Derrick Nix – Syndication Server

Derrick Nix among candidates tied to Southern Miss vacancy

Could Auburn’s offensive coordinator be on the move next season?

Southern Miss fired head football coach Will Hall this week, and an Auburn assistant coach could be considered to fill the vacancy.

On3’s Pete Nakos dropped his list of targets to become Southern Miss’ next head coach and included Auburn offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] in the mix.

Nakos ties Nix to the job due to his time as a player within the program from 1998-2002. He was also involved in the Southern Miss coaching staff in various roles from 2003-07. He also spent 15 seasons as an assistant coach at Ole Miss before moving into the offensive coordinator role at Auburn ahead of the 2024 season.

Nix has plenty of upsides and should receive interest from Southern Miss writes Nakos.

A three-time all-conference selection at Southern Miss, Derrick Nix was a record-setting running back for the Golden Eagles and was named to the USM “Team of the Century.” He was the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his freshman and sophomore in program history. After spending 16 seasons at Ole Miss, he jumped to Auburn last offseason. The 44-year-old offensive coordinator and running backs coach has a proven track record as a recruiter with the Rebels. Nix does not have head coaching experience but is expected to receive interest for the Southern Miss job.

Nakos’ candidate list features several notable names in addition to Nix. Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, former UAB head coach Bill Clark, current ULM head coach Bryant Vincent, and Georgia tight ends coach Todd Hartley are also candidates that Nakos considered valuable candidates for the open spot.

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Four-star ATH Derrek Cooper enjoys ‘surreal’ visit to Auburn

Cooper, the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 class, is coached by former Auburn running back Shaun Shivers at Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Florida.

Auburn football is going through a rough patch, but Tiger fans still make Jordan-Hare Stadium a challenging venue. Evidence of that can be seen from the eyes of recruits on campus for visits last weekend.

[autotag]Derrek Cooper[/autotag], the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 class from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, was on campus last weekend alongside fellow Auburn commitment [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and former Auburn running back [autotag]Shaun Shivers[/autotag], who coaches both athletes.

Cooper raved about his visit to the Plains with On3’s Cole Pinkston, including the exciting environment during the Tigers’ game with Oklahoma.

“Man, the experience was so surreal,” Cooper said in an interview with On3. “Every first down the crowd was just hyped, everything was so loud I could barely think. It was so loud, I loved the crowd tonight. It looked solid tonight. Oklahoma is a great team. It was a good game today.”

Cooper also tells On3 that Auburn is in the early stages of recruiting him, and says that Auburn coaches are recruiting him to play either safety or running back. When it comes to relationships, Cooper says that he wants to continue building one with head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] as his recruitment continues.

Cooper is the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 cycle according to Rivals, ESPN, and On3’s Industry Rankings. He is also Florida’s No. 1 overall recruit from the cycle by Rivals’ standards.

Shekai Mills-Knight lists Auburn in top five ahead of commitment date

Auburn is in a race with three fellow SEC programs for the signature of the four-star Tennessee product.

Shekai Mills-Knight will commit to a program this weekend, and Auburn remains a top candidate.

The four-star running back from Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee tells Chad Simmons of On3 that he will choose between Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Miami on Saturday, Aug. 17. Mills says that he is ready to commit to a program that will develop him in several key areas.

“My decision is based on being at a place where I can see myself for 3-4 years, where I can get developed as a running back, where I can get a good education and where I have a chance to win a national championship,” Mills-Knight said in a recent interview with On3.

Mills-Knight visited Auburn twice over the summer, once at the beginning of July and again for Big Cat Weekend. During his first visit to the Plains, Mills-Knight said that he likes the idea of playing in an offense under offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag].

“Auburn is a great college,” Mills-Knight said. “Love the town. Love that Coach (Derrick) Nix is also the OC which means he can put me in position to succeed on the field. They have a great culture. My relationship with everybody there is real strong and they got a great network down there and the running back room is also wide open.”

Ole Miss is the favorite to land Mills-Knight according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. The Rebels also have one crystal ball prediction from 247Sports in their favor. However, Auburn’s relentless pursuit of Mills-Knight has kept them in the running for this long, and can not be considered out of the running until his decision has officially been made.

OC Derrick Nix wants more ‘explosive plays’ from Auburn offense

Nix says that explosive plays are required in order to score at a high rate.

The Ole Miss Rebels did not become one of college football’s top offenses by playing with a slow tempo.

New offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], who spent the previous 16 seasons with the Rebels, has been coached several high-octane offenses and looks to produce the same product at Auburn. Not only is he coaching his offense to make plays, he is working to engrave an explosive mindset into the players in hopes of setting a standard.

“Being a fundamentally efficient scoring machine, it requires us to make explosive plays,” Nix said during a recent media availability. “It becomes a standard, and expectation.”

Being an explosive offense runs deeper than solid quarterback and receiver play. Nix says that each position needs to work together in order to build consistency.

“We just try to challenge our guys to expect it. If our offensive line can protect (and) the quarterback makes the right read against the right coverage, you should make the play and it should be explosive,” Nix said. “We should be able to count on that, week in and week out. That is something that we talk about and something that’s expected and needed for this offense to thrive.”

Auburn added plenty of talented wide receivers to its roster over the offseason including Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag]. [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] return to head the running back position and [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is back as the team’s starting quarterback.

This season, up is the only way Auburn can move as they finished No. 14 in passing offense last season among SEC teams. Those skill players as well as a more experienced offensive line should produce the “explosive plays” that Nix hopes to gain this season.

Auburn cracks top 40 of preseason CBS Sports 134

The SEC will be loaded yet again, which is evident by CBS Sports’ preseason rankings.

The SEC will be a force within college football yet again this season, and Auburn will be no exception.

CBS Sports released its preseason 134 rankings this week ahead of the season, placing Auburn at No. 37. The Tigers will debut one space below Group of Five power Liberty and one spot ahead of SEC foe Florida. In all, 11 of the SEC’s 16 teams rank in the top 40 of CBS Sports’ preseason predictions.

The preseason rankings from CBS Sports also indicate how strong Auburn’s schedule will be this season. Six of Auburn’s opponents are ranked higher than them, and nine total opponents are ranked within the top 100. Only New Mexico, ULM, and Alabama State (FCS) are the only opponents ranked beyond No. 100 this season.

Auburn football will look to improve upon its 2024 record of 6-7. Head coach Hugh Freeze has worked this offseason to bring in the best talent from both high school and the transfer portal portal, and his revamped his coaching staff to include several of college football’s best assistant coaches including [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag], [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], and [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag].

The Georgia Bulldogs lead the pack in this season’s preseason forecast, followed by Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, and Alabama in the top five.

Auburn hosts 2026 RB Carsyn Baker for visit

The top-20 RB from Georgia shared excitement of touring Auburn’s new facilities during a recent visit.

Auburn football is back to hosting visits following a very eventful Big Cat Weekend, trying to make a profound influence on many 2025 and 2026 recruits.

The Tigers are attempting to reload at the running back position after this season and hosted 2026 four-star running back [autotag]Carsyn Baker[/autotag] on Tuesday.

Baker’s visit to the Plains was the first since his 9th-grade year. Now heading into his junior campaign, his time with the program was largely positive.

The Langston Hughes (Ga.) product had many meetings with offensive coordinator and running backs coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] during his visit, liking a lot about what the Tigers could do with him in the offensive scheme.

“Coach Nix is a great, great guy,” Baker said. “I like his scheme and what he has going on. He’s very cool, great personality. The plays they run, I really like them. It’s similar to the scheme we run at our school.”

Auburn is competing with Alabama, Ohio State, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee for the running back.

Following the visit, Baker feels great about the Tigers’ chances of being in his top schools.

“I’m really liking Auburn,” Baker said. “They definitely sit up there as one of my top schools. I’ll be sure to be back again for a game. I like the tradition and everything they have going here.”

Baker is currently listed as the No. 232 ranked overall player No. 19 running back in the class of 2026 according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 27 player in the state of Georgia.

Auburn is currently rolling on the talent side for their 2026 commitments, and Baker will be their third offensive player should he commit, along with [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag].

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Four-star TE Kaiden Prothro enjoys recent visit to Auburn

Auburn is in the mix to land one of the top tight ends from the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Auburn football looks to build upon its top-ranked 2026 recruiting class by showing interest in one of the cycle’s top tight ends.

[autotag]Kaiden Prothro[/autotag], a four-star tight end from Bowdon High School (Ga.), visited the Plains earlier this week where he spent time with tight ends coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] and head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] as well as touring the campus and the program’s facilities.

Following his visit, Prothro spoke with Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live, where he shared his excitement over being on campus and how he fits at Auburn.

“I feel like Auburn is a great school to be at,” Prothro said in an interview with On3. “I’m always going to keep my options open. I feel like Auburn is going to be a good school in the next couple of years. I can’t really say much because I’m still looking at other schools, but I think Auburn is going to be a pretty good school for me.”

Prothro also broke down his visit with Aigamaua. He is intrigued by Aigamaua’s development of [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] and the potential of Auburn’s offense taking a positive step under new offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix.[/autotag]

“He’s a great coach,” Prothro said of Aigamaua. “I feel like he knows what he’s doing. The tight end (Rivaldo Fairweather) led the team in receptions and yards last year, so that’s big. Just seeing what they’re doing with the tight end, they’ve got Coach (Derick) Nix, who’s a great offensive coordinator. I just feel like they’re going to be a big powerhouse this year.”

Prothro is the No. 2 tight end for the 2026 class according to On3 and Rivals, and is considered the nation’s best tight end according to ESPN. He ranks as high as No. 2 in Georgia’s 2026 rankings. Auburn holds the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class for 2026, with OL [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag] being the lone commitment from Georgia at this point in the cycle.

The best images from Auburn’s time at SEC Media Days

Here’s a look at the best images from Auburn’s time at the podium on Thursday.

The second season of the [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era officially began Thursday as the Tigers’ head man, along with quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag], and defensive lineman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], took the stage at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas.

Freeze spoke on many topics while in Texas, one of those involved playcalling. Freeze says that playcalling duties will fall on him, offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag]. How will playcalling be distributed? Freeze explained Thursday.

“Now that it’s back to our terminology that I’m comfortable with, once we have a successful play, I’ll have the flexibility to jump in,” Freeze said. “With our landmarks, I will control those for things we want to see as shots and such. It will be a mixture and combination, but it will be something we’ve agreed upon that this will be the shell of the game plan until we need to make adjustments.”

Take a look back at the best moments of Auburn’s stay at SEC Media Days by checking out this photo gallery.

Ole Miss players share thoughts on Auburn OC Derrick Nix

Nix departed Oxford for Auburn in January after spending 16 years with the Rebels.

Auburn football hired former Ole Miss wide receivers coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] to serve as the program’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach in January. Nix steps into the role following the departure of [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] after one season on the Plains.

Nix joins Auburn’s staff after a successful 16-year stint in Oxford. While there, he built sturdy relationships with his peers as well as Ole Miss athletes. Did he depart Ole Miss with bad blood? It appears that all is well between Nix and the Rebels.

During day one of SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas, Ole Miss players Tre Harris and Jaxson Dart were asked about their relationship with Nix. Both players had positive and kind words for the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator.

Harris, who reeled in 54 passes for 985 yards and eight touchdowns for the Rebels last season, says that Nix teaches valuable lessons outside of the x’s and o’s of football.

“He’s an incredible coach who’s looking to not only make you a better player on the field, but to make you a man,” Harris said. ”One thing he always harped on was that football does end at some point. You have to be a family man and you have to be a man of God.”

Rebel quarterback Jaxson Dart also expressed positive words about Nix, and approved Auburn’s decision to hire him.

“Great man and somebody that our team and guys really looked up to so Auburn made a really good hire,” Dart said.

As Auburn looks to revamp its passing game in 2024, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will look to Nix to increase production. Three Ole Miss receivers were able to surpass 700 receiving yards last season, and Ole Miss quarterbacks have passed for at least 270 yards per game in three of the last four seasons.

Where does Hugh Freeze stand in On3’s SEC head coach ‘pressure cooker’ rankings?

How hot is Hugh Freeze’s seat heading into year two? On3’s Jesse Simonton weighs in.

The second season of the [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era is upon us, and the Auburn Tigers are looking to improve upon its 6-7 campaign in 2023.

Freeze is in a better position to succeed ahead of his second season than his predecessor, [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag], was entering his second season. Freeze is not a part of a coup to remove him from his position as head coach, and he is working hard to rebuild the program by bringing in top-notch talent and hiring the best coaching staff to develop the new pieces.

As the program appears to be trending upward, is there any chance that Freeze is on the hot seat ahead of the 2024 season? On3’s Jesse Simonton believes that Auburn fans should not worry.

Simonton recently dropped his SEC head coach “pressure cooker” rankings and has placed Freeze in the “medium” category. Simonton expects Auburn to trend upward this season with the addition of [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag], [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag], and [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] to the coaching staff.

Despite a frustratingly inconsistent 6-7 season in Year 1 that resulted in a major staff overhaul, the Tigers are encouraged by the direction of Freeze’s program entering the 2024 season. He’s continued to upgrade the roster with strong recruiting efforts and he has a better group of assistants with SEC experience now (Charles Kelly, Derrick Nix, D.J. Durkin), too.

It also helps matters that Nick Saban is no longer the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Simonton says that Auburn will need to take advantage in order to keep improving.

But with Saban now gone from Alabama, Auburn fans do not want to see their program take any step backwards. There’s also pressure on Freeze to prove he made the right call by sticking with Payton Thorne at quarterback.

Joining Freeze in the “medium” category are Georgia‘s Kirby Smart, Kentucky‘s Mark Stoops, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, and Tennessee‘s Josh Heupel. Arkansas’ Sam Pittman is on the hottest seat heading into the season, with Florida‘s Billy Napier next in line.