DJ Durkin – Syndication Server

Auburn to promote TJ Rushing to outside linebackers coach

Rushing is expected to fill the void left by outgoing EDGE coach Josh Aldridge.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is not searching far for a replacement for outgoing EDGE coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag].

According to reports from On3 and Auburn Undercover, Auburn is expected to promote special assistant to the head coach [autotag]TJ Rushing[/autotag] to an on-field role. Rushing is forecasted to coach outside linebackers and possibly work with Auburn’s nickelbacks.

After a professional football career that saw him win a Super Bowl title and build 1,290 return yards, Rushing dipped into the coaching world in 2013 as a graduate assistant at Arizona State, which later turned into a job with defensive quality control. He joined Texas A&M‘s coaching staff as a defensive backs coach under Jimbo Fisher in 2020. He was later dismissed along with the entire coaching staff following Fisher’s firing in 2023.

He followed ex-Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] to Auburn by taking an off-the-field role for the 2024 season to serve as special assistant to the head coach. Rushing has also coached at Northern Arizona and Memphis.

Rushing will fill the role left behind by former EDGE coach Josh Aldridge. Earlier this week, Aldridge announced that he is leaving Auburn after two seasons to become the defensive coordinator at East Carolina. He will step back into the coordinator role after being Freeze’s defensive coordinator at Liberty in 2022.

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Former Tiger Antonio Kite commits to Ole Miss

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception

Former Auburn Tiger cornerback Antonio Kite committed to the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday. A former four-star prospect who spent his freshman campaign playing with Alabama, Kite played sparingly during his one season on the Plains.

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. His lone interception as a Tiger came early in the season in a blowout victory over New Mexico. Unfortunately Kite’s season spiraled from there, as his playing time was cut significantly once SEC play started. The sophomore was ultimately dismissed from the team mid-season for “violating team rules” effectively ending his Tiger career before it had the chance to take off.

Unlikely to earn enough trust to get out of head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag]’s ‘dog house’, Kite entered the transfer portal and will now play for his third SEC team in as many collegiate seasons. Kite’s move makes sense for both himself and the Tigers, as Auburn’s top two cornerback spots are currently held by stars [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag]. Many of the high-ranked prospects in Auburn’s No. 6 ranked 2025 recruiting class are likely to challenge for large amounts of playing time in the defensive backfield, making Kite’s path towards significant playing time even more murky.

Along with the aforementioned Lee and Crawford, freshman [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag], and [autotag]Donovan Starr[/autotag], along with Georgia Tech transfer safety [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag] are all in the mix to receive plenty of playing time at the defensive back positions in 2025.

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Auburn CB earns 247Sports honors for performance against Kentucky

True freshman Jay Crawford made a giant impact in Auburn’s win over Kentucky, and is being recognized nationally for his efforts.

The Auburn Tigers got back in the win column on Saturday after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats 24-10 on the road in Lexington. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak and earned the team their first SEC win of the year.

There were many factors that contributed to the Tigers winning ways, many of which were as a result of what the defense did after being down 10 points early on. Even with that deficit, the defense only allowed 224 total yards on the night.

Some might ask how the defense turned it around. The answer: the play of freshman cornerback [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag].

After Auburn cut the lead to three points with a touchdown in the early stages of the second quarter, the Wildcats were seen driving down the field. That was until on a third down, Crawford made an interception on an underthrown ball near the Tigers sideline, which ultimately led to the game-tying field on the ensuing possession.

Over the course of the game, Crawford only allowed a 33% completion rate on six targets towards his assignments, making big plays in the defensive stand and earning him the 247Sports True Freshman of the Week.

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] discussed how Crawford has really impressed him over the course of a struggling year, making a statement in his quick development.

“He’s got talent for sure, we knew that. But it’s a maturing process of learning how to practice, how to focus on techniques that you need with every given call. We’re still not perfect at that by any means, playing so many young kids, and even our older kids. But he’s getting better and better each week with ‘All right, I’ve got to play outside tip right here, or I’ve got to play inside tip here, or I need to play off here, or I need to play press bail here.’ All of that stuff is moving really, really fast for a freshman with the hundreds of different calls you make. And not to mention the number of calls, but the call is based on what do they come out in? We’ve got to change that, they’re in a tight formation, that totally changes the call. There’s a lot of moving parts for those young kids. He’s getting more used to the game, more used to the system. You combine that with his talent, and he’s getting better.”

Crawford has become a consistent starter as of lately for Auburn, having started in four consecutive weeks for [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] and his defense. He currently has 12 total tackles to go along with the one interception and four pass breakups in his first season on the Plains.

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Four-star LB Elijah Melendez announces commitment to Auburn ahead of New Mexico game

Melendez pledges to Auburn after backing off his commitment to Miami in August.

Two weeks after backing off his pledge to Miami, four-star linebacker [autotag]Elijah Melendez[/autotag] has found a new home.

Melendez, a four-star linebacker from Osceola High School (Fla.), announced Saturday that he has committed to Auburn. The news comes hours before the Tigers’ homecoming contest with New Mexico at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Melendez broke down his commitment with Chad Simmons of On3. He shares that Auburn fans’ love of their university played a role in his decision to commit to Hugh Freeze’s program.

“It’s amazing because the fans don’t just love Auburn football,” Melendez said in an interview with On3. “They love Auburn. They love everything about the school and the football team. It feels like the fans appreciate everything about Auburn. The atmosphere is amazing.”

Melendez also tells Simmons that he believes that Auburn is a great cultural fit for him, citing the city of Auburn and the coaching styles and personality traits of the men that will one day lead him.

“Auburn has a real deal college town and is an SEC program,” Melendez said. “They are on the come up. ([autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag]) is all about energy, passion and playing hard. ([autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]) is all about faith, believing in yourself and believing in things. It’s where I fit in.”

Melendez is a four-star rated linebacker according to On3, Rivals, and ESPN. He is the No. 4 overall linebacker from the 2025 cycle according to ESPN and Rivals, and ranks as high as No. 20 among 2025 Florida recruits.

Alabama DL LT Overton feels he was underutilzed during his time at Texas A&M

LT Overton’s Aggie career was relatively forgettable, but his collegiate story may just be starting at Alabama

It’s always interesting to keep tabs on former players’ progress once they transfer from a program, and when looking back at Texas A&M’s historic 2022 recruiting class, most of the former commits have left, including former 5-star defensive lineman LT Overton.

Coming out of the high school ranks as a feared pass rusher with elite positional versatility. Still, after two seasons with Texas A&M, Overton only recorded 48 tackles and one sack, entering the transfer portal just weeks after former head coach Jimbo Fisher’s dismissal.

Finding his new home with Alabama for the 2024 season and beyond, Overton hopes to follow in the footsteps of a long line of elite pass rushers, reportedly switching to the “bandit” position in the defensive coordinator Kane Wommack scheme.

Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Overton did not hold back regarding his time with the Aggies, stating that former A&M defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin failed to utilize his strengths while his 245 playing weight.

“I feel like I wasn’t really used to my best ability at A&M,” Overton told reporters. “I was dropping on most plays, but now I am mostly a hand-down person. Now, I can use my abilities to the best. My pass-rushing game is 10 times better since I came here.”

Last season, Texas A&M’s defensive line depth chart was littered with pass rushers, as Durkin and Fisher likely felt that to get Overton on the field more often, attempting to mold him into an outside linebacker hybrid was the goal that never panned out.

Adding nearly 40 pounds since arriving, Overton is playing at 284 after arriving at Texas A&M weighing 280 pounds, so it’s not a surprise that Alabama is a better fit to utilize his talents this season.

However, under new head coach Mike Elko, I wouldn’t be surprised if the same positional change would occur with the Aggies if he had stayed.

For the first time since Texas A&M entered the SEC in 2012, the Aggies will not face the Crimson Tide for the first time in more than a decade but will likely meet within the next two seasons.

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ESPN evaluates Auburn’s chances at earning a College Football Playoff bid

October will be a pivotal time for Auburn’s College Football Playoff chances writes ESPN Senior Writer Heather Dinich.

The College Football Playoff will undergo its first major renovation for the first time since its 2014 inception.

In 2024, 12 teams will have the chance to compete for the national title this season. Because of this, the criteria will allow for teams such as last year’s snub Florida State the opportunity to prove themselves while also being more lenient towards teams with one, maybe two, losses to quality opponents.

Ahead of the 2024 season, Heather Dinich of ESPN analyzed 30 teams with the best chances of earning a College Football Playoff bid. Auburn checks in at No. 26 with a 13.5% chance to make its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. Dinich is looking forward to seeing how much Auburn will improve after the hiring of [autotag]Derick Nix[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] as offensive and defensive coordinators respectively.

Auburn’s greatest quality will be its resume according to Dinich.

The strength of schedule. Auburn enters the season with the fifth-hardest schedule in the FBS, according to ESPN Analytics. If Auburn exceeds expectations and finishes 10-2 or better, there’s little doubt the Tigers will earn an at-large spot. They will have to win some difficult road games along the way. Auburn travels to Georgia, Missouri and Kentucky in October, and ends the season at Alabama. The selection committee has rewarded SEC teams with less challenging schedules.

Auburn’s October schedule will feature three road games against teams ranked higher than them in CBS Sports’ preseason 134 rankings. If Auburn is out of contention for a College Football Playoff slot, their October performance could be seen as a factor.

After facing Georgia on Oct. 5, Auburn has a bye week to prepare for the Oct. 19 trip to Missouri before ending the month at Kentucky. Auburn can’t lose all three of those games and expect the selection committee to reward it with a CFP bid — even if the Tigers find a way to beat Oklahoma and win the Iron Bowl. The nonconference schedule — Alabama A&M, Cal, New Mexico and Louisiana-Monroe — won’t win the Tigers any debates on Selection Day. In that particular scenario, the committee would have a hard time justifying a CFP bid for a team that had one road win.

Auburn’s hunt for a College Football Playoff bid begins later this month when it hosts Alabama A&M for the season-opener on Aug. 31 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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.

Where does Auburn stand with LB JaMichael Garrett ahead of his commitment date?

The 2026 product is almost ready to announce his commitment. Is Auburn in position to close the deal?

Commitment date is looming for 2026 linebacker [autotag]JaMichael Garrett[/autotag], and Auburn is in a comfortable spot to land him.

In a recent interview with Chad Simmons of On3, Garrett says that he will announce his commitment “in the next two weeks or so.” Where does Auburn stand with Garrett ahead of his decision date? On3 is heavily leaning towards Auburn by giving them a 97.3% chance to earn his commitment while 247Sports has logged two crystal ball predictions in favor of the Tigers.

Garrett tells On3 that his relationships with defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag], EDGE coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag], and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] are strong and he feels that they can push him to be great. For the program as a whole, Garrett says that Auburn reminds him of his high school program.

“The brotherhood at Auburn is different from anyone in the nation. It is like my high school team and everyone is close,” Garrett said. “It just feels good when I am there. Then the networking is great too. It is a great school to go to get set up for after football.”

LSU is the team to beat for Garrett’s commitment, but Auburn is the early favorite to land him. Garrett will have a busy week by visiting the Bayou on July 25 before making his way to the Plains for Big Cat Weekend beginning Friday. Much like 2025 safety Anquon Fegans, Garrett could commit to Auburn following a successful weekend visit.

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.

Lindy’s Sports shares strengths, potential problem areas with Auburn football in 2024

Auburn will look to eclipse the six-win mark for the first time since 2019 this season. What stands in their way?

Auburn football will look to eclipse the six-win mark for the first time since 2019 this season. There are plenty of reasons why reaching seven wins should be easy for the Tigers, but there are just as many reasons why it will not.

In its preseason magazine, Lindy’s Sports broke down several factors for Auburn’s success in 2024, and several reasons why Auburn could struggle. Starting with the bad news, the changes surrounding Auburn’s coaching staff and a brutal October stretch could make or break the Tigers this season.

Auburn will have two new coordinators this fall, [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] (offensive coordinator) and [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] (defensive coordinator). The revolving door of Auburn’s coordinators has coincided with its lack of success on the field due to inconsistency in mindset and expectations. Success on both side of the football this season could lead to Auburn’s coordinators staying an extra season or beyond, which could benefit the program in the long run.

Auburn will also face three tough opponents on the road in October, starting with Georgia on Oct. 5. After a bye-week, Auburn will travel to Cotton Bowl winner Missouri on Oct. 19 then cap the month with a trip to Kentucky on Oct. 26. After starting the season with five winnable home games, we will learn just how much Auburn has improved during the month of October.

Quarterbacks are seen as a problem area for Auburn this season as well according to Lindy’s after the Tigers’ finished No. 121 nationally in passing last season. Quarterback play can also be seen as a strength following the addition of six talented receivers from both the transfer portal and high school recruiting. It also helps that the team’s leading receiver, tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], returns for another year. Auburn will also sport an experienced offensive line this season, and special teams will be as strong as usual.

Overall, Lindy’s Sports expects Auburn to move in a positive direction this season.

Auburn should be improved and more consistent than in 2023 with talented newcomers and experienced veterans on both sides. A lot of coaching staff changes, including both coordinators, should have a positive impact. But with games at Georgia and Alabama, plus Oklahoma playing at Jordan-Hare, will the overall record also improve?

Auburn football will welcome back 14 starters next season, and has added experience in several key areas. How many wins will Auburn reach in 2024?