Although former Auburn football quarterback Cam Newton was not what New England was hoping for in the 2020 season, it seems Bill Belichick is extremely happy with Newton anyway. With the Patriots’ loss of Tom Brady to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cam Newton was expected to lead New England to greatness. The QB looked pretty […]
Bryan Harsin has brought a lot of change to the Auburn football program since making his way to the Plains this past January. Gone were both fan-favorites like Travis Williams and fan-…uh…least-favorites in Kevin Steele. Harsin brought the Boise State blueprint while also stealing South Carolina’s staff. The on-field product has improved too, at least […]
We always knew Auburn football’s new performance facility would be top of the line, and the visuals tweeted out by class of 2022 recruit Holden Geriner show what $91 million can buy. The Football Performance Center is set to be completed by the summer of 2022 and will be a standalone facility at the former […]
Auburn football will see a number of departees looking to make it big in the NFL this upcoming April-May, with their road to the pros starting with the three-day NFL Draft. One of the bigger losses on the offensive end for the Tigers will be Anthony Schwartz, the six-foot-one, 180-pound wideout. In 2020, Schwartz hauled […]
The Senior Bowl was somewhat of a coming-out party for K.J. Britt through the lens of the linebacker having his name called out by Roger Gooddell in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. The former Auburn football stud was deflecting passes and suppressing the run game in the annual All-Star showcase of college football’s best seniors. […]
The Tennessee Volunteers have not won a game versus Auburn basketball since 2017, and that statement held true today as the Tigers ended their three-game losing streak with a 77-72 victory in Auburn Arena. Bruce Pearl’s squad has won six straight games against Tennessee, this year taking down the No. 25 team in Vols. The […]
Bruce Pearl’s dominance of his previous stop continues!
Auburn was without Sharife Cooper, coming off of a losing streak, and facing a top-25 Tennessee team that had played like one of the nation’s best teams at different times this season. The Volunteers outshot Auburn from deep, from the line, and from the floor overall in terms of percentage, and yet Bruce Pearl found a way to get his sixth straight victory over his previous coaching stop as the Tigers won 77-72 today at Auburn Arena.
Since the 2017-18 season, Auburn has controlled the rivalry with the Volunteers. On January 2nd, 2018, the Tigers beat Tennessee in Knoxville, and followed that up with the regular-season ending win in 2019 over the 5th-ranked Vols. They destroyed Rick Barnes’ team in the SEC Championship Game, and then scored two regular season wins last year, including the final game of the regular season that ended the year unbeknownst to the Tigers before the COVID shutdown.
Now, they got number six. It’s the first time since a span from 1999-2003 that Auburn has won six straight games over a conference opponent, and today it came as the shorthanded Tigers took down a ranked opponent. After getting shellacked by Florida on Tuesday night without star freshman Sharife Cooper, prospects were bleak for today in the eyes of many. However, Allen Flanigan stepped up and filled the void while pouring in a game-high 23 points.
Tennessee outshot Auburn from the floor 41% to 40%, and from three-point range 39% to 35%, but Auburn successfully got to the foul line time and again, shooting 37 free throws to Tennessee’s 10. That was the difference in the game, as the starters pulled an all-nighter and went the distance. Auburn’s bench only contributed 2 points in the game, and a thin team got the work it needed from the first five.
After falling behind 5-0 early, Auburn caught up and tied the game at 8-8 on a J.T. Thor second chance three, and then kept pace with the Vols in a back-and-forth first half. A Jaylin Williams three put the Tigers on top 16-14 with just over 10 minutes left in the half, and a three from Flanigan extended the lead to its largest margin of the half at 21-16 with 6:57 to go. Tennessee would fight back and take a 28-27 lead on a Santiago Vescovi three with barely more than 3 minutes to play in the half, but Auburn quickly answered with a Flanigan putback and never trailed again. At the break, the Tigers led 34-30 despite shooting just 32%.
Once the second half began, Auburn kept Tennessee at arm’s length thanks to more work at the foul line, but that wouldn’t prevent the Vols from battling back and tying the game at 43 at the 12:42 mark. After that, Auburn started to pour it on and stretch the lead. A three by Devan Cambridge and free throws from Jaylin Williams gave Auburn it’s largest lead thus far at 52-45, and they’d eventually lean on the Vols to push the margin to double digits with more foul shots from Jamal Johnson. Auburn held a comfortable 72-60 advantage with 1:55 to play, but Tennessee wouldn’t give up. A frantic run by the Vols cut the Auburn lead down to one possession at 75-72 after a Keon Johnson runner, but final foul shots clinched the win for the Tigers.
Flanigan’s 23 tied for the game lead with Keon Johnson, and all five Auburn starters finished with double figures, including Devan Cambridge’s 15 points and Jamal Johnson’s 14. Up next for Auburn they’ll head back out on the road for the return trip to Tuscaloosa, before finishing the season next Saturday with the rescheduled game against Mississippi State.
If you thought former Auburn football quarterback, 2010 Heisman winner, and 2010 National Champion Cam Newton was done with football…you got another thing coming. The Tigers legend spoke to I AM ATHLETE host and former NFL receiver Brandon Marshall about his disappointing 2020 season with the New England Patriots, and what’s next. Regarding 2020, the […]
Gus Malzahn won’t be the only ex-Tiger coach looking to make big waves in the Sunshine State in 2021. Rhett Lashlee, the offensive coordinator for Auburn football from 2013-2016, will be looking to bring the Miami Hurricanes program to greater heights on the offensive end this upcoming season for the ACC title game losers this […]
The Auburn football strength account is back with week five’s Iron Men of the Week, featuring two names who should be very familiar to Tiger fans. Representing the defense is Chandler Wooten, and the offensive honoree is J.J. Pegues. “Work, hard work does not go unnoticed!” tweeted Auburn Strength, the account which recognizes two players […]
Auburn looks to make it 6 in a row against the Vols!
Saturday February 27, 2021
Tennessee Volunteers at Auburn Tigers
Auburn Arena
Time: 11AM
Network: ESPN
It’s been a tough season on so many levels for Auburn but how sweet would it be to knock one of your biggest rivals over the past few years?
Auburn hosts Tennessee this morning as Auburn has won 5 in a row in the series. Auburn’s win in Knoxville back in 2018 was a program changer as it set Auburn on a course towards a Regular Season Championship. In 2019, Auburn denied Tennessee a SEC Championship not once, but twice. Last year, Jaylin Williams took center stage and then Samir Doughty put on a show for the ages before the sports world as we knew it changed days later.
So what will happen today?
Get to Know Tennessee
Tennessee was picked by many to win the SEC this season and they are one of the stingiest defenses in College Basketball. They have had their issues offensively this season though but their scoring is balanced as 7 guys average between 8.5 and 12.4 PPG this season. Tennessee comes into today’s game at 16-6 (9-6) on the season. They allow just 62.5 PPG while scoring 72.8 PPG this season. They’ve played several games in the 50s and 60s throughout the season.
Freshmen guard Jaden Springer (#11) was a top 20 recruit coming out of IMG Academy and is the Vols leading scorer at 12.4 PPG.
Redshirt junior Victor Bailey Jr. (#12) is 2nd on the team averaging 11.4 PPG this season. The Oregon transfer has started in the last 3 games and has averaged 22.7 PPG in those games for Tennessee. Bailey shoots 37.4% from 3-point range.
Freshmen guard Keon Johnson (#45) comes in averaging 10.1 PPG this season. Johnson was a top 30 prospect coming out of high school last season.
The next two guys are players Auburn fans should be familiar with as next up in the scoring list is senior forward John Fulkerson (#10). He is averaging 9.6 PPG and 5.7 RPG this season.
Senior guard Yves Pons (#35) is one of the best defenders in college basketball. Pons averages 9 PPG, 5 RPG and leads the team in blocked shots.
Sophomore guard Josiah-Jordan James (#5) was Tennessee’s first McDonald’s All-American since Tobias Harris when he arrived in Knoxville last season. This season, he is averaging 8.6 PPG and leads the team averaging 6 RPG.
Lastly, sophomore guard Santiago Vescovi (#25) had a major impact arriving during the middle of last season. This season, he is averaging 8.5 PPG, 4 RPG and leads the team in assists. He’s also shooting 37.3% from 3 this season.
Keys for Auburn
Coach Pearl announced on Friday that Sharife Cooper was doubtful for today’s game but he has made progress since spraining his ankle on Sunday in practice. The offensive struggles without Cooper were very evident Tuesday night against Florida as Auburn struggled to score and dug too deep of a hole against the Gators. I think a strong start will be critical in this game. If they can hang in there early, it gives them a chance. This is a game Allen Flanigan needs to step up and have a big game. It’s likely he will be running the point in this one as well.
Last year’s Tennessee game in Auburn Arena was a breakout performance from Jaylin Williams. Never forget....
It won’t be easy going up against Fulkerson and Pons but a big game from Jaylin feels necessary if Auburn wants to win this one.
Prediction
If Sharife was playing in this one, I would feel much better picking the upset in this one but with the way Auburn’s offense looked on Tuesday night and knowing what’s ahead of them today, who’s going to be the go-to guy for Auburn? I’m just not sure who that’s going to be. Tennessee is in the running for a double bye and you know they’ve had this game circled on the calendar after losing 5 straight to Bruce Pearl’s Tigers. I’ve picked against Auburn a lot lately but it’s Tennessee and for some reason, the Vols bring the best out in Auburn and I just feel like Barning Hard today for a change.
The Auburn baseball team played their first game of the Round Rock Classic tournament against Oklahoma this afternoon, and although the Tigers fought to extra innings they lost their first game of the season to the Sooners. Auburn led Oklahoma 3-1 until the Sooners recorded two runs in the eighth and ninth innings to tie […]
Former Auburn football head coach Gus Malzahn continues to show his Auburn connections as he adds two former players to his staff as graduate assistants. Tre’ Williams and Kam Martin will join Malzahn in Orlando to work with the UCF Knights football team. Tre’ Williams’ position with the Knights was announced two days ago by […]
Ty Simpson was originally ticketed to face Auburn football once a year in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, but now, he will be one of the annual antagonists from Alabama during the Iron Bowl after announcing his commitment to the Crimson Tide earlier today. The 5-star stud from Martin, Tennessee was heavily recruited by Nick […]
Auburn football’s 2021 recruiting class continues to rise in 247Sports’ recruiting rankings for the upcoming season. Now at #20, after being in the 40’s before National Signing Day, it appears the program has stabilized after a tumultuous coaching turnover revealed internal turmoil in the form of a classic coup d’etat for the head coaching position. […]
After dealing with inclement weather issues all week, the Auburn basketball game versus Mississippi State has been rescheduled twice, but now has an official date. Originally the Tigers were slated to play the Bulldogs on February 16, but icy weather conditions prompted a postponement to February 18. According to the SEC, the final week of […]
Auburn football’s class of 2021 is shaping up nicely with the addition of offensive center Thomas Kirkham from Montgomery, AL. The OC will play for Bryan Harsin as a preferred walk-on in his freshman year. Kirkham was a major asset on The Montgomery Academy’s offense and made the 2020 ASWA first-team All-State football team. He […]
Auburn baseball took its second series sweep of the season with two blowout wins over Alabama A&M in an instate collision that Fly War Eagle can only describe as ludicrously lopsided. Following a walk-off win in the bottom of the 10th inning on Sunday against the Presbyterian Blue Hose, the Tigers made things far less […]
The recruiting arms race between UCF and Auburn football entered its second leg when Treyaun Webb announced this morning that he was re-offered by Bryan Harsin and the new Tigers coaching staff. The four-star recruit is listed as ATH on 247 Sports, denoting his multi-positional versatility that could fit many different roles on the team. […]
This commitment felt like a matter of when not if after Auburn offered Gordon last week. The Auburn High School standout grew up a fan of the Tigers and is now getting a chance to live out a childhood dream. Going to be pretty easy to cheer for this kid to succeed.
Highlights
Scouting Report
Gordon was one of the most dominant defenders in the state of Alabama last fall recording 88 tackles, 32 TFL, and 14 sacks. He has elite quickness paired with surprising strength which makes him a nightmare to handle coming off the edge. Listed at 6’3” 215 lbs, Gordon is projected to play inside linebacker for the Tigers. If he can keep his quickness at 230+ lbs, Gordon has a chance to be an impact player for Auburn down the road.
The Class
Just a couple of hours ago, 3-star DB Brian Dilworth decommitted from Auburn. That didn’t come as a surprise as the new staff had reportedly not had much contact with the Florida native and it wouldn’t shock me if he ended up in Gainesville with Coach Crime Dog. So Gordon’s commitment gives the Tigers three early commits in this 2022 class, two of which come from the state of Alabama.
While none of Auburn’s current 3 commits are 4-stars on 247 Composite, QB commit Holden Geriner jumped 450+ spots in 247’s most recent rankings update. If he puts together another strong senior year, I’ll be shocked if he’s not a consensus blue chip prospect by the end of the cycle.
On today’s Locked On Auburn, Zac Blackerby is joined by Chris Gordy of Locked On SEC. The guys talk about the quarterback battle that may happen on The Plains next season. They also discuss what would be a success for Auburn in 2021. They also touch on Auburn Baseball’s historic win on Wednesday night.
Auburn football’s standout freshman running back Tank Bigsby made waves in the 2020 season, and Tiger fans weren’t the only ones who noticed. Bleacher Report says Tank Bigsby is one of 10 underclassmen with a shot at winning the 2021 Heisman Trophy. Tank Bigsby was a four-star recruit out of high school and the No. […]
With Shaun Shivers, D.J. Williams, and Tank Bigsby as the only rushers returning to the Auburn football running backs room and–with only one RB signed so far in the 2021 class–Bryan Harsin could be looking to add a fifth name to that list in Keyon Henry-Brooks. The Vanderbilt sophomore was the team’s leading rusher in […]
The Tigers don’t have to travel far to find some elite defensive end talent in this class.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a closer look at some of the top early targets for the Tigers in the 2022 class.
This is probably the position I have the least amount of insight on right now. Since Nick Eason’s hiring Auburn has offered a handful of lineman but pretty much all of them have been defensive tackles or strong side ends who I believe will grow into interior players.
Why that’s the case I don’t really know. Could mean that Auburn is going to focus on signing more interior DL prospects to eat space in Derek Mason’s 2-gap fronts. Could mean that Eason wasn’t as big a fan of the previous defensive tackle board and wanted to get some offers out to guys he likes more. Could mean that Auburn feels really good about the few names at the top of the list at defensive end. Could mean some of it or none of it.
No clue honestly but we have to start somewhere so here’s a look at a handful of names to keep an eye on at defensive end this cycle.
A top 100 player, Jackson included Auburn in his top 12 last summer. Where things stand with Auburn’s new staff is a mystery but I imagine the Tigers are still in hot pursuit. Clemson and Ohio State are believed to be the early leaders with Alabama, Florida, Florida State, and Oklahoma all major contenders as well.
Jackson is an elite edge prospect. Possessing a long, lean frame, Jackson will easily be able to play at 280+ without losing a step. Shows ability to win as a pass rusher in a multitude of ways including with brute force on a bull rush, speed around the end, or with his hands. Often left unblocked by offenses as the read man in hopes of neutralizing his athleticism but he’s still able to consistently make plays. A legit top 100 player.
Auburn was one of the first SEC programs to offer Finkley back in early 2020. That staff is now gone but I’d be shocked if Finkley was not still as highly regarded. Michigan appears to be trying to make a strong run at him hosting him on a virtual visit earlier this month. The Oregon Ducks were the most recent team to offer the state’s #6 ranked player. It would surprise me though if he left the state.
Scouting Report
Finkley is a powerful end who excels at stopping the run. He’s got a powerful lower half and does a great job using leverage to win against larger would be blockers. Plays with a motor that runs pretty hot most of the time. Might have limited upside as a pass rusher at next level given the shorter frame and not possessing a necessarily elite first step. Could play some outside linebacker depending on how his frame fills out. High floor prospect who will contribute multiple years at his Power 5 school of choice.
This is a recruitment where Auburn’s new staff has had a major impact. The younger brother of Alabama defensive back Kristian Story, Caden has clicked with new Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin and new defensive line coach Nick Eason. He told AuburnUndercover’s Keith Niebuhr that Eason is good friends with Story’s uncle former Indiana Colt great Marcus Pollard. Story wants to commit on August 1st and the Tigers appear to be the early leader. The big question is what happens when/if that Alabama offer comes?
Scouting Report
Lanett doesn’t face a ton of Power 5 talent loaded teams so some of these highlights are downright comical. However, Story is dominant like he should be and shows versatility to play all across the defensive line. Honestly, he reminds me a good bit of Marlon Davidson though he’s a bit lighter than Davidson was in high school. Story is a perfect fit for strong side end in Mason’s scheme.
No junior tape available yet for Hall due to North Carolina pushing its high school football season to the spring of 2021. Given he plays as a standup end for his high school and Watts appears to be his point of contact there’s a chance Hall ends up at outside linebacker for the Tigers. I think though you get him in a collegiate strength & conditioning program and he’ll be playing at 270 easily. Very powerful athlete who can deliver a nasty punch and is an excellent finisher.
Here’s a family connection that could work in Auburn’s favor. Dylan is Auburn tight end Brandon Frazier’s younger brother and has emerged as a Power 5 prospect himself. He doesn’t yet have an Auburn offer so it will be interesting to see if the Tigers decide to make a run at him this summer. For now, Big 12 programs like Baylor, Oklahoma State, and TCU appear to be the front runners.
Scouting Report
Dylan plays both ways but his future at the next level is likely on the defensive side of the ball. He’s got a long frame but will need some time in the weight room before being ready to contribute. However, you can see his athleticism playing both ways. I also like his ability to shed blocks with his hands and make plays in the backfield. A name to file away for later.
On today’s Locked On Auburn, Zac Blackerby opens the show with some notes happening around Auburn Athletics. He then talks about the five corners that Auburn has with starting experience and how the Tigers could use them all in 2021. He talks with Christian Page of Cover1.net about Auburn players in the NFL Draft. He wraps up the show talking about Auburn basketball.
You can hear the full conversation below.
You can hear Locked On Auburn every day on College and Mag or wherever you get your podcasts.
Playing without injured point guard Sharife Cooper, Auburn struggled offensively in a 74-57 loss to Florida Tuesday at Auburn Arena.
Struggling to find rhythm on offense without its quarterback, who missed the game with an ankle injury, the Tigers committed 13 first-half turnovers and trailed 44-22 at the half, with Florida enjoying a 13-0 advantage in points off turnovers.
Jamal Johnson hit a 3-pointer for the game's first bucket but Florida went on an 11-0 run, aided by six Auburn turnovers.
Jaylin Williams scored seven first-half points, but Auburn made only 3 of 16 3-pointers while Florida hit 5 of 10. The Gators (12-6, 8-5) outscored Auburn 26-6 in the paint in the first half.
Auburn turned up the defensive heat in the second half, pressing and trapping the Gators, forcing eight turnovers and trimming Florida's lead to 15 points. The Tigers outscored the Gators 35-30 in the second half.
Tonight wasn’t all that fun, especially when the news came out prior to the game that Sharife Cooper wasn’t going to be warming up. Without the Tigers’ best player, Florida came in and had little trouble dispatching Auburn in a 74-57 victory at Auburn Arena tonight.
It’s difficult for me to say exactly what happened. Obviously tonight was a little bit of a compounding issue with the way that the Tigers were prevented from having a consistent roster throughout the season by way of suspensions, injuries, and the postseason ban. Now with just two games left, maybe one of the youngest teams in the country got a little down on itself. Maybe they realized that there wasn’t anything to play for aside from the spoiler role. Maybe without the SEC Tournament or a shot at the NCAA Tournament, the likelihood of slacking off just a bit crept into their minds. It also doesn’t help that not having one of the best home court advantages in the league spurring you on has been a byproduct of the COVID-19 regulations over the last few months.
Either way, Auburn got drilled tonight. To the Tigers’ credit, they did show heart down the stretch, not allowing Florida to stretch the lead, but never really threatening in the final ten minutes. Offensively, the Tigers may as well have put on the film from the bowl game against Northwestern as motivation, because it was dreadful without Cooper leading the way. Auburn shot just 37% on the night, and had no players crack double digits until late. They hit just 7-29 three-pointers, and got only a trickling of production from the bench. In the end, Devan Cambridge led the Tigers with 14 points, while Jaylin Williams, J.T. Thor, and Jamal Johnson all finished in double digits. Tre Mann led the way for Florida with 19 points.
It’s not likely worth outlining how this game played out, but the Tigers scored first on a Devan Cambridge three and then allowed an 18-3 run to go down 18-6 at the under-12 timeout. Scottie Lewis’ three at the five-minute mark put the Gators up 30-13, and they crusied to a halftime lead of 44-22, doubling Auburn up and completely outplaying a shorthanded Tiger team.
After the intermission, Auburn played a little tighter, but still never had enough to get close. Auburn was able to cut the lead to 15 points midway through the half, but the Gators strung together a bit of a run to reestablish a 20-plus point lead only moments later, and they held that until things were academic in the closing moments.
For Auburn, there are just two games left, both coming against some of the best teams in the SEC in Tennessee and Alabama. The Volunteers come to town on Saturday for a morning tipoff, while Auburn will finish the season in Tuscaloosa a week from tonight. After that, it’s baseball season fully.
Four-star recruit Shemar James announced his top eight choices via Twitter, and the Auburn football program was included on that list. All eight are Power 5 schools, and six of the options are SEC schools. James played high school ball at Faith Academy in Mobile, AL. In the 2020 season, James totaled 66 tackles, 10 […]
Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin and his staff have long-been hard at work on the recruiting trail, looking ahead as well as trying to complete the class of 2021. The Tigers have been following leads in Wisconsin for ’22, offering their second prospect out of the Badger state just yesterday. Billy Schrauth, a four-star offensive […]
Auburn baseball got off to a strong start in non-conference play with a series sweep of Presbyterian of the Big South Conference. Starting 2021 off 3-0 with very little drama until the series finale, the Tigers averaged over seven runs per game with a pair of dominant outings in the first two games of the […]
4-star DT Khurtiss Perry | https://twitter.com/KhurtissPerry/status/1312074205668749317/photo/4
Some intriguing prospects in this group.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a closer look at some of the top early targets for the Tigers in the 2022 class.
I won’t lie. I have a little uneasiness heading into the 2022 cycle when it comes to defensive line recruiting. Stability eluded Gus Malzahn for much of his tenure but one area Auburn always seemed to be consistently good was on the defensive line. That’s been Rodney Garner’s domain since 2013 and it’s a bit weird heading into a recruiting cycle without him in charge of things up front.
The good news is I think Nick Eason has a chance to be an outstanding recruiter in his own right. He’s got a dynamic personality and NFL experience. Is he up for the 24/7, 365 day grind of trying to convince the top high school talent in the country that Auburn is the best place for them? It’s impossible to know which is why it’s hard not to feel just a tad uncertain heading into this new cycle.
So here’s an early look at some names to know on the defensive line in the 2022 class. The list is a little lengthy because it’s so early and I am just unsure who is a priority for Eason right now.
I mentioned last week that this is a really strong 2022 class in the state of Tennessee. A big reason why is Walter Nolen. The nation’s #2 ranked player released a top 10 last week that included the Auburn Tigers. Unfortunately, I think Auburn is 8th at best on that list which means Nick Eason has a lot of work to do in this recruitment.
It’s very easy to see why Nolen is considered one of the best players in the 2022 class. He possesses elite quickness in a massive 6’4” 300 lb frame. He’s got an incredibly quick first step that allows him to consistently beat blockers at the snap and cause disruption in the backfield. Plays with impressive pad level and shows the ability to win with his hands. Also displays an impressive motor something that can be questionable at times for top rated defensive lineman.
There are a few recruitments this cycle that I have circled as indicators for what kind of recruiters this new Auburn staff can be. This is one of those recruitments. It would be a shock if Perry left the state of Alabama though you can never sleep on Georgia. Alabama has long been considered the leader but the Tigers are working hard to change things and fortunately should have time to do so as Perry plans to take his recruitment slowly. Losing this recruitment doesn’t mean this new staff stinks because Perry has long been a Tide lean. But winning this battle would be a major shot across Saban’s bow. Can Nick Eason, Derek Mason, and Bryan Harsin get it done?
Scouting Report
Perry is a big time athlete. He lines up all over the field for Park Crossing and also plays on their basketball team. He’s got great length and a lean frame that can pack on muscle without losing explosiveness. He had an insane junior season totaling over 150 tackles, 11 sacks and 13 TFL. Might end up ranked the #1 player in the state before this cycle is over.
Oatis has been on college programs’ radars since he was in middle school earning multiple SEC offers while in the 8th grade. Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss are believed to be the top contenders but Auburn has had some success in the Magnolia state recently. Given Mason’s history of using a true nose tackle, I imagine the Tigers will try to get involved in this race in the coming months. We’ll see if they can make any headway.
Scouting Report
There’s not any junior tape publicly available on Oatis but you can see in his sophomore film why he’s been so highly sought after for so long. He’s an absolutely massive human being who is the definition of a gap stuffer. Despite his absurd size, he’s still an excellent athlete showing the ability to change direction quickly enough to make plays on ball carriers in the backfield. Absolutely someone you want clogging the A gaps at the next level.
Harris is another talented Mississippi lineman who is on Auburn’s radar. Auburn offered last April but will likely continue to pursue under this new staff. Mississippi State is considered the overwhelming favorite for the moment but both Alabama and Georgia are getting involved. Harris is teammates with Auburn RB target Branson Robinson.
Scouting Report
If you are looking for a nose tackle, the state of Mississippi is the place to be this year. Harris is another long body in the interior that excels at eating space and stuffing the run game. Probably won’t be an elite pass rusher at the next level but has all the makings of a solid nose tackle.
It’s not often Auburn recruits a prospect from the northeast but one of the first offers to go out following Nick Eason’s hiring was to Artis. Auburn isn’t the only school to take notice of Artis recently as Texas A&M, Texas, and Florida State have all offered within the last month. These offers are coming despite Artis not playing his junior season due to New York cancelling high school football. Rutgers was believed to be the early leader but that has a good chance of changing moving forward.
Scouting Report
Artis is a versatile lineman who has a nice frame to grow into an interior player without losing any quickness. Plays with a great motor, consistently running down plays from the backside. Competition is lacking but he’s dominant like he should be. Has the potential to develop into a decent pass rusher at the DT spot.
Wiggins is another recent offer since Nick Eason was brought on board. The Louisiana native doesn’t yet hold an offer from LSU making him a candidate to leave the state. Auburn, Michigan, Florida State, Mississippi State, and Louisville all appear to be in the race. He’s reportedly not in a hurry to make a decision so we will see how this plays out in the coming months.
Scouting Report
Two sport athlete with tremendous upside, Wiggins plays outside for his high school teams but is likely to grow into a 3-tech at the next level. Love his combination of size and athleticism. Demonstrates ability to win both with his power and his hands. Good closing speed too. I think he’s got a shot to be a top 250 prospect before this cycle is over.
Deerfield Beach is a yearly stop for collegiate coaching staffs because this program consistently produces Power 5 talent. Tarbor is the next one up for the Bucks. His recruitment has been pretty quiet to date but his offer list is impressive featuring Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan, and Texas A&M. We’ll see if he becomes a priority for the Tigers moving forward.
Scouting Report
Tarber reminds me a good bit of 2020 Auburn signee Marquis Robinson. He’s a wide bodied interior prospect with outstanding quickness and a forceful punch. Can consistently win at the snap with his combination of explosiveness and strength. Has a nasty swim move he uses effectively to get early penetration in the run game.
Another interior DL prospect that was offered not long after Nick Eason joined Auburn’s staff, Baudoin is a big time stock up prospect in the 2022 class. Auburn, Florida State, Kentucky, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Georgia have all offered in the last two months. An LSU offer could be coming soon too. He’s likely to be one of the more sought after defensive line prospects in the southeast this cycle.
Scouting Report
Disruptive interior player with a great frame. Anchors well in run game and can be difficult to move off the point of attack. Plays with nice motor and shows ability to win not just with strength but with great hands as well. Will be a very good run defender at the next level.
Auburn offered Phillips last fall but he’s reportedly still interested in the Tigers. Auburn, Michigan, and Miami appear to be his three early favorites though there’s been no official leaders named so far. Like so many other prospects right now, it’s hard to know where they might be on this new staff’s board but this is a kid I am keeping an eye on moving forward.
Scouting Report
Had a very productive junior year against very good competition with 71 tackles, 14 TFL and 5 sacks. Good looking athlete with a nice frame and a very quick first step. Does a nice job keeping pads low. Shows he can win with leverage, quickness, and hands. Athletic enough to develop into a solid interior pass rusher at next level. A blue chip prospect in my fake expert opinion.
Saturday’s performance, particularly on defense, was disappointing to say the least, a 104-80 setback in Baton Rouge.
Defense has been an issue this season as Auburn is now allowing 77.3 PPG this season, and only two other years this century has Auburn given up more points per game. LSU got pretty much anything and everything they wanted on offense on Saturday and it wouldn’t have made a difference where the game was as impressive as LSU was on Saturday.
Now, Auburn has a pair of home games, possibly the last 2 pending if the Mississippi State gets played next played against Florida and Tennessee, two teams the Tigers have yet to see this season. Last year, Auburn was held to 47 points against the Gators in Gainesville as Auburn lost their 2nd straight game after a 15-0 start to the season.
Florida has had an up and down season on and off the court as they’ve dealt with COVID issues forcing several games to be postponed or cancelled and also the sudden collapse of their best player Keyontae Johnson on the court against Florida State in Tallahassee back in December. Fortunately, Keyontae has made progress and hopefully, he continues to improve and we will get to see him back playing basketball very soon.
Get to Know Florida
The Gators come into tonight’s game 11-6 on the season and 7-5 in the SEC. Right now, Florida has a trip to Rupp on Saturday and host Missouri next week left so this is a game the Gators really need to win as they look to get closer to punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. They’re about a 7-8 seed on most bracket predictions right now.
As a team, Florida averages 76.3 points per game, shoots 35.5% from 3 and 75.4% from the free throw line. Defensively, they give up 70.8 points per game.
The Gators have had to rely on guys stepping up with Johnson’s season ending after 4 games this season. Leading the way is sophomore guard Tre Mann (#1), averaging 14.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG and shoots 39.2% from 3-point range. He is the only Gator that has started all 17 games this season.
Next up is a guy who has been a pleasant surprise for Florida in sophomore forward Colin Castleton (#12). After spending his first 2 seasons coming off the bench for Michigan, Castleton transferred back to his home state and has had a breakout season. He broke out as SEC play started as he put up 22 PPG, 5.5 RPG and was 18-23 from the field in his first 2 SEC games. Castleton has had only 1 game in league play where he hasn’t been in double figures. He’s averaging 13.3 PPG and 5.8 RPG and is an excellent shot blocker, averaging 2.6 blocks per game. He’s blocked at least 6 shots in 3 SEC games this season.
Next is junior guard Noah Locke (#10) who is averaging 11 PPG this season. He is the Gators highest volume 3-point shooter making 39.8% of his 3s this season going 41-103 from 3-point range this season.
Junior guard Tyree Appleby (#22) is next up as he averages 10.8 PPG this season. Tyree is the team leader in steals and is shooting 34.6% from 3 this season.
A couple of other guys to know about for tonight are sophomore guard Scottie Lewis (#23) who is averaging 8.8 PPG this season, junior forward Anthony Duruji (#4) averaging 5.9 PPG and sophomore forward Omar Payne (#5) averaging 4.1 PPG this season. Payne had a monster performance last season against the Tigers going off for 19 points and 11 rebounds while shooting a perfect 9-9 from the field.
Keys for Auburn
With two weeks left in the season, Auburn is looking for at least one more memorable moment that would cap off what’s certainly been a disappointing season. We are all but likely watching the last few games of Sharife Cooper playing in an Auburn uniform. Cooper did what he could offensively on Saturday scoring 26 points but it wasn’t enough to hang with LSU’s offense. Cooper had a season low 2 assists though against LSU and teams have adjusted to seeing him out on the floor as the season has worn on.
Auburn was 7-28 from 3 on Saturday and 4-23 from 3 in last year’s game. This team needed another shooter which makes Justin Powell’s injury an even tougher blow looking back on it. Auburn’s been close in most of their losses but that wasn’t the case on Saturday as it was their largest margin of defeat this season. How will the kids bounce back is something I’m looking forward to seeing tonight.
Prediction
Auburn really needs to get one of these games this week, whether it be tonight against Florida or Saturday against Tennessee as they look to get some momentum going into an offseason where the expectations will be great for next year’s team. I’m concerned about the matchup inside with Castleton and Payne and looking to see how Auburn’s bigs fare against the Gators. Florida suffered their first ever loss the last time they came to Auburn Arena but I don’t think they will take a second one tonight. It will be close but in the end, I think Florida squeaks by on the road.
We have a PTO week for Ryan Sterritt, but have no fear, Josh “Originally From Auburn” Hillyer stops by to join Crow and Chief! They discuss hoops, maybe some baseball, definitely a little Crootin’, and more!
On today’s Locked On Auburn, Zac Blackerby is joined by Charlie5 from the Bunker on Auburnsports.com. They guys discuss Auburn football’s recruiting as of late, who are the leaders of this year’s team, shoutouts, and more.
It’s always good when a player on any team–whether it be on a low-level Division III school or a Power 5 national powerhouse like Auburn football–heaps praise on someone paid to mentor and develop the aforementioned player. Defensive lineman Jaren Handy doesn’t directly work with cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge, but that didn’t stop him from […]
While Bryan Harsin and co. have had a fantastic offseason–particularly for a coaching staff that was implemented late in the recruiting cycle–they couldn’t bring the biggest quarterback name in the transfer portal, Tyler Shough, to the Auburn football program. Instead of making his way to the Plains in 2021, Shough will be leaving the Northwest […]
Auburn football has gained a valuable addition to the recruiting class of 2021 in West Virginia transfer cornerback Dreshun Miller today. The Georgia native announced he would be entering the NCAA Transfer Portal earlier this month. He redshirted his 2019 season with the Mountaineers due to a preseason knee injury, but started nine games in […]
It’s bout that tiiiiiime–time for another player announcement from Team War Ready. The official Auburn basketball alumni team posted that the fifth player has joined the roster in Kareem Canty. The 6’1″ 180-pound guard from Harlem, New York played one season of Auburn basketball after redshirting his sophomore season on The Plains following his transfer […]
Cam Newton took the high road over the weekend at his youth football tournament when he was faced with a heckling teenage participant. The kid was ruthless, telling Newton he’s washed while mocking his status as a free agent. Pro athletes flamed the heckling kid after the video went viral, pointing out that there is […]
Photo by Scott Donaldson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Offensive tackle will likely be the focus this cycle but important to continue bringing in talent across the offensive line.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a closer look at some of the top early targets for the Tigers in the 2022 class.
This will likely be a large OL class for the Tigers. My guess is no fewer than 4 commits and maybe as many as 6. I also think it’s likely the majority of those players will be listed as offensive tackles on subscription sites. Per 247, Auburn has offered 26 offensive tackles to date and only 7 guards.
That should not come as a surprise to Auburn fans considering the current roster. The Tigers have a plethora of interior offensive lineman but only a few true tackles. So unsurprisingly this list is shorter than the one on Friday. There’s also two players on this currently listed as offensive tackles but I think they are better suited inside so I have them here.
Here’s a look at some interior offensive line prospects to know in the 2022 class.
Hinzman’s competition is a little outmatched for his skill. He delivers some terrifying hits on some of these poor defenders. But even against subpar competition you can see that Hinzman is an elite interior prospect. Elite athleticism paired with a devastating punch makes him a nightmare in the run game. Appears he plays in a run heavy scheme so there will be a learning curve when it comes to pass pro but he’s clearly a top OG prospect in the 2022 class.
Dewberry is listed as a tackle and could very well play outside at the next level but I think he’s better suited for the interior. He was a top target for Chad Morris and Jack Bicknell with the Tigers making his top 10 back in December. I am unsure of where he might stand on Auburn’s board or how much communication there has been between him and the new staff. Even without Morris on staff, Auburn has a connection here with recent signee Landen King being a teammate of his. As of now this is shaping up to be an instate battle between the Longhorns and Aggies.
Good athlete for his size. He’s a mauler in the ground game consistently generating movement at the point of attack. Flushes plus pass pro ability especially if he were to slide inside. Versatile athlete who could play offensive tackle or offensive guard at the next level.
Umeozulu is another Texan that Auburn has its eyes on. He landed an offer from the Tigers not long after Will Friend was named Auburn’s new OL coach. His offer list does not match his current rating with Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon, and LSU all having offered in the past two months.
Scouting Report
It’s game over when Umeozulu gets his paws on you. Possessing elite grip strength, Umeozulu is a force in the ground game, consistently showing the ability to drive his man out of the play. Can play a little too tall at times and tips pass with his stance. Could play tackle if necessary at next level but future is probably better suited at guard. Will be a blue chip prospect before this cycle ends.
Sapp’s unrated but that won’t last for long. The Georgia native holds offers from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and plenty of others. The Tigers like him a lot but might be chasing after Georgia and Florida at the moment.
Scouting Report
Sapp is a true swing prospect meaning you could play him at offensive tackle or guard at the next level. Personally, I like him inside more than at tackle. Very flexible athlete for his size with quick feet, Sapp shows the ability to be effective both in pass pro and on the ground. Solid prospect who will likely be playing the SEC in 2022.
Auburn offered Nahmias in September so I am unsure where things might stand with him and the Tigers under new head coach Bryan Harsin. At the time, it seemed Auburn might be the team to beat. His offer list has grown some since Auburn gave him one with Kentucky, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, and NC State all offering recently.
Scouting Report
Nahmias plays in a very heavy run scheme and typically is in a 4 point stance which is pretty unique these days. As such, he’s a dominant run blocker, displaying impressive short area quickness and does a great job keeping his feet moving following contact. Developmental prospect with solid upside.
This is a big pickup for Auburn. Miller was one of the better cornerbacks in the country last fall and one of the top transfers in the portal. He joins a cornerback room loaded with talent giving new Auburn defensive coordinator Derek Mason and new Auburn cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge a lot of flexibility on the backend of the defense next fall.
Highlights
Scouting Report
Miller is another long corner with good speed and outstanding ball skills. He finished 5th in the pass happy Big 12 last fall in pass breakups with 9 to go along with his 31 tackles and an interception. He’s a former blue chip recruit who had a strong debut last fall for the Mountaineers. This is a big time addition for the Tigers.
The Tigers aren’t done either. With Miller’s commitment, Auburn is up to 20 commits in the 2021 class. Oscar Chapman’s scholarship counts towards that class as well leaving Auburn with four scholarships available. It would be a shock if at least one didn’t go towards an offensive tackle transfer this summer. The Tigers are also reportedly pursuing former Oregon starting quarterback Tyler Shough. I think you might also see the Tigers look at adding an inside linebacker if possible and maybe a running back with experience if one comes available.
Bottom line, Bryan Harsin is still working on improving this roster for 2021.
At times it wasn’t pretty, but in the end, everything came up roses. The kickoff of the 2021 campaign to get back to Omaha began exactly as you would have hoped if you were a Tiger fan, with Cody Greenhill going 5 innings of near perfect baseball, save for one bad pitch that went for a 2 run homer and an arrent throw to 1st that got a runner to 3rd and eventually score. However, the offense and bullpen had his back in a big way and Auburn looked the part of a team looking to make noise in the SEC with a 14-3 beat down of the Blue Hoes.
The rest of the weekend brought up some memories of Tiger teams in the past where stringing together hits seemed to be a recurring issue. Even Butch Thompson said it in the postgame Saturday evening, there were way too many fly ball outs (he said 12 and it felt like that many). The offense did get on the board early and often as the Tigers bashed 3 solo bombs (Ware, LaRue and Bliss) and Richard Fitts and a combination of 4 hurlers from the pen held Presbyterian to just 1 run on the way to a 6-1 series clincher.
Sunday was a different kind of nerve-wracking for this early in the season. A complete pitchers duel for 6 innings between Presbyterian’s Duncan Howard (both he and fellow freshman Charlie McDaniel on Saturday were absolutely brilliant) and Auburn hurler Mason Barnett, who is filling in for Jack Owen while he mends a dislocated finger, kept donuts on the board till the 6th inning when Auburn finally broke through for a run with a nice piece of situational hitting from Josh Hall who sac flied and scored Steven Williams. The lead was short lived however, as the Blue Hoes scored in the next half inning to not everything up at 1. The pitchers duel would continue until the 10th inning when Rankin Woley would double down the line and Bobby Peirce would make his Auburn debut in the best way possible, a single back up the middle that would bring Rankin around. Now, in all truthfulness, I am not a fan of the obstruction rule. I am all for player safety, and by the letter of the law, Presbyterian catcher Jake Wyandt, who had a fantastic weekend behind the dish, was in the baseline that Woley has the right to, but here is my thought…I think Woley was safe anyway, and Auburn wins the game without a judgement call. It doesn’t matter either way, just my two cents. See what you think in the highlights below.
Anyway you slice it, Auburn got tested this weekend when they thought they could sort of toss the gloves and bats out there and get the win. Here’s a lesson learned for 2021…there will be none of those. Sure, there will be blowouts here and there, but you will have to work harder, longer for those. Everyone’s talent level has gone up because of Covid with returning players that should be pros or out of eligibility and younger players who should be in the minors but didn’t want to sign for a measly $20,000 signing bonus and decided to go to school for 3 years. Don’t even think that Butch Thompson and staff won’t make that abundantly clear to the team going forward.
ON DECK
It will be a busy week for the Tigers as they have their one and only two game mid week series of the year with Alabama A&M at Plainsman Park on Tuesday and Wednesday (both at 4 pm) before heading for the Round Rock Classic to take on Oklahoma (Fri), Baylor (Sat) and Texas A&M (Sun, non-conference). This will be a really nice test for the Tigers against some pretty good competition that will be hungry for wins as Texas A&M took some lumps against Xavier (who Auburn will see the following weekend) and OU has had trouble getting on the diamond and fell to Omaha when they did.
On today’s Locked On Auburn, Zac Blackerby talks about Auburn landing Dylan Brooks and getting the signing class inside the top 20. He also talks about what Bryan Harsin did this weekend that stood out to him. The final few minutes of the show are dedicated to Auburn Baseball as Lindsay Crosby joins the show to recap the series sweep on the Plains.
You can hear the full podcast below.
You can hear Locked On Auburn every day on College and Mag or wherever you get your podcasts.
Cam Newton is not here for the disrespect. After hearing a kid yell at him that he’s “washed”, Newton retorted by saying “I’m rich”. The kid continued to chastise Newton, taking aim at his NFL free agent status. Finally, the video ends with Newton asking him where his father is as the kid continues to […]
Another one bites the dust–another Tennessee commit, that is–and Auburn football could benefit from it again. J’Marion Gooch joins Dylan Brooks and Cody Brown in being released from a National Letter of Intent, losing the UT football program three players in under one week. Auburn football already pounced on Dylan Brooks, the Roanoke, AL native […]
Auburn football once again benefits from the mayhem on Rocky Top in their recruitment of four-star DE Dylan Brooks, who has officially committed to being a Tiger. Tennessee has been losing recruit after recruit ever since the firing of Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt and Dylan Brooks’ future hung in the balance for a time while […]
It’s been a long road to this point. Auburn lost Brooks to Tennessee early in the 2021 cycle thanks in large part to his close relationship with former Vols head football coach Jeremy Pruitt. Following Pruitt’s firing, coming after former UT AD Phillip Fulmer had assured Brooks that Pruitt was not going anywhere, Brooks formally request a release from his NLI. The Vols drug their feet for as long as they could but yesterday finally freed him.
Now Bryan Harsin has his first blue chip recruit as Auburn’s head football coach.
Highlights
Scouting Report
Brooks is a versatile athlete with the tools to develop into an elite edge rusher at the next level. He’ll likely start out as an outside linebacker but it would not shock me if he put put on enough weight to slide to strong side defensive end. He’s got a long frame, a great first step and the ability to turn his speed into power to overwhelm would be blockers. Will need to further refine his pass rush skills, learning how to better use his hands to defeat blockers but he’s got the athletic gifts to find a way onto the field very early in his career.
The Class
Despite a disappointing 6-4 season that ended with a coaching change a few days before the start of the Early Signing Period and the hiring of a new coaching staff after the Early Signing Period, Auburn’s 2021 class is in the top 20.
Obviously, #20 overall and #8 in the SEC is not good enough for Auburn to compete for SEC championships but it’s outstanding considering the cirumstances. There won’t be a massive talent gap on the roster as it was feared there would be back in December.
The Tigers still have some spots open for impact transfers as well. Overall, Bryan Harsin and his staff did an excellent job salvaging a situation that had the looks not that long ago of being a disaster.
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