary change.

“I think the reason people still hire me is that where I live and work (on the defensive line) hasn’t changed a whole lot,” Pete said. “The game really has evolved, but it’s still about the line of scrimmage. If you’re not successful, you are not going to be very good.”

The game of today doesn’t resemble the one Pete played at Hawkinsville (Ga.) High School and coached in his early years. 

“When I started playing,” Pete said, “there would be 22 of us on one hash knocking the hell out of each other.”

The move to the spread-out, fast-paced, athletic game of today really started in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Blocking rules were changed to allow offensive linemen to use their hands. Then other positions were allowed to use their hands blocking. Some coaches groused that they had legalized holding, and they weren’t wrong.

“It changed everything,” Pete said. “We changed on defense from shoulders and forearms to hands. Most of the rules passed have been an aid to the offense. We wouldn’t make a tackle now playing the way we did then. We had to start using our hands. That changed us on defense immensely.”

That was just the beginning. Pete saw it all, and he loved it.

“I think the biggest transition has been at wide receiver,” Pete said. “Those guys went from stalking and cracking on the running game and catching a pass now and then to a group of superb athletes. They are power-forward type guys. When they changed, we had to change corners. You had to have length at corner because they added length and speed at wide receiver. There were some short guys that played wide receiver back in the day. Terry Beasley could catch it today just as well as he did then. But most of the receivers today are tall and fast.”

The game is no longer played in a box like it was in Pete’s early days. Offensive linemen no longer have to keep their hands against their chests when blocking to avoid being called for illegal use of the hands. Today’s offenses live to get the ball to elite athletes in space. Players are bigger, faster and stronger.

“It was three backs in the backfield and then there was two backs,” Jenkins said. “And then there was a lot of one-back. Today, it’s common to have no backs in the backfield. That changed the linebackers because linebackers are in coverage so much. The guys I looked up to – Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke and Sam Huff – would be playing guard today. When they spread those backs and started throwing the ball to them, that changed the linebackers.”

Defensive line play has changed, too, but not at its core. It’s still about beating the man in front of you, stopping the run game and getting after quarterbacks. And it is still crucial to winning. Pete changed with the times, but his core beliefs of what defensive line play is all about have not changed.

Jenkins with the Philadelphia Eagles

Pete was as tough and hard-nosed as they come, but he loved his players, and they loved him. They call him still. Donna would make cookies for defensive linemen every week.

“What hasn’t changed is you have five offensive linemen,” Pete said. “They have to move people around to establish the running game. They have to protect the passing game. That’s what they were doing in 1964 when I started. I am not saying they haven’t improved. There are a lot of smart people. There are so many protections today. Anytime you call a blitz, it’s just a guess. Protections are so much more multiple.

“We have four front guys. And then you have linebackers that aren’t tucked in the box like they used to be. Our job over there is to control the line of scrimmage, whip blocks, don’t give up movement, get off blocks and make plays. When they throw the ball, our job is to affect the quarterback with push and penetration. You want to sack him, but you want to affect him – hurry him, hit him.”

Pete and Donna have homes in Baton Rouge and in Destin. He has kept old age at arm’s length. He is still in his element when he is teaching his game to modern-day coaches and players. It’s what he has been doing for more than half a century. And he shows no sign of slowing down.

Preseason camp notes, quotes & antecdotes, Day 5

High-speed offense, competition up front and more

Competition is fierce on Auburn offensive line (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

AUBURN, Alabama – Playing up-tempo football, Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery style, isn’t just hard on skill players. It’s a different kind of challenge for offensive linemen, too. So says junior offensive guard Tate Johnson.

“It’s definitely faster than what we’ve had before,” Johnson said Tuesday. “Previous years we’ve been more of a slow, pro-style offense, huddle-up, get a play, get the ball, run the play. But this is run a play, get the ball, run a play, get the ball, run the play,. Coach Freeze is really pushing that tempo, and I feel like it’s going really well. That’s the biggest adjustment, playing with the speed Coach Freeze wants to play with.”

Doing that requires a different mindset than what was required before.

“There’s two things that are challenging switching over to that particular offense,” Johnson said. “(One) is obviously the conditioning. You have to train your body to go at that speed. And two is getting up to the ball as fast as you can and still making all the calls and going to where you need to go, hitting all your spots. Getting really good at that comes with reps. I feel like this offensive line, even in spring and so far in camp, has done a great job of communicating and playing tempo we’re trying to play with.”

On the outside, the conditioning demands are immense for wide receivers.

“Man, I would say it's really different,” junior Malcolm Johnson said. “Sometimes your head spins. But it also sometimes confuses the defense, and that makes it easier for us to capitalize. It's really different, especially the conditioning that it takes.”

Marcus Davis relates on, off field

Auburn receivers coach Marcus Davis, an Auburn receiver himself just seven years ago, has made an impression on his players, and not just on the field.

“I would say that Coach Davis is somebody that we can all relate to,” Johnson said. “He's been in our shoes before. He's also a great leader, and he preaches a lot of things I care about like religion and God. He always opens up with a Bible verse with each meeting. I think that's something that really stands out. He also takes it upon himself to make each and every one of us better than we were before.

Freshman turns heads at center

Freshman center Connor Lew, a prize in Auburn’s last recruiting class is pushing hard at center. Could he be the starter? He could. And Tate Johnson says he knows why.

“I can't say enough about Connor,” Tate Johnson said. “Connor is awesome. A, he's a great guy. I love being around Connor. He's a great friend to have. Blessed to call him a friend. B, he's so smart. He's a pilot; I don't know if y'all know that. He's a smart guy. He picks up the offense so well. He knows all the calls to make.

“I remember being a young guy, and I struggled with really getting the offense down. And C, he's a great football player. He's athletic, he's strong and he can do everything we have to do. And he plays super hard. I can't say enough good things about Connor, and he has such a bright future here.”

D.J. and Crime Dawg

Cornerback D.J. James, one of three Auburn players who started their careers at Oregon, has hit off with secondary coach Wesley “Crime Dawg” McGriff. Before practices, McGriff stretches like he is about to play.

“Man, I love it,” James said. “Just very hands on. He's very hands on, just drill by drill, everything from what we do from walkthroughs, to in the meetings, to on the field. He's just very hands on with us. He shows us from his perspective first, then he lets us do it. So, it's just fun working with him and just being around something new and somebody that really cares for us as well.”

Multiple guards compete for playing time

Competition is fierce in the race to be Auburn’s starting offensive guards. At left guard, Tate Johnson and Jeremiah Wright, both Auburn veterans, lead the way. At right guard, its Tulsa transfer Jaden Muskrat and Auburn veteran Kam Stutts. Others are close behind.

“Yeah there's a ton of us, and I feel like that's great,” Tate Johnson said. “Me, Jeremiah, Musky, EJ (Harris), Kam Stutts, all these guards that are battling for the guards spots. The thing about it is all these guys are super talented, and competition does nothing but bring the best out of everyone. If everyone's bringing it every day, you can't just come in and take a day off, you have to bring your best every day to make sure no one's pulling ahead of you. I feel like that's what the competition has done for the guard position specifically. It's just helped us bring it every single day.”

Dylan Synda ‘a beast’

Freshman Dylan Senda, a recent transfer from Northwestern, is challenging for playing time. He is capable of playing any position on the offensive line.

“Dylan is a beast, man,” Johnson said. “I can say this about everybody in the room: He’s a great guy. He wants to be really good. He cares and he’s big, powerful and a smart guy. Like I said about Connor, I can’t say enough good things about Dylan.”

The return of Hunter, Wooden

Running back Jarquez Hunter was back at practice Tuesday. Questions will remain about Hunter’s extended absence, but getting answers isn’t likely to happen. His absence was never football-related. There was a Title IX investigation involving him and safety Caleb Wooden, who also returned Tuesday, signifying they have been cleared for classes and football. Title IX investigations are not public.

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yahoo.com

 

How versatile can Auburn football's defensive front be in 2023?

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

5–6 minutes

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AUBURN — Auburn football defensive coordinator Ron Roberts said it in the spring.

Speaking to reporters in March, Roberts said there were about 16-17 defenders he was confident putting on the field at any given moment. He wanted to get that number as close to 25 as he could.

His update a little over four months later?

"Well, today as opposed to what I’m going to say in two weeks, three weeks, it should be drastically different," Roberts said Monday. "But right now I would say we’re probably at the 15, 16 mark. There’s seven, eight guys, they’ve got to figure out the tempo you’ve got to play the game with, the way you’re supposed to communicate, the consistency to do the job and those type of things.

"We’ve got a ways to go, but we’ve got the time to do it. If we make progression like I thought we did today ... I don’t know if it’ll be by Game 1, but hopefully it’s by Game 2, 3, 4."

SECONDARY: Keionte Scott, Auburn football veteran DBs focused on trying to 'bring our freshmen up'

NEWCOMER: What transfer WR Caleb Burton III has done to stand out at Auburn football's fall camp

Trying to put your 11 best guys on the field is akin to solving a puzzle, except there could be multiple correct answers. The versatility some players present gives a defensive coordinator more options, but it also calls for more experimentation.

One of Roberts' experiments is with freshman Keldric Faulk, the former Highland Home star edge defender who enrolled early at Auburn and drew praise all throughout spring practice from players and coaches alike: "He's special. I watch him, the way he plays, he plays hard," said now transferred defensive lineman Jeffrey M'ba, who left the program in April. "He gives everything he's got every single time. I don't even think he's lost one one-on-one. ... That tells you how good he is. He's not afraid to line up against anybody."

Listed as a jack linebacker and playing that through the spring, Faulk has taken reps at defensive end this fall. It's a similar position, moving from one end of the line to the other, but defensive end's often have their hands in the dirt. Jack linebackers often stand up on the edge and are a threat to either rush the passer or drop back into coverage.

But when the Tigers ran a defensive front with four down defensive linemen in spring, Faulk was essentially acting as a defensive end. Roberts figured he might as well give the 6-foot-6, 288-pound freshman a true shot at the position.

"He was doing it half the daggum time, (in spring), so we moved him to end," Roberts said. "He’s 290 pounds by the summertime, so he’s kind of filled that spot. He’s in there fighting for the job. I don’t know how it’s going to pan out the next couple of weeks, but he’s going to be an impact player for us this season."

 

Auburn jack linebacker Keldric Faulk (15) during a practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center on Aug. 7.

 

Marcus Harris was the starter at defensive end at A-Day on April 8. Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister was the first jack linebacker to jog out onto the field.

There's some options along the interior of the line, too. Roberts has a handful of players he appears comfortable playing there, ranging from Jayson Jones and Zykeivous Walker to transfers Justin Rogers (Kentucky), Mosiah Nasili-Kite (Maryland) and Lawrence Johnson (Purdue). Junior college standout Quientrail Jamison-Travis could get into the mix, too, along with a couple of freshmen in Wilky Denaud and Darron Reed.

Jones and Rogers are the biggest of the bunch. They collectively weigh nearly 700 pounds and have gotten on the field together a few times during fall camp. Running the ball between the tackles against that much resistance should be difficult for any opposing offense.

"Obviously, they’re both really good players and you’re going to need that in this conference," Roberts said. "That’s what it is. It’s a man’s conference, especially up front. The O-line, D-line, those guys up front kind of set the tempo of the ballgame, and they’re going to control it for you.

"Skill guys can make big plays, but dagummit you’ve got to win the game up front. So, the more of those guys that we’ve got that can play in that category, that can play big, play physical, control the line of scrimmage, we’re going to be in better shape."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: DC Ron Roberts has options on the defensive front

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https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/five-potential-chaos-teams-ready-to-wreak-havoc-on-college-football-playoff-race-in-2023-season/

Auburn

Auburn is a chaos team in perpetuity for both on- and off-field reasons. My expectation for the Tigers in 2023 is that things will be smoother on the field. Hugh Freeze is in charge now instead of Bryan Harsin, so the likelihood of a coup attempt decreases to 20%, which is very low on The Plains. It'll drop even lower if the Tigers can pull off one or two of the upsets presented to them this season. Auburn is in the position of having annual rivalry games against Alabama and Georgia, which means it always has a shot to destroy somebody's season these days. However, this year the Tigers have games against Texas A&M and LSU. Both will be on the road, while Georgia and Alabama are at home. What truly stands out about Auburn's schedule is how relentlessness it is. While the Iron Bowl finishes the regular season, the Tigers will play at Texas A&M, at home against Georgia and at LSU in consecutive games (with a bye between Georgia and LSU). It's hard to imagine anybody having a tougher three-game stretch than that.

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yahoo.com

 

Keldrick Faulk is set to make an impact this season

Taylor Jones

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After the departure of Derick Hall and Colby Wooden to the NFL, Hugh Freeze knew that he needed to bring in experienced players from the transfer portal to fill those roles.

He did so by snagging Elijah McAllister, Stephen Sings, and Jalen McLeod. There is zero doubt that their combined experience will be beneficial to the defense, but there is a true freshman in the mix that is poised to be a valuable player for the unit.

Freshman Keldric Faulk almost went another direction with his recruitment, as he flipped to Auburn just before signing day. Since then, he has proven to be worthy of the flip. He has worked just as hard in the field as he has in the weight room, and it has caused defensive coordinator Ron Roberts to place him in a new spot.

“He played Jack most of the spring. A lot of our four-down stuff, it’s the same thing,” Roberts said. “So he was doing it half the dag-gum time, so we moved him to end. He’s 290 pounds by the summertime, so he’s kind of filled that spot. He’s in there fighting for the job. I don’t know how it’s going to pan out the next couple of weeks, but he’s going to be an impact player for us this season.”

That says plenty about what kind of player Faulk can be. Sure, the Tigers’ depth chart is filled with plenty of transfers, but Faulk’s quick development could be a great sign of what is to come from the coaching staff.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

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