The work head coach Hugh Freeze and staff have done to hoard talent during their short stint on the Plains is already legendary.
As noted Auburn StoolFreeze and staff have had the same number of offensive tackles committed in the program (four) as Auburn signed in total from 2017 to 2022. Besides the six offensive line commitments Freeze has had (one transfer, five rookies), he made high profile transfers to linebackerthrough defensive line and EDGE, and continues to work on quarterback and wide receiver transfer options.
Let’s take a look at a VERY early depth chart projection for this 2023 Auburn Tigers roster. Returning starters are in boldwith new additions to the list in italics. For now, we haven’t included walk-ons.
Offense
Quarterbacks
Hall: Robby Ashford (junior red shirt)
Backups: Holden Geriner (first redshirt), Hank Brown (true first year)
Targets: QB Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State)
Verdict: With Zach Calzada entering the transfer gate (and TJ Finley expected to do so in the spring), there’s virtually no chance this will be the last room settled. Look for Auburn to continue seeking a veteran transfer to push Robby Ashford or start in their final year of eligibility. Auburn was connected to transfer QBs Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina (withdrew from the gate), Devin Leary from NC State (Kentucky) and Michael Pratt from Tulane.
attacking half
Hall: Jarquez Hunter (junior)
Backups: Damari Alston (sophomore), Jeremiah Cobb (real freshman), Sean Jackson (redshirt sophomore)
Targets: Mississippi State RB Dillon Johnson (Washington)
Verdict: Probably the deepest positional group on the roster, despite Tank Bigsby leaving in the NFL Draft and Jordon Ingram in the transfer gate. Hunter actually finished with more yards per carry than Bigsby in 2022 and Alston, while not getting many touches, played in all twelve games and showed brilliance and vision to be a college player of impact in a short time. Auburn pursued veterans in the portal, but only as add-ons, due to lack of starting experience in the hall. Expect Auburn to continue exploring Portal options, but the heart of the room is set.
Wide Receivers
Starters: X Camden Brown (second year), Z Koy Moore (junior), H Ja’Varrius Johnson (senior redshirt)
Backups: 2nd string of X Landen King (second year redshirt), Z Malcolm Johnson Jr. (senior), H Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. (second year redshirt); 3rd chain of X Daquayvious Sorey (real freshman), Z Omari Kelly (sophomore), H Jay Fair (sophomore)
Targets: Georgia State WR Jamari Thrash (Louisville),
Verdict: Auburn lost senior Shedrick Jackson at graduation/NFL and Dazalin Worsham at the transfer gate, but there’s a lot of talent in the room and in quantity it’s one of the deepest positions in the game. listing. Auburn is reportedly still digging through the veteran options in the portal, looking for a veteran possession receiver, but this room is about to be settled.
tight ends
Starters: Good weather Rivaldo (Senior)
Backups: Luke Deal (senior redshirt), Tyler Fromm (senior redshirt), Brandon Frazier (senior), Micah Riley-Ducker (freshman redshirt)
Targets: Fairweather (transfer from FIU)
Verdict: Longtime tight end John Samuel Shenker graduated, and Hugh Freeze’s first transfer commitment of tenure was the athletic Fairweather out of FIU. Standing at 6’5, Fairweather is easy to imagine in the “Evan Engram” role as a detached pass-catching threat. Joining him is the RS SR duo of Deal and Fromm, capable of playing both line and in the backfield as H-backs. The 6’7 Frazier cannot be considered a valid option due to the value of this frame in the red zone, and Riley-Ducker is an inexperienced but well-balanced option, capable of both blocking and receiving at a high level.
offensive line
Inputs: LT British Gunner (super senior), LG Jeremiah Wright (senior), C Connor Lew (true freshman) OR Tate Johnson (junior red shirt), GR Izavion Miller (junior), RT Dillon Wade (junior)
Backups: Kameron Stutts (super senior), Jalil Irvin (super senior), Avery Jernigan (redshirt junior), Colby Smith (redshirt sophomore), Garner Langlo (redshirt sophomore), EJ Harris (redshirt freshman), Wedin clay (real freshman), Bradyn Carpenter (real freshman), Tyler Johnson (true first year)
Targets: Literally anyone with starting experience.
Verdict: The position, without exception, that required the most work. YEARS of underrecruitment in high school, especially tackles, led to a dire situation up front that forced Auburn to bring back a disappointing group of super seniors just to have a full line last season. The additions to the transfer portal of Wade (Tulsa) and Britton (WKU) give Auburn immediate competence in the tackle spot, while JUCO signee Izavion Miller is expected to spend a year at RG before taking over as Britton at LT. Auburn now has 15 scholarship linemen, enough for a three deep, and almost half of them have signed with the new staff in the past six weeks.
Defense
Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts didn’t announce what kind of defense he was running – his Baylor defenses closely resembled a 4-2-5 base, so we’re going with that for now.
defensive line
Inputs: NT Jayson Jones (junior red shirt), DT Marcus Harris (senior), DE Mosiah Nasili-Kite (Senior)
Backups: 2nd chain of NT Zykevious Walker (junior), DT Jeffrey M’Ba (junior), DE Quientrail Jamison-Travis (junior). Other options in the room include Tobechi Okoli (redshirt sophomore), Enyce Sledge (redshirt freshman), Stephen Johnson (real freshman), Wilky Denaud (real freshman), Darron Roseau (real freshman), Keldric Faulk (true first year)
Targets: Nasili-Kite (Maryland), Caleb Lanks (Louisville), Kyon Barrs (Arizona)
Verdict: The departures of Colby Wooden and Derick Hall mean Auburn loses its two best TFL leaders and fires last season, but the beef in the middle of Jones and Harris is intact. Walker’s return from the portal, along with another year of development from M’Ba, bodes well for Auburn’s depth inside. Commitments from Nasili-Kite and Jamison-Travis give Auburn DE experience, and both players have the versatility to flex inside when passing. Expect Auburn to continue looking for another NT option in the portal, but this room is 90% of the set path with the two transfer additions.
Edge Rushers
Starters: Elijah McCallister (super senior)
Backups: Dylan Brooks (redshirt sophomore), Ashley Williams (real freshman), brenton williams (true first year)
Targets: McCallister (Vanderbilt), Andre Carter (W. Michigan), Trace Ford (Oklahoma State)
Verdict: The hardest hit room on the list, outside of the offensive line, was Edge. Losing Derick Hall and Eku Leota to the NFL along with Marcus Bragg at graduation and Joko Willis at the transfer gate means Auburn needed depth in the worst possible way. Expect Auburn to push hard here in the underclass portal as McCallister, while talented, is only a stopgap and Auburn needs to find their long-term depth and future production.
linebackers
Starters: DeMario Tolan (sophomore), Robert Woodyard (freshman in red shirt)
Backups: cam riley (Senior), Wesley Steiner (senior), Eugene Asante (senior), Desmond Tisdol (senior), Kameron Brown (senior), Jake Levant (junior), Powell Gordon (first redshirt)
Targets: Tolan (LSU), Ahmad McCullough (Maryland)
Verdict: Despite the large number of players, the linebacker room is one of the least talented (and heaviest) on the roster. Longtime starter Owen Pappoe has left for the NFL. Riley and Steiner both struggled in 2022, with Steiner snaps falling precipitously later in the season. Asante only appeared in four games after being transferred from UNC, while Levant is a former extra who has mainly played on special teams. Expect Auburn to seek more multi-year transfer options here, and that will be a recruiting goal going forward.
Defensive backs
Inputs: CB Nehemiah Pritchett (super senior), CB DJ James (senior red shirt), S Jaylin Simpson (senior), S Zion Pucket (senior), NB/E Donovan Kaufman (junior red shirt)
Backups: Craig McDonald (junior redshirt), Keionte Scott (junior), Marquise Gilbert (junior), Cayden Bridges (junior), Caleb Wooden (sophomore), JD Rhym (sophomore), Austin Ausberry (freshman redshirt), Terrence Love (real freshman), Sylvester Smith (real freshman), JC Hart (real freshman), Hood Colton (real freshman), Kayin Lee (real freshman), Tyler Scott (real freshman)
Targets: None
Verdict: Auburn high school, buoyed by HUGE decisions by Pritchett and James back, packed with depth and veteran experience. Keionte Scott has had plenty of playing time in 2022, and it’s a very talented recruiting class led by 4-star CB Kylin Lee (a flip from Ohio State), S Sylvester Smith and S Terrance Love. Look for Auburn’s defensive backfield to continue its dominance under coach Zac Etheridge and the return of Wesley McGriff for years to come.
Specialists
Starters: P Oscar Chapman (senior), K ALex McPherson (first redshirt), LS Kyle Vaccarella (first redshirt)
Backups: P Marshall Myers (year two), K Evan McGuire (year two), LS Reed Hughes (year two)
Targets: None
Verdict: P Chapman is entering his (presumed) final year on the Plains, the Aussie-style punter looking to confirm his NFL Draft stock after being a Ray Guy semi-finalist in 2022. With K Anders Carlson gone for the NFL, the Carlson dynasty officially ends in Auburn. The Tigers won’t miss a beat, though, with McPherson, the No. 1 K in the 2022 class, gaining valuable experience in the final three games of the year (6-7 on FGs and 9-9 on XPs). ). With the graduation of longtime snapper Jacob Quattlebaum, Auburn passes the reins to Kyle Vaccarella, one of the most talented long snappers among circles discussing these things, and he should be a contender for the Patrick Mannelly Award. 2023.
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