9.4.24 Football Articles

aubiefifty · September 4

247sports.com

Thorne says Auburn offense looking for improvement heading into Cal game

Jason Caldwell

4–5 minutes

Sam Jackson remembers the sea of orange.

Coming out of the tunnel for warmups at California Memorial Stadium last September, Jackson was stunned to see so many Auburn fans travel 2,500 miles to the west coast. Their momentum in what was ultimately a 14-10 snoozer of a win for the Tigers — their first ever as a program in the state of California — was impossible for even the home team to ignore.

"It was crazy to me — just because I came out, and it was like an orange-out," Jackson said. "Every time they made a play, the crowd was going crazy. When we made a play, it was kind of like ... you know. It was surprising, for sure."

Does he expect that big of a road presence in Jordan-Hare Stadium this time around?

"No," Jackson said. "Just to be honest, no."

A year later, Jackson has swapped jerseys to the other side — and this Saturday, he'll welcome a bevy of his old teammates to his new home. After he was Cal's Week 1 starter at quarterback last season, he'll attempt to take down the Golden Bears as part of new-look Auburn's receiving corps. With his former high-school teammate Payton Thorne at QB, Jackson transferred to Auburn in December, switching positions in the process.

His experience going against Cal's defense in practice — and being part of the offense, for that matter, even with a coordinator changed this offseason — is something his Auburn teammates and coaches are tapping into this week.

"Some defensive guys (at Auburn) called me up just to ask about player personnel, who we should look out for," Jackson said. "Some guys on offense, too — because I went against that defense every single day in fall and spring. They've definitely been reaching out to me."

A former 4-star recruit at Naperville High School (Illinois) with Thorne, Jackson signed with TCU and played two seasons as a backup there, including on the 2022 national runner-up team. He transferred to Cal last offseason and won the starting job in the preseason, though he sustained a shoulder injury in Week 1.

Jackson played most of the game when Auburn won at Cal the following week, but wasn't able to retain the starting position throughout the season. He played in only three more games for the Golden Bears, who turned to Fernando Mendoza for seven starts at QB the rest of the way, and into this season.

It was a clunky year for Jackson in Berkeley, underscored by injuries. He wanted another reset button heading into his fourth year of college football.

"It was more like — I wish I could've had another opportunity," Jackson said. "Not saying that they didn't give me another opportunity. But I just had to be smart about what I did and what was the next move. Because the ultimate end goal is to play in the NFL and I just didn't know if my future there would take me there, not because of the team but just because of the situation like I explained. But I got an opportunity to do something bigger and be a part of something bigger than myself at Auburn.

"So honestly, it was kind of bittersweet. It wasn't like I was mad at the program or mad at the coaches, it was just that God has a different plan for me."

Jackson concurred with Hugh Freeze that Cal coach Justin Wilcox and coordinator Peter Sirmon are a formidable tandem coaching the defense. But he'd be surprised if the Tigers have as paltry a performance an offense as last year's matchup.

"Don't get me wrong, they've got some ballers on defense," Jackson said. "That defense is pretty stout. … They're going to play hard, they're going to be in the right positions. I just don't think their guys are going to match up with our guys."

Kickoff from Jordan-Hare Stadium is set for 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN2.

aubiefifty · September 4

si.com

Auburn can Exploit Cal's High-Risk, High-Reward Defense

Terrance Biggs

3–4 minutes

The California Golden Bears roll onto the Plains, fresh off their win against UC Davis. Now, the Bears tangle with an Auburn Tigers team that crushed Alabama A&M, 73-3. Now, people will want to believe that the Tigers 73-point outburst will carry over in some shape, form, and fashion against an interesting Cal defense.

For the first time in what seems like eons, the Tigers head into a game with the attention and eyes of the college football world upon them. You never really hear the words offensive juggernaut and Auburn football fit in a sentence. Calm down, the Tigers will run up against a stiffer opponent in Cal.

Wild Scheme

Traversing the world of college football, you will see various schemes, even on defense. For Cal, and their defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon, they take that to another level. Now, on film, Cal runs what looks like a modern 4-2-5 defense. If you look closer, the Bears operate out of a 2-4-5, with two rush ends, from a two-point stance and just two down linemen.

While seemingly odd, the defense possesses a bundle of possibilities. Of course, Sirmon will send the rush ends at the quarterback, but look out for the zone blitz, which forces the offense to account for the blitzer. This level of confusion can bite Cal, especially versus the run. A steady diet of Jarquez Hunter will force California to change.

Pass Rush

Last week, the Bears failed to register a single sack against an FCS program. Despite playing an opponent that threw the ball 48 times, Cal could not drop the quarterback. UC Davis didn't do anything special that stopped the Bears from getting home.

Now, that should make Auburn think that the offense won't face heat. Xavier Carlton presents a challenge for the Auburn offensive line. Carlton is a five-technique that uses arm length and strength to win battles. At the same time, he will get to the outside with quick hands when he's not converting speed to power. Outside of that, the offensive line should enjoy a strong day in pass protection.

Aggressive Yet Vulnerable

Against UC Davis, California picked off three passes, contributing to their victory. Last year, the Bears led all of FBS with 28 takeaways. but the defense still allowed almost 33-points per game. The secondary will jump most routes playing a high-risk, high reward style of defense.

As a result, Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne could feast on the double move due to the size of the Auburn wideouts. Auburn cannot underestimate a defense that will constantly attack the ball, regardless of how many points they surrender. Sophomore linebacker Cade Uluave blends the ability to stop the run but also drop into coverage with sound ball skills and defensive vision.

Auburn is nearly a two-touchdown favorite against Cal on Saturday. The weather should be relatively mild for early September on the Plains, but the Tigers should still be able to heat up the scoreboard against the Golden Bears.

It just won't look as easy as it did last week.

aubiefifty · September 4

athlonsports.com

Auburn Recruiting Notes: Big-Time Battles Lie Ahead

Brian Smith

5–6 minutes

The 2025 Auburn recruiting class still has key players to bring into the fold despite already reaching the #5 class ranking by Rivals, On3, and 247.

You can read the full profile for each Auburn commitment RIGHT HERE.

Speaking with recruits and gaining additional intel from multiple sources, here’s the latest on some of the biggest targets left on the board. There’s also a little bit of 2026 recruiting information, too.

Deuce Knight, QB, Lucedale (Miss.) George County - 2025

Knight came back to Auburn for the Alabama A&M game. He is supposedly flipping soon but there is no date for an announcement. Auburn certainly appears to be in the driver’s seat with Knight going by how he’s interacting with commitments and how comfortable he is inside Jordan Hare Stadium.

It seems to be more of a matter of when, not if, he de-commits from Notre Dame and joins Auburn’s class. He’s a major focus for the AU staff and the sooner it's done the better it will be for the Tigers.

Elijah Melendez, LB, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola - 2025

After backing off his Miami commitment, Melendez’s visit to the Plains does give the notion that Auburn is a major player for his signature. The intel from multiple sources says the same.

Melendez hung out with Knight and numerous Auburn commitments so he is familiar with everything going on at Auburn. Miami’s coaching staff does a tremendous job of recruiting so this could be one of the more interesting situations between now and National Signing Day with multiple twists and turns quite possible.

Sam Turner, WR, Decatur (Ga.) Southwest Kekalb - 2025

A Georgia Tech commitment, Turner officially visited the Yellow Jackets and BYU this summer. Auburn (Sep. 28) will receive an official visit, and then there’s the Georgia Bulldogs to contend with.

The Dogs lose few in-state recruits that they truly want. It will be interesting to see if Kirby Smart and his coaching staff put the full-court press on Turner. UGA does appear to be going after him right now but that effort could intensify further. As for Auburn, there’s something to think about as well.

Assuming Knight does commit, that would seem to help with Turner and other wide receiver prospects. No two football positions are tied together like quarterback and wide receiver. Knight could be the draw for Turner that Hugh Freeze and the Tigers need.

Daylyn Upshaw, WR, Phenix City (Ala.) Central - 2025

Despite being a Miami commitment, Upshaw’s latest visit to AU for the A&M game is yet another sign of how fond he is of the Tigers. There’s no specific word on whether a change in commitment status could happen just yet but keep his name in mind. He’s from the same program as Cam Coleman.

Derick Smith, WR/S, Selma (Ala.) Southside - 2025

Originally committing to Alabama before changing his mind and picking Auburn, Smith should be considered one of the nation’s most versatile prospects. That brings up a good question. What position does Smith want to play?

Asking him that question this past Saturday, Smith honestly does not prefer one position over the other. Auburn is expected to play the nation’s #38 recruit by ESPN at wide receiver.

Watching his senior HUDL highlights provides a glimpse of his talent; Smith is a great prospect no matter where he lines up for Auburn.

Ousmane Kromah, RB, Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County - 2025

This is likely a two-team race between Florida State and Auburn. Going by how bad the Noles are on the playing field now (Boston College?) that could play a factor. Kromah is fond of the FSU coaching staff though.

A visitor for the Alabama A&M game, Kromah is another recruit who’s quite comfortable with his surroundings inside Jordan Hare. He might be the most difficult recruit in America to completely read but Auburn has a great shot with the consensus 4-star recruit.

Cederian Morgan, WR, Alexander City (Ala.) Benjamin Russell - 2026

Another talented visitor for the A&M game is from the underclassmen ranks. Arguably the top in-state prospect for the next cycle, Morgan comes in as 247’s No. 7 recruit for 2026. He’s no stranger to the Plains and lives just about an hour from campus. Those factors certainly help the Tigers.

Ohio State, Florida, Alabama, and numerous other programs are ardently recruiting Morgan. This will be a recruitment Auburn can win but will be a battle until Morgan actually signs his letter of intent.

Marquez Daniel, WR, Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T. Washington - 2026

Another talented in-state receiver with size at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, Daniel’s frame fits the profile for a major SEC wideout. He’s another prospect who now knows the Tigers can consistently throw the football after seeing the A&M game firsthand.

His offer list is extensive with Texas, Ole Miss, Miami, Penn State, Florida, Florida State, and many others giving chase. He lives right down the road from Auburn, so Freeze and his staff hold an advantage with Daniel.

aubiefifty · September 4

247sports.com

Cal transfer Sam Jackson V helps Auburn prep for former team

Nathan King