6.14.24 Football Articles

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247sports.com

Thompson pass rusher enjoys Auburn visit plans to return

Jason Caldwell

3–4 minutes

Cameron Pritchett is a talented young player at Thompson.

Even though he's just heading into his sophomore year at powerhouse Thompson High School, 2027 pass rusher Cameron Pritchett has already established himself as a threat on defense for the Warriors after finishing last season with 40 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 6 sacks.

Already with offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M and West Virginia, Pritchett continues to gain steam on the recruiting trail following a strong spring.

Last week he was on the Auburn campus along with his teammates as they took part in a 7-on-7 camp with the Tigers. Getting a chance to see the campus, talk to the coaches and check out the facilities, Pritchett said he enjoyed the experience.

"It was a great opportunity for me to build a relationship with the Auburn coaches and just to get to enjoy the atmosphere," he said of the experience.

Getting the chance to talk with Hugh Freeze and get to know him, Pritchett said he liked what he heard from the Auburn head coach.

"The biggest thing was that he was just letting me know that I'm going to be a big priority and they want me there."

Already at 6-3, 231 and with an explosive first step and the power to hold his own against the older guys in high school, Pritchett said the opportunity is there for him at Auburn. Even with three years of high school football remaining, he's watching closely what happens on the Plains.

"I feel like it's a great school and a great place for me to come in as a freshman and do what I need to do."

Planning to return to Auburn this fall for a game, Pritchett said the Tigers are definitely on his radar after getting a close up look at the program.

"I do think Auburn will be a school for me in the long run."

Auburn in 'top three' for DL prospect following officlal visit

Mathis took a midweek official visit to Auburn.

A guy that defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams went to go and see in the spring and quickly shot up the board, defensive tackle Walter Mathis Jr. made his way to Auburn for a midweek official visit that wrapped up on Wednesday.

The Calvary Day School (Ga.) product, who's ranked in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite as the No. 422 player, No.49 defensive lineman and No. 48 player from Georgia, left with a good idea of what to expect should he choose the Tigers.

"It was good," he said of the visit. "It was excellent."

Spending time with the coaches and players and getting a chance to check out the campus, Mathis Jr. said he enjoyed the time with coach Hugh Freeze and the message from the Tigers.

"He's a good man," Mathis Jr. said of Freeze. "He talked about how he's rebuilding the team. I like how he's close to God and I like the coaching staff. You can tell they're a good group of guys and they fit in well together. It's just like a family."

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si.com

Erasing Auburn Tigers 2023 Defensive Woes in 2024

Terrance Biggs

4–6 minutes

While Auburn sputtered to a 6-7 record in 2023, looking deeper, you see a defense that flashed potential but ultimately faded with the money on the table. In losing three games by seven of fewer points, the Auburn defense squandered a chance to immediately change the culture in and around the program.

Auburn finished ninth in the SEC in total defense, a number not good enough for a program that historically prides itself on hard-nosed football.

Although 2023 firmly rests in the rearview mirror, the residue of loss sticks with teams until the first game of the following year. The Tigers will either learn from their mistakes or continue to struggle because of them. No in-between.

Schematically Speaking

Granted, other teams in college football run what basically resembles a 3-3-5 look, but defensive coordinator DJ Durkin looks to alter that approach. In the standard 3-3-5 alignment, three down linemen pair with an edge rusher. With the power upfront and the perimeter speed in support, Auburn should easily control both the run and pass.

Yet, the unit collectively struggled in key moments. If you start by stopping the opponent's rushing attack, a clearer explanation arises. The Tigers held Georgia and Arkansas to 107 and 120 rushing yards respectively. Auburn split those contests, narrowly losing to Georgia while blowing out the Razorbacks.

Taking those two standout performances, you see teams running the ball with impunity. For example, in their 28-21 loss to Ole Miss, the Rebels ran the ball an astonishing fifty-six times for 223 yards. The number of yards belies the excessive amount of carries and the Tigers' inability to stop the Rebels' offense.

Everyone in Jordan-Hare expected run, no one on the field could stop it. Under those circumstances would deploying the BUCK as a down lineman help? In all honesty, something needs to happen. 

Playing Smarter

The hallmark of any successful defense resides with the amount of discipline that permeates the unit. Unfortunately, Auburn lacked consistent defensive discipline. The Auburn defense committed 6.62 penalties-penalties-per game. That number put them 109th in the country. Teams capitalized on those drive-extending infractions, making the Tigers routinely pay for a lack of composure.

For instance, during their four-game losing streak, Auburn committed forty-three penalties for 246 yards. In two of those losses, the Tigers lost by seven points twice. Not all of those were defensive penalties, but imagine if the defense forced a three-and-out just twice more in each game, instead of time and yardage going the way of the opponent.

Furthermore, no defense closed out the season with less self-restraint. After a blowout win in Fayetteville, Auburn returned home, only to watch New Mexico State run them out of their own stadium. The Aggies rushed for 228 yards and outgained Auburn nearly 2-1.

Help Arrives

Like most teams in FBS, Auburn attacked the transfer portal with intention and purpose. After watching rivals running up and down the field, the Tigers recruited quality run stoppers. Auburn brought in five transfers on the defensive line.

Nose guard Trill Carter steps on the plains, arriving from Texas where he earned Honorable Mention Big 12 Newcomer of the Year. First and foremost, Carter uses power and leverage to occupy blockers. At six-feet-tall and 290 pounds, his goal remains to drive his hands under opponent's arms, thwarting their attempts to block him. As a result, linebacker and safety pursuit in the run game should feel freedom to operate.

While Gage Keys, a two-time transfer should win the defensive tackle job next to Carter.

It wasn't just the portal though, look out for 6'4 and 275-pound Malik Blocton. Blocton, a highly touted recruit from Pike Road (Ala.) possesses a higher ceiling and more moldable traits than Keys. Ironically, Blocton looks to secure a spot, where his older brother, Marcus Harris played for three years before heading to the Houston Texans as a seventh-round pick. 

Overview

When discussing the 2023 Auburn Tigers defense and looking ahead to 2024, correcting their shortcomings sits atop the laundry list of issues. For a team loaded with athletic talent from front to back, the Tigers did not play cohesively in 2023. Now, with a new season, roughly two months away, Auburn can erase the bitter memory 2023's defense with strong, smart and composed defensive football.

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athlonsports.com

Auburn's Official Visitors List Has 5-Star Quarterback, Top Recruits Coming To The Plains

Brian Smith

5–6 minutes

Auburn is set to host a tremendous list of recruits this upcoming weekend.

With Auburn the #8 team in the 247 Sports recruiting rankings, the Tigers have a chance to move closer to a top-five recruiting class. Here’s a breakdown of the recruits expected to officially visit Auburn this weekend. The list could certainly change at a moment’s notice.

Julian Lewis, Quarterback, Carrollton (Ga.) High School - Southern California Commitment

According to MaxPreps, Lewis’s junior statistics showcase why he’s such a heavily recruited prospect. 186 of 280, 66.4%, 3,094, 48 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.

The 5-star signal-caller is coming off an official visit to Southern California (June 7), the program Auburn is truly competing with the most for Lewis’s signature and where he’s technically committed. Now it’s Auburn’s turn.

The key will be to regain recruiting momentum – including a reminder that Auburn is two hours away from his home compared to a plane flight to Los Angeles – to eventually flip the elite quarterback. Colorado (June 21) is the other program he will see in June, with Indiana (May 31) completed.

Shamar Arnoux, Cornerback, Carrollton (Ga.) High School

Florida State (June 21) is the team trending with Arnoux, who just happens to be teammates with Lewis, Auburn’s top quarterback target. He’s a long and athletic defensive back at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds. That’s the type of frame that can be molded into a prime SEC cornerback.

Auburn has three cornerbacks in the fold but will lose multiple players after the 2024 season. Time to load up. Auburn needs to hit the home run with Arnoux’s official visit.

Duane Morris, Running Back/Athlete, Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland - Southern California Commitment

Few recruits will wow an onlooker with his junior film like Morris. Dashing and darting through a wave of defenders, it’s eye-opening just how elusive this young man is. He’s also a quality receiver, too.

Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class does not possess a running back recruit. Morris would be a great place to start for the 2025 class. Tremendous talent.

Darrell Johnson, Linebacker, Eastman (Ga.) Dodge County - Alabama Commitment

How committed is he to Alabama? According to an article by 247, “Darrell Johnson and Jaedon Harmon were back in Tuscaloosa over the weekend. Both appear very locked in and have told Bama247 several times they are openly recruiting via social media and while on campus.”

That could be the case, but Johnson is taking his official visit to Auburn. Why go if one is truly locked in? He’s a tremendous athlete, the type who can be a defensive playmaker. It would be huge for the Tigers to flip the Crimson Tide commitment.

Eric Winters Hybrid Safety, Enterprise (Ala.) High School

Winters is a player long rumored to be heading to Auburn. He is going to decide by the end of the month; perhaps he will pull the trigger for the Tigers this weekend.

Of all the recruits visiting the Plains this weekend, Winters is likely the most familiar recruit with Auburn who did not already pledge to Hugh Freeze and his staff. This is a defender who can play multiple roles and be a chess piece in major SEC contests. Miami (May 31) and Georgia (June 7) are the other teams in contention but the Tigers should be considered the team to watch.

Hollis Davidson, Tight End, Peachtree City (Ga.) McIntosh

A one-time Auburn commitment, Davidson is taking a broader look at his options before making a final decision. Auburn is still coming after him hard and this is a chance to reaffirm why he went with the Tigers in the first place. Florida (June 7) and Florida State (June 21) are likely the programs Auburn will contend with.

He’s a well-rounded tight end who can beat a team by catching the football or as a blocker. Davidson is 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, so he is already close to the size to compete at the SEC level.

Herbert Scroggins, Outside Linebacker, Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School

Scroggins will remind some Auburn fans of Amaris Williams and Jamonta Waller that he can play linebacker or defensive end. Most importantly, Scroggins has the athleticism to play the run, rush the passer, and even cover tight ends one-on-one.

Auburn is looking good for this top prospect. This upcoming weekend is a chance for the Tigers to close the deal. Auburn is his next to last official visit for the summer. North Carolina (May 31) and Georgia Tech (June 7) are complete, with Miami (June 21) still to come.

Along with the uncommitted prospects, the following Auburn commitments will also be taking their official visits to the Plains. It’s a tremendously talented group.

Jakaleb Faulk, Defensive End, Highland Home (Ala.) High School

Devin Williams, Cornerback, Buford (Ga.) High School

Carde Smith, Offensive Line, Mobile (Ala.) Williamson

Ryan Ghea, Tight End, Milton (Ga.) High School

Dante Core, Cornerback, Fort Walton Beach (Fla.) High School

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247sports.com

7 Tigers named preseason AllSEC by Phil Steele

Nathan King

4–5 minutes

Some summer recognition for the Tigers, with one notable omission on defense

With a blend of experience and newcomers, Auburn is expecting to have at least a few standout performers in the SEC in 2024.

The season is still more than two months away, but in line with the usual summer preview magazine craze, Phil Steele has released his annual SEC previews in one of the sport's most popular magazines. Steele annually hands out four teams of preseason all-conference accolades, and Auburn has landed seven players in this year's edition.

Cornerback Keionte Scott and running back Jarquez Hunter grace the first team, as Scott received the honors as a punt returner, and was also named a preseason third team All-American by Steele in the magazine, also for his special-teams duties. Hunter, who could eclipse 3,000 career rushing yards this season, is one of two first-team tailbacks, joining Florida's Montrell Johnson.

Tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, Auburn's top pass-catcher last season in all categories, was the lone Auburn player named second team All-SEC. Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith — the Nittany Lions' leading receiver last season with 673 yards and four scores — landed on Steele's third team.

Rounding things out on the fourth team are edge rusher Jalen McLeod, cornerback Kayin Lee and kicker Alex McPherson. McLeod is Auburn's returning leader in sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (10.5), while McPherson went a perfect 13-for-13 on field goals in his first season as the starter. Lee, expected to start opposite Scott at corner, appeared in every game as a true freshman in 2023 and was second on the team with five pass breakups, while allowing only 13 receptions on 26 targets.

The most glaring omission on Steele's list is that of linebacker Eugene Asante, who led the Tigers with 86 tackles last season, plus 8.5 TFLs and a fumble-return touchdown. He's the No. 5 returning tackler in the league, yet did not receive a nod on Steele's 16 linebacker spots across the four teams.

All-SEC prognostications will continue to roll out over the course of the summer, leading up to the media and coaches' ballots, which will be announced after SEC Media Days toward the end of July.

Auburn had three players named All-SEC by the league's coaches last season: Fairweather (second team), Hunter (second team) and safety Jaylin Simpson (second team).

The Auburn Recruiting Big Board: Defense V5

A complete breakdown of how Auburn is positioned with its top targets in the 2025 class.

Welcome back to the Auburn Undercover Recruiting Big Board. Every Thursday — and more often once Signing Day gets closer — we will go in-depth on Auburn's top targets and other names to know on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

After opening up with V1 and running through a wide variety of names with no true scale just to introduce things, we've implemented a temperature scale for how Auburn is trending with a recruit according to our intel. Once Signing Day gets closer, the temperate scale will transition to a percentage.

For reference, the scale is: Cold, cool, neutral, warm and hot. Cold being a recruit that Auburn is not recruiting heavily or doesn't have much traction with, while hot is a recruit we believe Auburn is sitting in a very good spot with. And then everything in between.

We're in the thick of official visit season and Auburn is already making moves.

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247sports.com

ExAuburn coach Gus Malzahn recalls first impressions of QB Cam Newton prior to national championship run

Cody Nagel

13–16 minutes

Gus Malzahn praised the former Tigers superstar and Heisman winner as the best of all-time.

Former Auburn quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton is widely regarded as one of the most impactful players in college football history. In his lone season with the Tigers, he led the program to its first national championship in more than 50 years, putting together an impressive campaign. Gus Malzahn, who served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn for three seasons, including the BCS Championship season in 2010, has previously touted Newton as the best college football quarterback ever.

Malzahn recently recalled his first impressions of Newton while appearing on 247Sports UNFILTERED with Carl Reed and Smoke Dixon.

"Obviously he's a very talented guy," Malzahn said. "He was very driven, that's really what stood out to me. And he was really hungry. He was a blessing to coach. He allowed me to coach him hard. He really willed us to win, and it was really a great experience for me to coach a guy like him and watch what he did. I only had him for 11 months, but man, that was some of the best times really in my coaching career."

Newton, who originally signed with Florida out of high school before transferring to Blinn College (JUCO) in Texas, arrived at Auburn before the start of the 2010 season. Newton amassed 4,327 yards of total offense and accounted for 50 touchdowns. He threw for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns while adding 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground.

"I think he's the best college player to ever play one year," Malzahn said. "I don't know how anybody can argue against it. I mean, look at what he did. We didn't have a lot of NFL players on our team, especially the offense, and he led us to a national championship. I'll say this, I've been coaching for 30-some years, he's the only player that you could feel fear in the defenses out there. And we played real defenses, some of the best out there. You could feel they were scared of him. That should tell it all."

Newton earned numerous postseason awards and honors, including the Heisman Trophy. His on-field success eventually led to Malzahn becoming a head coach, first at Arkansas State in 2012 before returning to Auburn in 2013.

"Being a former high school coach, it was really about fit for me," Malzahn said of Arkansas State. "Of course, that fit great for me. Hugh Freeze was there, a friend of mine, he told me all about it. He left me some good players. I knew I could recruit there and the bottom line is, strategically, these coordinators when they move up or want to be a head coach, you got to go somewhere you can win. It was set up for me and I felt very confident that we could do that. Honestly, I was planning on sticking around there for a long time. I felt like we could really win big and they were building new facilities. Lot of great things going on. Of course, the Auburn job came open 11 months later. But that was a really good fit for me."

RELATED (VIP): Auburn in 'top three' for defensive line prospect following official visit

Malzahn spent eight seasons as the head coach at Auburn before being fired in December 2020. He was later hired at UCF where he now enters his fourth season as head coach.

Grant Hughes contributed to this article.

This article originates on 247Sports.

OV Overview: The biggest weekend yet to end the month

Previewing what's set to be the biggest weekend yet this summer for Auburn in recruiting.

While technically there's still one more weekend after this one before the dead period, Auburn will wrap things up early with the final set of official visitors expected in this weekend. And Auburn will end it in a big way, too, with double-digit official visitors including 5-star USC quarterback commit Julian Lewis.

Running through each of the expected official visitors and where Auburn stands with them:

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https://sports.yahoo.com/3-star-defensive-lineman-ranks-160040511.html?

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https://sports.yahoo.com/hunter-scott-earn-first-team-140042208.html?

 

word in the break room is one of our kids are up for an oscar for home videos......grins

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