5.19.24 Football Articles

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si.com

 

Auburn Gains Florida Defensive Back’s Commitment!

Brian Smith

1–2 minutes

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Dante Core.png / Brian Smith-Auburn Daily

 

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Auburn's 2025 recruiting class now has commitment No. 11.

The latest football recruit to pledge to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers would be cornerback Dante Core from Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) High School. The 2025 prospect is 6-foot-1 and 165 pounds and knows the Auburn campus well as a recent visitor for A-Day.

Core is the second cornerback to commit to the Tigers after Buford (Ga.) High School's Devin Williams came into the recruiting fold on Feb. 26, 2024. For Auburn, it's great that the pivotal cornerback position is already in great shape with two commitments to build talent and depth.

Some of Core's other football scholarship offers would be from Ole Miss, LSU, Tennessee, Missouri, North Carolina State, Mississippi State, Kansas, Louisville, and Iowa State.

To view Core's junior highlights, click here.

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Published 12 Hours Ago

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saturdaydownsouth.com

Auburn running back reportedly injured in fatal Florida shooting

Derek Peterson | 13 hours ago

2–3 minutes

Auburn running back Brian Battie was injured in a shooting in Florida on Saturday that claimed the life of his older brother, Tommie, according to multiple reports.

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Battie remains in critical condition after being shot in the head. The shooting reportedly took place at a hookah bar in Sarasota, Florida, early Saturday morning. An Auburn spokesperson told multiple outlets that the program is aware of the situation and is continuing to gather information.

Sarasota Director of Community Affairs Evan Keats confirmed to AL.com that Tommie, 24, was killed in the shooting while 4 others were taken to the hospital. Keats would not confirm any other victim’s name in the shooting, citing Florida’s Marsy’s Law statute, and had no additional update on their condition.

Deputies have not yet released the name of the shooter or a motive. An investigation is ongoing.

A senior from Sarasota, Battie began his career at USF before transferring to Auburn ahead of the 2023 season. Battie carried the ball 51 times for 227 yards for the Tigers in his debut season while backing up Jarquez Hunter and Damari Alston.

At USF, Battie was a 1,000-yard rusher in 2022. In 2021, he was a consensus first-team All-American kick returner after he led college football with three kickoffs returned for touchdowns. Battie was Auburn’s primary kick returner last season, averaging 23 yards per return.

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Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson comes to the Pac-12 after years of serving as a college football beat writer at Oklahoma and Nebraska. He's a firm believer that teams should never punt. Follow on Twitter.

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cbssports.com

Auburn RB Brian Battie injured during fatal shooting in Florida; brother, Tommie, pronounced dead at scene

Will Backus

~2 minutes

Getty Images

Auburn running back Brian Battie was injured during a fatal shooting Saturday morning in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida, 247Sports confirms. Battie's brother, 24-year-old Tommie Battie, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

The incident, which took place around 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning, sent four others to the hospital, including the Tigers running back. 

"We are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information," an Auburn spokesperson told multiple outlets. 

Battie served as Auburn's primary kick returner and provided depth at running back during the 2023 season. He finished fifth in the SEC in kick return average with 23 yards per touch and averaged just under 50 yards per kick return per game. Battie also rushed for 227 yards for the season, scoring a touchdown in a Nov. 11 win against Arkansas. 

Prior to joining Auburn's roster, Battie spent three years at South Florida, where he emerged as one of the top kick returners in the nation. He was named a consensus All-American in 2021 after amassing 650 yards and three touchdowns as USF's primary kick returner. He also earned second-team All-AAC honors as a running back in 2022 after rushing for 1,186 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games. He was a four-star prospect in 247Sports' 2023 transfer rankings, 

Battie signed with South Florida in 2020 out of Sarasota High School. 

CBS Sports will update this story as more information becomes available. 

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al.com

Auburn wins the commitment of 2025 3-star cornerback Dante Core

Published: May. 18, 2024, 7:10 p.m.

2–3 minutes

Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze makes an appearance during a timeout in the second half an NCAA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in Auburn, Alabama. (Julie Bennett | preps@al.com)Julie Bennett | preps@al.com

After welcoming Dante Core to The Plains for Auburn’s A-Day spring game on April 6 and taking an unofficial visit to Auburn on Saturday, Hugh Freeze and the Tigers officially added the 3-star cornerback to their 2025 recruiting class Saturday evening.

Core announced his commitment to Auburn in a post to X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter.

Coming out of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., just more than 200 miles south of Auburn, Core had also hauled in offers from the likes of Boston College, Liberty, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Troy and USF among others.

As of late, Auburn, Boston College and Ole Miss were the three programs leading the way in Core’s recruitment.

Core visited Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss the day before Auburn’s spring game.

But clearly, it was Freeze and Auburn that left a lasting impression on the 5-foot-11, 165-pound cornerback.

In his junior campaign at Fort Walton High School, Core tallied 22 total tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions. A two-way player, Core also hauled in 10 passes for 232 yards and a pair of touchdowns on offense.

With Core in the fold, Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class now sits at 11 recruits. Core’s commitment gives Auburn its second cornerback commit as he joins 4-star Devin Williams, who pledged to the Tigers back in February.

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