Auburn Football – Syndication Server

Auburn among top schools recruiting 2026 TE Kaiden Prothro the hardest

What about Auburn intrigues the talented tight end from Bowdon, Georgia the most?

Auburn football remains a heavy-hitter for 2026 tight end [autotag]Kaiden Prothro[/autotag] after making his top-10 list in November.

In a recent interview with On3’s Chad Simmons, Prothro says that Auburn is one of the seven schools recruiting him the best, joining programs such as Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State.

Auburn’s coaching staff and program trajectory intrigue Prothro the most.

“I like the coaches. In the future, they’re going to be great,” Prothro said. “I can see that they’re going to be a great team in the next couple of years with a top recruiting class and some great guys coming in. I really like that about Auburn.”

Overall, what does Prothro look for in a program? He tells Simmons that proximity to home and the history of how well each coaching staff develops tight ends are important. At the time of this post, he has not set a commitment date and is in no hurry to do so.

Prothro is coming off another impressive season at Bowdon High School in Bowdon, Georgia. The junior logged 56 catches for 1,203 yards and 22 touchdowns. He caught three passes for 92 yards and a score in Bowdon’s GHSA A-D2 state championship win over Brooks County on Dec. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Bowdon’s third-straight title.

Prothro is a 6-6, 210 pound tight end from the 2026 recruiting class. According to On3, he is the No. 2 tight end in the nation, and is the No. 6 overall recruit from Georgia from the cycle.

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Former Maryland tight end Preston Howard announces commitment to Auburn

Howard will look to fill the void at tight end after the departure of Rivaldo Fairweather.

Auburn will be without a myriad of tight ends from its 2024 roster heading into the 2025 season. However, a transfer with Power Four experience is heading to the Plains to help fill the void.

[autotag]Preston Howard[/autotag], a tight end formerly of Maryland, announced his commitment to Auburn on Friday via Instagram.

Howard brings 21 games of starting experience to the Plains, which will benefit Auburn as it loses a key offensive piece in [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag]. In two seasons on the Plains, Fairweather made 69 catches for 766 yards and eight touchdowns.

In two seasons at Maryland, Howard logged 37 catches for 349 yards and a score. His best season took place in 2024 when he hauled in 24 of 28 targeted passes for 189 yards, with his best game being a five-catch, 59-yard outing in Maryland’s 37-10 loss to Northwestern on Oct. 11. Ironically, his lone touchdown reception occured in the Terrapins Music City Bowl win over Auburn in 2023.

Auburn now has 13 transfer portal additions ahead of the 2025 season. Hugh Freeze and his staff have filled needs at quarterback, defensive back, offensive line, and linebacker to this point in the cycle.

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Charles Kelly expected to take Jacksonville State HC job

The 57-year-old is rumored to become a head coach for the first time in his long-running coaching career

The Auburn football team may be losing a key member of its coaching staff next fall. Co-defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, who vastly helped improve an inexperienced until a year ago, is expected to take the head coaching job at Jacksonville State next season.

2024 was Kelly’s first season coaching on the Plains since he was in a Graduate Assistant role following his playing days in 1993. Somewhat poetically, this would be the second time in his career he left the Plains to coach at Jacksonville State, the first time being when the Gamecocks gave him his first defensive coordinator opportunity in 1994.

Now 57 years old, Kelly is rumored to become a head coach for the first time in his long-running coaching career. Before Auburn, he spent time as a defensive coordinator and special teams coach with Jacksonville State (1994-98), Henderson State (1999), Nicholls State (2005), Georgia Tech (2012), Florida State (2013-17), Tennessee (2018), Alabama (2019-2022) and Colorado (2023).

The Auburn alum has won four conference championships, two national titles, and a 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year award over a storied, three-decade long career. Despite all the accolades, this would be Kelly’s first time leading a program.

With Kelly likely out the door, DJ Durkin will presumably take over full control of an Auburn defensive unit that ranked among the top 30 in the country in opposing points per game. While key players like Eugene Asante and Jalen McLeod will no longer be Tigers in 2024, the abundance of returning stars along with a plethora of high-ranked recruits should allow Auburn to be among the best units in the country again next fall.

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Auburn to promote TJ Rushing to outside linebackers coach

Rushing is expected to fill the void left by outgoing EDGE coach Josh Aldridge.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is not searching far for a replacement for outgoing EDGE coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag].

According to reports from On3 and Auburn Undercover, Auburn is expected to promote special assistant to the head coach [autotag]TJ Rushing[/autotag] to an on-field role. Rushing is forecasted to coach outside linebackers and possibly work with Auburn’s nickelbacks.

After a professional football career that saw him win a Super Bowl title and build 1,290 return yards, Rushing dipped into the coaching world in 2013 as a graduate assistant at Arizona State, which later turned into a job with defensive quality control. He joined Texas A&M‘s coaching staff as a defensive backs coach under Jimbo Fisher in 2020. He was later dismissed along with the entire coaching staff following Fisher’s firing in 2023.

He followed ex-Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] to Auburn by taking an off-the-field role for the 2024 season to serve as special assistant to the head coach. Rushing has also coached at Northern Arizona and Memphis.

Rushing will fill the role left behind by former EDGE coach Josh Aldridge. Earlier this week, Aldridge announced that he is leaving Auburn after two seasons to become the defensive coordinator at East Carolina. He will step back into the coordinator role after being Freeze’s defensive coordinator at Liberty in 2022.

On3 projects former Auburn QB Walker White to land at Big 12 program

Could Auburn see Walker White again in the future?

One former Auburn quarterback, [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], has found a new home with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Another former signal-caller is reportedly close to announcing his transfer destination.

Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong of On3 have submitted a prediction for former Auburn quarterback Walker White to join the Baylor Bears with 60% confidence. The deal could be announced soon as White is scheduled to visit Baylor on Friday.

On3’s projection of White to Baylor is interesting, as the Tigers will travel to Waco to face Baylor on Aug. 30, 2025, to kick off the season.

According to 247Sports, White was the No. 5 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle and Auburn’s fifth-highest-rated signee of the class behind players such as wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag].

White appeared in one game for Auburn this season, completing 2-of-5 passes for 18 yards in Auburn’s 48-14 win over ULM on Nov. 16. White was expected to be a key piece of future Tiger offenses, but with the signing of five-star Deuce Knight and the incoming transfers of former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold and former Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels, White elected to find a new home and grab a fresh start.

Several notable players from Auburn’s 2024 roster who have found new homes in the transfer portal are wide receiver Camden Brown (Georgia Southern), tight end Micah Riley (Texas A&M), and defensive back Antonio Kite (Ole Miss). Learn more about Auburn’s outgoing transfers by checking out Auburn Wire’s transfer portal tracker.

Jarquez Hunter announces plans to enter NFL draft

Hunter was a vital piece of Auburn’s offense for four seasons. Now, he is ready to turn pro.

A major bright spot in Auburn football’s recent history is ready for the next step in his college career.

[autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], who played a vital role in Auburn’s offense as the team’s premier running back over the last two seasons, announced Thursday that he is declaring for the NFL draft after four great years on the Plains.

Hunter shared the news on social media by writing to Auburn fans, coaches, and teammates. He began his post by sharing his gratitude for the opportunity to play for Auburn.

“First and foremost I want to thank GOD for blessing me with an opportunity to be able to play at my dream school and the position he has put me in. I give him all the glory and without him I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Although underutilized, there is zero doubt that the Auburn fanbase fully appreciated Hunter. Hunter stepped into the premier back role in 2023 following the departure of [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] to the NFL, where he played at a high level over his final two seasons on the Plains. His first season as the bellcow back saw him rush for 909 yards on 159 carries while scoring seven touchdowns.

He finally reached the 1,000-yard mark as a senior in 2024 by rushing for 1,201 yards on 187 carries. Playcalling limited Hunter’s rushing ability as he recorded less than 20 carries in nine of 12 games this season. Coincidentally, Auburn won three games when Hunter carried the football more than 20 times.

Hunter joins an extensive list of offensive starters who will move on from the program due to graduation including quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], and tackle [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag].

Wake Forest transfer receiver Horatio Fields commits to Auburn

Fields accumulated 517 yards and 4 touchdowns during his time as a Demon Deacon

Auburn’s busy month scouring the transfer portal for talent continued on Thursday. Former Wake Forest wide receiver Horatio Fields has signed on to play football on the Plains next season, adding another weapon to an already impressive group of pass catchers on the current roster.

The No. 10 ranked transfer portal receiver in the 2025 cycle according to 247 Sports, Fields accumulated 517 yards and 4 touchdowns during his time as a Demon Deacon. Almost the entirety of that production game in 2024, where Fields finished second on the team with 463 yards. His 4 scores ranked first on the team, as no other pass catcher finished with more than 2. Impressively, the junior managed to find pay dirt against Clemson and Duke, two of the better programs in the ACC this season.

Now a senior with one year of eligibility remaining, Fields will look to become one of the premier weapons in a mostly new-look Auburn offense. He is excited for what that offense could look like, specifically with transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold at the helm. Speaking after his visit, the newest Tiger spoke about the potential he sees with his new team,“I know that with a QB like [Arnold], I think the sky’s the limit for sure.”

Fields is the ninth player to commit to Auburn since the transfer portal opened earlier this month. With plenty of time left between now and the fall, there is no reason to believe the number of commitments will stop anytime soon.

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Former Auburn WR returns to college coaching ranks

After spending time in the NFL, Kodi Burns has landed a co-offensive coordinator position with an FBS squad.

After spending two seasons in the NFL coaching ranks, a former Auburn standout returns to college to take on an important role.

[autotag]Kodi Burns[/autotag], who played quarterback and wide receiver for the Tigers from 2007-10, has agreed to become co-offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, and assistant head coach at South Florida. He will reunite with Bulls head coach Alex Golesh after spending time together at Tennessee in 2021.

Golesh is excited to have the former Tiger on board.

“Kodi is a winner who has had great success developing players at both the collegiate and NFL level,” Golesh said in a press release. “I am very excited to have him join our staff, lead our wide receiver group and help us continue to build one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Kodi is a process-driven coach who cares greatly for his players. We worked very well together for a season at Tennessee, he knows our system, and he will be a great mentor for our players.”

Burns returns to the college ranks after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He also spent time at Tennessee, Arizona State, Samford, Middle Tennessee State, and Arkansas State while serving two terms at Auburn.

In 2013, he joined [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]’s inaugural staff as a graduate assistant and later returned to Auburn from 2016 to 2020 to coach wide receivers. Under Burns’ guidance, players like Darius Slayton, Ryan Davis, Seth Williams, Eli Stove, and Anthony Schwartz excelled at Auburn. He was dismissed as part of Malzahn’s firing at the end of the 2020 season.

South Florida finished 6-6 in 2024, and will face San Jose State at the Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 24. Golesh will look to Burns to help improve USF’s passing numbers, which ranked No. 8 in the AAC with 226.8 yards per game.

Auburn adds LSU transfer LB Xavier Atkins

Atkins played in five games at LSU during the 2024 season.

Auburn boosted its roster Wednesday by adding a linebacker with SEC experience.

[autotag]Xavier Atkins[/autotag], a linebacker from Humble, Texas, announced his commitment to Auburn on Wednesday after spending his true freshman season at LSU. Atkins signed with LSU as the No. 25 linebacker from the 2024 class according to 247Sports composite rankings, choosing the Bayou Bengals over Texas A&M.

In his debut season in Baton Rouge, Atkins appeared in five games where he logged 31 snaps, mostly at middle linebacker. Atkins recorded three tackles with two quarterback pressures.

Atkins is the 10th transfer player to commit to Auburn since the winter transfer portal window opened on Dec. 6. He is the fourth defensive player to commit to the Tigers this cycle, joining cornerback [autotag]Raion Strader[/autotag] (Miami University), defensive lineman Dallas Walker (Western Kentucky), and safety [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag] (Georgia Tech).

According to 247Sports, Atkins is Auburn’s No. 8 incoming transfer. Virginia Tech offensive line transfer [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] takes the top spot, followed by USC OL transfer [autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag], Miami (Ohio) cornerback Raidon Strader, and Oklahoma quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

Former Tiger Antonio Kite commits to Ole Miss

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception

Former Auburn Tiger cornerback Antonio Kite committed to the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday. A former four-star prospect who spent his freshman campaign playing with Alabama, Kite played sparingly during his one season on the Plains.

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. His lone interception as a Tiger came early in the season in a blowout victory over New Mexico. Unfortunately Kite’s season spiraled from there, as his playing time was cut significantly once SEC play started. The sophomore was ultimately dismissed from the team mid-season for “violating team rules” effectively ending his Tiger career before it had the chance to take off.

Unlikely to earn enough trust to get out of head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag]’s ‘dog house’, Kite entered the transfer portal and will now play for his third SEC team in as many collegiate seasons. Kite’s move makes sense for both himself and the Tigers, as Auburn’s top two cornerback spots are currently held by stars [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag]. Many of the high-ranked prospects in Auburn’s No. 6 ranked 2025 recruiting class are likely to challenge for large amounts of playing time in the defensive backfield, making Kite’s path towards significant playing time even more murky.

Along with the aforementioned Lee and Crawford, freshman [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag], and [autotag]Donovan Starr[/autotag], along with Georgia Tech transfer safety [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag] are all in the mix to receive plenty of playing time at the defensive back positions in 2025.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch