8.11.23 Football Articles

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247sports.com

Dynamic linebacker having big preseason with new Auburn staff

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama—Transferring to Auburn from North Carolina for the 2022 season, Eugene Asante entered his first year with the Tigers looking to make an impact at linebacker. Instead, the former 4-star prospect was unable to work into the rotation after dealing with a death in the family.

A new staff has brought new opportunities for Asante, who has put himself in position for playing time at the weakside linebacker spot. Heading into his first season on the job coaching the position at Auburn, Josh Aldridge said he’s seen huge strides from Asante since the spring.

“Yeah, and I don't want to air out anything about Eugene's personal life, but Eugene had a tough year last year,” Aldridge said. “He had a tough year. I think he's just cleared his head. They obviously signed him here for a reason, because they thought he was gonna be a great player. He's just really caught on. He's a joy to coach. I love coaching him. He's a fun kid. I think he'll have a great season, regardless of if he's in the starting role. I think he's definitely gonna help us out this year. Auburn fans should definitely keep an eye on him.”

Working with the first group alongside first-year transfer Austin Keys and with guys like Cam Riley and North Texas transfer Larry Nixon also getting plenty of work, Asante has brought a different type of energy to the field this preseason. Aldridge said it has been something that has carried over throughout the team.

“Sometimes, they make other guys look bad, because they're moving at a certain speed, and then here comes everybody else chasing the football,” Aldridge said of what a guy like Asante means for a team. “So you have a defensive meeting and you're holding all those guys accountable, like, 'Hey, buddy, you weigh 20 pounds less than that guy, and there he goes. What are you doing?'

“It's a way you can hold people accountable, and it's infectious. It's not a coincidence that the first day of practice, we go out there and Eugene is chasing the football and a few guys aren't. Next day, more guys are chasing the football. This is how it looks. It's great. It's great.”

But it’s not something that started this preseason. Aldridge said he saw that fire from Asante as soon as he stepped on campus. Combine that with his natural ability and you have what could be a breakout season ahead.

“From the time I got hired, I don’t know if anybody had better energy than he did, maybe on our whole team,” Aldridge said. “I didn’t know a whole lot about all of our guys, but especially him just because he didn’t play last year. There’s nothing to go off of. He worked so hard in the weight room and he’s changed his body. I think last year he was 205ish and he’s 220 now.

“He’s really what we like at a will linebacker that can cover and do multiple things. He’s not the longest guy, but he’s big enough. He just doesn’t have a bad day in terms of his attitude, ever. He plays the next play when he screws up. I think he’s made those guys around him better. Because Eugene brings it every single day, those guys have no choice but to bring it every single day too. It has been a really good domino effect with Eugene.”

In a defense designed for the linebackers to make plays and do it from sideline to sideline, Asante could be just what the doctor ordered for the Tigers. Aldridge said if you’re drawing a guy up, he fits the description.

“When I first got here I came in here and I got asked what are we looking for in a linebacker,” Aldridge asked. “The word I used was dynamic. That’s what he brings. He’s not a one-trick pony. He can run, he’s physical, he’s smart. All those things. We don’t want the old-school, neckroll mike linebacker in this defense anymore. Not that it’s been (that way) lately, but you just can’t win that way.

“You’ve got to have guys who can do multiple things. Just like Austin, who you talked about. Austin can rush off the edge and things like that. It just allows us to have a really big toolbox when coach Roberts is calling the defense.”

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si.com

Payton Thorne is back with the starters at Thursday's fall camp practice

Andrew Stefaniak

3–4 minutes

On Thursday's fall camp practice, Payton Thorne ran out with the starters, with Robby Ashford working with the twos and Holden Geriner working with the threes. 

Geriner and Ashford worked with the ones on Tuesday's practice, with Thorne going with the twos, which had many scratching their heads. 

It seems this was just a way to get Geriner and Ashford some reps with the starting offensive weapons. 

Of the four viewing periods we have had, Thorne has been with the starters at three of them.

Throne threw some impressive passes during the viewing period that really got me excited about his upside. 

It still feels like this is Throne's race to lose, as we are now over a week into fall camp. 

The only question now is when Coach Freeze will get this race down from three quarterbacks to two. He said at SEC Media Days he would do this ten days into fall camp. 

Here is the entire schedule for fall camp:

Thurs, Aug 3 8:30 a.m. – Coach Hugh Freeze press conference (Woltosz multipurpose room)

9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods)

Fri, Aug 4 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods)

11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room)

Sat, Aug 5 – No practice

Sun, Aug 6 9:30 a.m. – Practice – no media

Mon, Aug 7 11:30 a.m. – Coordinator interviews after practice (Woltosz multipurpose room)

Tues, Aug 8 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods)

11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room)

Weds, Aug 9 – No practice

Thurs, Aug 10 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods)

11:30 a.m. – Defensive assistant coach interviews/not Coach Roberts (Woltosz multipurpose room)

Fri, Aug 11 11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room)

Sat, Aug 12 9:20 a.m. – Scrimmage at stadium – media can view individual drill periods (time TBA)

11:30 a.m. – Coach Hugh Freeze interview (Jordan-Hare Stadium media room)

Sun, Aug 13 – No practice

Mon, Aug 14 11:30 a.m. – Player interviews (Woltosz multipurpose room)

Tues, Aug 15 9:30 a.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods)

11:30 a.m. – Offensive assistant coach interviews/not Coach Montgomery (Woltosz multipurpose room)

Weds, Aug 16 – No practice – first day of class

Thurs, Aug 17 4:00 p.m. – Coach Hugh Freeze press conference (Woltosz multipurpose room)

5:00 p.m. – Practice starts – media viewing window time TBA (individual drill periods)

Fri, Aug 18 4:10 p.m. – Practice – no media

Sat, Aug 19 9:50 a.m. – Scrimmage at stadium – no media viewing

11:30 a.m. – Coordinator interviews (location TBA)

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247sports.com

'Sometimes your head spins': Tempo of practice 'completely different' for Auburn under Freeze

Nathan King

8–10 minutes

"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."

Tempo, tempo, tempo.

The pace of Auburn’s practices have occupied a large chunk of the takeaways so far from both players and coaches, as Hugh Freeze and his staff continue to push the Tigers with game-like speed in every practice in preseason camp.

Auburn’s new coaches pushed the pace in spring ball but are now taking things up a notch — on both sides of the ball. Even for more experienced players who were around under both Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin, it’s been an adjustment — one that Auburn hopes pays off in the long run this fall. And that adjustment period spans back to summer workouts with new strength coach Dominic Studzinski, whom players have explained during camp deployed a more up-tempo approach in conditioning work.

“It’s definitely faster than what we’ve had before,” offensive guard Tate Johnson said. “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.”

Johnson continued: “There’s two things that are challenging switching over to that particular offense. A 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.”

According to data from 247Sports’ Chris Hummer, the two main architects of Auburn’s new-look offense both ran faster systems last year than the Tigers did under Harsin. At Liberty, Freeze’s offense ranked No. 47 in plays per minute, and offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery — who coached Tulsa for the past eight seasons — was No. 40 in the same category in 2022. Auburn finished No. 83.

For Montgomery, the pace at which his quarterbacks snap the ball is just as important as ensuring that play calls are moving quickly and efficiently, too. To make that work for the Tigers this preseason, Montgomery is telling his players to log as many mental reps as possible on the sideline while others are working in the offense. Otherwise, the execution will be clunky from play to play, and the offense can trip itself.

“We like to play with space; I think our guys getting used to that,” Montgomery said. “That's a totally different way of playing offense than a lot of them are used to. … We’ve go get set faster, we’ve got to get our eyes back on the sideline quicker. And then we've got to really mentally rep that play in our head in a manner that when we're set we understand what's fixing to happen, what's fixing to go on and how to react to what we're getting defensively. And so that comes with progress, that comes with reps. I think our guys are doing a better job of it. But yes, we would like to play that way.”

Of course, the goal for Montgomery and Freeze is to successfully implement a system that puts the defense on its heels every game. So even as the Tigers have been overwhelmed at times by the speed of practice, it goes both ways for the defense, too.

“Man, I would say it's really different,” receiver Malcolm Johnson Jr. said. “The up-tempo offense, 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.”

As a result, first-year defensive coordinator Ron Roberts said his evaluations in the first couple weeks of camp require somewhat of an asterisk.

“The tempo of practice is probably a head-spinner,” Roberts said. “A lot of high school kids come out, and it’s not like anything they’ve seen. So the young guys are making, obviously, a huge adjustment. We’re not going to judge them until it’s Day 7, 8, 9, until things slow down a little bit and they get clicking.”

The tempo-based approach on both sides of the ball will receive its first big test Saturday morning, when Auburn scrimmages inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.The Tigers will report to the stadium at approximately 9 a.m. CST on Saturday, and Freeze will summarize the day’s action with reporters following the scrimmage at 11:30 a.m.

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Deal sees 'completely different' team as Tigers prepare for Saturday scrimmage

Auburn tight end Luke Deal talks about the Tigers as they get ready for Saturday's scrimmage.

VIDEO: Auburn TE Tyler Fromm on Day 2 of preseason camp

AUBURN, Alabama—Auburn is one week into preseason practices and there’s already a different vibe around the program, says senior tight end Luke Deal. With the addition of 20 new scholarship players since spring practices ended, this is a team that has added depth and talent to both sides of the ball as they prepare for the first year of the Hugh Freeze era.

“It’s completely different,” Deal said. “You’ve got so many talented guys and the depth across the board. Looking at our defense, our defense looks deeper, our defense looks faster, our defense looks stronger. That’s going to be awesome and it’s something that has changed with the transfer portal and recruiting and just development of our players.

“It’s looked completely different. We look really good. Obviously there’s things we’ve got to work on every day. No day is ever going to be perfect, but we want to try to refine it as much as we can.”

With so many new faces on this roster, it has meant more time spent by the players and coaches getting to know each other. There was a concerted effort to do that more throughout the summer with coaches hosting cookouts at their houses and guys getting together to play golf in Auburn. There was even a group that made the trip to Sylacauga to play FarmLinks before preseason camp started.

Those are the types of things that helped bring the guys closer together, something that has been beneficial as they continue to get ready for the season. With new faces trying to learn a new system while also getting familiar with their teammates and learning how to play together, Deal says the team has a word that has become a theme in the last few weeks.

“The big thing for us is going to be communication,” Deal said. “We have a series going on right now where each side of the ball presents. Offense, defense and specialists do it. Elijah talked about how every elite team is predicated by elite communication. Having good communication and being on page with everybody, it’s us with the offensive line, us with the receivers, us with the quarterbacks. In an RPO system like this you have to be elite communicators.”

All that will come into play on Saturday when the Tigers head to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first preseason scrimmage. There’s plenty on the line for everyone on this roster with just over three weeks left until the season opener against UMass on September 2. While the preparation continues, Deal said when it gets to scrimmage day everything changes. That means newcomers need to show what they’re capable of, but the same goes for the veterans.

“This is their time to show what they’ve got,” Deal said. “Even older guys like myself, every day is a competition. Every day is a chance to put trust in your coaches and for them to be able to trust you.

“Just go out there and compete. This is a great spot where you can just go out there and play football like you grew up playing and just compete.”

 

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si.com

 

Philip Montgomery: 'Payton Thorne wants to be on top of every detail about our offense'

Andrew Stefaniak

2–3 minutes

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Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery took the podium to speak with the media and was asked about transfer quarterback Payton Thorne. 

Here is what Montgomery had to say about Thorne, "You wanna talk about a guy that is professional in the way that he goes about his work... he's another guy that you have to run out of the building... He wants to be on top of every detail about our offense."

Thorne is a coach's son and is the definition of a first guy in, last guy out type of person.

This is precisely how you want your quarterback to act, which should motivate others on the team to work harder. 

Thorne seems like a great leader, and having a quarterback that is also a great leader leads to wins on the field. 

We are a week into fall camp at this point, and the starting quarterback job is Thorne's to lose. 

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 50 Jalil Irvin

JD McCarthy

3–4 minutes

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Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for Hugh Freeze in his first season on the Plains.

Buy Tigers Tickets

Up next is veteran offensive lineman Jalil Irvin. He has spent played both center and guard during his time at Auburn and he gives them needed depth at several key positions.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Stone Mountain, Georgia

Height: 6-3

Weight: 319

Class in 2023: Senior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 49 in Georgia / No. 22 OG

Career Appearances

Year	G
2019	4
2020	4
2021	11
2022	12

PFF Grades

Year	Offense	Pass Blocking	Run Blocking	Special Teams
2019	59.2	16.3	64.1	61.0
2020	50.9	74.1	50.9	60.7
2021	52.5	76.4	52.3	61.0
2022	47.6	50.8	47.4	61.7

Depth Chart Overview

Entering his sixth year on the Plains, Irvin gives Auburn an experienced player who can play both center and guard when needed.

Transfer Avery Jones has the starting center spot locked up and Irvin is in a battle with Connor Lew and tate johnson to be the No. 2 center. With both guard spots still up for grabs, it could take some time to determine what the best combination is for the offensive line.

Regardless of where he starts on the depth chart, Irvin is an experienced option that Auburn’s coaches know they can count on at either guard spots or center when needed.

Jalil Irvin’s Photo Gallery

AU FB Practice

Jalil Irvin (50)

Jalil Irvin (50) Auburn AU scrimmage on Friday, March 25, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

AU FB Practice

Brandon Frazier (87), Brenden Coffey (55), Keiondre Jones (58), Jalil Irvin (50), Brandon Council (71), Austin…

Brandon Frazier (87), Brenden Coffey (55), Keiondre Jones (58), Jalil Irvin (50), Brandon Council (71), Austin Troxell (68) run during practice on Friday. Auburn football practice on Friday, Dec. 24, 2021 in Hoover, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

AU FB Scrimmage

J.J. Peques (89) works against Jalil Irvin (50) during practice Saturday.

J.J. Peques (89) works against Jalil Irvin (50) during practice Saturday. Auburn practice/scrimmage on Saturday, April 10, 2021 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

AU FB practice

Jalil Irvin (50), Marcus Harris (50), Tate Johnson (54)

Jalil Irvin (50), Marcus Harris (50), Tate Johnson (54) Auburn football practice on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

AU FB Practice

Jalil Irvin (50), Zykeivous Walker (3) and Tate Johnson (54)

Jalil Irvin (50), Zykeivous Walker (3) and Tate Johnson (54) Auburn football practice on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

AU FB scrimmage

O-Linemen Jalil Irvin (50) and Colby Wooden (25).

O-Linemen Jalil Irvin (50) and Colby Wooden (25). Auburn FB scrimmage on Saturday, April 2, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

AU FB Practice

Tyrone Truesdell (94), Jalil Irvin (50)

Tyrone Truesdell (94), Jalil Irvin (50) Auburn practice on Monday, April 12, 2021 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

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al.com

The Keldric Faulk experiment and an Auburn defensive front with lots of options

Updated: Aug. 10, 2023, 9:55 a.m.|Published: Aug. 10, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

5–6 minutes

Auburn offensive lineman Keldric Faulk (15) runs through drills during practice Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 in Auburn, Ala. (AL.com Photo/Stew Milne)Stew Milne

Auburn football defensive coordinator Ron Roberts called the SEC “a man’s conference” during his first press conference of the preseason — a distinction that says a lot already about how he’s used Keldric Faulk, the highest-rated recruit of Auburn’s freshman class.

Faulk doesn’t look like a freshman. He’s listed at 6-foot-6, 288 pounds on Auburn’s roster. He looks ready-built for the SEC, and Auburn is looking for ways to get him on the field quickly.

But that has meant a slight change to his position. Faulk is listed on Auburn’s roster as a jack linebacker — a term Auburn uses to describe a role similar to a pass-rushing outside linebacker. Though through Auburn’s first five practices, Faulk has been lining up at defensive end.

It’s an experiment — Robert admitted as much — but it’s one that could reward Auburn’s defensive front with another talented option in a position group that doesn’t run short on choices.

“He was doing it half the dag-gum time, so we moved him to end,” Roberts said Monday. “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’s jack linebacker and defensive end positions are somewhat similar, lining up on opposite sides of the two interior defensive linemen. Shifting Faulk to that side of the line allows him to focus on rushing the quarterback without dropping back in coverage.

Senior defensive lineman Marcus Harris said part of Faulk’s transition to defensive end is learning how to deal with double-teams from blockers he might not have seen as a jack linebacker. Harris added that in high school, Faulk played in defenses built around him, but that’s not the case anymore in college. So, his adjustment to a new position is going to come with time.

“He’s just a raw talent,” Harris said. “He’s just learning how to play within the defense. That’s a big thing he did during the offseason. He learned how to fit into the defense and not just freelance.”

Faulk practiced with the second-team defense in the defensive end spot during Auburn’s first few fall practices. Roberts said it’s possible Faulk wins the starting job.

While Faulk may not be one of them yet, Roberts said in spring practices that he wants around 25 guys on the defense ready to contribute at a moment’s call. Eventually, Roberts will have the options he wants, but right now, Roberts said that number is closer to 15 or 16.

“We’ve got a ways to go, but we’ve got the time to do it,” Roberts said. “I don’t know if it’ll be by game one, but hopefully it’s by game two, three, four, somewhere in there, we’ll get to that mark where we’ve got guys that can play the game and we’re not losing anything.”

So, who makes up that group? There are experienced faces like Harris and Jayson Jones that will be key players on the defensive line. Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers has gotten very positive early reviews from his coaches and teammates.

“He’s as strong as I’ve ever seen,” Harris said of Rogers. “He can move, too. A big guy like that, you don’t think he can move that quickly. He’s really quick. He just brings another dimension to the defensive line that we need.”

Harris said the combination of Rogers and Jones — a combined 684 pounds of run-stopping might — will be big for the defense against the other run-heavy teams in the SEC.

Others along the defensive coach have caught coaches’ eyes already in fall camp too. Add another big man up front in Iowa transfer Quientrail “Bobby” Jamison-Travis. Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod who Roberts said is a “special talent” when he’s chasing quarterbacks. There’s still Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister and Maryland transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite. The defensive line could make up at least eight of the 25 ready-to-go guys Roberts is looking for.

“Seeing the young guys improve from the spring to fall camp has been wonders,” Harris said. “I didn’t expect those guys to transition this fast. 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.”

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Observations from Auburn’s sixth preseason practice

Updated: Aug. 10, 2023, 12:56 p.m.|Published: Aug. 10, 2023, 11:05 a.m.

4–5 minutes

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne (1) throws the ball during practice Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023 in Auburn, Ala. (AL.com Photo/Stew Milne)Stew Milne

Six practices in the book and parts of Auburn football’s 2023 roster are starting to take shape. But no starters have been named yet and a depth chart remains somewhat distant.

For now, here’s some notes from Auburn’s practice Thursday, the fourth open to media.

The scheduled quarterback update

Auburn coaches have said that after the fifth practice, they were hoping to whittle down the reps and move closer to picking a starting quarterback.

In the sixth practice that began to happen. Well, kind of.

Through Auburn’s pace drills — where the full 11 players line up together on offense to run a set of plays without a defense — the team had been running a four-quarterback rotation of Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford, Holden Geriner and Hank Brown. Brown, a freshman with probably the longest odds of winning the job, did not get a turn during the portion of practice open to media.

Throne was back to playing with the first-team offensive line after he was seen with the second group on Tuesday’s open period. Ashford played with the second team, meaning he’s now had snaps with the first, second and third teams. Geriner played with the third team for the second consecutive open portion of practice.

So how did the rest of the offense line up?

A few things on offense remain consistent. Jarquez Hunter is Auburn’s starting running back. The first-team offensive line remains largely consistent with left tackle Dillon Wade, left guard Tate Johnson, center Avery Jones, right guard Kam Stutts and right tackle Gunner Britton.

Johnson was back at the top left guard spot after Jeremiah Wright played there Tuesday. Through the four open practices, Johnson has played that spot three times and Wright once.

FIU transfer Rivaldo Fairweather remains the clear starting tight end.

The wide receiver rotation continued with Jay Fair, Nick Mardner, Omari Kelly, Caleb Burton and Shane Hooks all getting first-team snaps at different points.

Kelly has consistently been on the first team over Auburn’s last few practices. Fair has caught a lot of eyes through the first week, too.

Other notes further down on the depth chart include another new position for recent Northwestern transfer Dylan Senda who played right guard on the third team today, after having seen time on both the second and third teams and playing left guard and in the tackle spot as well during fall camp.

Koy Moore still is not in uniform at practice. It’s unclear exactly what, if any, injury is keeping him out, but he has been seen doing footwork drills separate from the rest of the team and seems to have his left ankle far more taped than his right.

Defensive line alignments after six practices

The first grouping of the defensive front included Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod as the jack linebacker, returners Jayson Jones and Marcus Harris on the interior and freshman Keldric Faulk as the defensive end.

The second group had Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister as the jack linebacker. Purdue transfer Lawrence Johnson and Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers were on the interior and Maryland transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite as the defensive end. Senior Hayden Brice was subbed into that group at one point.

The defensive front has many options, and it’s hard to list any group as starters at this point into fall camp because of rotation among that group too. Position battles continue to define an Auburn fall camp with so much roster turnover from a year ago.

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al.com

Auburn linebackers coach says 5-star flips came down to ‘effort’

Published: Aug. 10, 2023, 3:09 p.m.

3–4 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

Auburn entered its preseason practices already with momentum coming off two statement recruiting wins — flipping 5-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick from Georgia and 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson from Alabama.

Before Riddick’s commitment, Auburn hadn’t landed a 5-star recruit since 2019. It then got both Riddick and Thompson within four days.

So how did Auburn pull such a quick turnaround? Linebackers coach Josh Aldridge only needed one word.

“Effort,” Aldridge said.

That’s a sentiment shared by many high school coaches around Alabama, who said they simply just didn’t hear from Auburn while Bryan Harsin was the head coach.

New head coach Hugh Freeze, Aldridge and the rest of the staff have been tasked with rebuilding those recruiting bridges. That certainly takes effort, but has already yielded results.

“I feel like everybody’s been seeing his recruiting trail so far,” Auburn tight end Tyler Fromm said of Freeze. “And he’s just been working his tail off there.”

While Aldridge can’t talk about Riddick specifically because he hasn’t signed his National Letter of Intent, the linebackers coach was a crucial part of landing the in-state linebacker. His commitment legitimized Auburn to once again be a player for top players within Alabama’s borders.

“This place sells itself, I have said it before,” Aldridge said. “I’m very blessed to be able to recruit for Auburn. I’m very passionate about it. It’s like living a dream to be able to recruit for a place like this. We work really hard at it because everybody else in our league works really hard at it. We’re going to try to keep it rolling.”

Recruiting websites like 247Sports and On3 both have Auburn’s 2024 class ranked in the top 20 overall and both rank Auburn as the fourth overall group based on the average rating of each recruit.

During his press conference before Auburn’s first fall practice, Freeze said he’s been able to be especially active in recruiting because of his hire of offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery’s ability to run the show if he’s out on a trip.

“I was pretty decent at recruiting,” Freeze said. “I had a good plan and a good plan for the staff. I’m not really shocked. I think it’s easy to recruit to Auburn. This is one of the elite programs in the country. Maybe we haven’t had the production in the last few years that is expected. I wasn’t here, I don’t know. And so I’m not really surprised that you can recruit at Auburn.”

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247sports.com

 

Auburn DL coach Jeremy Garrett: 'We've got two starting noses'

Nathan King

6–8 minutes

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Veterans and leaders in the secondary

AUBURN, Alabama – Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett and safety Jaylin Simpson have felt the joy and the agony of college football in general and Auburn football in particular. They were freshmen in 2019, when Auburn won nine games and knocked off Alabama at Jordan-Hare Stadium. They fought their way through the COVID year of 2020 and through the disappointment of the two seasons that followed.

In their fifth season, they are set on going out in style. Pritchett is a starting cornerback. Simpson has moved from cornerback and is a starting safety. They are sharing their experiences and insight with younger players. Zach Etheridge coached them both last season. This season, Etheridge coaches the safeties and Wesley “Crime Dawg” McGriff coaches the corners. Etheridge has strong feelings for both players.

On Pritchett:

“He’s familiar with Coach Crime and me. He’s coming out of his shell. He’s having an elite camp. Just seeing his work ethic, making plays on the ball and communication, he’s not shy. He’s a different player, and these guys have stepped up to the challenge.”

On Simpson:

“Oh man, I wish you guys could see it,” Etheridge said. “Just his leadership, his style of play, his communication he has brought into the position. I don't think there's a day that has gone by that Simp didn't have a pick. Just seeing his range and making plays on the ball and being able to do that, just seeing that from him every day. He's coming up filling tackles, showing great range, good ball skills, taking leadership and pride in that role that he's in.”

Simpson and Pritchett, Etheridge said, have been teachers for young players since summer.

“Those guys getting in the building,” Etheridge said. “They go through film and talk through what they're seeing. They're teaching them how to watch film, teaching them how to communicate. … Seeing their experience show up on the field and show up in the film room has been pleasant to see.”

D.J. James skillset attracts attention

Cornerback D.J. James, in his second Auburn season, is a veteran, too. A Mobile native, he played three seasons at Oregon before returning to his home state. Last season, he blossomed into one of the SEC’s top cover corners. McGriff has been impressed.

“Skillset. Man, he has a skillset,” McGriff said. “He can play some really sticky coverage outside. He's very fluid, can change directions. He's got exceptional ball skills. He can go from the meeting room to the field. He's got a strong football IQ. So it's good to see him out there playing tight coverage because the offense has given us a lot to cover. They are doing a great job with formations, situations when they're throwing the ball down the field and just challenging us. I think DJ has done a good job of stepping up to the challenge.

“His skillset alone, you don't have a lot of them that can change direction, that can drive forward on the short ball, the intermediate ball, but at the same time possess the skill set to flip and go north and take away the deep ball. He has the skill set you look for that position.”

Why Auburn is hot on the recruiting trail

Like others on the staff, linebackers coach Josh Aldridge has been successful on the recruiting trail. He said Auburn’s success has not been by accident.

“(It takes) effort,” Aldridge said. “This place sells itself; I have said it before. I’m very blessed to be able to recruit for Auburn. I’m very passionate about it. It’s like living a dream to be able to recruit for a place like this. We work really hard at it because everybody else in our league works really hard at it. We’re going to try to keep it rolling.”

Edge rusher McLeod ‘unbelievable’

Defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett doesn’t coach the edge rushers at Auburn’s Jack position. But he doesn’t have to coach Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod to know what he is seeing.

“Oh, he’s unbelievable,” Garrett said. “Everything he does, he’s a pro. Great twitch. Good speed. Leadership. He’s done a really good job for us.”

Keldric Faulk and midnight phone calls

Auburn coaches celebrated last December when they flipped defensive lineman Keldric Faulk from Florida State, and with good reason. Faulk moved from the Jack position to defensive end and is pushing for a starting job.

“He’s mentally tough,” Garrett said. “You get a kid with want-to and drive. He’s not tapping out of practice. He might be tired, but he wants to go. And he wants to improve. If a mistake is made, Keldric will call me at midnight and we will talk through it. It’s funny. That’s the same way it was in recruiting – midnight conversations. I tell him you call me. I am here to help. I tell my guys my job is you. Call me anytime. My family understands I am on call.”

‘A different era’ of Auburn football

Etheridge, a safety on Auburn’s 2010 national championship team, dealt with difficulty after he arrived as a coach. The Tigers had losing records in 2021 and 2022. Etheridge said times are different now, and not just on the field

“It's just a different era of what's going on,” Etheridge said. “The beauty about it is alignment, starting from the top and making you feel that way. Guys are on the same page and just communication - with the administration to football to basketball. It makes us feel like we have a direction we're going in. Since I've been here, it's felt like Auburn has changed in multiple ways. But it's really about the people - about the culture and how it's changed to what it's supposed to be like, and people who believe in what we're trying to do as a community and an organization. More importantly, it's the family piece on what it's supposed to be like.”

A dynamic duo inside

Garrett wasn’t around for defensive tackle Jayson Jones’ first season after transferring to Auburn from Oregon. But he likes what he has seen in preseason camp. He likes it a lot. He says Jones has improved dramatically since spring practice. He and Marcus Harris have become a dynamic duo.

“(Jones) is moving better,” Garrett said. “He’s being more physical. That comes from having competition in the room. Anytime you have competition, that is awesome. Jayson does an unbelievable job with the required work and unrequired work doing extra. He has been a leader, meeting with younger guys, showing them things. They run after practice. He and Marcus get those guys running. “

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

2023 Auburn Tigers Football Schedule: Downloadable Smartphone Wallpaper

College Wires

~1 minute

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Never miss a game this season with our College Wire downloadable 2023 Auburn Tigers football schedule. Use it as wallpaper for the lock screen on your smartphone.

Highlights include back-to-back games hosting Georgia on Sept. 30 and visiting LSU on Oct. 14. Plus the Tigers will host the Crimson Tide on Nov. 25 in their annual rivalry game.

Buy Tigers Tickets

Also, please share it with friends so they have the schedule with them at all times too!

You can buy tickets to every Auburn Tigers game at TicketSmarter.

Download the 2023 Tigers football schedule here

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion.

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247sports.com

 

PMARSHONAU The reality of Auburns first preseason scrimmage

Phillip Marshall

3–4 minutes

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AUBURN, Alabama - The first scrimmage of preseason camp is a day away, along the overreaction to whatever happens, good or bad, impressive or not. I am reminded of the football season of 1998. Auburn’s offense had not been overwhelming in the preseason, but it had enjoyed some success against the defense and coordinator Bill “Brother Oliver.”

On the night of Sept. 3, a Thursday, Auburn played Virginia in the season-opener at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That afternoon, I ran into Oliver in the Auburn football complex. I asked him what he expected. Ever outspoken, he shook his head. “I don’t think we can score,” Oliver said. He was right. Virginia won 19-0 that night.

Later, I asked Oliver what had convinced him.

“They wouldn’t have scored on our defense in the scrimmages if we hadn’t let them,” Oliver said. “I didn’t want to discourage them.”

That’s not to say defensive coaches regularly try to encourage offenses, but it tells a story about why what so many want to see in scrimmages and what coaches want to see in scrimmages are quite different.

Fans want to see spectacular plays, though it is impossible for the offense and defense to look good at the same time. What coaches want to see is execution – players in the right place at the right time, getting the ball to right place, playing with proper technique, communicating and playing hard. Of course, coaches on both sides would like to see some big plays.

Meeting those expectations can be difficult, especially when it is good vs. good. The defense knows all the offense’s plays and formations. The offense knows the same about the defense. That often results in a stalemate.

What a quarterback does against the first-team defense is not the same as what a quarterback does against the second- or third-team defense.

A preseason scrimmage is tough on players. It’s not like game week, when players get rest before gameday. They will practice today and go to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday morning. It will be a big deal for players fighting for positions. For those who are secure, not so much. In fact, those who are secure might not be on the field a lot.

First-year head coach Hugh Freeze and the coaches who work for him have decisions to make.

Will there be a starting quarterback after Saturday? I doubt it. Freeze has said he would like to narrow the race down to two after the scrimmage. If that happens, I am convinced that Payton Thorne will be one of those two. My guess is Robby Ashford will be No. 2 and Holden Geriner will be No. 3, but a guess is all it is.

There are questions to be answered at every position, even those with established starters. Depth is imperative in the grind of an SEC season. Plenty of position races have yet to be settled. Some might not be settled until after the season starts.

The challenges are immense. More than 40 newcomers will play for Auburn for the first time. Saturday’s scrimmage will be a step. Next Saturday’s scrimmage will be another. Soon, it will be time to play.

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yahoo.com

 

How much havoc can Auburn cause this season?

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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Auburn football has not made an appearance in the College Football Playoff since its inception in 2014. However, there have been times when they have derailed the dreams of another program.

The 2017 season is a prime example. The Tigers knocked off No. 1 Georgia, 40-17 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn defeated its second No. 1 team of the season just two weeks later when the Tigers upset Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

Can Auburn play a similar role in 2023? CBS Sports Tom Fornelli seems to think so.

Fornelli shared his picks for College Football’s five potential chaos teams and has included Auburn. The Tigers are on the upswing after hiring Hugh Freeze, which has in turn become beneficial on the recruiting trail and overall morale of the program. Auburn’s schedule is also a doozy, as the Tigers play Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Texas A&M. Auburn’s schedule is difficult, which means that Auburn has a great chance to trip up a College Football Playoff hopeful.

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.

Other teams that Fornelli sees as “chaos teams” are Baylor, Colorado, Florida, and Michigan State.

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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Confident Simpson ready to ride in his final season with the Tigers

Jason Caldwell

5–7 minutes

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Jaylin Simpson talks leadership, communication as he prepares for his senior year at Auburn.

AUBURN, Alabama—Starting his career as a 160-pound cornerback, senior safety Jaylin Simpson has gained 20 pounds and a ton of confidence in his four seasons on the Plains. Now a veteran that Auburn is counting on to be one of the leaders, Simpson has become a player that coach Zac Etheridge believes has his best football ahead of him in 2023.

“Just his leadership, his style of play, his communication, he’s bought into the position,” Etheridge said. “I don't think there's a day that hasn't gone by that Simp didn't have a pick. Just seeing his range and making plays on the ball and being able to do that, just seeing that from him every day. He's coming up filling tackles, showing great range, good ball skills, taking leadership and pride in that role that he's in.”

That confidence has been built over the years for Simpson. Starting his career as a cornerback and going back and forth between positions before settling in as a safety during the 2022 season, Simpson said he feels like a different player when he steps on the field now.

“I feel like confidence makes you a very dangerous player,” Simpson said. “I feel like I got one of the -- I have the best confidence. I don't really know anybody else's confidence on defense, but I feel like I have the best confidence, so when I step on the field, I feel like I'm confident in every call I can make, every check, I can do everything, anything. I feel like I'm a dangerous person when I step on the field.”

That confidence comes in his play on the field as well as with his ability to know the defense and help everyone be on the same page. Along with Zion Puckett, Simpsons said they have the ability to get everyone lined up and ready to go. That experience also means accountability, something Simpson said he knows comes with the territory.

“The safeties make all the checks and the calls, really,” Simpson said. “I do enjoy that because for one, if I call it and something goes wrong, I know where it went wrong, who messed up because I called it. Say I did make a wrong call, I'm well off with myself and confident with myself and confident with my teammates that I can say "my bad, that was on me."

“It's easier than corner, I would say - I ain't gonna say it's easier, but the switch from corner to safety has been different for me, but I feel like I'm more confident and dangerous at safety because I can see, and I can play a lot faster.”

Preparing for his final ride in an Auburn uniform, Simpson said he’ll cherish every moment on the field with his teammates. He’ll also cherish the opportunity to get the next group of Tigers ready to lead the way in 2024 and beyond.

I was just thinking about that the other day, like, we was just in the meeting room just going over regular stuff and I just got referred to as a vet -- and I was just like, dang I'm a vet,” he said. “I remember with (Jeremiah Dinson) and all those guys, (Daniel) Thomas, they were the vets when I first came in and it's just like, I'm in their position now. When I do look in the mirror, I think about T-Love (Terrance Love), T-Scott (Tyler Scott), Colton (Hood), Kayin Lee, all those guys and I got an obligation to get these guys ready to play. “