8.14.23 Football Articles

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si.com

 

Auburn football's most valuable players in 2023: No. 5 Jayson Jones

Lance Dawe

2–3 minutes

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

Defensive lineman Jayson Jones cracks our top five in our top 25.

Jayson Jones' Bio

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

- 6-foot-6

- 338 pounds

- Junior

The 6-foot-6, 310-pound lineman is expected to make significant strides this year under the guidance of new head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. With his size and athleticism, Jones has the potential to be a dominant force on the Auburn defensive line - hopefully being one of the primary pieces in the Tigers' quest to improve their run defense.

As Auburn gears up for the upcoming season, fans will be eager to see how Jones performs on the field. With his talent, work ethic, and determination, it's become clear that he is one of the leaders on the Tigers' 2023 team.

Auburn football's most valuable players in 2023:

6. Avery Jones, C

7. Nehemiah Pritchett, CB

8. Gunner Britton, OL

9. Shane Hooks, WR

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

Edited August 14, 2023 by aubiefifty

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 53 Gunner Britton

JD McCarthy

4–5 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.

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Up next is transfer offensive tackle Gunner Britton. After facing Auburn last season, Britton will now be suiting up for the Tigers and is expected to be the starting right tackle.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Conway, South Carolina

Height: 6-6

Weight: 312

Previous School: Western Kentucky

Class in 2023: Senior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Two-Star / No. 53 in South Carolina / No. 212 OT

Career Stats

Year	G
2019 (WKU)	11
2020 (WKU)	11
2021 (WKU)	12
2022 (WKU)	13

PFF Grades

Year	Offense	Pass Blocking	Run Blocking
2019	66.5	62.0	65.5
2020	77.3	76.2	72.5
2021	83.2	61.3	84.3
2022	80.1	86.5	71.0

Depth Chart Overview

Britton was brought in to help reshape Auburn’s offensive line and he has separated himself as the Tiger’s top option at right tackle.

He brings a ton of experience after spending the past five seasons at Western Kentucky and is at his best in pass protection, something he did constantly last season. Auburn is hoping that the additions of Britton and fellow transfers Dillon Wade and Avery Jones can shore up the offensive line as they look to fix an offense that has struggled over the past couple seasons.

Gunner Britton’s Photo Gallery

AUBURN, AL - 2023.03.01 - Spring Practice

AUBURN, AL - March 01, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) and Jack Linebacker…

AUBURN, AL - March 01, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) and Jack Linebacker Hayden Brice (#28) during spring practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, AL. Photo by Declan Greene

AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.04 - Football Practice

AUBURN, AL - August 04, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) during practice at…

AUBURN, AL - August 04, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) during practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, AL. Photo by Austin Perryman

AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.04 - Football Practice

AUBURN, AL - August 04, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) during practice at…

AUBURN, AL - August 04, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) during practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, AL. Photo by Austin Perryman

AUBURN, AL - 2023.08.06 - Football Practice

AUBURN, AL - August 06, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) during a Fall…

AUBURN, AL - August 06, 2023 - Auburn Offensive Lineman Gunner Britton (#53) during a Fall camp practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, AL. Photo by Austin Perryman

NCAA Football: Western Kentucky at Marshall

Nov 27, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Gunner Britton (75) leads…

Nov 27, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Gunner Britton (75) leads the team onto the field prior to their game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Syndication: The Daily News Journal

Western wide receiver Malachi Corley (11) celebrates his touchdown against MTSU with Western offensive lineman Gunner…

Western wide receiver Malachi Corley (11) celebrates his touchdown against MTSU with Western offensive lineman Gunner Britton (75) during the MTSU Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. 4 Mtsu V Western Homecoming

NCAA Football: Western Kentucky at Marshall

Nov 27, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Gunner Britton (75) leads…

Nov 27, 2021; Huntington, West Virginia, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers offensive lineman Gunner Britton (75) leads the team onto the field prior to their game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Joan C. Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

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al.com

 

A-List No. 11: AU commit J'Marion Burnette more than a big back

Updated: Aug. 13, 2023, 7:51 a.m.|Published: Aug. 13, 2023, 7:41 a.m.

5–7 minutes

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The A-List is AL.com’s ranking of the top 15 senior prospects in the state of Alabama. We will count down one each day until No. 1 is revealed Aug. 23.

Andalusia senior running back and Auburn commit J’Marion Burnette earned his nickname at a young age.

“When I was a baby, I used to be fat – F.A.T.,” he said. “When I got older, it just turned into Phat.”

And ‘Phat’ has turned into one of Alabama’s top high school running backs.

The 6-foot-2, 219-pound bruiser rushed for 1,473 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior in just 11 games. He comes in at No. 11 on AL.com’s A-List of the top senior recruits in the state.

“He’s definitely an impressive looking kid to be a running back,” Andalusia coach Trent Taylor said. “He’s had a really good summer. It wasn’t something that was talked about, but his weight had gotten up to 228. It wasn’t bad weight, but he’s worked hard this summer and is back down to 219. I think that is probably where he will play at this year.”

Burnette helped Andalusia to a 14-1 record and the Class 4A state championship a year ago. However, he had to sit out his team’s semifinal win over Montgomery Catholic and title game win over Cherokee County after suffering a concussion at Anniston in the quarterfinals.

“It is just part of the game unfortunately,” Burnette said this week. “I wasn’t too worried about it. I overcame it pretty fast. At least, we kept winning.”

Taylor and the Andalusia coaching staff took no chances with Burnette’s injury. However, the Hall of Fame coach said once his running back was fully cleared in January, it didn’t take him long to return to his routine.

“I rode over to Dothan with J’Marion for his appointment with the neurologist,” Taylor said. “The doctor said he was good to go. He came back that day and attacked the weight room, and it’s been like that ever since.”

One of Burnette’s strengths is obviously his overpowering size, but Taylor said that is not all there is to his senior standout.

“He definitely passes the eye test,” he said. “When you look at him, you can’t help but say, ‘My goodness, that is a big running back.’ But he also has the speed to run away from people. His hands are really good. He’s much more than just an oversized kid running the football. He brings a lot more to the table.”

Taylor said he knew from watching Burnette in junior high that he had a chance to be special. Burnette began to see consistent time in the Bulldog backfield as a ninth-grader even though Taylor admits to having concern about whether he was ready for varsity football.

“We had two guys we felt were going to be our running backs that year, but we needed both of those guys on defense, too,” he said. “So, as the year went on, J’Marion became more a part of what we were doing. Anytime you have a young kid you wonder if they can handle the mental aspect of the game. I knew physically it would not be a problem for J’Marion, but you never know mentally. That wasn’t a problem either.”

Burnette remembers the first varsity game he saw substantial playing time in against Charles Henderson.

“I rushed for 121 yards and got my first touchdown,” he said. “I remember being kind of beat up, though. It was my first time getting hit like that.”

He’s come a long way since that ninth-grade season.

“The game has taught me a lot,” he said. “The people I’ve been around have taught me a lot. I feel like I’ve matured. I’ve learned how to play my position and learned what they are trying to do on the defensive side of the ball. When I get the ball now, I know where I’m going or at least have an idea of where I think I’m going to go.”

As a sophomore, Burnette rushed for 1,989 yards and 25 touchdowns on 282 carries – an average of 7.1 yards per carry. He also had three receiving scores.

During his recruitment, Burnette built a strong bond with Auburn associate head coach Cadillac Williams. He committed to the Tigers in March.

“It was a hard decision, but it was probably the best decision I ever made,” Burnette said. “I just loved how coach Caddy and the rest of the staff approached me. They kept coming even when coach (Bryan) Harsin was let go. Coach (Hugh) Freeze came hard to.”

Taylor said he believes Burnette’s best days are ahead of him.

“The sky is the limit once he gets into that situation where he is at a regular training table and those types of things,” he said. “I think he can be as good as he wants to be depending on what his goals are not only for college but beyond that. God said to him, ‘I’ve touched your body, and it’s up to you to do what you want with it.’”

A-LIST NO. 11: J’MARION BURNETTE, ANDALUSIA

Position: Running back

Height/weight: 6-2, 219

College status: Committed to Auburn

Randy Kennedy’s scouting report: J’Marion Burnette is a nightmare for defensive players facing the Andalusia Bulldogs. The Auburn commit has good speed, but his size and strength are what make him worthy of playing in the SEC.

THE 2024 A-LIST

No. 15: Josh Flowers, QB, Baker

No. 14: Bobby Pruitt, LB, Theodore

No. 13: JaCorey Whitted, TE, McAdory

No. 12: Kevin Riley, RB, Tuscaloosa County

No. 11: J’Marion Burnette, RB, Andalusia

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Auburn now boasts a top-15 recruiting class following TJ Lindsey's commitment

Taylor Jones

4–5 minutes

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Hugh Freeze added another talented prospect to his 2024 class on Saturday by snagging four-star defensive lineman TJ Lindsey.

Lindsey is the second four-star prospect to commit to Auburn over the last two weeks, joining Jalewis Solomon, who pledged to the Tigers on Aug. 5.

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Following Lindsey’s commitment, Auburn now has 16 commitments to their 2024 signing class. Adding another four-star to the total has given a boost to Auburn’s overall ranking, as the Tigers have climbed a few places in both the SEC rankings, as well as the overall rankings for the 2024 cycle.

Here’s a look at where Auburn, and the rest of the SEC, stands in 247Sports’ recruiting rankings following TJ  Lindsey’s commitment to the program.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 60	11	0	2	8	Cameron Keys (4-star CB)

© Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 43	15	0	3	11	Elijah Groves (4-star LB)

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 38	21	0	2	19	Johann Cardenas (4-star RB)

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 32	16	0	5	11	Jimothy Lewis (4-star OT)

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 28	19	0	3	15	Jeffrey Rush (4-star DL)

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 21	17	0	9	7	Selman Bridges (4-star CB)

For more Arkansas football news, visit Razorbacks Wire.

Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 19	15	1	8	6	Dylan Stewart (5-star EDGE)

© Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 18	16	1	9	6	Colin Simmons (5-star LB)

For more Texas football news, visit Longhorns Wire.

Sarah Phipps-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 15	19	1	9	8	Taylor Tatum (5-star RB)

For more Oklahoma football news, check out Sooners Wire.

AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 14	16	2	12	2	Perry Thompson (5-star WR)

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 11	19	1	13	5	Mike Matthews (5-star WR)

For more Tennessee football news, visit Vols Wire.

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 10	19	1	16	2	Cam Coleman (5-star WR)

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

Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 7	23	0	16	7	Dashawn McBryde (4-star S)

For more LSU football news, check out LSU Tigers Wire.

Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 4	17	2	11	4	Jaylen Mbakwe (5-star CB)

For more Alabama football news, visit Roll Tide Wire.

Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 3	21	2	12	7	Jamonta Waller (5-star EDGE)

For more Florida football news, visit Gators Wire.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

National Ranking	No. of commits	5-star	4-star	3-star	Top commit
No. 1	26	3	17	6	Dylan Raiola (5-star QB)

For more Georgia football news, visit UGA Wire.

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al.com

Hugh Freeze pleased with team's response to adversity-filled first scrimmage

Updated: Aug. 13, 2023, 10:24 a.m.|Published: Aug. 13, 2023, 6:00 a.m.

4–5 minutes

Hang around the Auburn football program long enough and you’ll hear the word “strain” a lot.

By definition, the Tigers’ buzzword means to “exert to the utmost”, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. And surely that’s what first-year head coach Hugh Freeze and his coaching staff wants to see out of their players as they continue to prepare for the 2023 regular season.

But in order to get players to “exert to the utmost”, Freeze and Co. must first create an environment which forces that exertion — something has been a point of emphasis on The Plains this fall.

“I know spring practice is important and going through summer training is vital and recruiting is a priority,” Freeze said in his camp-opening press conference on Aug. 3.

“But now it all kind of gets to the point where you’ve got to put all the pieces together and find out how your team handles the pressure and the heat of being strained and stressed in the great game that we all love and try to prepare yourself to compete at the best level you can for the 12 opportunities that you have.”

Auburn senior cornerback Jaylin Simpson is in the middle of his fifth fall camp with the Tigers.

He calls this year’s fall camp “a lot smoother”. One breath later, he calls the workload " a lot harder”.

“We got pushed and strained a lot more,” Simpson said.

Ding, ding. There’s that word again.

Considering the word strain can also refer to an injury due to overuse or misuse, Simpson was quick to clarify that what Freeze has the guys doing is “good work” and it’s nothing their bodies can’t handle — even though it sometimes feels as if that’s not the case.

The pain in progress, however, has helped a team that features more than 40 new faces create chemistry.

“You’ve got to go every rep 100 percent even when you’re tired and you look over and your friend is breathing hard. You motivate each other,” said Auburn offensive lineman Dillon Wade. “You strain to finish. That’s where strain comes from. You’re giving your all. If your body’s telling you to stop, you keep going. You don’t stop. You just keep going.”

For Wade, who transferred from Tulsa in December, some of the strain has come from adjusting to the tempo of Auburn’s offense.

Though Wade played under Auburn’s offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery at Tulsa, he says the Tigers’ offense is moving a little quicker than the Golden Hurricanes and that it’s bound to give opposing defenses trouble come the fall.

“I feel like we’ll catch a bunch of defenses lacking, not able to get their calls off,” Wade said. “So we’ll catch a bunch of d-linemen just standing up.”

That sounded to be the case during Auburn’s first fall scrimmage on Saturday.

Heavy on the gas pedal, Freeze said the Tigers were able to run the ball well behind their quick-moving tempo, which first strained the defense.

“I’m all about creating adverse situations, and they struggled stopping our tempo early on, and I think we can go really fast when we want to,” Freeze said. “They struggled with that earlier. And then I called that off and wanted to see if we could execute and then the defense pretty much dominated from that point forward.”

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, the Tigers’ offense could only go full throttle for so long before the East Alabama heat did what the East Alabama heat does.

“Thought the heat got to us a little bit. It’s been a hot camp,” Freeze said. “I’m no excuse maker at all but we’ve gone several days in a row and you can tell they’re gassed a bit.”

The Auburn football team gets a much-needed day off Sunday.

Meanwhile, Freeze and his staff will likely have their eyes glued to the film from Saturday’s action, which showed plenty to be improved upon.

But Freeze isn’t hitting the panic button.

“I’m pretty pleased to this point,” Freeze said. “We’ve failed some tests in the adverse situations throughout but I’ve never had a team that didn’t.”

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

Updated: Aug. 12, 2023, 3:40 p.m.|Published: Aug. 12, 2023, 1:47 p.m.

5–6 minutes

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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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slim pickings today folks.the team rested yesterday. i will check in during the day to look for more updates.

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[aubiefifty 18,259]

i try to get this stuff up early for folks like salty that want to read the articles with his morning coffee. a lot of days the pods and sometimes articles do not drop that early so be sure and check back for updates.

[JuscAUse! 1,678]

28 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

 

These guys talk trash like old friends. I hope that translates to something good on the field.

[SaltyTiger 8,579]

56 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

i try to get this stuff up early for folks like salty that want to read the articles with his morning coffee. a lot of days the pods and sometimes articles do not drop that early so be sure and check back for updates.

Great stuff again Fiddy. FYI and according to great sources the Auburn Band enjoyed lasagna and salads plus an evening stay at the Marriott Grand National last night. Everyone really excited about the up coming season and new coaching staff.
 

The team always stays at the Marriott on Friday night prior to home football games. They leave on buses approximately 2 1/2 hours before kick off and unload at Tiger Walk. According to the sources Harsin opted not to stay at the Marriott with the team during his time and and unlike his predecessor. Further, “ when Caddy took over last year there was an obvious team closeness that had been nonexistent during Harsin. 

[Paladin 3,307]

Auburn football coaching staff ranked No. 3 most impressive new group in college football

Justin Hokanson

The coaching staff of first-year Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is catching people’s attention.

FootballScoop.com has covered the industry of high school and college football coaches for over 20 years, and during a recent ranking of the most impressive new college football coaching staffs in the nation, Freeze’s staff ranked as the No. 3 most-impressive new staff.

Freeze’s first staff consists of Philip Montgomery, Carnell Williams, Marcus Davis, Ben Aigamaua, Jake Thornton, Ron Roberts, Jeremy Garrett, Josh Aldridge, Zac Etheridge and Wesley McGriff. 

There were some high-profile hires by Freeze. Montgomery has produced some phenomenal offenses during his years and coached numerous all-conference players, including former Heisman winner Robert Griffin III. Thornton was a coup from the Ole Miss staff under Lane Kiffin, where Thornton was respected and wanted by Kiffin. Etheridge was courted by Georgia and other programs. McGriff was hired away from Louisville. And of course, Williams was kept on after rejuvenating the Tigers’ program during the last month of the 2022 season.

FootballScoop.com sees the hiring of Montgomery as one of the best decisions Freeze made in the offseason.

“I think one of the most intriguing scheme storylines in college football is what the Auburn offense will look like with the combination of Freeze and Montgomery,” Doug Samuels of FootballScoop wrote. “One thing is certain – the new-look Auburn offense will definitely push the tempo.

“Freeze has had explosive and efficient offenses wherever he has been, and Montgomery’s best offenses have stretched the field vertically about as good as any college football teams in recent memory with gap scheme runs dominating on the ground. How Freeze and Montgomery combine their offensive genius is going to be something worth keeping an eye on, because the potential for fireworks is sky high, and we profiled Montgomery’s hire as one of the most important assistant coaching hires (#11) last week.”

Freeze said in February that the hiring of Montgomery allows him to shift some focus towards “game management,” and allow Montgomery to be the primary play caller.

As far as the biggest obstacle ahead, Samuels believes the challenge in front of Roberts is a significant one.

“To win, and compete for national titles like their fan base expects, Ron Roberts and Auburn are going to have to get the defense to play at a higher level than the previous staff, as the offensive gauntlet of the SEC West should be upgraded in a number of areas,” Samuels wrote.

“LSU will be in year two under Brian Kelly, and people are already talking College Football Playoff potential for the Tigers, and Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss always seem to put up 30+. Mississippi State and Zach Arnett brought in Kevin Barbay from Appalachian State this past season and he brings an offense that gave a star-studded roster at Texas A&M all kinds of fits in their upset of the Aggies. Then you’ve got the combination of Jimbo Fisher and Bobby Petrino in College Station that no one is quite sure how the dynamic is going to work, but if they get it dialed it could be really dangerous.

“Bottom line is Auburn ranked 97th nationally in scoring defense last year under Bryan Harsin, giving up nearly 30 points per game. I think they need to rank in the top 50 or so in year one to win 8 games and the type of national championship trajectory that fans are expecting in short order.”

Freeze said in February of Roberts, “I think Ron is as brilliant of a defensive mind as is out there. If you look at all the really good ones that have come from his tree, that learned from him, that speaks as much as anything to me. “

As far as underrated hire, former Liberty offensive coordinator Kent Austin wins that moniker, according to Samuels. Austin is a quality control assistant and special assistant to Freeze at Auburn. Formerly, he was a coordinator at Ole Miss in 2008-2009.

“That quality experience in a key role as a right hand guy will be invaluable for Freeze in his SEC 2.0 go-round,” Samuels wrote.

Freeze said of Austin in February, “He’s the best QB coach I’ve ever been around. He really is the best in looking at a QB and saying this is what he needs to work on and what he needs to improve. He’s also a great game planner. I think he’s going to be huge for us in that off-the-field role. I’m really leaning on him to be the chief quality control for our offense.”

Freeze hopes the totality of his coaching staff hires helps him focus more on the culture of the program moving forward, as opposed to the micro of simply running an offense.

“It’s really just the total landscape of college football and running a program,” Freeze said after being hired. “If I really do what I’ve done in the past and spend all my time game planning, preparing to call a game only… I’m not sure that’s best for Auburn.”

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al.com

 

A look at where preseason polls see Auburn football for the 2023 season

Published: Aug. 14, 2023, 12:04 p.m.

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AUBURN, AL - August 12, 2023 - Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze speaks to the media during a press conference after a fall camp scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL. Photo By Austin PerrymanAuburn University Athletics

The Associated Press released its preseason top 25 poll Monday where Auburn, as expected, went unranked but did receive seven voting points.

That put Auburn as the 37th overall team and the sixth among SEC West teams in the poll or receiving votes.

The two voters that included Auburn in their ballot were Brian Fonesca of The Star-Ledger who ranked Auburn 21st and Brett McMurphy of Stadium who voted Auburn 24th.

Auburn has five 2023 opponents ranked in the preseason top 25: No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 LSU, No. 22 Ole Miss and No. 23 Texas A&M. Arkansas and Mississippi State also received votes.

Auburn received similar recognition in the Coaches’ preseason top 25 released last week. The Tigers received 18 voting points and were also the sixth-ranked team in the SEC West.

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yahoo.com

 

DJ James included in Bednarik Award watchlist

Taylor Jones

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The secondary will be one of the most experienced units the Auburn Tigers will exhibit this season, and one of its top players is being considered to win one of the nation’s top individual awards.

D.J. James proved to be one of Auburn’s top defenders in his debut season with the Tigers in 2022. He made 37 stops and recorded one interception, which was returned for a touchdown in Auburn’s win over Western Kentucky last November. He graded out at 82.3 according to Pro Football Focus, which is the 10th highest among returning cornerbacks.

James is expected to have another great season in 2023, which is why the Maxwell Football Club has included him in their preseason watchlist for the Chuck Bednarik Award. The award has been given to the nation’s top defensive player every season since 1994.

This marks the second watchlist that James has been a part of ahead of the season. He is also a member of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist, which is voted on by the Football Writers Association of America.

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