Auburn Football – Page 5 – Syndication Server

Former Jax State DB Zechariah Poyser schedules visit to Auburn

Auburn will look to fill a need in the secondary by hosting a talented athlete in Poyser.

Auburn football will look to improve upon its 5-7 record by adding experienced players to their secondary. Could a defensive back from an in-state program help Hugh Freeze and his program achieve that goal?

Former Jax State defensive back [autotag]Zechariah Poyser[/autotag] shared on social media this week that he has scheduled visits to three SEC programs, including Auburn.

Poyser was a part of a three-headed monster at safety for the Gamecocks this season. He, in addition to fellow safeties [autotag]Fred Perry[/autotag] and [autotag]Antonio Carter[/autotag], recorded 269 tackles, 13 pass deflections, and four interceptions. Individually, Poyser made 75 stops with eight pass breakups and three interceptions.

Poyser would be a great addition to a safety unit without Jerrin Thompson (graduation) and Colby Wooden (transfer portal). Several players, including [autotag]Sylvester Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Kaleb Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Kensley Louidor-Faustin[/autotag], return to the unit. Adding Poyser, a safety that produced a 47.8% catch percentage last season, will boost Auburn’s chances at slowing down opponents passing numbers next season.

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Georgia Tech WR Eric Singleton scheduled to visit Auburn this week

After being the Yellow Jackets’ leading receiver the past two seasons, Singleton is ready to find a new home.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff are looking to make a splash in the transfer portal this season by welcoming several key entrants to campus for visits.

One of the early headliners in the transfer portal is Georgia Tech wide receiver [autotag]Eric Singleton[/autotag], and Auburn is wasting no time in showing interest. According to 247Sports, Singleton is scheduled to visit Auburn on Wednesday.

Singleton made an impact at Georgia Tech by being the team’s leading receiver in both seasons. He hauled in 104 catches for 1,408 yards and nine touchdowns for the Yellow Jackets throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Last season, he logged 56 catches for 754 yards and three scores. He recorded a season-high eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in Georgia Tech’s eight-overtime loss to Georgia on Nov. 29. Singleton made at least two catches in every game this season and went over the 100-yard mark twice.

According to Pro Football Focus data, Singleton reeled in 56 of 91 targets this season with four drops. He added 311 yards to his receiving total after catch, forced nine missed tackles, and led the Yellow Jackets to 32 first downs.

Following [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]’s departure, the Tigers will have an experienced yet youthful wide receiver room. Bringing Singleton into the unit will add another reliable target to the Auburn offense and could become a strong selling point to a transfer quarterback.

Former Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin to become Cal OC

Harsin coached the Tigers to a 9-12 record and recruited a pair of the worst recruiting classes in school history in his two seasons on the Plains.

Former Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin reportedly agreed on a deal to become the new offensive coordinator at Cal on Monday. Auburn’s head coach from 2020 to the middle of 2022, Harsin is widely considered the reason the Tigers program has fallen from grace over the past decade.

After an ultra-successful stint at Boise State which included five seasons of 10+ wins and appearances in multiple ‘New Years 6’ Bowls, Harsin took over Auburn’s program following the firing of Gus Malzahn. In two seasons on the Plains, Harsin coached the Tigers to a 9-12 record and recruited a pair of the worst recruiting classes in school history. He also oversaw the departure of nearly 40 players to the transfer portal, including Heisman Trophy finalist and current NFL Rookie of the Year candidate Bo Nix.

While the choatic tenure as Tigers head coach seemingly brought an end to the upward trajectory of Harsin’s promising coaching career, the 48-year-old will now get another opportunity at a Power 4 Program in hopes of returning to the head coaching ranks. He’ll join the staff of current Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox, who led his team to a bowl game in its first season in the BIG 10 this season.

With expectations high and the BIG 10 sending a trio of programs to the College Football Playoff this season, Harsin and the rest of the Golden Bears staff will look to make the program into a contender in the conference starting in 2025. Unfortunately for Tiger fans hoping to warm up their voice boxes with some “boo birds”, Cal is highly unlikely to play the Tigers again anytime soon after a home-and-home series between the two programs ended this season.

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Auburn wide receiver Caleb Burton to enter transfer portal

Burton departs Auburn after playing in eight games over two seasons.

This week begins the winter transfer portal window, and a former Auburn wide receiver will use this opportunity to find a new home.

[autotag]Caleb Burton[/autotag], a wide receiver who transferred to Auburn from Ohio State before the 2023 season, will put his name into the transfer portal after spending two seasons on the Plains.

Burton played a small role in Auburn’s offense in 2023 by recording 16 catches for 226 yards before appearing in just one game for the Tigers in 2024, catching two passes for 49 yards in Auburn’s 73-7 win over Alabama A&M on Aug. 31.

Burton was expected to be a part of Auburn’s receiver rotation following a strong 2023 season. However, Auburn Undercover reported that Burton had missed time due to concussion protocol this season, which played a role in his limited field time.

Auburn also signed three wide receivers as part of its 2025 recruiting haul last week. Mixing the new receivers in with key targets including [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], would mean even more restricted playtime for Burton in the future.

Burton is the second wide receiver to declare his intention to enter the transfer portal, joining junior [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag]. The winter transfer portal window opens Monday, Dec. 9 and will close on Dec. 28.

US LBM Coaches Poll features six SEC teams following conference championship week

Where are Georgia, Texas, and Alabama in the final US LBM Coaches Poll of the regular season?

The final US LBM Coaches Poll of the regular season is out, and the SEC is well represented.

Six SEC teams earned a place within the final US LBM Coaches Poll top 25 ahead of postseason play, with Georgia and Texas leading the way. The Bulldogs edged the Longhorns Saturday in overtime to win the SEC Championship, 22-19. The win was strong enough for Georgia to advance three spots to No. 2 while Texas fell two places to No. 4.

Tennessee joins Georgia and Texas in the top 10 at No. 6 while Alabama is on the outside at No. 11. A trio of teams follow Alabama in the top 20: South Carolina (No. 14), Ole Miss (No. 15), and Missouri (No. 20). Texas A&M and LSU received votes this week, but were ultimately left out of this week’s ranking.

In all, Auburn faced three teams that earned a place within the final regular season coaches poll and one team, Texas A&M, that received consideration. They finish the season 1-3 against said teams.

TJ Finley enters transfer portal, seeking fifth collegiate home

The former Auburn quarterback played in three games for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in 2024.

One former Auburn quarterback is on the market yet again.

[autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag], who played in 13 games for Auburn during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, has entered the transfer portal after spending the 2024 season at Western Kentucky. According to his announcement via his Instagram page, Finley will apply for a medical redshirt due to a season-ending ankle injury, which could give him two more seasons of eligibility.

Finley transferred to Western Kentucky ahead of the 2024 season after a successful stint at Texas State, where he passes for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, he elected to find a new home after the transfer of Jordan McLeod into the program. After an injury limited his action to just three games this season for the Hilltoppers, Finley will look for his fifth collegiate home for the 2025 season after spending time at LSU, Auburn, Texas State, and Western Kentucky.

Finley passed for 490 yards and a touchdown this season for Western Kentucky. His best game came against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 7, where he passed for 351 yards and a score. He was held to under 100 yards passing in the Hilltoppers’ season-opening loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

In five collegiate seasons, Finley has passed for 6,128 yards and 37 touchdowns with 20 interceptions and a completion percentage of 63%.

A pair of Tigers earn spots on On3 True Freshman-All American Team

Cam Coleman and Jay Crawford received spots on the team after fantastic freshman campaigns

The 2024 season may have not gone the way head coach Hugh Freeze and his Auburn football team may have imagined, but the Tigers did have plenty of standout performers, specifically from the underclassmen on the roster, that gave Tiger fans hope for the future of the program.

Two of those standout athletes, freshman Cam Coleman and Jay Crawford, received spots in On3 columnist Chad Power’s 2024 True Freshman All-American Team. Coleman was one of three wide receivers on the team, sharing the honor with Alabama’s Ryan Williams and ‘Offensive True Freshman Player of the Year’, Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith. A trio of cornerbacks were also named to the team, as Oklahoma’s Eli Bowden and Miami’s OJ Frederique Jr. received the honor alongside Crawford.

Both freshman came to the Plains with high expectations in 2024. Coleman, who started off the season slowly due to injuries and a revolving door in the quarterback room, caught 6 touchdowns over the Tigers final 3 games. His 598 receiving yards ranked in the top 3 all-time among Auburn freshman, while his 8 touchdowns were tied for the team lead with senior KeAndre Lambert-Smith.

Crawford, who came to the Plains as a three-star prospect, had himself a fantastic season as well. After playing limited snaps throughout the first month of the year, Crawford became an important piece of an Auburn secondary that improved each week of the season. The Lilburn, GA native finished his year tied for the team lead in passes defended (7), while also tallying an interception and 15 total tackles.

While the pair of freshman couldn’t quite to enough to help the Tigers qualify for a bowl game, their contributions will certainly make them key pieces of the program moving forward. With a top 6 2025 recruiting class and plenty of transfer portal players on the way, the Tigers seem to be in a solid place moving towards 2025.

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Auburn safety Caleb Wooden entering transfer portal

Wooden snatched two interceptions, created two pass break ups, and tallied 41 total tackles and a sack in three seasons on the Plains.

Auburn Tigers junior safety Caleb Wooden has opted to enter the transfer portal. The move seemingly makes sense for Wooden after a National Signing Day which saw the Auburn Tigers capture the talents of a bountiful amount of defensive back prospects.

A former three-star recruit, Wooden outperformed his projections for most of the time he spent on the Plains. The Lawrenceville, GA native never quite bloomed into a star during his three seasons at Auburn, but he was consistently able to deliver impactful results on the field, leading to plenty of snaps on a talented defense.

In three seasons on the Plains, Wooden snatched two interceptions, created two pass break ups, and tallied 41 total tackles and a sack. While the numbers aren’t eye-popping, the 6-foot-1 safety was a steady piece of DJ Durkin’s defense that will be missed next season.

With Wooden officially searching for a new team and Auburn’s other starting safety Jerrin Thompson out of eligibility, Durkin and head coach Hugh Freeze will likely search the portal for at least a pair of experienced defensive backs. As it currently stands, incoming freshmen Anquon Fagens and Eric Winters would be the favorites to earn the majority of snaps in the defensive backfield.

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Auburn named a potential landing spot for former USC quarterback Miller Moss

ESPN’s Max Olson believes Auburn has weapons that will allow Moss to succeed.

Auburn football has two young quarterbacks with bright futures in [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] and [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. However, following the departure of two-year starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], Auburn will need a “bridge year” to allow both quarterbacks to another season to develop.

Because of this, it is expected that head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will look to fill the void by using the transfer portal. Several key names have declared their intention to enter the portal, including Washington State’s [autotag]John Mateer[/autotag] and Oklahoma’s [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]. Ahead of the portal’s official opening on Dec. 9, ESPN’s Max Olson feels that one portal addition could fit in well at Auburn.

Olson suggests Auburn would be a great fit for former USC quarterback [autotag]Miller Moss[/autotag]. Moss, who has one season of eligibility remaining, passed for over 2,500 yards as a junior in Los Angeles last season and could find success by throwing to Auburn’s many targets at wide receiver.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze knows he needs to go get a transfer QB who can take the Tigers to the next level in 2025. Auburn has a ton of promising young talent to build around, especially at wide receiver, with standout true freshmen Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons and Perry Thompson. Their presence makes Auburn an appealing destination for QBs like Moss, who have one year left and are looking to put up big numbers next season.

Outside of Auburn’s targets, Moss fits the mold by having starting experience and one season of eligibility. Moss took over the starting quarterback role for Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams this season, where he passed for at least 200 yards and one touchdown in nine games played. However, following a tough stretch of games that included a loss to Washington, where he threw three interceptions, USC head coach Lincoln Riley pulled Moss in favor of Jayden Maiava for the final three games.

Moss is looking for a home he deems a “better fit.”

“There comes a point where there’s a time to move on to new opportunities,” Moss said in an interview with ESPN. “And I’m hoping to better myself as a person and a player.”

In four seasons at USC, Moss has completed 65.9% of his passes for 3,469 yards and 27 touchdowns with just ten interceptions. The winter transfer portal window officially opens on Monday, Dec. 9, and will close on Dec. 28.

Deuce Knight tabbed most athletic quarterback in 2025 class by On3

Auburn’s newest quarterback has an elite combination of 6-foot-4 size and 4.53 second 40-yard speed.

The newest Auburn Tigers quarterback, five-star incoming freshman Deuce Knight, is already starting to earn some accolades.

On3 Sports recently released its ‘2025 Quarterback Superlatives’ list which outlines some of the best high school prospects in the country. Knight was given the ‘Most Athletic’ tag by columnist Charles Power, an accolade that makes sense given the Mississippi native’s rare combination of 6-foot-4 size and 4.53 second 40-yard speed.

Athleticism was never a knock for on the consensus top 6 quarterback in the 2025 class. A tri-sport athlete who also played basketball and won multiple state championships in the long jump in high school, Knight has not been shy when it comes to the comparisons between himself and former Auburn great Cam Newton during the recruitment process. The 18-year-old went as far as to say he models his game off of Newton’s, who was also his favorite player growing up, during his interview with the media on National Signing Day.

Now done with high school football and focused on winning the quarterback competition on the Plains next season, Knight will hope to channel his elite physical tools into becoming one of the best all-around quarterbacks in college football. While he is the likely favorite to start games for Hugh Freeze next season with the current roster, the Tigers seem certain to bring in a veteran transfer portal player to compete for the starting job alongside Knight and 2025 sophomore Walker White.

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