Tag: Brandon Frazier

Malcolm Johnson Jr. announces transfer destination

The former Auburn wide receiver reveals his transfer destination on Christmas Day.

A former Auburn wide receiver used Christmas Day to reveal his transfer destination.

[autotag]Malcolm Johnson Jr.[/autotag], who played three seasons at Auburn before entering the transfer portal earlier this month, announced Monday that he will transfer to Bowling Green.

Johnson signed with Auburn as a four-star wide receiver for the 2020 class, joining athletes such as [autotag]Wesley Steiner[/autotag], [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Riley[/autotag], and [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag] as members of Auburn’s No. 8 ranked class. He was a four-star recruit according to 247Sports, and was the No. 4 overall prospect from Virginia.

Johnson never became a consistent member of the receiver rotation, as he made just 14 catches for 199 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons on the Plains. The 2023 season was his best, as he recorded 89 yards on six catches. He appeared in five games in 2023, and his most productive game was in Auburn’s season-opening win over UMass, where he caught two passes for 59 yards.

Johnson joined four other Auburn receivers by joining the transfer portal this month. The Tigers will look to revamp the unit and boost production in 2024.

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Miami transfer TE Jaleel Skinner ‘really enjoyed’ his visit to Auburn

Auburn was the first visit for Jaleel Skinner since he entered the transfer portal after starting his career at Miami.

With it looking unlikely that Auburn will sign a high school tight end in the 2024 recruiting cycle, they have decided to dip into the transfer portal to add some youth to the position.

Former Miami Hurricane [autotag]Jaleel Skinner[/autotag] has become the top target and he took an official visit to the Plains over the weekend. The trip reminded him of his hometown and made quite an impression on him.

“It’s been fun,” Skinner told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “Auburn, this is the first time I’ve ever been down here and I was like telling my dad riding around and experiencing it all it looks like Greer (South Carolina) to me. It looks like home. I really enjoyed my time here.”

Auburn is Skinner’s only visit so far but he was willing to name then his early leader.

“Auburn’s up there at the top by itself,” he said.

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Auburn to host Miami tight end Jaleel Skinner for official visit

Skinner has caught 10 passes for 138 yards in two seasons at Miami.

Auburn snagged a tight end from the Miami area last season from the transfer portal in [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag]. They will try their hand at landing another this season by hosting another tight end this month.

[autotag]Jaleel Skinner[/autotag], formerly of Miami, will take a visit to Auburn during the weekend of Dec. 15-17 according to a report by Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live.

Skinner entered the transfer portal after spending the first two seasons of his college career at Miami. As a Hurricane, he hauled in 10 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. He was more productive as a freshman in 2022 when he hauled in nine passes for 129 yards and a score.

His sophomore campaign was not as active, as he made just one catch for nine yards. According to Pro Football Focus, he only appeared in two games and played a total of 25 snaps in 2023.

Despite not having a[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media] productive start to his career, Skinner was once a high-profile recruit. As a member of the 2022 recruiting cycle from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, Skinner was a four-star tight end according to 247Sports composite rankings. He was the No. 3 tight end and the No. 102 overall player for the class.

Auburn tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] became Auburn’s leading receiver this season by reeling in 39 passes for 349 yards and six touchdowns. He has one season of eligibility remaining. Tight end [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag] has announced that he will return to Auburn while [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag] has declared his intent to enter the transfer portal.

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Tigers of the Game: The Ashford-Frazier connection is special

Auburn may have lost on Saturday, but Robby Ashford may have found his top target.

Auburn football may have lost a tough game to No. 20 LSU on Saturday, but quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] may have found his top target.

Auburn’s offense remained cold in their 48-18 loss to LSU in Death Valley on Saturday night, but there were a few positive takeaways that need to be discussed. One of those is the connection formed between Ashford and tight end [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag]. Ashford found Frazier three times in the game, with one going for a touchdown.

Defensively, a bright spot was the play of linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]. Asante made 12 stops with a sack in the game.

Following the game, Auburn Wire writers as well as Auburn fans revealed their picks for “Tiger of the Game” after the tough loss, here are the results.

Instant Analysis: Auburn has no answer for Jayden Daniels, LSU offense

Auburn could not keep up with LSU’s high-octane offense in their 48-18 loss on Saturday night.

The final game between Auburn and No. 20 LSU for the foreseeable future could not have gone more horribly for the orange-and-blue-clad Tigers.

Auburn struggled to keep up with LSU’s high-octane offense as they were outgained 563-293 in their 48-14 loss to the Bayou Bengals at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Auburn had to pluck many thorns out of its side on Saturday night, but the biggest of all was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who accounted for 418 total yards and three touchdowns. He connected with eight different receivers, with his top targets being Malik Nabors and Kyren Lacy. Nabors hauled in six passes for 89 yards, while Lacy reeled in 111 receiving yards on four catches.

Auburn struggled in the passing game on Saturday, as [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] was able to connect on just 55% of his passes. [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] completed three of four passes for 52 yards. All three of Ashford’s completions were to tight end [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag]. The visiting Tigers gained 139 yards of rushing, with neither of Auburn’s five rushers gaining more than 69 yards a piece.

Defensively, [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] led the team in tackles with 12.

LSU struck first on a Daniels touchdown pass to Nabors with 13:21 remaining in the first quarter. The scoring drive ended quickly, as it needed just four plays and 75 yards to complete.

After an Auburn punt, LSU used an 11-play drive to extend their lead to 10-0. Damian Ramos’ 30-yard field goal capped a 66-yard drive with 6:39 remaining in the opening quarter.

The final score of the first quarter came with 2:15 remaining when LSU running back John Emery Jr. scored from two yards away to extend the Bayou Bengals’ lead to 17-0. LSU outgained Auburn, 216-45 in the first quarter, and split their passing and rushing output in half, gaining 109 yards in both categories.

Auburn’s luck quickly changed, as they were the first team to score in the second quarter. Auburn completed an eight-play, 75-yard drive that began in the 1st quarter with a two-yard rush by [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]. Auburn cut into LSU’s lead, 17-7, with 14:22 remaining in the first half.

LSU scored on its fourth possession with 10:21 remaining in the half thanks to Ramos’ second field goal of the game. He connected on a 35-yard field goal to extend LSU’s lead to 20-7. That score would hold as both teams entered the locker room at halftime.

Auburn’s first drive of the second half had promise but fizzled out at the LSU 20-yard line. Auburn drove 55 yards in seven plays, but Ashford was sacked on third down, which forced them to kick a field goal. [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] connected on a 38-yard field goal to trim LSU’s lead to 20-10 with 11:35 to go in the 3rd quarter.

As LSU has repeatedly done, they responded to Auburn’s score with one of their own. Following Auburn’s field goal, Daniels tossed his second touchdown pass of the game with 8:00 remaining in the 3rd quarter. His connection with Kyren Lacy pushed LSU ahead, 27-10.

It would not take long for LSU to extend their lead. Five minutes after linking with Lacy, Daniels threw his third touchdown pass of the night to Josh Williams to push the LSU lead to 34-10 late in the 3rd quarter.

Auburn’s 4th quarter started similarly to its 2nd quarter, with a quick touchdown. Ashford connected with Frazier for the third time with 14:56 remaining in the game, but the first for a score. The three-yard score cut into LSU’s lead, 34-18.

LSU’s next score came with 8:51 remaining in the game. Running back Logan Diggs scored his first touchdown of the game from five yards out to extend the Tigers’ lead to 41-18. Diggs ended the game with 97 yards on 18 carries. The final blow would come with 2:28 remaining in the game when Josh Daniels ran one yard to push the lead to 48-18.

Auburn’s hunt for its first SEC win of the season will continue next week at Jordan-Hare Stadium when the Tigers host No. 13 Ole Miss. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be televised by ESPN.

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Hugh Freeze shares thoughts on the enhancement of receiver room

The Tigers needed a boost to its receiving corps, and got just that from the transfer portal.

The position group with the most buzz this fall camp is quarterback. However, a quarterback is only as good as his supporting cast.

In addition to enhancing the quarterback room by adding [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] from Michigan State, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] boosted his offensive line and receiving corps.

Auburn failed to have a receiver reach 500 yards last season and the last receiver to come close to a 1,000-yard season was [autotag]Darvin Adams[/autotag] in 2009 when he reeled in 60 catches for 997 yards.

As someone who is known for having solid receivers, Freeze knew that he needed to upgrade his receiver room for his team to reach its true potential.

“We needed to overhaul that room and improve it for sure,” Freeze said Thursday. “I say that and truthfully I don’t know, the evaluation sample was so small for most of them because this system is totally different than what they’ve played in.”

Javarrius Johnson returns as the Tigers’ leading receiver after reeling in 26 catches for 493 yards and three scores last season. [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] is back, as are several tight end options such as [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag], and [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag].

Freeze enhanced the group by adding [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] and [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag], who were Jackson State and North Texas’ leading receivers last season respectively. He also grabbed a tall target in [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag], as well as another tight end in [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag].

The potential is there, but it is time now for them to prove it on the field.

“I do think we’ve improved that room in recruiting, and I do think there are guys here that can be better than what they’ve shown,” Freeze said. “We’re excited to see, I think we’ve seen glimpses of that but now we’ve got to go and do it when it’s real and live. But we are excited about the fact that I think we’ve improved that room for sure.”

The receivers, as well as the offensive line, will use this two-week period of fall camp to prove that they are worthy of a starting position.

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Auburn offers TE Rivaldo Fairweather who plans to visit

Auburn is looking to add a tight end and they have targeted Rivaldo Fairweather.

The transfer portal is officially open and Auburn is going to be heavily involved. One of the Tiger’s early targets is tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag].

In fact, the Tigers were the first school to call and offer him a scholarship on Monday according to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover. While nothing has been scheduled yet he plans to visit the Plains.

The former FIU Panther had a breakout season this year, catching 28 passes for 426 yards and three touchdowns as a junior. He will have two seasons of eligibility left at his next destination due to his covid year.

Auburn has a need for a pass-catching tight end now that John Samuel Shenker has run out of eligibility. New tight end coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] will have [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], and [autotag]Micah Riley-Ducker[/autotag] to work with next season.

While Deal, Fromm, and Frazier are all experienced upperclassmen they have been primarily used as blockers and lack experience as receiving threats.

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2022 Auburn football preview: Tight End

This is one of the best position groups on Auburn’s roster.

Auburn’s tight end room is one of the deepest on the roster and has several versatile players.

[autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag] is the unquestioned leader after catching 33 passes for 413 yards last season, both program records, but [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], and even true-freshman [autotag]Micah Riley-Ducker [/autotag] bring something interesting to the position.

With the uncertainty at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, this group could be asked to do a lot but has the talent to do just that. Tight-end coach [autotag]Brad Bedell[/autotag] has done a great job filling this room with players who have skill sets that complement each other.

Wide Receiver Preview 

Running Back Preview

Spring Football Preview: Auburn’s best tight end room in years

This could be one of the deepest units on the team.

One of the bright spots of the offense last season was the emergence of Auburn’s tight ends.

It was something that Auburn fans have wanted for years and the group more than delivered. John Samuel Shenker broke the program records for catches and yards and was one of the offences most reliable players.

Meanwhile, Tyler Fromm and Luke Deal were used in variety of ways to help the offense and Landen King looked like a potential star to end the season.

With the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback and wide receiver positions, Auburn will need to lean on the tight ends even more than they did last season, but this group is up for the challenge. Here is a look at the group.

Auburn Spring Practice: How will Tigers use their plethora of tight ends?

Here’s a look at Auburn’s tight end corps that is poised to make a statement this fall.

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In the last several years, Auburn has recruited a handful of high-rated tight ends. This year it looks like we’ll finally see them emerge as regular contributors on the Tigers’ offense.

It’s inexcusable that this position has been underutilized as of late, but Bryan Harsin realizes the advantages he has within this unit. From 2002-2005 he served at Boise State’s tight ends coach during which the Broncos’ scoring offense led the nation in scoring twice and never once fell out of the top 10. In his final year as tight ends coach, four Boise State tight ends finished the season with combined stats of 27 receptions, 298 yards, and three touchdowns.

Last season four Auburn tight ends finished the season with combined stats of 20 receptions, 178 yards, and 0 touchdowns.

In January Harsin announced the addition of former Boise State offensive line coach Brad Bedell to his Auburn staff to assume the role of tight ends coach. In Bedell’s four seasons at Boise State he saw nine offensive lineman receive 13 All-Mountain West honors. When Harsin named Bedell as tight ends coach he said,

“Tight end play is a critical part of our offensive attack and Coach Bedell brings a unique perspective to what we want to do with that position group. Brad has coached with me at a couple different places and is a relationship driven coach with six years of NFL playing experience, making him an exceptional recruiter. His versatility as a coach and strong recruiting ability make him a great fit for the Auburn football family.”

Bedell and Harsin will have no problem finding talent in this position. Outside of linebackers Auburn’s most talented group very would could be its tight ends. Here’s a look at Auburn’s tight end corps that is poised to make a statement this fall:

John Samuel Shenker, senior

  • 6’4″, 249 lbs
  • 2020 stats: 9 receptions, 97 yards, 26-yard season long reception vs Alabama
  • Buzz: Shenker must balance football, baseball, and school once again this spring. The infielder and tight end was absent in Saturday’s open practice due to Auburn baseball’s matchup against Ole Miss. So far this baseball season, Shenker has 3 runs, 3 hits, and 3 RBIs. The veteran of this tight end corps, Shenker still makes himself available to practice when he can and has been praised by Harsin for his tenacious work ethic.

JJ Pegues, sophomore

  • 6’3″, 308 lbs
  • 2020 stats: 14 rush yards on 5 carries, 11-yard season long vs Arkansas/7 receptions, 57 yards, 16-yard season long vs LSU
  • Buzz: For Ole Miss JJ Pegues will always be the one that got away. Maybe it’s his frame that let Pegues escape to Auburn out of Ole Miss’ backyard, but don’t let that deceive you. Out of high school Pegues was ranked nationally as a top 10 tight end prospect by ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports. His versatility at the line and in motion make him capable of creating nightmare matchups against defenses. In Saturday’s spring practice Pegues flattened Auburn LB Zakoby McClain while lined up at fullback. Auburn offensive coordinator Mike Bobo says that a focal point this spring has been moving Pegues around and playing him in a lot of positions.
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Deal, sophomore

  • 6’5″, 255 lbs
  • 2020 stats: 2 receptions, 11 yards
  • Buzz: As a senior Deal was ranked by ESPN as the nation’s 10th highest rated tight end. Deal didn’t see game action until the Arkansas game last year and only recorded stats against South Carolina and Mississippi State. In Saturday’s open practice Deal was given first team reps and lined up in the slot as well as at fullback. His highlight from Saturday was an impressive one-handed grab on a great pass by Bo Nix.

https://twitter.com/SkyeUnderwood/status/1223084786107011072?s=20

Brandon Frazier, sophomore

  • 6’7″, 267 lbs
  • 2020 stats: 2 receptions, 13 yards
  • Buzz: Frazier didn’t see game action until the Tigers played Tennessee last season and recorded stats against Mississippi State and Northwestern. As a high school prospect, ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports rated Frazier as a top-25 tight end. During spring practice on Saturday Frazier impressed media, coaches, and fans by showing out as a passing game mismatch.

Tyler Fromm, sophomore

  • 6’5″, 240 lbs
  • 2020 stats: injured in 2019, saw game action against LSU
  • Buzz: As a senior, Fromm was rated by ESPN as the nation’s 8th highest ranked tight end prospect. He comes from a pedigree of talented brothers: his twin Dylan plays quarterback for Mercer and his older brother Jake played quarterback at Georgia and is now with the Buffalo Bills. In Saturday’s practice Fromm got several first team reps.

Landen King, freshman

  • 6’5″, 214 lbs
  • Senior Stats (Atascocita High School): 39 receptions, 471 yards, 5 touchdowns
  • Buzz: Rated the ninth overall tight end prospect nationally by ESPN, King is a matchup nightmare in the passing game and will excel as a playmaker in Auburn’s offense.

The Tigers have plenty of depth at tight end with Pearl River Community College transfer Hayden Brice (senior) and Flynn Driscoll (junior). Bryan Harsin is a man with a plan and after Saturday’s practice it appears that he aims to get the talented corps of tight ends more involved in the offense.