Category: Auburn Tigers

Former Auburn forward Yohan Traore finding footing at Santa Barbara

Former Auburn Tiger and Top 25 prospect Yohan Traore is finding his footing at Santa Barbara in the Big West.

It was a big deal when the Auburn Tigers landed coveted five-star prospect Yohan Traore, a 6-10 center from Prolific Prep who was ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2022 at 247Sports.

However, Traore’s freshman year under coach Bruce Pearl did not go according to plan. Traore appeared in 25 games for the Tigers but he only played about 10 minutes per night, averaging just 2.1 points and 1.4 rebounds per game and not even scoring in his final six games.

Traore unsurprisingly entered the transfer portal, hoping for a fresh start, and was given that chance across the country in the Big West at UC-Santa Barbara, a quietly excellent mid-major program that has made the NCAA Tournament in two of the past three years under coach Joe Pasternack.

The move is clearly paying off, as Traore posted his second straight excellent performance for the Gauchos on Thursday – dropping a career-high 25 points on 10-14 shooting in a loss to UC-Davis.

This comes after a 24 point performance on 8-10 shooting against Howard back on December 20, and raises his season average to 16.6 points on a blistering 65.6% from the field.

Traore isn’t bringing much else to the table, with only two assists, two blocks, and zero steals in 10 games and 257 minutes, and his 56.1% mark from the free throw line is less than ideal.

Still, the big man is starting to find the potential he flashed in high school, and paired with an elite NBA caliber point guard in Ajay Mitchell it would not be a surprise to see him turning serious heads throughout Big West play and potentially in the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn lures premier defensive lineman and top-50 prospect from Florida

Amaris Williams, who had been projected to flip from the Gators, chose to stay in the SEC with the Auburn Tigers.

Defensive lineman Amaris Williams, who ranks as 247Sports’ eighth-best defensive lineman in the Class of 2024 and the No. 34 overall prospect, officially flipped from Auburn to Florida on Wednesday. On3’s Hayes Fawcett first reported the announcement on social media.

Williams committed to Florida in June, but he was expected to change his mind with 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong predicted the jump to the Tigers this morning.

The 6-foot-3 and 270-pound defensive tackle initially had his eyes on running back as a position, and he ran a 4.7 40-yard dash. The North Carolina native chose Auburn despite recent visits to Georgia and Ohio State.

Williams is the third-highest prospect in the Tigers’ 2024 class behind five-star wide receivers Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, a pair of Alabama natives both within the 30 best players in the country.

Florida has now lost six recruits with four or more stars since the start of November. Williams is the third Florida commit to flip this week after safety Xavier Filsaime chose Texas on Monday and linebacker Adarius Hayes chose Miami less than an hour before Williams announced his decision.

Get more Auburn coverage at Auburn Wire.

Gather ’round the table: Here’s what we at Auburn Wire are thankful for this season

The staff at Auburn Wire has plenty to be thankful for this season when it comes to Auburn athletics.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

We hope that you are enjoying a day filled with delicious food, family time, and plenty of discussion about upcoming bowl scenarios for the Auburn Tigers.

We at Auburn Wire are also spending the day traveling and enjoying time with those we love the most. Before we headed out, we took time to discuss what matters to us in regards to Auburn athletics, and what we are most thankful for this season.

From football to baseball, here’s what the guys are most thankful for this holiday.

Best Auburn Tigers gear for 2023 football season

Gear up, Auburn fans. It’s time for another season of Tigers football.

The Auburn Tigers are back. With fall right around the corner, it’s time to gear up for another optimistic year in Tigerland.

That makes right now the perfect time to show off your War Eagle fandom and support your Tigers. Luckily, there’s way more than one way to do just that.

Fans can, and should, be covered from head-to-toe in Tigers hats to Auburn sneakers for the upcoming season.

But don’t stop there. From the tailgate, to home, to wherever you’re on the road, you can show off your Tigers pride.

Check out our collection of the top Auburn Tigers gear ahead of the 2023 season below:

How Payton Thorne can win the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (and maybe the Heisman)

Is a special season brewing for Payton Thorne?

The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Foundation released its preseason watch list on Wednesday. Among the quarterbacks listed was recently named Auburn starting signal caller [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag]. 

After coming to Auburn as the favorite to quarterback the team in 2023, Thorne struggled a bit in spring and fall camp, allowing [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] to push the quarterback competition all the way up to mid-August before he eventually won the job last Thursday.

Thorne spoke to the media for the first time since being named QB1 on Wednesday. He seems confident in his growth within the offense. 

“I think I’m an accurate quarterback… I feel like when we’ve been going fast in my past [in the] two-minute drill, I feel like we were efficient doing that,” Thorne said. “With the up-tempo stuff, I feel like that was a plus in my game the last two years. Just seeing defenses, being able to think quick and process quickly is definitely something you have to do in this offense and I feel like I’m able to do that. Now [it’s] about going out and executing.”

Thorne will need to go out and execute at a high rate frequently this year if he hopes to win the Golden Arm Award, which is given to the top upperclassman quarterback in college football. The watchlist includes 47 other names from across the NCAA, including Heisman favorites like [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Quinn Ewers[/autotag], and old friend [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag]. 

Thorne’s path to winning the Golden Arm will undoubtedly be difficult (he is currently +20000 to win the Heisman on Fanduel), but as NBA legend Kevin Garnett once said, “anything is possible.” If he can accomplish these four things, he’s got a chance.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze offers opinion on Michael Oher lawsuit

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has offered his thoughts on his former player Michael Oher’s recent lawsuit.

When asked at a press conference on Thursday, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has recently offered his thoughts on the lawsuit between former Ole Miss offensive lineman Michael Oher and the Tuohy family.

Freeze was the head coach at Briarcrest High School in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1995 to 2004, coaching Oher in 2003 and 2004.

“I love Michael Oher; he’s like part of our family. I love the Tuohys,” Freeze said during his press conference when asked for his thoughts. ‘I think it’s sad, and I certainly don’t claim to understand all the ins and outs of adoption, conservatory, all of that. I know what I witnessed. I witnessed a family that totally took in a young man, and without that, there is no story.”

He would later say, “The facts will come out, but you know, I love both sides of it. Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy did something that probably most families, a lot of us, talk about us doing things. They actually put the shoes on, pulled the boots up, and did something, I think that’s admirable.”

Oher recently claimed in a lawsuit obtained by ESPN that the Touhy family tricked him into signing a conservatorship when he was younger while also claiming that the Touhy family kept all the proceeds that they were to receive from the success of “The Blind Side,” a feature film that was based on Oher’s life story, actress Sandra Bullock would win the Oscar for Best Actress for the movie as she portrayed Leigh Ann Tuohy in the film.

Oher would go on to be a unanimous All-American offensive lineman for the Rebels in 2008 before being drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He would spend eight years in the NFL from 2009 through 2016 before retiring at the age of 30-years old.

Be sure to check out the recent College 12-Pack podcast that discusses the recent lawsuit between Oher and the Tuohys.

Former Auburn pitcher Grant Dayton retires from baseball

Dayton saw Major League action with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves over his five-year career.

Former Auburn pitcher [autotag]Grant Dayton [/autotag] has announced his retirement from professional baseball after a career that spanned 12 years.

The Huntsville, Alabama native played five seasons at the Major League level. He was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2016-2017 and of the Atlanta Braves from 2019-2021. The left-hander’s career ERA is 3.43 with 119 strikeouts to 39 walks in 102.1 innings of work.

His best season came in his rookie campaign when he struck out 39 batters in 26.1 innings for the Dodgers in 2016. He saw the highest number of innings in 2020 when he tossed 27.1 innings for the Braves.

Dayton played for Auburn from 2008-2010 and recorded a 4.66 ERA with 217 strikeouts to 49 walks in 249 innings of action. He struck out 79 batters during his freshman season in 2008 and would strike out 69 batters in his sophomore and junior seasons.

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ESPN lists Ron Roberts among most interesting coordinator hires

Hugh Freeze refers to Roberts as “the mad scientist.”

Auburn has a historic reputation as a strong defensive team. However, that was one of the many aspects of the team that struggled under [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag].

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] wanted to hire a coordinator capable of lifting Auburn back to its expected level of defensive play and is confident [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] is the man for the job.

Roberts previously served as the defensive coordinator of the Baylor Bears.

An article from ESPN by Adam Rittenberg discusses the most interesting coordinator hires in college football heading into the 2023 season and Roberts made the cut.

The article included quotes about Roberts that Freeze told ESPN’s Heather Dinch.

“The mad scientist,” Freeze said. “He truthfully is probably the most knowledgeable coordinator out there that has trained pretty much everybody in this conference right now that’s doing [the
system]. That was the value I was looking for.”

According to Freeze, Roberts is excited about improving the Auburn defense.

“The biggest challenge I have with Ron is, ‘Let’s don’t do everything in Year 1. Let’s just do what we can do,'” Freeze said. “But I love his maturity and his wisdom.”

Roberts will have his work cut out for him but seems excited about his journey on the Plains.

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How does the Hugh Freeze hire compare to other Power Five hires?

Mike Farrell feels that Hugh Freeze will be “wiser and more effective” in his second tenure as an SEC head coach.

Auburn made a statement in December when it decided to go with [autotag]Hugh Freeze [/autotag] as the next head coach of its football program.

The response has been divisive, but if Freeze can restore Auburn to being a perennial contender most fans of the Tigers will be on board.

Mike Farrell graded the first-year Power Five coach hires and Freeze was one of four coaches to earn an “A” grade.

Farrell’s take on Freeze: “Auburn needs someone who has experienced the SEC West battles from a recruiting standpoint and on the field and Freeze is perfect for that. He made Ole Miss very dangerous before he ran afoul of the NCAA and this time he’ll be wiser and more effective.”

The other hires to receive an A were Matt Rhule from Nebraska, Luke Fickell from Wisconsin, and Jeff Brohm from Louisville.

The only other new coach hire in the SEC was Zach Arnett from Mississippi State who earned a C.

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Jordan-Hare is once again expected to be one of the loudest venues in the country

If Auburn shows signs of improvement this season, the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be one of the most electric atmospheres in the country.

Jordan-Hare Stadium has gained a reputation as one of the most intimidating places for visiting teams to play in college football.

The combination of a loud atmosphere and miraculous moments such as the “Kick-6” against Alabama in 2013 have cemented Jordan-Hare’s spot at the top.

The hiring of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] introduces a new era and excitement is once again through the roof.

In a 247Sports article written by Brad Crawford, the loudest stadiums for the 2023 season are predicted. Jordan-Hare placed third on the list for its November game against Alabama.

Crawford’s take: The Iron Bowl always holds significance. On the decibels scale, few places are louder than Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium when the Tigers are a national power. Part of the reason Auburn hired former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze to lead the program is due to his personal success against Nick Saban’s Alabama and he gets another crack at the greatest coach of all time in 2023. If the Tigers still have a heartbeat when this one’s played, The Plains will be extremely loud and boisterous when the Crimson Tide come to town.

Auburn fans are eager to produce one of college football’s best environments again this season.

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Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Daniel on Twitter @DanielJLocke