Tag: Auburn Tigers football

Report: Former Texas A&M defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin emerges as target for Auburn DC job

According to 247Sports college football reporter Matt Zenitz, D.J. Durkin has emerged as a target for the Tigers defensive coordinator job.

Former Texas A&M defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin may be coaching in the same role at another SEC university coming up in the 2024 season.

According to 247Sports national college football reporter Matt Zenitz, Durkin has emerged as a target for the Auburn defensive coordinator vacancy. Durkin spent the last two seasons in College Station on former head coach Jimbo Fisher‘s staff as DC and linebackers coach.

Before coming to Aggieland, Durkin was co-defensive coordinator and LBs coach at Ole Miss from 2020 to 2021. He served as head coach at the University of Maryland from 2016 to 2018, compiling an 11-15 overall record. Durkin was a consultant for the Atlanta Falcons in 2019.

The former Bowling Green defensive end and outside linebacker has had previous coaching stops at his alma mater, Notre Dame, Stanford, Florida and Michigan.

Wesley McGriff nearly left the Tigers this offseason to become co-defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for head coach Mike Elko and the Aggies. He ultimately decided to return to Auburn and now may be joined by Durkin.

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Reacting to Yahoo Sports’ SEC football stadium rankings

Yahoo was very judicious with its choice of who to leave out. Two teams hail from the SEC East and two from the West.

Yahoo Sports recently ranked all the Southeastern Conference football stadiums from one to 10, excluding the bottom four.

The rankings were chosen based on the SEC as presently constructed, so apologies to fans of the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma, you all will have to wait until August to be included.

Yahoo was very judicious with its choice of who to leave out. Two teams hail from the SEC East and two from the West. Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt were left on the outside looking in.

Therefore, if you’re a fan of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Kroger Field, Davis Wade Stadium or FirstBank Stadium, you likely have an axe to grind with Yahoo Sports, not us. For what it’s worth though, they weren’t necessarily wrong.

In descending order, let’s find out where Texas A&M‘s Kyle Field in Aggieland ranks among the best conference in college football.

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Way too early 2024 SEC Football Power Rankings

The Sooners and Longhorns are making the jump to the SEC in 2024, so where do they land in our way-too-early power rankings?

In 2024, college football will look like nothing we’ve ever seen. Conference realignment did plastic surgery to the game we’ve grown up with.

The Pac-12 is essentially gone as Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA move to the Big Ten. The Big 12 added Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah. Stanford and Cal are off to the ACC, along with SMU getting a promotion from the AAC. The SEC is adding Texas and Oklahoma.

The College Football Playoff is expanding to 12 teams, coming off its most competitive four-team version.

All of this is happening in 2024.

It’s a new era of college football. For the SEC, the Sooners and Longhorns are coming off of double-digit win seasons and Texas made the playoff. But how do they stack up against their future SEC counterparts?

Here’s a look at our way-too-early SEC power rankings.

Report: Wesley McGriff reverses course and returns to Auburn after accepting Texas A&M job

After agreeing to leave Auburn for Texas A&M on New Year’s Eve, Wesley McGriff has apparently changed his mind according to Justin Hokanson.

After agreeing to leave Auburn for Texas A&M on New Year’s Eve, Wesley McGriff has apparently changed his mind.

According to Justin Hokanson, the Auburn reporter for On3 Sports, McGriff has reversed course and will be returning to the Tigers to coach defensive backs. He had agreed to work for head coach Mike Elko and serve as co-defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator on the final day of 2023.

McGriff was supposed to work alongside Ishmael Aristide, who was hired in early December to coach cornerbacks and followed Elko from Durham after coaching on his Duke staff for one season. The move comes one day after Elko retained Bryant Gross-Armiento to serve as a senior defensive analyst after coaching defensive backs on Jimbo Fisher‘s staff.

As pointed out on New Year’s Eve by Billy Liucci of TexAgs, McGriff has more than just SEC coaching experience, he is also a talented recruiter who has developed elite prospects into dependable NFL players.

McGriff returns to Auburn to continue his third separate stint with the Tigers, including 2016, 2019 to 2020 and 2023 to the present day. He served as the secondary coach at Lousiville in 2022. McGriff also has previous experience at Florida and Ole Miss.

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Way-too-early ranking of Oklahoma Football’s 2024 opponents

A way-too-early look at how the Oklahoma Sooners 2024 opponents stack up.

For all but two teams, the 2023 college football season has come to a close. That means it’s time to look ahead to the 2024 season.

After making significant improvements on both sides of the ball in 2023, the Sooners jumped from six to 10 wins in Brent Venables’ second season. But now they move to the SEC and are breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball.

Additionally, they’ll have a completely new offensive line from the group that started for the majority of the season and a new starting quarterback after [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] left for Oregon.

Jackson Arnold takes the reins at quarterback for the Sooners. Despite his Alamo Bowl performance, the ceiling is very high for Arnold and the Sooners offense.

But they’ve got a difficult schedule in 2024, in particular when they get to SEC play. But how would you rank their opponents in 2024? Here’s how we ranked them here at Sooners Wire.

Report: Texas A&M football team set to hire Wesley McGriff from Auburn as co-defensive backs coach

Per Billy Lucci of TexAgs, Mike Elko is set to hire Auburn defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff to join his staff alongside Ishmael Aristide.

With so many versatile playmakers in college football, and especially the SEC, having dependable defensive backs is key to having a great team.

The Texas A&M football program now reportedly has two coaches to lead their speediest defenders. Mike Elko is set to hire Auburn defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff to join his staff, per Billy Liucci of TexAgs.

McGriff will work alongside Ishmael Aristide, who was hired earlier this month to coach cornerbacks. Aristide followed Elko from Durham after coaching on his Duke staff for one season.

As Liucci pointed out on X, McGriff comes to College Station with more than just SEC coaching experience, he is also a talented recruiter who has developed elite prospects into dependable NFL players.

McGriff had three separate stints with the Tigers in 2016, 2019 to 2020 and in 2022. He served as the secondary coach at Lousiville in 2021. McGriff also has previous experience at Florida and Ole Miss.

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What did 247Sports give the Oklahoma Sooners for Christmas this year?

247Sports shared what they’d give each of the top 25 teams in the nation for Christmas, so what did they give the Oklahoma Sooners?

The Oklahoma Sooners went into the final week of 2023 with another top-10 recruiting class and are preparing for their Alamo Bowl matchup with the Arizona Wildcats.

Ahead of the bowl, 247Sports shared what it would give each of the top 25 teams in the nation for Christmas. For the Oklahoma Sooners, it was a more favorable 2024 schedule.

The SEC unveiled its 2024 schedule earlier this month, and it did no favors to conference newcomer Oklahoma, which received one of the most difficult draws in league play. Battles with LSU, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri headline the slate. – Carter Bahns, 247Sports

More: Oklahoma Sooners Full 2024 schedule

The Oklahoma Sooners have five programs on the schedule inside the top 13 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Texas and Alabama highlight the list as they prepare for the College Football Playoff, but Ole Miss and Missouri have been making moves on the recruiting trail to try to take another step next season. The road trip to LSU at the end of the year will make for an incredibly difficult atmosphere. Throw in Tennessee, which has become one of the better offensive teams under [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag]. Oh, and let’s not forget traveling to face Auburn or hosting a South Carolina team with an improving defense. The Sooners have one of the more difficult schedules in the country in 2024.

But that’s to be expected heading into the SEC. The Sooners wouldn’t want it any other way. That was the point of joining the conference. A schedule full of marquee matchups is what the Oklahoma brass was hoping for when they made the move to the SEC.

More: Way too early 2024 schedule prediction

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Early Reaction: The 2024 Texas A&M football schedule provides a path to the College Football Playoff

The Aggies will have seven home games at Kyle Field, four road contests and one neutral site matchup, deep in the heart of Texas. What’s most encouraging about the schedule is that the most difficult games on paper, will all be played in College Station.

The 2024 Texas A&M football schedule was released on Wednesday evening and it may be extremely early, but the slate is simple yet encouraging.

The Aggies will have seven home games at Kyle Field, four road contests and one neutral site matchup, deep in the heart of Texas. What’s most encouraging about the schedule is that the most difficult games on paper, will all be played in College Station.

New head coach Mike Elko will see a familiar face on the opposing sideline to begin the new campaign. On Aug. 31, Texas A&M hosts Notre Dame, led by senior quarterback Riley Leonard, who recently transferred to South Bend in the portal following the departure of Elko from Durham.

The Aggies will remain at Kyle Field the following week and play McNeese State. Texas A&M begins SEC competition on Sept. 14 at Florida. The Aggies return home to battle Bowling Green in week four.

The Southwest Classic is back on Sept. 28. Texas A&M will travel three hours north to play Arkansas at AT&T Stadium. The Aggies defeated the Razorbacks 34-22 at Jerry’s World this season.

Texas A&M hosts Missouri on Oct. 5 in its SEC home opener then has its first bye week. The Aggies will play at Mississippi State on Oct. 19.

If Texas A&M defeats Notre Dame to begin the season, the Aggies could be undefeated entering a home game against LSU on Oct. 26. With Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels likely departing for the 2024 NFL Draft, Texas A&M may be betting favorites entering this SEC showdown.

The Aggies play at South Carolina on Nov. 2, have their second bye the following week, then host New Mexico State on Nov. 16. The final road game of the regular season is at Auburn on Nov. 23.

Days after giving thanks on Turkey Day, the Lone Star Showdown officially returns after a decade-plus, which is certainly something to be thankful for. Texas A&M hosts the University of Texas on Nov. 30 at Kyle Field. The Longhorns will be competing for a national championship to conclude 2023 as 1-of-4 teams to qualify for the College Football Playoff.

With the CFP expanding to 12 teams in 2024, the Aggies’ chances of making it have tripled. Therefore, if Texas A&M plays its cards right, the Texas Series could not only be for a berth to the SEC championship but perhaps an opportunity to bring home to College Station the first national title in nearly a century.

Without Alabama or Georgia on their 2024 regular season schedule, the Aggies have a clear path to competing for a national championship next season. Whether or not they capitalize on that opportunity is to be seen.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2024 football schedule

A look at the Oklahoma Sooners full schedule for 2024, their first in the SEC.

The SEC unveiled its schedule for the 2024 season, so now we know when the Sooners will play their new conference foes next season.

The schedule was always going to be daunting. You don’t move to the SEC without an understanding that you’re playing the best of the best nearly every week. But there are some positives in the Sooners’ schedule, such as the bye week before the Red River Showdown and another before the closing two-game stretch against Alabama and LSU.

The Sooners start with four consecutive games at home before going on the road to Auburn, Alabama, for their first SEC road game in their new conference.

Here’s a look at the Oklahoma Sooners’ full 2024 football schedule.

Ranking every SEC Bowl game from best to worst

The 2023 SEC Bowl season is just around the corner, and while only Alabama is in the CFB Playoffs, plenty of exciting matchups are ahead.

The 2023 college football regular season has ended, as the historic Army vs. Navy matchup will conclude the final season ahead of the many changes to come in 2024, including the first year of the 12-team playoff structure.

Focusing on the SEC, I guess you can say it’s been a down year for the conference. Alabama is the only representative in the College Football Playoffs set to face Michigan in the Rose Bowl Semifinal on New Year’s Day. At the same time, Georgia, who finished the regular season with an undefeated record, fell to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship to miss out on the playoffs for the first in two seasons after winning consecutive National Titles.

For Texas A&M, new football head coach Mike Elko brings a new vision to Aggie Football after six years of Jimbo Fisher at the helm. While the transfer portal has taken its toll on the roster, the future is still bright, but questions regarding who will play in the TexAct Texas Bowl vs. Oklahoma State.

However, LSU star quarterback Jayden Daniels is poised to win the Heisman Trophy after accounting for 4,946 yards and 50 touchdowns on the year. If it weren’t for the anemic Tigers’ defense, we’d probably be talking about an LSU team competing for a championship at year’s end.

9 out of 14 SEC teams will play in a bowl game this year, and yes, that’s an impressive feat in one of the most competitive conferences around. Here is a list of the most and least watchable SEC bowl games ahead of the always-entertaining yearly festivities.