8.12.23 Football Articles

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

wow there is not5hing new this morning. and i got up early to keep you guys informed. i will check back later after the scrimmage.

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

auburnwire.usatoday.com

How much havoc can Auburn cause this season?

Taylor Jones

~2 minutes

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.

Buy Tigers Tickets

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__

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

247sports.com

Preseason camp notes quotes and anecdotes Day 7

Phillip Marshall

5–6 minutes

Coming together on the offensive line

In the heat of August, far from the public eye, an Auburn football team with newcomers competing at almost every position works to pull together and go forward together when the season opens in three weeks.

Nowhere is coming together more important than on the offensive line. It’s a unique position because five players have to work in unison. One misstep, one missed block can blow up a play.

Dillon Wade, a transfer from Tulsa, is the likely starter at left tackle. Other transfers are competing at other offensive line positions.

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Dillon Wade finds a happy home at Auburn. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, Auburn Undercover, 247Sports)

“It’s coming along pretty well,” Wade said. “A bunch of pieces from different places are coming together to form one unit. We have to work together, talk to each other, figure things out. The more we communicate, the better we get.”

Wade said playing beside veteran guard Jeremiah Wright has been a highlight of his preseason.

“As far as Jeremiah and me bringing the juice to practice, we for sure bring the juice. When we’re together, oh yeah, you better get out of the way. You better get out the way.”

Wade finds a happy home

It didn’t take Wade long to be convinced he’d made the right decision when he chose Auburn.

“What I like about Auburn? No. 1 is I love the fans,” Wade said. “The fans are amazing. The War Eagle saying is my favorite saying and I use it every day. I love this facility. I love the coaches, of course. They’re building us not only as players, but as humans. I see myself developing as a man.

“I love my teammates, of course. I just met some of them, but I feel like I’ve been knowing them since I’ve been born. We’ve all come together as one.”

A different kind of preseason camp

Safety Jaylin Simpson is in his fifth Auburn preseason camp and is playing for his third head coach. This camp, he says, is different than others.

“It has been a lot smoother than previous camps I have been a part of with the old coaching staffs,” Simpson said. “The workload is a lot harder. We get pushed and strained a lot more, but it’s good work. It’s not too much on our bodies.”

Working the Freeze way

Simpson said first-year Auburn coach Hugh Freeze makes his expectations clear.

“He tells us in the meetings what he expects of us, and I feel like everybody buys into it,” Simpson said. “The tempo at practice just goes there. I feel like everybody is trying to be great. I feel like everybody is trying to play, too. You’ve got 3s and 4s, they bring the intensity too. If you’re a 1 and you end up on the 3s, you have to work. There’s no dropoff that I see right now. The work is there. The staff, they bring it every day. They make sure we work.”

Rogers, Jones in friendly battle for starting spot

Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers and Jayson Jones, an Oregon transfer in his second Auburn season, are locked in a battle to be the starting nose guard. And that is just the way Rogers likes it.

“It's like a brotherhood, you know?” Rogers said. “We're going to keep pushing each other. I don't even look at it as who gets the starting job. It's, like, who can outwork the other while we're doing the drill? I look at stuff like that, and we're just going to keep pushing and I'm just (going to) keep pushing him. He's teaching me stuff I can use. I teach him stuff he can use.”

More praise for Keldric Faulk

Chalk up more love for freshman defensive end Keldric Faulk.

“Hey, that boy's special,” Rogers said. “I have never seen a freshman like that. He's going to be special here, definitely going to be special. To me, it's like how he picks up on football quick. He's like a sponge. He picks stuff up real quick, so he's definitely going to be a special kid here."

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Freshman Keldric Faulk turns heads in preseason camp. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, Auburn Undercover, 247Sports)

But Faulk has more than a football IQ. He also has rare physical attributes.

“Shoot, just look at him,” Rogers said. “He's long. That's a gift right there, and he's strong. To be 18, he's really strong.”

New face, familiar approach

Simpson and cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett are playing for their fourth defensive coordinator. Ron Roberts reminds them of their first one.

“Nehemiah and I were just talking about this yesterday,” Simpson said. “He kind of reminds me of Coach Steele, just the way he goes about meetings and just how he tries to make jokes that aren’t really funny, stuff like that. He's definitely a player's coach. We've got a group chat with just the vets, and he texts us every morning. It might be some motivational thing or a Bible scripture or something and he's just always trying to connect with us.

“Coach Steele used to do the same kind of thing, but I think he's just a real players coach. He really tries to get to know us. He really talks to us outside of football, like how is life going. It's not all about football with him. He really cares about his players.”

Scrimmage day at hand

The first full scrimmage of preseason camp is scheduled to start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It is not open to the public.

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

al.com

Auburn senior CB Jaylin Simpson impressed early by pair of freshman defensive backs

Published: Aug. 11, 2023, 3:41 p.m.

4–5 minutes

Auburn cornerback Jaylin Simpson has been around the block a time or two.

The Brunswick, Ga. native came to The Plains as a 4-star signee in 2019, which was 20 pounds ago.

“I was a little one,” joked Simpson, who has gone from 160 pounds to 180 pounds during his time at Auburn.

Since then, Simpson has played for three different head coaches after catching the tail end of Gus Malzahn’s tenure, playing the entirety of Bryan Harsin’s time at Auburn and now playing under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze.

“I was just thinking about that the other day,” Simpson told media members Friday afternoon. “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’.”

This year’s fall camp is Simpson’s fifth at Auburn. And according to him, it’s been the most seamless.

“It has been a lot smoother than previous camps I have been a part of with the old coaching staffs,” Simpson said.

But smoother doesn’t necessarily mean it’s been easier.

“The workload is a lot harder,” Simpson says. “We got pushed and strained a lot more, but it’s good work.”

If this year’s fall camp has been an adjustment for a seasoned college player like Simpson, imagine what it’s been for the younger guys.

Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts says the young talent on Auburn’s defense is plentiful. But it’s just that – young talent.

And for the better part of fall camp so far, those green players have likely been left with their heads spinning, Roberts says, as they continue to adjust to the tempo and intensity of college football preparation.

The Tigers have 14 true freshmen on defense, of which seven are either cornerbacks or safeties.

That’s where Simpson, as well as the other veteran defensive backs like DJ James, Nehemiah Pritchett and Zion Puckett, step in.

Simpson remembers being the little fish in the big pond, looking up to the likes of former Auburn safeties Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas.

“I’m in their position now,” Simpson says. “When I do look in the mirror, I think about T-Love, T-Scott, Colton, Kayin Lee, all those guys and I got an obligation to get these guys ready to play.”

Terrance Love, Tyler Scott, Colton Hood and Kayin Lee all help round out a defensive secondary room that boasts plenty of young talent.

Of the four, two have stuck out to Simpson.

“Young guys like K Lee and Colton Hood, those are two guys that stand out to me,” Simpson said.

Lee, a 4-star prospect out of high school, enrolled early and has been with the program since January – a luxury that has put him well ahead of the curve when compared to his fellow freshmen teammates.

Since his arrival, Lee has generated quite a buzz – all positive.

And Simpson sees what everyone else sees.

“I tell him all the time, ‘You don’t need to walk around here like a freshman because you’re going to play.’,” Simpson said.

Unlike Lee, Hood just arrived in June, yet has shown a ton of upside.

There’s freshmen like Lee and Hood all around the Tigers’ defense, which is slowly but surely coming together, Simpson says.

Roberts hopes to have 25 guys he can roll through at any given moment on Saturdays. As of Monday, Roberts guessed the Tigers were close to the 15 or 16 mark.

But if what Simpson says stands to be true, it shouldn’t take Roberts much longer to round out that list of 25.

“We’ve just got a bunch of ball players. We’ve got people with some heart on our defense. All these new guys? We’ve got some real ball players,” Simpson said. The edge room? Dogs. DB’s? Dogs. Safeties? Dogs. Linebackers? Dogs. It’s just all over the place and when you’ve got a group of guys that just want to ball and play, we’ve got players that know their role.

“Some players probably know they’re not going to start, but people embrace their role and you’ve got a team.”

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aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

al.com

Remember the name: Auburn Jack linebacker Stephen Sings V creating buzz in fall camp

Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

~3 minutes

The Jack linebacker spot in Ron Roberts’ defense is crucial.

Though similar to a typical edge rusher, the Jack linebacker is multidimensional. While they’re no stranger to the pass rush, they’ll also be asked to drop back into coverage from time to time.

Again, it’s a pretty critical role to hold.

Coming into the fall, the big names you heard surrounding the position were Vanderbilt transfer Elijah McAllister, true freshman Keldric Faulk and Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod.

From time to time, Liberty transfer Stephen Sings V would emerge, but it was primarily McAllister, Faulk and McLeod that were in the discussion.

And then fall camp happened.

Roberts decided Faulk might be better fit at defensive end, which opened the door for Sings to make some noise in the Jack linebacker room. And boy has he.

“Stephen is physical. He’s a physical player,” said Auburn defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett. “He’s going to work extremely hard. You won’t have to tell him to work. He works hard and he’s going to be physical. You can expect that every single practice, every single day.”

Out of the high school ranks, Sings, now a junior, was rated as a 3-star weakside defensive end by 247Sports.

Initially committed to Virginia Tech, a mix of academic setbacks and the coronavirus pandemic resulted in Sings losing his scholarship offer.

But Auburn linebackers coach Josh Aldridge, who previously held the same post under Hugh Freeze at Liberty, knew talent when he saw it.

“I recruited Steve,” Aldridge said. “We swooped in at Liberty and got him before anybody else signed him. He’s a Power 5 football player.”

And if recent viewing windows of fall camp are any indication, Sings might have the opportunity to be a Power 5 football player this fall.

Recently, Sings has been splitting first-team reps with McLeod.

“Steve is just so genuine and grateful. He works so hard. You’re gonna see a crazy motor,” Aldridge said. “You watch him and Jalen — regardless of their athletic ability, they play so flippin’ hard, both of them. It’s fun to watch. You’re gonna get a high motor guy and a guy who is going to leave it all out there every Saturday.”

If y

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

i guess on weekends stuff drops late................

AUpreacherman22 · August 12, 2023

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

i guess on weekends stuff drops late................

Thanks Fiddy! Hopefully we’ll get a lot of stuff in a few hours! I am really looking forward to reading about the scrimmage!!!

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

2 minutes ago, AUpreacherman22 said:

Thanks Fiddy! Hopefully we’ll get a lot of stuff in a few hours! I am really looking forward to reading about the scrimmage!!!

i have not been this excited since i had to run to the bathroom and made it.........old age......little victories..............grins

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

al.com

Takeaway from Auburn’s preseason scrimmage? The Tigers may have a ways to go.

Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 1:47 p.m.

5–6 minutes

On a day when Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze thought he’d be able to make decisions about his depth chart — now three weeks out from the first game of the season — his press conference following the first scrimmage of fall camp was instead filled with questions and an understanding of a lot of work left to do.

Media members were not able to view Auburn’s scrimmage, and Freeze’s account of it was filled with believed inconsistencies on how the team played. In his press conference, Freeze mentioned a number of position groups he thought underperformed in the game.

The game itself was a literal tale of two halves. Freeze said the first half of the game was controlled by the offense. At that point, the group was using the high-tempo that has been talked about throughout fall camp. On Friday, Dillon Wade said that tempo is going to give Auburn a big advantage, and Freeze seemed to think it did during the scrimmage.

But Freeze said he wanted to change things by lowering the pace, and see how the offense responded. They didn’t respond well.

“I called that off and wanted to see if we could execute and then the defense pretty much dominated from that point forward,” Freeze said.

The quarterback play also appeared inconsistent from Freeze’s remarks. Freeze said his trio of quarterbacks — Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner — all were reliable in taking care of the ball. The accuracy may not have been consistent, but Freeze said all three looked good “at times” on Saturday.

Ashford and Geriner each had touchdown passes. Thorne did not, but Freeze said there were two passes Thorne threw where the receiver was ruled out of bounds.

The quarterback play led Freeze now being at a point where he wants to re-think his decision on a final two — having made up his mind yesterday but now wanting to watch more film.

The wide receivers struggled, Freeze added. That comes after the beginning of fall camp where Auburn had rotated so many wide receivers into the picture and seemed to have many options. Freeze said the receivers had been having a good camp, but that didn’t extend into Saturday.

“But way too many opportunities in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and a receiver is — again I haven’t watched the film — but he’s either loafing, which we can’t have, or he chose to run the wrong route,” Freeze said.

And for a group that Freeze said underperformed, also facing injuries to Malcolm Johnson, Camden Brown, Koy Moore and Ja’Varrius Johnson doesn’t do any favors.

While Freeze said the wide receivers took a step forward throughout this week, Saturday was certainly a step backward in his eyes.

Freeze also mentioned struggles in the secondary, especially when it came to tackling. It’s not uncommon for a coach to note tackling struggles in the first time in full pads, which Saturday’s scrimmage was, but Freeze seemed especially frustrated.

“I think we’ve got to tackle better, we did not tackle well today when our backs got in the second level,” Freeze said. “Obviously, the corners, I think, are talented. Our safeties are also, but we need depth there and we’ve got to bring those young kids on. But we didn’t tackle well today in the secondary.”

Freeze did have positive reviews for the trenches on both sides of the ball and especially the running back room.

Sophomore running back Damari Alston was a standout with three big runs, including a touchdown.

Freeze also praised freshman Jeremiah Cobb as someone who, despite being a “baby” on this roster, is going to be a good player for Auburn down the road.

Auburn’s new-look offensive line played well at the beginning of the scrimmage before getting worn out by a long week of practice on a few sweltering August days in Alabama in a row. There is no practice Sunday, which Freeze said the team needs.

The tiring offensive line synced up with when the defense took over the game, and that started up front.

“I think at the end of practice today I thought they were dominant,” Freeze said of the defensive line. “They created negative plays on us that didn’t happen early in the game.”

Freeze specifically mentioned jack linebacker Stephen Sings V, who has been a big riser throughout fall camp. Jack linebackers Jalen McLeod and Elijah McAllister as well as defensive end Keldric Faulk have “gotten better,” Freeze said.

“Yeah it was a mixed bag,” Freeze said of his team. “I‘ve said this all time, it’s hard for me to leave a scrimmage or a practice feeling great because one side does well and well, we’re not getting it done on the other side and vice versa.”

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

al.com

‘Yesterday I had my mind made up’: Hugh Freeze remarks on Auburn’s QB battle following scrimmage

Updated: Aug. 12, 2023, 1:01 p.m.|Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 12:23 p.m.

3–4 minutes

First look at Auburn transfer QB Payton Thorne as Tigers open fall camp

Auburn first-year head coach Hugh Freeze and the Tigers took to Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday morning for the team’s first fall scrimmage.

As has been the case throughout fall camp, one of the first questions Freeze fielded in his post-scrimmage meeting with the media was in regard to the Tigers’ ongoing quarterback battle.

At the start of fall camp, Auburn’s quarterback race featured four guys in true freshman Hank Brown, redshirt freshman Holden Geriner, sophomore Robby Ashford and junior Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne. As of Thursday, the competition had seemingly been trimmed to three as Brown wasn’t a part of the rotation during the media’s limited viewing window.

In Saturday’s scrimmage, which wasn’t open to the media, Ashford, Geriner and Thorne all took snaps, Freeze said.

“That the ball goes in the right spot and hopefully it’s accurate when we do throw it,” Freeze said when asked what he wanted to see out of his quarterbacks Saturday. “The accuracy hopefully will come, but we’ve gotta take care of the ball and we’ve have to be playing in the right space on given plays in our offense and I thought all three did that fairly well today.”

Freeze added that both Ashford and Geriner threw touchdown passes Saturday. Meanwhile, while Thorne didn’t record a scoring throw, Freeze said the Michigan State transfer did complete two passes that were ruled just out of bounds.

“They all... they did not turn the ball over,” Freeze said. “That’s priority number one in offensive football, so that was good.”

Also factoring into Saturday’s quarterback play was the fact that Auburn’s wide receivers didn’t have their best stuff.

Albeit having an “incredible week” coming into the scrimmage, Freeze said that wasn’t the case Saturday.

“We had some guy who had some good catches today, but we had way too many opportunities in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and a receiver is... he’s either loafing, which we can’t have, or he chose to run the wrong route,” Freeze said. “And you’ve got to look at us coaches first on that and be sure to get that cleaned up. But this week, I thought we took a step forward in the totality of that room.”

With Auburn’s season opener against UMass just three weeks out, the clock is ticking for Freeze to name a starting quarterback, which he said he will do before the Tigers take Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 2.

And instead of helping Freeze get closer to that decision, it sounded like Saturday’s scrimmage left him with more questions.

“Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” Freeze said. “And after today, I need to watch the film before I say.”

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aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

al.com

Rewinding what Hugh Freeze said after Auburn’s first preseason scrimmage

Updated: Aug. 12, 2023, 1:49 p.m.|Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 11:00 a.m.

3–4 minutes

Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze answers questions during a press conference before the first official practice, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023 in Auburn, Ala. (AL.com Photo/Stew Milne)Stew Milne

The eighth practice of Auburn’s preseason moved from the Woltosz Football Performance Center to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a team scrimmage. It’s expected to be a day when Auburn begins to make depth chart decisions, three weeks away from the season opener on the same field against UMass.

After the scrimmage, head coach Hugh Freeze addressed local reporters. Check below for live updates from Freeze’s press conference...

- Freeze starts off saying his players are a bit tired. It’s been a hot fall camp and Saturday may have been the hottest day so far. He thought the offensive line played well, but the defense “dominated” the latter part of scrimmage.

- Freeze said he thought the wide receivers had a very good week, but today he was not happy with the play from that group. Said some receivers had a few good catches but “way too many opportunities in the RPO game where the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and the receiver is either...loafing which we can’t have or he chose to run the wrong route.”

- On the quarterbacks, Freeze said the most important thing for them today was taking care of the ball and he thought all three of Robby Ashford, Payton Thorne and Holden Geriner did that well.

- Ashford and Geriner each had a touchdown pass in the game. Thorne did not. There were no interceptions, Freeze said.

- Freeze said yesterday he had his mind made up on a final two quarterbacks, but he needs to watch the film because today may have changed his mind. This decision has been tougher than expected.

- Injury update from Freeze: Wesley Steiner has been limited with a hamstring injury, Koy Moore continues to not practice with an ankle injury. Camden Brown is still dealing with injuries and a “string of bad luck.” Ja’Varrious Johnson had to get stitches in his mouth from an incident in practice and it’s hard for him to wear a chin strap right now. Malcolm Johnson Jr. and Austin Keys both are dealing with shoulder injuries that are not significant, according to Freeze.

- Freeze said it has been good to have Jarquez Hunter back on the team. He returned to practice this week. Freeze was pleased with his running backs during the scrimmage and especially Jeremiah Cobb.

- Freeze said the defense struggled to stop the tempo of the offense at first. Many of the players have talked throughout fall camp about the high pace. But Freeze said he told the offense to back off on the tempo, and at that point, the defense took over the scrimmage.

- Freeze said tackling was poor in the scrimmage, especially when running backs got to the second level.

- Freeze said he was especially impressed with North Texas transfer Larry Nixon in the scrimmage but needs to check the film for the other linebackers.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

247sports.com

Commitment analysis What Auburn is getting in 4star TJ Lindsey

Jason Caldwell

3–4 minutes

VIDEO: Hugh Freeze's prowess as a recruiter | College Football Recruiting Show

Hugh Freeze was close to trimming down Auburn's quarterback competition Friday.

Less than 24 hours later, the battle seems to have been significantly impacted by what transpired Saturday morning at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” Freeze said about cutting Auburn's QB race from three players to two. “And after today I need to watch the film before I say.”

The Tigers scrimmaged for the first time this preseason on Saturday, closing the book of the second week of camp. The quarterback reps were trimmed down this week — leaving just the three expected competitors of Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner — and the staff hoped to continue to do so next week, as camp surges onward, now with exactly three weeks to go until the season opener Sept. 2 against UMass.

Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery said this week the main thing he wanted to see from his QBs was “somebody take control.” And after Saturday, there still doesn’t seem to be a leader in the clubhouse.

None of the quarterbacks threw an interception, which Freeze said was the most important quality he was looking for Saturday: ball security. Ashford and Geriner both threw touchdown passes, Freeze said, while Thorne did not — though Thorne had a pair of near-touchdown throws, but the official ruled the receiver just out of bounds on both occasions.

“Take care of the ball and play within the offense — and take what you should take on a given play,” Freeze said. “That the ball goes in the right spot, hopefully it's accurate when we do throw it. But accuracy, you know, hopefully will come. We’ve got to take care of the ball. We have to be playing in the right space on given the plays in our offense. I thought all three did that fairly well today.”

“.. They all did not turn the ball over. That's priority No. 1 in offensive football. So that was good. Obviously, defensively we need to go get it. But I thought all three looked good at times today.”

Some of the incompletions, Freeze said, stemmed not from an errant throw or read by a quarterback, but from the wrong route by a receiver. Freeze said the receiving corps — which is dealing with a handful of injuries at the moment — had “an incredible week of practice,” but “not so much today.”

“Way too many opportunities in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball and a receiver is — again I haven't watched the film — but he's either loafing, which we can't have, or he chose to run the wrong route,” Freeze said. “Again, we have to look at us as coaches first on that and be sure we get that cleaned up.”

Auburn has an off day Sunday during which the coaches will break down the film, then reassess their game plan for not only the quarterbacks, but every position group heading into next week’s slate of practices. Classes start at the university on Wednedsay.

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aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

247sports.com

Improved pass rush a highlight for Auburn defense in first scrimmage

Nathan King

5–7 minutes

As the day got hotter and Auburn’s first preseason scrimmage dragged on, the Tigers’ defense started winning more battles than not.

Plenty of attention was affixed on Auburn’s quarterbacks and how they performed in Saturday morning’s scrimmage, but Hugh Freeze offered plenty of takeaways on the defensive side of the ball, too, where lineups should also be trimmed down in the coming days, entering the third week of camp.

“I thought the defense dominated the latter part of the scrimmage,” Freeze said. “I've said this all the time: It's hard for me to leave a scrimmage or a practice feeling great because one side does well and well, we're not getting it done on the other side and vice versa.”

With the backdrop of another heat advisory Saturday, the tempo of Auburn’s offense worked efficiently in the first half of the scrimmage, with a few touchdown drives early. Helped by a deep rotation on the defensive line, however, first-year coordinator Ron Roberts’ unit settled in — and that front line was “dominant” by the latter stages of the scrimmage.

“Well, they’re playing like 15 guys, it feels like,” Freeze said of the defensive front. “And they’re just running them in and out. I think at the end of practice today, I thought they were dominant. They created negative plays on us that didn’t happen early in the game. Our edges have gotten better with (Keldric) Faulk and Jalen (McLeod) and Elijah (McAllister) and Stephen Sings. Inside we’re rotating a good group of guys there with Marcus (Harris) and Jayson (Jones) and Mo (Mosiah Nasili-Kite) and Bobby (Jamison-Travis) and Lawrence Johnson. (Zykeivous) Walker has gotten better. We’re rotating a lot of guys in there, so obviously that’s a good thing in this league, that you can rotate those guys up front.

“The stuff we’re doing, it gives (the offense) problems at times. There’s a lot of movement that’s going on. I’d hate to forget somebody. But I’m pleased with how they’re working.”

Auburn has an entirely new room at its “jack” pass-rusher spot this season, and the transfers — particularly McLeod (App State) and Sings (Liberty) — have garnered plenty of praise through the first couple weeks of camp. McLeod has been more of a speed rusher off the edge, while Sings brings more size and physicality to the outside linebacker spot.

McLeod was described as having an “unbelievable” skill set by defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, and the quick emergence of he and Sings has set the tone for a group that could be more polished than many expected, after Auburn lost Derick Hall and Eku Leota to the NFL.

Auburn Undercover was also told Vanderbilt transfer McAllister had a strong showing in the scrimmage.

“Jalen McLeod and Stephen Sings have changed that for the better for us,” Freeze said. “They can get after the quarterback. You've got to have some third-down packages where both of them are probably in the game because they probably are our most dynamic pass-rushers right now. So we're better than we were in spring. We'll see how good we are when it gets real, but I do know we're better than we were.”

On the second level of the defense, Auburn thinned out a bit due to injuries. Senior linebacker Wesley Steiner has been in a non-contact jersey for the past week of camp with a hamstring injury, and Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys, who looks to be the team's starting middle linebacker at the moment, sustained a minor shoulder injury in the scrimmage.

Freeze said he’d circle North Texas transfer Larry Nixon III as the most disruptive player in that room Saturday.

“I’d say probably Nixon created the most negative plays,” Freeze said. “Not saying the others didn’t play well at times, but I just remember after we slowed things down, he seemed to be creating some negative plays for us.”

While Freeze has addressed the fact that Auburn’s secondary could be argued as the most talented group on the roster from top to bottom, he’s challenged the likes of D.J. James, Nehemiah Pritchett, Jaylin Simpson, Keionte Scott and others to improve even further this preseason with their attention to detail and execution on a daily basis.

The receivers they were lined up against had a rough outing in the scrimmage, Freeze said, where they too often ran the wrong route or made the wrong decision in a run-pass option setting. But the secondary wasn’t immune from criticism — particularly when ball-carriers like Damari Alston and Jarquez Hunter broke out of the front seven.

“I think we’ve got to tackle better,” Freeze said. “We did not tackle well today when our (running) backs got in the second level. I do think we’re talented there with our first group. And I think our young kids are going to be good but they’ve got to come on — because we’re going to need them in Year 1. But I do think our first group is made up of a solid group of players for an SEC team. Obviously, the corners, I think, are talented. Our safeties are also, but we need depth there and we’ve got to bring those young kids on. But we didn’t tackle well today in the secondary.”

Auburn has an off day Sunday to give the coaches time to review the scrimmage tape and apply it to the practice plan moving forward. Classes at the university start Wednesday.

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aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

247sports.com

Alston running game shine in Auburns first preseason scrimmage

Jason Caldwell

4–6 minutes

Auburn's running game was the strength of the team in the first scrimmage.

AUBURN, Alabama—One of the things that showed up late in spring practice was a strong running game for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers.Through one scrimmage of the preseason, that trend has continued with the offensive line paving the way for big days for the entire group of running backs.

Led by sophomore Damari Alston’s big plays, USF transfer Brian Battie, big back Sean Jackson and true freshman Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn’s running backs showed up and showed out on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium even though Jarquez Hunter was limited to just a handful of snaps early in the day.

“Brian showed up today in a big way,” Freeze said of Battie. “Damari had three explosive runs. Jarquez was solid of course. Sean had some good run. Jeremiah Cobb I think he’s gonna be a really good player. He's just a baby, but he's gonna be a really good player. I think we've got a solid room there.”

The reason for success was because of a strong day up front by Jake Thornton’s offensive line group. A completely rebuilt unit since last season, Auburn’s front five has consistently improved since they stepped on the field in the spring.

With tackles Dillon Wade and Gunner Britton consistently working with the first group and Avery Jones at center along with Kam Stutts at right guard, Auburn’s front has seen plenty of rotation with Tate Johnson and Jeremiah Wright working at left guard and newcomers Jaden Muskrat and Dylan Senda both coming on after arriving this summer.

“We need all of them,” Freeze said of Auburn’s offensive line group. “If you're talking at guard, you’ve got Tate (Johnson) and you’ve got Jeremiah (Wright). Musky has had a really good camp, also. That was a good get. (Dylan) Senda is coming on as a young guy, too. Harris. We need all of them. We’re rotating them all in there. And Stutts, of course, is one of the leaders of the team. We’re going to need them all before it’s over.”

When the dust settled on Saturday, the name that showed up as much as anyone was Alston. Getting limited work last season as the third guy behind Tank Bigsby and Hunter, Alston has taken his game to another level. With an offensive line that can open holes and a system that isn’t scared to run it, Hunter is someone that Freeze has already seen enough from to know he’s going to play a big role this season.

“He’s been one of the leaders if you ask the team who one of the leaders are in that locker room right now,” Freeze said. “He was elected to the culture council unanimously. That speaks as high as any mark you could give when your team says this is a guy that drives the culture that we want.”

Auburn receivers hit with string of injuries in preseason camp

Auburn scrimmaged for the first time in camp on Saturday morning

VIDEO: Hugh Freeze's prowess as a recruiter | College Football Recruiting Show

A pair of probable starting receivers are dealing with injuries with Auburn now at three weeks until the 2023 season kicks off.

Fifth-year senior Ja'Varrius Johnson and sophomore Camden Brown did not participate in the team's first scrimmage Saturday morning, Hugh Freeze told reporters after the action in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Brown has dealt with "a string of bad luck" in terms of injuries since the spring. He told reporters Friday he's dealing with a hamstring issue, after he also had to heal this offseason from an ankle injury from the spring.

Johnson, the team's top returning player in the receiving corps after posting 493 yards and three touchdowns last year, had to get stitches in his mouth this week after taking a hit at practice this week, Freeze said. Johnson was not present during the media viewing window of Friday's practice, then was in a non-contact jersey Saturday.

Two more receivers are also dealing with injuries entering the third week of camp: Koy Moore has been limited by an ankle issue at every practice so far, and Malcolm Johnson Jr. is still being bothered by his shoulder, after undergoing surgery in the spring, Freeze said.

On defense, senior linebacker Wesley Steiner has been in a non-contact jersey for the past week of camp with a hamstring injury. Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys, who looks to be the team's starting middle linebacker at the moment, is limited at the moment with a shoulder issue.

Check out notes from Freeze's post-scrimmage meeting with reporters here.

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

247sports.com

Auburn receivers hit with string of injuries in preseason camp

Nathan King

~3 minutes

VIDEO: The Perry Thomspon impact on Auburn recruiting | College Football Recruiting Show

Auburn's first preseason scrimmage is now in the books, after the Tigers played each other in front of more than 250 lettermen inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday morning.

Auburn Undercover had live intel running on the message board for subscribers, but Hugh Freeze will also summarize the action with reporters at approximately 11:30 a.m. CST.

Follow along here for updates from Freeze.

* There was a "mixed bag" for Auburn on offense. "We ran the ball really well early on."

* "We certainly weren't fresh today," Freeze said. Added it's been a hot camp, and the team needs the day off tomorrow.

* "The defense dominated the latter part of the scrimmage."

* The wide receivers "had an incredible week," but "not so much today." There were issues on RPO routes, Freeze said.

* "Way too many times in the RPO game that the quarterback made the right decision to throw the ball," and a receiver ran the wrong route.

* What was Freeze looking for in his QBs today? "Taking care of the ball." Freeze thought "all three did that fairly well." Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner threw touchdown passes, Payton Thorne did not, but he had two near-touchdowns that were ruled out of bounds.

* Freeze on the quarterback competition: "Yesterday I had my mind made up. And now I need to watch the film and see."

* Ja'Varrius Johnson had to get stitches in his mouth after a practice incident this week, per Hugh Freeze. Was in a non-contact jersey today.

* Camden Brown did not scrimmage today, per Freeze. Receivers Malcolm Johnson and Koy Moore, and linebackers Austin Keys and Wesley Steiner are also dealing with injuries.

* Freeze on Jarquez Hunter: "It's good to have him back in the room and on the team. He plays the game hard."

* Freeze on the guard competition: "I don't give a rat's tail who's first or second team. We need all of them."

* Freeze on the pass rush: "Jalen McLeod and Stephen Sings have changed that for the better. ... We're better than we were in the spring."

* Freeze on the defensive backs: "We've got to tackle better. We did not tackle well when the running backs got to the second level."

* Freeze continues to praise running back Damari Alston's leadership; the sophomore was elected to the team's leadership council.

* Larry Nixon III "created the most negative plays" at linebacker.

aubiefifty · August 12, 2023

247sports.com

Quick Quotes Hugh Freeze recaps Auburns first scrimmage of camp