Category: Auburn News

Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter expected to take on a bigger role this season

Hunter is working hard this offseason in hopes to become one of the SEC’s top backs.

[autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] is one of the most exciting players on Auburn’s roster heading into the 2023 season.

It is an important season for the Tigers, as head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will set out to prove that he is capable of returning Auburn to its place as a perennial contender in the SEC West.

Hunter is expected to carry a heavier load this season after playing alongside [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] for his first two years with the program.

In an AL.com article written by Ainslie Lee, quotes from [autotag]Brad Lester[/autotag], one of Hunter’s trainers and a former Auburn running back, are included.

“He’s that hard of a worker and that mentally tough, which says a lot about him because a lot of players can’t do that,” Lester said.

Hunter has been training with Lester multiple times a week and it is making an impact.

“I felt like he was so dominant as a downhill runner and a power runner last year, the biggest thing we’ve been working on these past few weeks is his open-field moves, pass protection… just things to add to his game,” Lester said. “He’s already probably one of the better running backs I’ve ever worked with.”

Lester has drawn some comparisons between Hunter and Bigsby, despite the two ball carriers having different styles of play.

“Mental toughness and effort,” Lester said. “Those two things you cannot coach. And those are two things that both Hunter and Tank both have.”

Football season is right around the corner and Hunter is excited about the opportunity to lead Auburn’s offense on the ground.

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Auburn sports broadcasts will move to new radio home beginning this fall

Local Auburn fans will have to tune into another station to listen to Auburn Sports Network broadcasts this season.

Since 2016, local Auburn fans have listened to Auburn Sports Network broadcasts on the Tiger Communications family of stations.

Beginning this fall, those same fans will have to turn the dial to listen to Auburn football, basketball, and baseball games.

Justin Lee of Opelika-Auburn News reported Friday that local radio company Auburn Network has acquired the rights to Auburn Sports Network broadcasts for the next five years. Because of this, football and men’s basketball games will be broadcasted on Wings 94.3 in Auburn. Women’s basketball and baseball games will now call AU100 home (100.3 on the FM dial).

The change does not affect broadcast assignments, as [autotag]Andy Burcham[/autotag] will remain the voice of Auburn football, men’s basketball, and baseball. In fact, Burcham will be a regular guest on Auburn Network’s sports talk station, ESPN 106.7.

This change will affect local softball broadcasts as well. Auburn softball broadcasts will move back to their original home, WEGL 91.1, with Brit Bowen and JJ Jackson remaining the primary play-by-play talent.

The first Auburn Sports Network production will begin in August with the first edition of Tiger Talk, with the first Auburn football broadcast coming on Sept. 2.

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Anna Hill to join Auburn gymnastics via transfer portal

Hill becomes the third transfer to join the program ahead of the 2024 season.

[autotag]Anna Hill[/autotag] announced on social media that she would be transferring from Temple to Auburn.

Hill played a vital role in Temple’s lineup on floor and vault and posted career highs of 9.9 in both last season.

Hill committed after 2023 signee [autotag]Lyden Saltness[/autotag] announced that she would be joining the Illinois Fighting Illini instead.

Auburn’s signing class includes [autotag]Emma Grace Boyd [/autotag], [autotag]Julianne Huff[/autotag], and [autotag]Paige Zancan[/autotag]. The Tigers have also added former Georgia gymnast [autotag]Madelynn Crowe[/autotag] and former Kentucky gymnast [autotag]Lila Smith[/autotag].

Auburn lost gymnasts [autotag]Suni Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrian Gobourne[/autotag] from last season’s roster but will return a plethora of talent in [autotag]Cassie Stevens[/autotag], [autotag]Aria Brusch[/autotag], [autotag]Olivia Hollingsworth[/autotag], [autotag]Sophia Groth[/autotag], and [autotag]Gabby McLaughlin[/autotag].

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Former Jax State second baseman is headed to the Plains

Javon Hernandez led the ASUN in batting average last season by hitting .397.

[autotag]Butch Thompson[/autotag] has wasted no time beefing up his roster for the 2024 season and is working even harder at it now that five Auburn signees have been drafted by MLB teams.

The Tigers have been active in the transfer portal already and have added former Jacksonville State second baseman [autotag]Javon Hernandez[/autotag]. Hernandez is the second former Gamecock to announce his transfer to Auburn, following outfielder [autotag]Mason Maners[/autotag]’ lead.

Hernandez will come to the Plains as a senior. The Danbury, Connecticut native posted a batting average of .397 in 2023 – a mark that placed him 27th nationally and first in the ASUN Conference.

He also recorded seven home runs, 49 RBI, 89 hits, and 21 extra-base hits. Additionally, Hernandez led the Gamecocks in stolen bases with 11.

Hernandez is the fourth player to announce intent to transfer to Auburn. One transfer commit, [autotag]Sam Mongelli[/autotag], was recently drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the MLB draft.

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Auburn volleyball’s Akasha Anderson named to Preseason All-SEC Team

Auburn is looking up to follow its historic 2022 season.

Pin hitter [autotag]Akasha Anderson[/autotag] was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team and Auburn was picked to finish seventh in the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll the conference announced Wednesday.

Auburn received 89 points in the preseason poll after going 22-9 last season and making the program’s second NCAA Tournament berth in head coach [autotag]Brent Crouch[/autotag]’s third season on the Plains.

Anderson was a major reason for Auburn’s terrific season, becoming the 2022 AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year and making the All-Region Team after leading Auburn with 428 kills and 3.54 kills per set.

Both were the second-best marks in program history and ranked top-five in the SEC in 2022. The Reston, Virginia native finished with nine double-doubles on the year, eclipsing 20 kills in eight separate matches.

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Bryce Cain among highest risers in the latest On3 update

One of Auburn’s in-state hauls for 2024 has earned four-star status from On3.

[autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag]is expected to be an instant difference maker when he arrives on the Plains.

The Mobile, Alabama native has impressed a lot of people and the experts at On3 are no exception. Cain was previously unranked in the On3 300 for the class of 2024, but he now checks in at the No. 187 spot.

On3 scout’s take on Cain: “Bryce Cain has taken advantage of summer camp season and has put on a clinic at every event he has attended. The juiced up wideout from Mobile, AL is a total beast. The athleticism has always been apparent on film and on the track, but he decided to put a stamp on it by running multiple 40-yard dash times in the high 4.3/low 4.4 territory at multiple colleges this summer. That top-end speed combined with his suddenness and ability to get in and out of his breaks is special. Does he lack ideal size for the next level? Sure. Does he lack ideal production at this point in his high school career? Sure. But with his verified athleticism and the fact that the film tells us he can play bigger and more effectively than his size or current production would infer, we choose to believe his best football is ahead of him.”

Cain is currently the only wide receiver in Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class but that can be expected to change.

 

Phillies pick up Bryson Ware with the No. 253 pick

Auburn’s single-season home runs leader was selected in the eighth round during Monday’s draft action.

[autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] was the second Tiger to hear his name called in the 2023 MLB Draft when the Philadelphia Phillies selected the infielder in the eighth round with the No. 253rd overall pick.

2023 was Ware’s best season on the Plains as he hit .350 with 78 hits, 24 home runs, 63 RBI, and a slugging percentage of .731. The 24 homers set a single-season program record.

Ware was named a semifinalist for the NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy and to the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list. He also went on an 18-game hit streak which was the longest by an Auburn player since 2016.

Auburn players have been busy since the MLB draft began on Sunday night. Two of Auburn’s top signees, Kevin McGonigal and Colt Emerson, were selected in the first round by the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners respectively. Fellow infielder Cole Foster was taken in the third round by the San Francisco Giants, and Auburn transfer commit Sam Mongelli was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round.

Ware will begin his journey through the ranks of the Phillies organization soon.

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The ‘Spurs Up Show’ is not high on Payton Thorne

The South Carolina-oriented podcast is following the trend of placing Thorne in the lower-tier of SEC QB rankings.

As the college football season draws nearer, SEC position rankings from various outlets are coming out left and right.

There have already been a few SEC quarterback rankings and Auburn newcomer [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is not getting much love in them.

This remained true in The Spurs Up Show’s rankings which places Thorne in the No. 11 position.

Thorne completed 242 passes for 2,679 yards off of 387 attempts for the Michigan State Spartans in 2022. He also threw 19 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions.

If Thorne were to replicate that stat line, it would be a significant improvement over the quarterback play the Tigers had last season.

The field of SEC quarterbacks is tough, but it will not be long before Auburn fans see what Thorne is capable of in college football’s most competitive conference.

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MLB All-Star break: A look at Josh Donaldson’s first half numbers

After an injury slowed down his first half production, the former MVP hopes to have a strong second half in the Bronx.

As the first half of the Major League Baseball season comes to a close, Auburn Wire will check in with several former Tigers who are currently on active MLB rosters.

The first up is the longest-tenured former Tiger in the show, New York Yankees’ third baseman, [autotag]Josh Donaldson[/autotag].

Donaldson had a sluggish first half, as he missed most of April, and all of May, due to a hamstring injury. Because of this, the distance between his hits and home run is minimal.

On Sunday, he set a new record by registering the fewest base hits by any player with double-digit home runs before the All-Star break in baseball history with 15 total hits and 10 home runs. Ironically, he took over that title from fellow Auburn alum, [autotag]Frank Thomas[/autotag], who had 20 hits and 11 home runs prior to the 2005 all-star break.

His home runs have been a product of great plate appearances. He hopes to turn those into more base hits and RBI opportunities in the second half.

“I feel like the at-bats have been there and the home runs have been predicated on having some pretty good at-bats,” Donaldson said Saturday. “I haven’t really had much fall other than that. I’m looking forward to that changing.”

Here’s a look at Donaldson’s first-half numbers.

Auburn having one of the toughest schedules is nothing new and is once again the case in 2023

How many wins would the average top 25 team earn with Auburn’s schedule? Analytics expert Kelley Ford breaks it down.

If [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] knew one thing when accepting the Auburn job, it is that he would be coaching a team through one of the toughest schedules in all of college football every season.

Kelley Ford ranked college football team’s schedules by how many wins an average top-25 team would be expected to win if playing it. Sure enough, Auburn placed highly, more specifically second place behind Florida.

An average top-25 team would be expected to win 7.99 games if playing Auburn’s schedule. Florida’s rating is 7.69.

Ole Miss is tied with Auburn and South Carolina and Alabama round out the top five.

Several of the headliners that make their way onto Auburn’s schedule are annual foes Alabama, Georgia, and LSU. An up-and-coming program in Ole Miss also appears, as well as the Arkansas Razorbacks, which features a stellar QB/RB combo in KJ Jefferson and Rocket Sanders.

The entire SEC with the exception of Georgia is on the list which speaks volumes about just how tough it is to play in the SEC.

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