Tag: Auburn

Saints make a controversial QB pick in Daniel Jeremiah’s first 2024 mock draft

The Saints made a controversial pick in Daniel Jeremiah’s first 2024 mock draft, adding Oregon quarterback Bo Nix to replace Derek Carr:

There aren’t many more draft analysts who garner more respect than NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, a former pro scout who covers the annual draft in great detail each year. He’s hit the nail on the head with some New Orleans Saints picks in years past, so it’s important to pay attention and see what he’s projecting with the 2024 NFL draft just up ahead.

But this pick is a doozy. Jeremiah shared his first 2024 mock draft on Friday, and he has the Saints making a controversial selection with Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix at No. 14. Here’s why Jeremiah says Nix should be a Saint:

I’m a big fan of Nix’s game. I think his experience as a five-year starter is a positive for him as he heads to the next level. He would be a plug-and-play starter in New Orleans. I’m not confident the Saints view Derek Carr as the answer.

Before transferring to Oregon for the 2022 season, Nix was a three-year starter at Auburn, where he didn’t exactly wow fans in the SEC. He threw 16 interceptions and fumbled 20 times in 34 games. But he flipped a switch after going to Oregon; Nix has turned the ball over just 13 times in 27 games with the Ducks while improving as a passer and making better use of his legs, taking just 6 sacks in each of the last two years and scoring 20 rushing touchdowns.

He’s dynamic and exciting to watch. But it’s going to be tough for Saints fans to overlook his early-career struggles and the questionable level of competition he’s faced out west. He wouldn’t exactly be stepping into a welcoming environment.

And none of that touches on the elephant in the room, which Jeremiah addressed by sharing, “I’m not confident the Saints view Derek Carr as the answer.” That could be Jeremiah’s own conjecture (and it runs against the public support Carr has received from Mickey Loomis and Dennis Allen), but it shouldn’t be ignored.

Carr’s contract makes him too expensive to keep as a backup, and the Saints have already tied themselves to him through 2024 by guaranteeing the second year of his salary when they signed him. If they restructure him this year, as is expected, he’ll be locked in through 2025 as well. It’s possible the Saints could keep Carr on his $35.7 million cap hit this year and then part ways in 2025, freeing up the starting job for Nix, but it would take some seriously crafty salary cap accounting to make it work. And asking a rookie quarterback who’s about to celebrate his 24th birthday to wait another year or two to start feels unlikely.

But you never know with this team. Maybe Nix is high on their radar, and maybe they’re higher on this quarterback class than they are in Carr’s long-term projection. All of these unknowns are what make the draft cycle so compelling.

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Alabama basketball beats Missouri 93-75 to start 4-0 in SEC play

Alabama smashes Missouri 93-75 to run out to 4-0 start in SEC play

There is no question that Alabama head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] is one of the best basketball coaches in the country, but there were legitimate concerns surrounding this year’s squad. Not only did the Crimson Tide lose two players to the first round of the 2023 NBA draft, but they also lost a handful of players to the portal. Oh, and he also lost all three of his assistant coaches from a season ago to head coaching positions. Despite all of the changes, the Tide are cooking and back in the thick of March Madness discussions.

Oats has always prioritized playing the toughest out-of-conference schedule possible, so it was a bit bumpy out of the gates. However, the team is beginning to find their groove as they smoked the Missouri Tigers 93-75 in Coleman Coliseum. Recently hired head football coach Kalen DeBoer made a guest appearance as well that blew the roof off. The Tide’s win over the Tigers marked six straight wins including the past four all coming in conference play. [autotag]Aaron Estrada[/autotag] and [autotag]Rylan Griffen[/autotag] led the way with 21 points each and Grant Nelson poured in 13 as well.

The schedule gets even tougher as the Tide travel to Knoxville on Saturday to take on No. 6 Tennessee. Then four days later, Alabama will host Bruce Pearl and his Auburn Tigers.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Alabama football DC Kevin Steele shocklngly announces to retire

Alabama DC Kevin Steele set to retire in the coming days

It likely did not come as a surprise to Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, but in a shocking move to the Crimson Tide fan base, defensive coordinator [autotag]Kevin Steele[/autotag] plans to retire in the coming days. 2023 marked Steele’s third stint with Saban and the Tide, and ultimately he was very solid in his last dance. The Alabama defense kept the Tide’s season alive as the Tide went through their early season growing pains and Steele deserves a ton of recognition and praise for that.

In the Tide’s ugly Week 3 win over USF, the Alabama offense had 10 points on the board until Ty Simpson scored a TD with 33 seconds left in the game to make it 17. Had it not been for the Alabama defense holding USF to three points, that game definitely could have gone another way than a 17-3 victory. The following week, Steele’s squad held a high-octane Ole Miss side to 10 points in a crucial top-15 matchup.

The departure of Steele is an unfortunate loss, but I’m sure Saban has been aware of this for a while and his been working behind the scenes. It will be curious to see who he has in mind as a replacement, but a lot of fans have rallied behind the idea of DB coach Travaris Robinson being promoted from within. Ironically, Robinson was a First-team All-SEC DB for Auburn back in 2002.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Razorback fans spew barbs on social media after historic loss

Arkansas Razorbacks basketball fans are on the verge of throwing in the towel after Saturday’s historic loss to Auburn.

ESPN analyst and former Arkansas basketball player Jimmy Dykes called it an “old-fashioned rear kicking” during the on-air broadcast, and that pretty much painted the perfect picture.

No. 25 Auburn, who had won just five times in 28 all-time trips to Arkansas, made history with it’s sixth victory in Fayetteville on Saturday, handing the Razorbacks an 83-51 loss – the Hogs’ largest losing deficit in the 31-year history of Bud Walton Arena.

The Razorback faithful, who are still reeling from a disappointing football season, have now began losing confidence in a basketball program that has advanced to the past three Sweet 16s of the NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers (12-2) outscored Arkansas (9-5) by 25 points in the second half of the celebrated “stripe-out game,” causing the striped stands to begin emptying well before the final buzzer.

Here is a sample of the social media grumblings on X (Twitter), following Saturday’s horrendous loss.

Jan 6, 2024; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Eric Musselman reacts to a call during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Rejuvenated Razorbacks welcome Auburn to the Bud for SEC opener

Keyon Menifield Jr. will look to continue giving Arkansas a much-needed spark as Auburn comes to town for the SEC-opener on Saturday.

The last time Auburn made an appearance in Bud Walton Arena, the Tigers were the No. 1 team in the country and had to leave the court through a court-storming of Razorback fans, following a 80-76 loss to the Hogs in 2022.

Auburn returns to the hallowed arena Saturday at 1 p.m., ranked No. 25, and facing an unranked, yet rejuvenated Arkansas team, in the SEC conference-opener.

The Razorbacks (9-4) have been on a roller-coaster ride throughout the non-conference portion of the season, including a win over No. 7 Duke and a home loss to mid-major UNC Greensboro.

Auburn (11-2) has been steady through the early season, but has lost to the only ranked team it has faced – an 88-82 loss to No. 20 Baylor on Nov. 7 – while also dropping a road game to mid-major Appalachian State last month.

Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman has emphasized the importance of getting the conference slate started in the right direction, for both teams.

“Well, I think, every game, whether you’re home or road, is really important to both teams,” Musselman said. “It’s the start of conference play. It’s one game. But it’s against a team that has won a lot of games since Coach (Bruce) Pearl has been there. They’re going to be ready to play and we hope that our guys are ready to play. You’re playing against a team that is ranked. I think, any time you play against a team that’s ranked, you should be ready to play.”

Since a 79-70 loss to Oklahoma on Dec. 9, the Razorbacks have won three straight games with newly inserted point-guard Keyon Menifield Jr. playing a major roll in their recent success.

Menifield transferred from Washington before the season, but was ruled ineligible to play by the NCAA for the first semester. The 6-foot-1 speedster lit up the scoreboard for a career-high 32 points in a 106-90 victory over UNC Wilmington last Saturday.

“I think he’s just an innate baller,” Musselman said this week. “You could probably throw him on any team tomorrow and he would figure it out. He’s got unbelievable court awareness. We need him to practice a little bit harder and we need him to improve in some areas. But his teammates really like him – they like playing with him – and you can see that.”

This will be the 60th meeting all-time between the two programs, with all but one of those games coming since the Razorbacks joined the conference in 1992. Arkansas own a 38-21 advantage in the series, including a 23-5 mark in games played in Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks have won 14 of the last 19 contests against the Tigers, including a split last season. Auburn won at home during the regular season, before Arkansas returned the favor in the SEC Tournament.

Fans are encouraged to participate in the “Stripe-Out” of Bud Walton Arena for the game. You can view the map to see what sections are marked for red and for white.

Dec 21, 2023; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Tramon Mark (12) dribbles in the second half against the Abilene Christian Wildcats at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 83-73. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Lady Vols win at Auburn in SEC opener

Lady Vols win at Auburn in SEC opener.

Tennessee (8-5, 1-0 SEC) defeated Auburn (11-3, 0-1 SEC), 75-67, Thursday at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama.

The Tigers led, 40-32, at halftime.

Rickea Jackson totaled 24 points and 19 rebounds for the Lady Vols. She was one of three Tennessee players to score 10-plus points in the Southeastern Conference opener for both schools.

Jasmine Powell scored all 16 points in the second-half, while Kaiya Wynn finished with 10 points, six assists and five rebounds for Tennessee.

Jewel Spear and Karoline Striplin each scored seven points for the Lady Vols, while Tamari Key had four points, six rebounds and three blocks.

Thursday’s win is Tennessee’s fourth consecutive.

PHOTOS: Kellie Harper through the years

Behind Enemy Lines with Auburn Wire’s JD McCarthy

We go Behind Enemy Lines with Auburn Wire’s JD McCarthy in time for Saturday’s league opener in Bud Walton Arena.

Auburn and Arkansas have rarely began conference play against each other, but it’s not unheard of.

It has happened four times since Arkansas joined the SEC (1991-92, 2001-02, 2007-08, 2020-21).

Eric Musselman was a part of that December 2020 meeting, which saw the Razorbacks score 97 points and win comfortably by 12 in Neville Arena.

Auburn just entered the Associated Press Top 25 in time for Saturday’s meeting in Bud Walton Arena.

Bruce Pearl’s Tigers are 11-2 and have only lost at a neutral site to Baylor and on the road at Applachian State.

Pearl is 2-3 as the Auburn coach in Bud Walton Arena. Counting his Tennessee tenure, he is 4-3, although his 2010-11 team lost but he was still suspended at the time and Tony Jones is credited with that loss.

We talked to Auburn Wire’s JD McCarthy this week and got his thoughts about Auburn and what he expects Saturday.

Clemson falls to Auburn in the inaugural ACC/SEC challenge

Clemson falls to Auburn in the first ever ACC/SEC Challenge.

AUBURN, Alabama – Clemson headed to Auburn Thursday night as they fell to the Tigers by a score of 83-53 in the first ever ACC/SEC Challenge.

Clemson got behind in the first quarter with a 19-10 deficit and never found a way to recover. CU’s scoring and offense increased and improved every quarter, but Auburn pulled away for the victory.

Clemson (5-4) was led in scoring by Dayshanette Harris who was 5 for 10 on the floor, scoring 14 points. MaKayla Elmore led the Tigers by grabbing 10 rebounds. Clemson leaves Auburn and wraps up their longest stretch away from home this season (four games). As the Tigers return home, they will embark on a four game home stretch which will also be their longest of the season.

UP NEXT: Clemson looks to bounce back when they host Duke in the Tigers’ ACC opener. That game will be in Littlejohn Coliseum on December 7 and will tip off at 7 PM.

Kadyn Proctor named SEC Freshman Player of the Week for Iron Bowl performance

SEC honors Alabama freshman Kadyn Proctor for outstanding Iron Bowl performance

Alabama quarterback [autotag]Jalen Milroe[/autotag] was the star of the Iron Bowl for the Crimson Tide as he accounted for 366 yards off offense by himself as well as throwing the game’s winning touchdown. For his heroic efforts, Milroe will receive all the applause and fame, but it was truly a total team effort. The unsung heroes of Alabama’s Iron Bowl victory was the offensive line.

Going into the year the O-Line was widely expected to be one of the best in the country, but struggled from very early on. As the year has gone on the group has gotten so much better, and especially Kadyn Proctor. Proctor was a five-star recruit and one of the most promising players Saban has had at the position. Proctor remarkably earned the starting left tackle job heading into Week 1 and has held the job since. There have been some major growing pains with Proctor such as two really poor games against Texas and USF, but he’s grown up a ton in the past 12 weeks.

Saban knew there would be some early growing pains with Proctor, but as he’s worked through them he is a crazy promising prospect. Proctor played his best game of the year on the biggest stage this past Saturday as he was a key piece in the Tide’s Iron Bowl victory over Auburn. For his efforts, the SEC recognized Proctor as the Freshman Player of the Week.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

5 Stars: The best and the worst of Notre Dame’s win over Stanford

Once again, a lot of good for the Irish

The Irish really didn’t need to do much to defeat Stanford, as long as they played an average game, it should be a Notre Dame win. That’s exactly what happened, although you could argue that it wasn’t an average game for the Irish but a very good regular season win. There once again wasn’t too much to complain about, but here are the best, 5 stars, and worst, 1 star, performances for the Irish against the Cardinal.