Tag: Demarcus Riddick

SEC names four Tigers to All-Freshman squad

Several freshmen are being rewarded for their efforts this season with their first conference honors.

The Southeastern Conference has released its postseason awards for the 2024 season, and four Tigers have found a place within the All-SEC Freshmen team.

Auburn relied heavily on several freshmen this season, and they are being rewarded by earning their first conference honor. Wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Bradyn Joiner[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag], and cornerback [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag] were named to the SEC’s All-Freshman team, the league office announced this week.

Coleman had a spectacular first season on the Plains, ending the year as Auburn’s second-leading receiver behind Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]. The freshman from Phenix City logged 37 catches for 598 yards and eight scores in his debut season. He played a vital role in Auburn’s late-season wins over ULM and Texas A&M by hauling in over 100 receiving yards in both games.

Joiner saw action in 10 games as a redshirt freshman for the Tigers in 2024. After participating in 158 snaps over the first eight weeks of the season, Joiner took over the starting role at left guard over Auburn’s final five games. In 486 total snaps, Joiner allowed 11 pressures with three sacks.

Riddick played in 10 games this season in three different positions. He earned his first start in Auburn’s 31-13 loss to Georgia in October and would record two more starts by the season’s end. Riddick’s freshman campaign concluded with 27 tackles, three sacks, and a pass deflection. He made a season-high six tackles in Auburn’s loss to Oklahoma on Sept. 28.

Crawford wraps up Auburn’s representation after making 15 stops with seven pass breakups and an interception. According to Pro Football Focus, Crawford is the fifth-highest-graded freshman cornerback at 77.3. He earns the grade after allowing just 40.3% of passes to be caught and allowing just two opposing touchdowns.

In addition to Auburn’s four all-freshman nods, running back Jarquez Hunter and wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith secured All-SEC honors earlier this week.

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‘This is a good day for us.’ Hugh Freeze recaps 2025 Early Signing Day

Freeze is excited for his 2025 recruiting haul to get to campus so he can continue to build a successful program.

Auburn football remains in “rebuild mode” after a 5-7 season in 2024.

However, after the success of the 2025 recruiting cycle, this chapter in Auburn’s football history appears to be nearing its end.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff secured the No. 6 recruiting class for the 2025 cycle on Wednesday when it signed 25 recruits. Freeze shared his thoughts on the class following the busy day, declaring Auburn’s 2025 class to be a sign of great things to come.

“I’m really excited; this is a good day for us,” Freeze said Wednesday. “Today is one of those days where the first emotion you probably feel is relief and excitement is the next one. It looks like we’ll finish with another Top 10 class, one of the tops in the SEC; I’ve been very clear since my arrival that I thought it would take three Top 10 classes in a row to get to where it’s apples to apples. Let’s get these guys here and continue to change our roster.”

Freeze and the staff took a step forward on Wednesday by signing the No. 6 class, two spots higher than the 2024 haul which included key players such as [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag]. Freeze is pleased with the players he signed but understands that development is the next step toward success.

“Now, it’s our job to develop and create a culture with those young men,” Freeze said. “Our vision here is very clear and I think today is a sign that good players see it, their families see it and it’s a validation that we’re on the right track.”

The Auburn Tigers added 25 players to its 2025 roster on Wednesday, headlined by five-star EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], five-star DL [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], and five-star QB [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. For a full rundown of Auburn’s 2025 signees, click here.

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Auburn freshman Demarcus Riddick confident ahead of Iron Bowl

The freshman linebacker exuberated plenty of confidence when speaking with the media on Monday ahead of this week’s Iron Bowl game.

Auburn freshman linebacker Demarcus Riddick has enjoyed a late-season breakout after starting the year playing limited snaps for DJ Durkin’s defense. The Clanton, Alabama native has registered at least one tackle for loss in his past three games, including sacks in each of the last two games, which have both been Auburn victories.

That late-season breakout has turned the freshman into one of the key cogs in Auburn’s vastly improving front seven, in turn giving Riddick the confidence to become an elite pass rusher in the SEC. That belief in himself was on full display in the freshman’s recent session with the media.

After being asked how important it would be to contain Alabama Jalen Milroe’s dual-threat ability next Saturday, the linebacker relayed “It’s going to be real[ly] important this Saturday, he is a good quarterback… he’s fast, but he’s not faster than me”. Riddick continued, “he will not get out [of] that box this week, and that’s something I’m going to have to work on all week at practice, and some of the guys are going to have to help me with”.

He was also asked to compare himself to fellow Crimson Tide freshman, and at one time Auburn flip candidate, receiver Ryan Williams. Riddick was succinct, explaining “He ain’t really nobody to me… Ryan Williams is himself, he ain’t no big time player to me”.

The comments from the Auburn freshman may be viewed by some as “cocky,” but Riddick seemingly feels fully comfortable in his ability to become a great player in the conference. Now entering the final chapter of his best month as a collegiate athlete, Riddick seems completely ready to help the Tigers attempt to beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa for the first time since Cam Newton’s National Championship team accomplished the feat in 2010.

Auburn has failed to lose by less than two possessions in every road Iron Bowl since 2014. The No. 16 ranked Tigers lost by 11, 55-44, to No. 2 ranked Alabama that season.

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What did we learn from Auburn’s loss to Oklahoma?

Auburn made very few, but costly mistakes in its recent loss to Oklahoma.

Auburn football finished its five-game home stand in less than desirable fashion, which seemed to be the name of the game throughout the entire start to the 2024 season.

The Tigers saw a late pick six become the difference in Saturday’s 27-21 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners, dropping them to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the SEC heading into the month of October.

Unlike the team’s other two defeats, this one felt like things were going right for Auburn. While it only scored 21 points, plays were being made and the team was moving the ball. Despite that, it gave up the lead late and horror struck once again for a team with high hopes.

Here is what we learned about the Tigers after the loss.

Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] was benched a short couple of weeks ago and thrown back into action last week against Arkansas after struggles shown by [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag]. He responded this week in one of the biggest games of Auburn’s season by playing well, which is what fans desperately needed to see.

There were many good deep throws made with smart decisions, but what fans will remember were the other decisions made, the ones that had them holding their breath and just hoping the ball would not be interceptions.

For the most part, they were relieved of that, that was until the Sooners’ Kip Lewis intercepted a ball on a slant route and ran it back to give his squad a late lead. It answered the question of if Thorne had improved in crunch time, which was no.

On the receiving end, [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] have become two of the team’s most reliable targets in the early going, and when they get the ball, it always feel like a big play is in motion.

Running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] is also still who every Tigers fan knows him as, a powerful weapon. Despite not breaking 100 yards, Hunter continues to make explosive plays that provide a spark to the offense.

The defense still has many kinks to work out. Containing the quarterback has consistently been a problem all year, and while things improved on Saturday, it gave up two of the more crucial plays of the game in the opening drive touchdown by Michael Hawkins Jr. and his two-point conversion that gave Oklahoma a 24-21 lead.

[autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] had an explosive game and proved what he can do with six tackles, including a tackle-for-loss and sack. Look for him to continue growing down the stretch.

For the first time this season, Auburn saw its special teams struggle, as [autotag]Towns McGough[/autotag] missed both of his field goal attempts on the day, including one right before the half that would have given his team a 17-7 lead and raised the momentum heading into the break. For a young kicker, he still has a lot to grow on, but those two turned out to be a major miss for the Tigers.

Auburn takes the road for the entire month of October, beginning with a trip to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. That game is set for 2:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcast live on ABC from Sanford Stadium.

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Auburn adds LB Fa’Najae Gotay from transfer portal

Gotay recorded a career-best 44 tackles with 2.5 sacks at Maryland last season.

The Maryland to Auburn pipeline became stronger this week, as Auburn has added its third transfer from the Big Ten program in two seasons.

[autotag]Fa’Najee Gotay[/autotag], a linebacker formerly of Maryland, announced Thursday that he will continue his college career at Auburn after spending the last six seasons with the Terrapins.

He joins former Maryland tight end [autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag] by moving from College Park to Auburn ahead of the 2024 season. Auburn received contributions from former Maryland defensive tackle [autotag]Mosiah Nasili-Kite[/autotag] last season. In his lone season on the Plains, Nasili-Kite recorded 10 tackles before tearing his bicep in Auburn’s loss to Georgia in early October, prematurely ending his season.

Gotay enjoyed the most successful season of his college career in 2023 by recording 44 tackles with 4.5 registering for a loss with 2.5 sacks. His college career began in 2018 by playing four games for Maryland. He earned another season of eligibility in 2020 due to the COVID-shortended season, and was granted a medical redshirt in 2021 after an upper-body injury cut his season short after just one game.

Gotay comes to Auburn with 133 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, and two interceptions. According to Pro Football Focus, he averaged 170 snaps per season for Maryland, and participated in 668 snaps over the last two seasons.

Auburn’s linebacker room gains experience by adding Gotay. Gotay joins the group headlined by returners [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] and [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag]. Former Duke star [autotag]Dorian Mausi Jr.[/autotag] joins the roster this season to provide another block of experience while players such as [autotag]DJ Barber[/autotag], [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag], and [autotag]Robert Woodyard[/autotag] continue to develop.

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Auburn reveals jersey numbers for 2024 early enrollees

2024 signees such as Cam Coleman, Walker White, and Joseph Phillips have secured their jersey numbers ahead of spring practice.

Auburn football will begin this week, and they will have several members of its No. 7 ranked 2024 recruiting class joining them.

Signees such as wide receivers [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] will enroll this summer, but the Tigers will still have the likes of [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], and [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] on campus to go through spring exercises and to get ahead start to their college careers.

Ahead of the start of spring practices, Auburn football revealed the numbers that each early enrollee will wear during their first season on the Plains. Here is a look at which 2024 signees will participate in spring practice, as well as the number they will be representing on their jerseys.

Four-star LB Demarcus Riddick signs with Auburn

Riddick flipped from Georgia to Auburn over the summer.

Hugh Freeze was able to snag four-star linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] from Georgia over the summer. Now, he is an Auburn Tiger.

Riddick, a native of Clanton, signed with Auburn on Wednesday. As a senior at Chilton County High School, Riddick recorded 92 tackles with three sacks and an interception.

Riddick is one of 11 defensive players to sign with Auburn today, joining the likes of [autotag]TJ Lindsey[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], and [autotag]Amon Lane-Ganus[/autotag]. Auburn has also added Florida flips [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag] as defensive signees.

The linebacker from Clanton is Auburn’s fourth-highest rated signee of the 2024 class. He is the No. 5 overall linebacker for the cycle, and is the No. 6 overall player from Alabama.

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Auburn remains determined to flip KJ Bolden from Florida State

It appears that Hugh Freeze is feeling lucky after flipping Cam Coleman from Texas A&M.

Last week, wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] visited Central High School in Phenix City to have a chat with five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman. The meeting went well, as Coleman flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Auburn.

After the flip, it appears as if Hugh Freeze and his staff are feeling lucky as they continue to pursue five-star safety [autotag]KJ Bolden[/autotag]. Freeze paid a visit to Bolden on Tuesday.

Bolden has been a popular target for Auburn, and they were in Bolden’s final five choices before he ultimately committed to Florida State on August 5. Despite his pledge to Florida State, Auburn has remained heavy in their pursuit of Bolden. Bolden visited Auburn during the weekend of the Georgia game and said that the atmosphere of Jordan-Hare Stadium “caught him off guard” but in a good way.

Now that early signing day is within eyesight, Freeze is making one final push to sway Bolden to the Plains. In a recent episode of The Inside Scoop from On3, Auburn Live’s Jeffrey Lee says that Auburn’s recent success of landing recruits such as Coleman and fellow five-star receiver [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] has changed the way Bolden views Auburn.

“Now they’ve got both of those guys, they’ve got Joe Phillips, they’ve got Jamonta Waller, they just added Cam Coleman. And I really think that’s opened KJ’s eyes,” Lee said. “Like oh, it’s not just one or two guys. This class could end up being really, really good. So I think with his interest level before, and now some of these recruits jumping on board certainly has opened his eyes with renewed interest in Auburn.”

As it stands currently, Auburn has the No. 11 recruiting class according to both 247Sports and On3. Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag], and [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] headline the class that features two five-stars, and ten four-stars.

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Four 2024 commits pledge to play in All-American Bowl

Several of Auburn’s talented 2024 commits will get the chance to showcase their talents in front of a national audience this January.

Early signing day is approaching, and several of Auburn’s top commitments for the 2024 class have pledged to participate in an All-Star game this upcoming January.

The All-American Bowl, which is set to take place on Saturday, January 6 in San Antonio, Texas, has invited four of Auburn’s highest-rated 2024 commitments to play. It will be the first chance to see four-star quarterback [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], four-star offensive lineman [autotag]DeAndre Carter[/autotag], four-star linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag], and four-star safety [autotag]Kensley Faustin[/autotag] on the same field.

White, Carter, and Riddick are all in the top 15 of their respective positions while Faustin ranks as high as No. 35 among safeties in the 2024 cycle.

There is a possibility that this list could expand, as Auburn targets [autotag]KJ Bolden[/autotag], [autotag]Ny Carr[/autotag], and [autotag]Zaquan Patterson[/autotag] are also set to play in the game.

The game, which will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, will kick off at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday, January 6. The game can be seen live on NBC.

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Auburn flips elite pass rusher Jamonta Waller from Florida

Hugh Freeze and Co. have flipped yet another elite prospect.

Auburn was a finalist for four-star edge rusher [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] back in June when he committed to the Florida Gators and they never stopped recruiting the talented pass rusher after missing out.

That decision paid off on Saturday when he announced he was flipping his commitment from the Gators to the Tigers on social media.

While Auburn never stopped recruiting Waller, they made their move during the season after he visited the Plains to watch them play Georgia and Ole Miss. The visits allowed him to see just how [autotag] Ron Roberts[/autotag] would use him in his defense, where he projects to play the jack position and rush the passer.

Waller is the No. 75 overall player and the No. 6 edge in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Picuyuna product is also the No. 2 player from Mississippi.

He becomes Auburn’s third-highest-ranked commit, behind only five-star prospects [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag]. He is Auburn’s second commit at edge, joining four-star [autotag]TJ Lindsey[/autotag].

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