Tag: Deshaun Davis

Auburn football adds North Alabama to 2028 slate

The Tigers will host the Lions for the first time ever as part of its 2028 schedule.

Auburn football is not a program to back down from playing an in-state foe in a non-conference setting. That quality will continue in 2028 as the Tigers will welcome the North Alabama Lions to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The University of North Alabama broke the news Monday that the Tigers and Lions will square off for the first time in history on Sept. 9, 2028, at Jordan-Hare Stadium. North Alabama Athletics Director Dr. Josh Looney says that a game of this magnitude has been on their radar since joining the FCS ranks in 2019.

“Aligning a future matchup with an in-state SEC opponent has been a scheduling priority for our football program,” Looney said in a press release. “This will be an incredible experience for our University, fans and alumni. Our coaching staff is closely connected to the Auburn program. We appreciate athletic director John Cohen and head coach Hugh Freeze for the invitation to visit Jordan-Hare Stadium.”

Although it is not guaranteed that North Alabama’s staff will not be together for the 2028 game, but three coaches with Auburn ties are currently on the payroll. Former linebacker [autotag]Deshaun Davis[/autotag] serves as linebackers coach for the Lions while former running back [autotag]Kerryon Johnson[/autotag] is North Alabama’s Director of Player Development. Lions head coach [autotag]Brent Dearmon[/autotag] was an analyst under Gus Malzahn during the 2013 and 2014 seasons at Auburn.

North Alabama becomes the first known opponent to grace Auburn’s 2028 schedule. Over the next five seasons, Auburn will face four in-state foes beginning Saturday with Alabama A&M. The Tigers will also host South Alabama (2025), Jax State (2026), and now North Alabama (2028).

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Missing the cut: Which Auburn Tiger could have been on the cover of NCAA Football 20?

Three Auburn defenders had cases to be on the cover of NCAA Football 20 if it had been released.

Many sports video game fans across the country (including myself) were excited to learn that the NCAA Football franchise is on track to return to our lives in the summer of 2024, which will be re-named “EA Sports College Football.”

Plans for the game were threatened to be delayed due to a lawsuit from The Brandr Group, citing that the franchise’s $500 million pool, which would give each athlete represented in the game $500, was considered to be “far below market value.”

Despite the setback, EA Sports remains on schedule to release the game next summer.

“We’re incredibly excited to bring back an authentic college football experience for fans and athletes that have shown such passion for the franchise, and we’re looking forward to delivering it in Summer 2024,” an EA spokesperson tells On3’s Pete Nakos.

It has been ten years since the release of the last game, NCAA Football 14. It has us at Auburn Wire thinking… which Auburn athletes missed out on being a cover athlete for the famous video game franchise?

Auburn entered the 2018 season with high expectations after winning the SEC West in 2017 and started the year off 4-1 with a win over No. 6 Washington. They were unable to keep it going though and went on to finish the season 8-5.

It was the defense that led the way for the Tigers and the leader of the group was linebacker [autotag]Deshaun Davis[/autotag] and he is our choice to appear on the hypothetical NCAA Football 20 cover.

Davis did it all for Auburn’s defense, he led the team with 112 tackles and 15.0 tackles for loss. It was the first time an Auburn defender made over 100 tackles in a season since [autotag]Johnathan Ford[/autotag] made 118 in 2015 and only [autotag]Zakoby McClain[/autotag] has done it since.

Other worthy candidates include [autotag]Nick Coe[/autotag], who led the Tigers with 7.0 sacks to go with 13.5 tackles for loss. [autotag]Derrick Brown[/autotag] also made his presence felt along the defensive line, making 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and constantly eating double teams to free up his teammates to make the play.

Before you take a look at the best photos from each of the contenders, here are the previous hypothetical covers.

Kerryon Johnson named University of North Alabama’s director of player personnel

Kerryon Johnson is back in college football.

Former Auburn running back [autotag]Kerryon Johnson[/autotag] has been named the University of North Alabama’s director of player personnel, UNA’s head coach Brent Dearmon announced the move Thursday night.

Johnson is from Madison, Alabama and the move marks his return to football after his NFL career ended in 2021.

Johnson starred at Auburn from 2015-17 and rushed for 2,494 yards and 32 touchdowns Auburn. He was named the 2017 SEC Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior, leading the Tigers to a 10-4 record and an SEC West title.

Johnson was then drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He made 14 starts across his first two seasons and rushed for 1,044 yards and six touchdowns but was plagued by injuries. His final appearance came in the 2021 season with the San Francisco 49ers.

The move will reunite him with college teammate [autotag]Deshaun Davis[/autotag], who coaches linebackers for UNA.

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Former Tiger standout expected to join coaching staff at South Alabama

This former Auburn LB is set to take on his first FBS coaching job in his hometown.

The coaching tree of former Auburn football players is continuing to extend its branches.

The latest Auburn football alumni to join the FBS coaching ranks is a former standout under [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag], [autotag]Tre Williams[/autotag].

According to FootballScoop.com, Williams is set to join Kane Wommack’s staff at South Alabama as the Jaguars’ special team coordinator. Although there is no deal in place yet, Football Scoop’s sources reveal that there is heavy smoke toward’s the rumor.

Williams has spent the last few years coaching high school football at Thompson High School in Alabaster, as well as serving as a graduate assistant under his former head coach at UCF. He earned his first full-time coaching job at Arkansas-Monticello, a Division II program, coaching linebackers and special teams.

As a player for Auburn from 2014-17, Williams recorded 188 total tackles, 10.0 being for loss. In 2017, he was named an All-SEC second-team selection after making 50 stops and 2.5 sacks.

Williams, a Mobile native, joins a rather growing list of former Tigers who are now coaching at the Division I level, including [autotag]Jonathan Wallace[/autotag] (Kansas), [autotag]Kam Martin[/autotag] (UCF), and [autotag]Deshaun Davis[/autotag] (North Alabama).

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Former Tiger hired as assistant coach for Group of Five program

The Gus Malzahn coaching tree continues to extend its branches.

The [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] coaching tree continues to extend its’ branches.

[autotag]Kam Martin[/autotag], who played running back at Auburn for Malzahn from 2016-19 and became a member of his coaching staff at UCF, has landed a coaching job with a Football Bowl Subdivision program. Martin will serve as running backs coach for newly hired head coach G.J. Kinne at Texas State.

Martin follows Kinne from Incarnate Word, where he was the running backs coach during the 2022 season. During Martin’s time at IWU, the Cardinals went 12-2, which included a win over Football Bowl Subdivision participant Nevada. IWU running back Marcus Cooper rushed for 1,476 yards and 12 touchdowns during the 2022 season.

Kinne said Martin is a perfect fit for the position as running backs coach due to his success at playing the position at a high level.

“Kam is another great addition to Texas State and our coaching staff,” Kinne said in a press release. “He is Texas high school legend and great role model for our student-athletes. He knows the running back position because he played it at a high level and is a rising star in the profession.”

Martin rushed for 1,564 yards during his four-year career on the Plains, scoring eight touchdowns. He reunited with Malzahn at UCF in 2021 by joining his staff as a recruiting assistant before returning to his home state of Texas to become the running backs coach at Incarnate Word.

He joins former Auburn linebacker [autotag]Deshaun Davis[/autotag] as former Malzahn players to join the coaching ranks. Davis was named the linebackers coach at North Alabama earlier this month after spending the 2022 season as a graduate assistant on Malzahn’s staff at UCF.

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Former Tiger lands FCS coaching job

This former All-SEC linebacker is the first hire for new North Alabama head coach Brent Dearmon.

In what has become a trend, a former Auburn football player has climbed the ladder in college coaching.

After spending a season as a graduate assistant for Gus Malzahn and Travis Williams at UCF, former Auburn linebacker [autotag]Deshaun Davis[/autotag] has landed a full-time coaching job at an in-state school.

North Alabama head coach Brent Dearmon, who was hired by the University on Dec. 3, has announced that Davis will be the first addition to his staff, and will serve as linebackers coach for the Lions.

Dearmon got to know Davis from his days as a high school athlete. Dearmon served as offensive coordinator for Vigor High School during Davis’ early days as a varsity player. Dearmon also played a role in Davis signing with Auburn during his time as an analyst under Malzahn from 2013-14.

Davis says that he is excited about the opportunity to lead a position group at North Alabama.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity and extremely excited to have the chance to really control my own room and bring my passion and personality to these young student-athletes,” Davis said in a statement. “I am also coming back to my home state and coaching there will feel like home. My relationship with Coach Dearmon also goes back to when I was in high school and I know his passion for coaching. I’m excited about all the great things we are going to do at North Alabama on and off the field.”

Davis made 266 total stops over his four-year career at Auburn from 2015-18. His best season was in 2018, when he made 116 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

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All-Auburn Defensive Team during Gus Malzahn era

From Derrick Brown to Deshaun Davis to Carlton Davis, Auburn saw a lot of talent at all three levels of defense during the Gus Malzahn era.

Auburn has a historic reputation for putting out great, hard-nosed defensive players and that didn’t change during the Gus Malzahn era.

Derrick Brown and company were monsters in the trenches for the Tigers during the past eight seasons while Deshaun Davis and others controlled the middle of the field. When a team tried to pass on Auburn, defensive backs such as Carlton Davis and Daniel Thomas were there to shut the air game down.

Yet who was the best of the best during Malzahn’s eight-year span for the Tigers on defense under coordinators Ellis Johnson and Kevin Steele? We name our All-Auburn Defensive Team during the Malzahn era along with a second string for each position.

*We decided upon a 4-3 scheme for this team as Auburn has had so much talent upfront to leave anyone off.

All-Auburn Offensive Team during Gus Malzahn era

Shea’s Favorite Auburn Games – No. 7: Tigers vs Georgia 2017

Shea’s favorite Auburn games continues with the 2017 beatdown of rival Georgia.

I hope you’re all emotionally preparing yourselves for kickoff! As I write this there is actually less than a week left until SEC Football returns and this is a great time to remind you all to go ahead and resume/continue your hatred for the University of Georgia. The countdown of my favorite games continues here.

Number 7-Auburn vs Georgia 2017

I’d like to preface this by saying that all of my favorite games listed are extremely sentimental to me. These games don’t just mark great victories by Auburn, but important memories of my life too. I hope that by reading these articles you also reflect and share your good times as well.

2017 was a crazy year for me. I was 23 years old fresh out of college when I decided to press the “reset” button on multiple facets of my life. Necessary heartbreaks were made and at the time, I never could have envisioned how my life would so beautifully put those broken pieces of my heart back together again, but it happened. For those who have been in a familiar situation, you don’t need me to tell you that the healing process hurts like hell.

That’s what 2017 was like for me.

We interrupt this deep moment to bring you Jeff Holland aka Sensei Mud, enjoy.

 

Traveling to Auburn to see my friends was an escape for me. When I turned off of 280 and into Auburn it would feel like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I went down there a lot in 2017 and each time I was welcomed into the arms of my closest friends. I advocate therapy for anyone, but if you want an instantaneous soul refresher, get your friends together for game day and get your booty down to Auburn.

Getting together for Auburn vs Georgia in 2017 was a no-brainer for all of my friends. Post graduate life scattered us all across the map and not a single one of use could figure out how this “adulting” thing worked. Life doesn’t give people blueprints, but it does give you companionship and that’s what we needed more than anything. Each other.

And for the Tigers to beat the tar out of Georgia.

I was all sorts of amped up heading down to Auburn that Friday. I really believed in this 6-1 Auburn team. The only loss the Tigers had was a head-scratching complete come-apart against LSU, but these dudes were a scrappy bunch! It wasn’t surprising that the national talking heads weren’t giving Auburn any love against Georgia after that LSU loss, but Georgia added fuel to the fire that week after their fans took to the keyboards to fire off some hot take trash talk.

The Bulldogs were pretty new to being ranked first and there was just no way a 6-1 Auburn team was going to knock them off of their pedestal.

Oh, but they did.

Deshaun Davis, Jeff Holland, and Dontavius Russell pummeled Jake Fromm and completely shut down Georgia’s offense. Jarrett Stidham threw for 214 yards and three touchdowns, but the player of the game was none other than Kerryon Johnson. Johnson rushed for 167 yards and scored the final Auburn touchdown on a 55-yard catch to quiet any barks from the crowd.

I spent the first half of that cold game tailgating on the Green Space with my closest friends in tow. The campus that night? Absolute bedlam, and not a single depraved soul was barking at innocent Auburn fans. I’ve never hated leaving Auburn more than I did that Sunday. That weekend reminded me that nobody needs a roadmap to navigate life, they just need the right kind of people in their camp and good times.

Eagles sign LB Deshaun Davis to the practice squad

Eagles sign LB Deshaun Davis to the practice squad

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed linebacker Deshaun Davis to the practice squad to replace the recently promoted Bruce Hector.