Tag: Camden brown

Jackson State WR Shane Hooks announces commitment to Auburn

Jackson State’s leading receiver in 2022 is now an Auburn Tiger.

The numbers keep rolling in for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn Tigers.

The Tigers have landed its’ second wide receiver transfer of the week as [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag], Jackson State’s leading receiver from the 2022 season, announced Sunday that he would be transferring to Auburn. He joins the Tigers after being previously committed to Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels.

After the departure of Deion Sanders to Colorado, there was a mass exodus of players from the Jackson State roster. Several Jackson State players such as quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter followed Sanders to Boulder. Hooks elected to go another direction, thus moving into the SEC.

Hooks previously played three seasons at Ohio before moving to Jackson State. As a Bobcat, Hooks reeled in 34 catches for 635 yards and six touchdowns. Hooks added 947 yards and 12 touchdowns in two seasons at Jackson State. As a senior in 2022, Hooks led the Tigers in receptions with 66 catches for 775 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Outside of his playmaking abilities, Hooks brings much-needed height to Auburn’s receiving room. He stands 6-4 and weighs 205, which will mesh well with [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] (6-6), [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag] (6-5), [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] (6-4), and [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag] (6-3).

Hooks is the second wide receiver to commit to Auburn over the last seven days. Auburn added former North Texas wide receiver Jyaire Shorter last Tuesday.

Here’s a full report card of what Shane Hooks brings to the Plains.

Former Colorado receiver obtains offer from Auburn

One of Colorado’s top playmakers from 2022 is looking for a new home, and Auburn is interested.

[autotag]Montana Lemonious-Craig[/autotag] had a stellar spring game last weekend for Colorado by reeling in six passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. His score was a 98-yard reception from quarterback Shedur Sanders.

So it was understandably shocking to Buffaloes fans when Lemonious-Craig announced his intent to enter the transfer portal one day after Colorado’s sold-out spring game.

Colorado’s loss could turn into Auburn’s gain.

Not even 24 hours after entering the portal, Lemonious-Craig announced that he had received a myriad of offers from Penn State, BYU, Mississippi State, and Arizona. Included in the bunch was an offer from Auburn.

Lemonious-Craig was used sparingly during his first two seasons in Boulder, as he caught just 11 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. His best season was in 2022 when he caught a team-leading 23 passes for 359 yards and three scores. He was Colorado’s second-leading receiver in terms of yards, trailing only Jordyn Tyson.

During spring practice, head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] shared that he was looking for an “alpha” to step up and lead the receiving room, similar to what he had with Laquon Treadwell during his days at Ole Miss. After reaching the top of Colorado’s receiving stats last season, and having a huge game for the Buffaloes in the spring game, Freeze may have seen signs of “alpha” in Lemonious-Craig, thus sending an offer.

Among those returning to Auburn’s roster at receiver include [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag], and [autotag]Landen King[/autotag]. [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] of Cincinnati is also joining the group from the transfer portal.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Auburn makes top 8 for elite WR Chance Robinson

Auburn is looking to land its second wide receiver from St. Thomas Aquinas in the past three cycles.

Auburn is firmly in the mix for one of the top wide receivers in the country.

[autotag]Chance Robinson[/autotag] is one of the best receivers in the country and on Friday he trimmed his top group to eight schools and the Tigers made the cut. They will be battling FSU, Florida, Miami, Ole Miss Penn State, Georgia, and Tennessee.

He is the No. 107 overall recruit and No. 19 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite ranking. The Fort Lauderdale product is also the No. 16 player from Florida.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder is being recruited by wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] and has heard from Auburn receiver [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag] who also starred at St. Thomas Aquinas.

Robinson caught 29 passes for 540 yards and 13 touchdowns to help lead the Raiders to a perfect 14-0 record and a 3M state title.

The Tigers are starting to lay the foundation for an impressive 2024 recruiting class. They already have commitments from four-star quarterback Walker White and four-star cornerbacks Jayden Lewis and A’Mon Lane.

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Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

Hugh Freeze is looking for the next ‘alpha’ in his receiving group to step up

Freeze coached many great receivers during his time at Ole Miss, and wants to do the same at Auburn.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has shared his desire to build an improved quarterback room over spring practice and summer workouts. One way to do that is by making sure that the winning quarterback has plenty of talent on the receiving end of his passes.

The receiving corps is another area that Freeze addressed early on in his first spring practice as the Tigers’ head coach. Freeze feels that he has the talent to make his quarterbacks successful, but he is looking for that one receiver to step up and take on the “leader of the pack” role.

In his years at Ole Miss, Freeze had the likes of D.K. Metcalf, Laquon Treadwell, and A.J. Brown grace his roster, thus making his passing game one of the best in the nation. Freeze says that he hopes to find that type of talent and leadership within his current group of receivers.

“We always felt like we had a good matchup or two that in our system if they got the right look on their field that they had the capability of winning that one-on-one battle,” Freeze said of his receivers at Ole Miss. “We’ve got to get to that point (at Auburn). Are we there yet? I don’t know. But we certainly have to get there.”

There are certainly many athletes that could be that “alpha” on this year’s roster. [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag], [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Landen King[/autotag], and [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag] return from last season’s roster, and Auburn has added Cincinnati transfer [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] into the mix as well.

Auburn will continue spring practice on select dates throughout March and will conclude matters during the annual A-Day game on April 8.

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Five takeaways from Auburn’s loss to Arkansas

Here are our top takeaways from Auburn’s loss to Arkansas Saturday.

Auburn’s losing streak has grown to four as the Tigers fell to the Arkansas Razorbacks 41-27 in Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday.

Auburn was unable to keep up with the Razorbacks in the second half and suffered their first loss to them since 2015. While there were more losers than winners for Auburn, several players had good games and deserved a shoutout.

The game followed a similar pattern for Auburn, they were unable to stop the run and the coaching staff was once again outcoached, causing the fanbase to voice their desire for change.

Here are our five top takeaways from the 41-27 loss.

Instant Analysis: Auburn drops fourth straight game, falls to Arkansas 41-27

Auburn was unable to keep up in the second half, getting out-scored 24-14 by the Razorbacks.

Auburn was able to keep it close in the first half but the Arkansas Razorbacks pulled away in the third quarter to win 41-27 in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

With their fourth straight loss, Auburn (3-5, 1-4 SEC) has now lost to every SEC West team under [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] and does not have an active winning streak against any of their divisional rivals.

The Tigers had a solid start to the game, forcing a three-and-out on defense and marching into [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag]’s range on their first drive, however, he missed the 46-yard attempt. After a Razorbacks fumble on their ensuing drive, he got a second attempt and nailed it, giving Auburn a 3-0 lead to start the game.

The lead would not last as the Razorbacks marched down the field and made sure to finish their drive with a touchdown, taking a 7-3 lead with 3:10 left in the first quarter.

The Razorback’s success in the red zone was the difference in the game, they scored four touchdowns in their first five trips to build the commanding 31-13 lead. Auburn scored once in their first two trips, a 24-yard field goal.

With Auburn trailing 14-3 in the second quarter, [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] were able to get Auburn back in the game with their legs. Ashford ran for 31 yards and a few plays later Bigsby ripped off a 41-yard touchdown run to make it a 14-10 game and bring Jordan-Hare Stadium alive.

The Tigers were unable to carry this momentum into the second half, Auburn moved the ball to open the second half but stalled and was forced to attempt a 52-yard field goal, which was blocked.

The Razorbacks took advantage of the opportunity, going on a nine-play, 64-yard touchdown drive and taking a 24-13 lead.

As has been the case all season, Auburn’s offense had no answers in the second half. They did not record a first down on either of their next two drives and the defense once again got worn down.

The Razorbacks scored touchdowns on their first three touchdowns of the half to pull away 38-13 and secure their first win over Auburn since 2015. They finally found success on the ground in the second half, rushing for 220 yards after managing just 70 yards in the first half.

The Tiger’s two scoring drives of the half came when the game was well in hand for Arkansas. With Ashford finding [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag] for a nine-yard touchdown and [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] punching it in with 4 seconds left to make it a 41-27 Arkansas win.

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Winners and Losers from Auburn’s loss to LSU

The negatives cast a huge, looming shadow over the positives in Auburn’s loss to LSU on Saturday night.

Auburn football’s strong start against rival LSU was not enough to carry it to a victory, as it fell to the Bayou Bengals, 21-17, on Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn jumped to a 17-0 lead with 9:38 remaining in the second quarter. Auburn reached that point by doing something that had not happened through four games, a receiver reeling in a touchdown catch.

It happened twice in the first half.

Starting quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] threw touchdown passes of 53 yards and 18 yards to [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag], respectively. Speaking of passing, Ashford threw for 337 yards, which was a huge contribution to Auburn’s 438 yards of offense.

For as many positives as we saw on the field Saturday night, there were just as many negatives. Auburn committed four turnovers and running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] once again was limited in carries.

There were highs, and there were lows. Here are the winners and losers from Auburn’s loss to LSU.

Auburn blows another lead, falls to LSU 21-17

Auburn was unable to hold onto a 17-0 lead.

For the fifth straight time, Auburn had a double-digit lead against an SEC opponent.

Auburn is now 1-4 in those games.

LSU scored 21 unanswered points Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium to win 21-17 and make Auburn 1-1 in the SEC 3-2 overall.

Auburn outgained LSU and held them to 85 yards passing but turned the ball over four times, missed a field goal, made multiple questionable play calls, and failed to score in the second half.

[autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] showed why Auburn’s coaching staff is so excited about his future on the first drive. With the Tigers facing third-and-eight from their 47 he evaded an LSU pass rusher and found a streaking [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] for the 53-yard touchdown pass.

After the teams traded punts he once again showed off his arm. He found a wide-open [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] for a 61-yard gain and then an uncovered [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag] for the touchdown and the 14-0 lead with 13:58 left in the second quarter.

Auburn took a 17-0 lead on their next possession on a 29-yard field goal from [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag] after their drive stalled out in the red zone.

After playing a nearly perfect game Ashford made his first mistake on Auburn’s next drive. On 1st-and-10 he rolled to his right trying to keep the play alive but LSU pass rusher BJ Ojulari was able to catch him for the strip sack which they picked up for the scoop and score.

That marked a turning point in the game. Auburn was able to move the ball on their next drive but Carlson missed the 40-yard field goal with 1:58 left in the first half.

As he normally does, [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] used his time out aggressively to get the ball back and it would have worked had Derick Hall not been penalized for illegal hands to the face and given LSU a first down on third down. LSU took advantage of the second chance, making it a 17-14 Auburn lead when Jayden Daniels punched it in from the one-yard line just before the half ended.

Auburn saw their lead get erased completely in the third quarter after a failed conversion on fourth-and-10 gave LSU a short field. They did not complete a pass on their 7-play 63-yard drive that ended with a John Emery Jr. 20-yard touchdown that gave them a 21-17 lead with 3:32 left in the third quarter.

Auburn had a chance to retake the lead in the fourth quarter, driving to the LSU 10-yard line but Koy Moore threw an ill-advised pass on a trick play and LSU picked it off to end the threat. Despite LSU fumbling it away a few plays later, Ashford was picked off when an LSU defender ripped the ball away from Moore to all but end the game.

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Players who raised their stock during fall camp

Here are the seven players who raised their stock the most during fall camp.

Every year some players will have impressive fall camps and this year was no different for Auburn.

With fall camp all but over, let’s take a look at some of the players who boosted their stock the most during fall camp. While some of these players are now the favorites for a starting spot, some are now key backups.

The group includes several veterans who have started to put it together as well as some youngsters and even a couple of newcomers who look like players Auburn will be able to count on this season.

Here is a look at the seven players who boosted their stock the most as well as some players who deserve recognition for their progress.

Auburn in final eight for 2023 wide receiver from Florida

The Tigers are one of eight finalists for wide receiver William Fowles.

On Monday, 2023 wide receiver William Fowles listed his final eight schools on Twitter and the Auburn Tigers were one of the eight schools listed. Other schools included were Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida State, Michigan State, Florida, and South Florida.

In his junior season at Dade Christian, he hauled in 47 catches for 1,100 receiving yards. Along with those jaw-dropping numbers, he also found the end zone 19 times. In the best game of his high school career, he netted seven receptions for 204 receiving yards and one touchdown.

The Tigers could certainly use Fowles at the wide receiver position in 2023. Wide receiver coach [autotag]Ike Hilliard[/autotag] is trying to build a receiving room that is one of the best in the Southeastern Conference. In the 2022 class, Auburn added wide receivers Omari Kelly, Camden Brown and Jay Fair. All three have the ultimate opportunity to earn a starting spot entering the fall. The coaching staff could certainly use open competition to lure in a guy like Fowles.

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William Fowles’ Recruiting Profile