10.18.23 Football Articles

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Auburn Opponent Preview Ole Miss offense another big challenge for Tigers

Jason Caldwell

9–11 minutes

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Auburn takes on Ole Miss on Saturday night.

After facing the country’s No. 3 and No. 9 scoring offenses the last two games, the Auburn Tigers get No. 8 this Saturday night when Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels come to Jordan-Hare Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN. Averaging 41.7 points per game this season, Ole Miss has put up some impressive stats with a balanced offensive attack. Ranked 11th nationally in total offense (489.3 ypg), the Rebels average 306 yards passing per game and 183 yards on the ground.

Leading the way for Ole Miss is quarterback Jaxon Dart. Up and down last season in his first year in Oxford, Dart has been strong to this point in the season. Completing 107-167 passes for 1,638 yards and 12 touchdowns with only two interceptions, Dart has taken care of the football while also creating big plays for the Ole Miss offense. In six games, Ole Miss has 36 passing plays of 20 yards or more this season. That’s good enough for fifth nationally (LSU has 44). 

Much of that has come with the hands and feet of Louisiana Tech transfer Tre Harris. In his first season with the Rebels, Harris has been the biggest of big play threats for the offense, catching 17 passes for 367 yards and six touchdowns in five games. That’s an average of 21.6 yards every time he touches the ball.

Mr. Consistency for the offense has been Louisville transfer Jordan Watkins. In six games he has 36 catches for 536 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Dayton Wade rounds out the starting group. The Western Kentucky transfer has 27 catches for 390 yards and two touchdowns.

On the ground, Ole Miss has a two-headed monster at running back in sophomore Quinshon Judkins along with SMU transfer Ulysses Bentley. After putting up monster numbers last season, Judkins is again running well with 443 yards and six touchdowns on 108 carries this season. Bentley has provided the flash to Judkins’ power, adding 275 yards and three touchdowns on just 37 carries (7.5 ypc).

Up front, Ole MIss has a veteran group led by right guard Jeremy James and center Caleb Warren. James made his 42nd consecutive start the last time out while for games it was start No. 37. Veteran Micah Pettus returns at right tackle for the Rebels while Washington transfer Victor Curne and UAB transfer Quincy McGee round out the starting five.

OFFENSE

WR 

9 Tre Harris (6-2, 205, SR*-TR, Lafayette, La., Louisiana Tech)

5 Zakhari Franklin (6-1, 185, SR-TR, Cedar Hill, Texas, UTSA)

WR 

19 Dayton Wade (5-9, 175, SR*-1L, Atlanta, Ga., Western Kentucky)

1 Ayden Williams (6-3, 190, FR-HS, Ridgeland, Miss., Ridgeland)

WR 

11 Jordan Watkins (5-11, 190, SR*-1L, Louisville, Ky., Louisville)

12 Bralon Brown (6-2, 195, SO-2L, Miramar, Fla., St. Thomas Aquinas) -OR83 Cayden Lee (5-11, 175, FR-HS, Kennesaw, Ga., Kennesaw Mountain)

LT 

79 Victor Curne (6-4, 320, SR-TR, Houston, Texas, Washington)

71 Jayden Williams (6-5, 300, SO-1L, Conway, Ark., Conway) 

LG 

67 Quincy McGee (6-4, 320, SR-TR, Hattiesburg, Miss., UAB)

73 Eli Acker (6-5, 295, JR-3L, Columbus, Miss., Heritage Academy)

C 

54 Caleb Warren (6-5, 310, SR*-4L, Louisville, Miss., Nanih Waiya)

56 Reese McIntyre (6-5, 305, SR*-4L, Buford, Ga., Buford)

RG 

78 Jeremy James (6-5, 305, SR*-4L, Cumming, Ga., North Forsyth)

55 Preston Cushman (6-5, 280, FR-RS, St. Petersburg, Fla., Calvary Christian)

RT 

57 Micah Pettus (6-7, 360, SO-1L, Madison, Ala., James Clemens) 

76 Cedric Melton (6-5, 300, JR-2L, Houston, Texas, Klein Cain) 

TE 

86 Caden Prieskorn (6-5, 255, SR*-TR, Lake Orion, Mich., Memphis)

88 Kyirin Heath (6-4, 235, SO-1L, Mansfield, Texas, Legacy)

87 Hudson Wolfe (6-7, 230, SO-1L, Savannah, Tenn., Hardin County

QB 

2 Jaxson Dart (6-2, 220, JR-1L, Kaysville, Utah, USC)

3 Spencer Sanders (6-1, 210, SR-TR, Denton, Texas, Okla. St.)

7 Walker Howard (6-1, 195, FR-TR, Lafayette, La., LSU)

13 Austin Simmons (6-2, 200, FR-HS, Pinecrest, Fla., Pahokee)

RB 

4 Quinshon Judkins (5-11, 210, SO-1L, Pike Road, Ala., Pike Road)

24 Ulysses Bentley IV (5-11, 200, SR*-1L, Houston, Texas, SMU) 

8 Jam Griffin (5-9, 210, SR*-TR, Rome, Ga., Oregon State) -OR

40 Matt Jones (5-7, 180, SO-1L, Jackson, Miss., Jackson Prep)

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

Five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham sets visit to Auburn

JD McCarthy

~2 minutes

Auburn is set to host several visitors this weekend and one of them will be one of the best wide receivers in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Five-star wideout Caleb Cunningham announced he would be visiting the Plains this weekend when they take on the Ole Miss Rebels.

Cunningham is from Ackerman, Mississippi and this will be his second visit to Auburn this year after they extended him an offer in February.

He is the No. 10 overall player and No. 3 wide receiver in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 1 player from Mississippi.

Checking in at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, he is one of Auburn’s top targets in the 2025 class and someone nearly every program in the country will try to recruit.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is off to a strong start with commitments from four-star defensive linemen Malik Autry and Jourdin Crawford, four-star edge rusher Jakaleb Faulk and three-star offensive tackle Spencer Dowland.

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