Tag: Holden Geriner

The fighter: T.J. Finley continues to face competition head on

Finley is keeping a positive attitude during the ongoing quarterback battle.

The 2023 season was a tested one for Auburn quarterback [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag].

After winning the quarterback battle during the summer, Finley would go on to play in just three games before a shoulder injury sidelined him for most of the season.

In those three games, however, he endured heavy criticism after throwing four interceptions to just one touchdown. Once his shoulder was back in playing shape, he elected to take a leave of absence from the program over the final four games of the season.

“I’m not really sure what triggered it, what prompted it,” Finley said Saturday when explaining his leave of absence. “I like to leave the past in the past and focus on the future. All I know is I’m a completely better person now mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and hopefully who I am right now can lead this team to a national championship.”

Now that he has returned to the team under new leadership, he is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to win the starting quarterback role. He says that it is his nature to compete, and he feels that he can contend with any quarterback in the country.

“I believe I can compete with anybody in the country, and that’s why I transferred here from LSU; I felt like I can compete with [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag],” Finley said. “Competition doesn’t scare me. I know who I am. I know what I can do, and with the right coaches, I know who I can grow into, and hopefully, this is the place. Competition brings the best out of everybody, and if you can’t handle competition, you don’t need to be in this industry.”

Now that Auburn’s football staff includes the likes of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag], and [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag], former Auburn running back Tank Bigsby says that Finley will have the best chance to compete as opposed to his chances during the [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] years.

“All the adversity he’s been through, he keeps going. He keeps fighting. He’s looking for more. I can relate to guys like that,” Bigsby said during the NFL combine in March. “He’s great. He’s going to be great. He’ll be fine. He’s just going to get around the right guys, and I feel like he is now. The right coaches are in, and he’s going to do what he has to do.”

Finley will be in stiff competition with [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] for the top spot on Auburn’s quarterback depth chart. In last Saturday’s A-Day game, Finley completed one pass for four yards in a rain-soaked contest.

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Hugh Freeze provides post A-Day quarterback battle update

A-Day’s weather conditions limited what Auburn’s quarterbacks could do on Saturday. How much did that affect the race?

Now that A-Day has come and gone, the biggest question that still surrounds the Auburn Tigers football program ahead of the 2023 season is “Who will be the starting quarterback?”

Saturday’s weather conditions did not help matters, as [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], and [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] combined to complete 5-of-12 passes for 60 yards and zero touchdowns. Despite the rain, all three quarterbacks were positive with the media following the game.

“To go out there and end the spring strong with the guys, it was fun. These 15 practices have been fun,” Ashford said after the game. “It was good to be back in the crib, back in the most beautiful stadium in the world. You can’t beat it.”

How has the race progressed since the beginning of spring practice in February? Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] said Saturday that there are still several boxes that need to be checked, but overall, he is positive about each quarterback’s progressions.

“I thought all three of them responded to our challenges and were like, ‘please coach us,'” Freeze said of his quarterbacks during the spring period.

Freeze went on to say that what Auburn fans saw on Saturday out of the quarterbacks is consistent with how they have performed all spring.

“I think you saw today that (Ashford) got the capability of making some plays. I thought he threw a really good seam ball in those conditions. I thought Holden (Geriner) threw some good balls. He missed a couple of reads on some RPOs I think. T.J. (Finley) did too. It’s kind of been that way all spring. Some real positives one day and some inconsistencies the next day. We’ve still got some time to help them improve, hopefully.”

Freeze and staff will continue to evaluate the position before naming the top guy, but the competition is truly bringing out the best in each contestant says Finley.

“Anywhere in the country, guys are competing, at each and every school. It’s always good to compete,” Finley said. “You need competition to bring the best out of you each and every day, and I think we’re all responding to it well.”

The next item on the agenda to watch is the second window of the transfer portal opening on April 15. The window was set to open on May 1 and last until May 15, but the revision now calls for the portal to re-open on April 15 and last until April 30.

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Damari Alston continues to impress coaches this spring

The sophomore RB is working hard to earn valuable carries this season.

Hugh Freeze said last week that quarterback [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] has turned heads during spring practice and is grasping the new system with ease.

This week, there appears to be another third-teamer from last season’s roster that is making a great impression on coaches.

In a recent meeting with the media, offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] says that he has been surprised by the efforts of sophomore running back [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag].

“From Day 1, I thought (Alston) had a pretty good feel with what we were trying to do in the run game, with seeing it, setting up blocks, and still had that physicality about him,” Montgomery said. “But the speed that he brings… man, he’s got gears in there.”

How has Alston worked his way into the running back rotation this spring? He has split time with USF transfer [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] in the second-team offense, with [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] spending the most time with the first-team squad. Montgomery says that he hopes to use a true three-man rotation at running back, which will mesh well with the expected uptick in tempo.

“It’s probably going to be some version of a rotation that’s going to happen in the backfield. I think being able to keep a guy healthy throughout the season is important for us,” Montgomery said. “We know what Jarquez (Hunter) is going to bring and how tough he is and the physicality that he brings, and being able to catch the ball out of the backfield and do those things. But I think all of those guys are bringing the same thing to the table and I’ve been really impressed with that room.”

Alston appeared in 12 games during his freshman campaign in 2022, where he rushed for 85 yards on 14 attempts. His highest output last season was a 38-yard outing against San Jose State on Sept. 10. He also broke open a 35-yard rush in the game, which is the longest run of his career.

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What is the one question that Auburn must answer ahead of the 2023 season?

Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports has one question for each SEC team this spring. How will Auburn answer its biggest question?

Spring practice is winding down on Auburn’s campus, as we are just over a week away from the annual A-Day game.

There have been plenty of positives, as well as a few bewilderments, about Auburn football during the spring period. But head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is confident that he can get the ship turned around ahead of the 2023 season.

As the spring practice period is starting to heat up across the county, one college football analyst took time to examine each SEC program’s biggest question. What is Auburn’s biggest question? Barrett Sallee of CBS Sports would like to know who will be QB1 on the Plains.

Dual-threat weapon [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] got the majority of the snaps for the Tigers last season after veteran pro-style signal-caller [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] suffered an injury in Week 3. It’s no secret that first-year coach Hugh Freeze went shopping in the transfer portal during the winter window, but it’s up to the two former starters to impress him between now and the Tigers’ spring game on April (8). Is Auburn’s quarterback on campus? Ashford has some work to do as a passer, and it has been difficult for Finley to stay healthy throughout his career.

Although Freeze has been critical of his current quarterback situation, he says that the unit as a whole has improved over the last week. Ashford and Finley have each gotten reps this spring with the first-team offense, but true freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] has made an impression on Freeze.

“I thought (Geriner) really stood out all week with his improvement and his play,” Freeze said during a recent media availability. “Not that the others didn’t improve, but I thought his grasp of what we were trying to do, he was impressive with it last week.”

Auburn fans will get their chance to make their own judgments about the quarterback room on Saturday, April 8 when the team takes the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium for the annual A-Day game.

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 Jones on Twitter @TaylorJones__.

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Auburn football: Nonconference tilt listed among best matchups of 2023

Auburn will play in one of college football’s most intriguing games this season according to one college football expert.

Auburn football’s 2023 slate features one of the more unique nonconference games in all of college football, which is a Sept. 9 date in Berkeley, California against the California Golden Bears.

Auburn and Cal have never met on the gridiron before, but one college football expert says that this game is worth keeping an eye on.

Grant Hughes of 247Sports recently dropped his picks for the 23 best matchups of the 2023 season, and the early season, nonconference tilt made the cut. Hughes says that Auburn’s quarterback situation could dictate the outcome of the contest.

Cal’s home opener presents one of the most intriguing culture shocks of the season as Auburn makes the long trip out west for its first-ever matchup with the Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. As it stands, Auburn has three players vying to be Hugh Freeze’s first starting quarterback at Auburn. Starter [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] returns after an up-and-down 2022 season, along with junior [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] and redshirt freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. Whoever wins the starting job will look to keep Cal from claiming its first win against an SEC opponent since its 28-20 win over Ole Miss in 2019.

According to records compiled by Winsipedia, Auburn is 10-3 all-time against teams from the Pac 12, with their most recent win coming against Oregon in the 2019 season opener. The Tigers have also claimed wins over Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, Colorado, Arizona, and USC. As for Cal, they are 11-11 all-time against SEC foes.

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 Jones on Twitter @TaylorJones__.

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Spring football: Holden Geriner ‘stood out’ in last week’s drills

Hugh Freeze says that each QB has improved this spring, but Geriner is truly thriving in Auburn’s new system.

As the Auburn Tigers prepare to go through the final two weeks of spring practice, head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] met with the media to provide an update on how his team has performed in drills.

To the delight of many Auburn fans, Freeze shared that Auburn’s quarterbacks have improved over the last week.

“We got better last week,” Freeze said Monday. “I thought we improved most of the week, particularly Monday and Wednesday.”

In addition to saying that the quarterback position has improved over the last week, he says that one quarterback in particular truly impressed him. It happens to be a candidate that appeared to be a dark horse for the starting quarterback role when spring practice began.

Redshirt Freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]’s high school scouting report was filled with positive notes including “quick release, sound decision making, and the ability to throw the ball deep.” It appears that in addition to his skillset, he has truly grasped the concept of Auburn’s new offensive system, as he was seen working out with the first-team offense on Monday.

“I thought (Geriner) really stood out all week with his improvement and his play,” Freeze said. “Not that the others didn’t improve, but I thought his grasp of what we were trying to do, he was impressive with it last week.”

Freeze also noted that incumbent starter [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] was limited in practice last week, stating that he nursed a sore shoulder which caused him to not throw much on either Wednesday or Friday of last week.

The Tigers will continue their spring exercises until Saturday, April 8, when the annual A-Day concludes the spring period.

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Ranking Freeze-coached QBs by yearly production

How do quarterbacks usually perform under the direction of Hugh Freeze? Here’s a look at the top ten passing performances by Freeze-led QBs

One of the biggest questions surrounding Auburn football as they prepare to begin the first season of the [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era is “how much of an improvement will the quarterbacks show under his direction?”

Auburn has three quarterbacks that are currently going through spring drills: [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. Ashford and Finley have the most experience, but Geriner has a great arm that will keep him in the mix for the starting job.

In his time as a collegiate head coach, Freeze has developed several great quarterbacks who have thrown for over 3,000 yards in a single season such as Chad Kelly, Bo Wallace, and Ryan Aplin. Could Auburn see that type of production in its’ quarterbacks under Freeze’s watch? It appears that it could happen.

What can Auburn fans expect out of their quarterbacks now that Freeze is over the program? Here’s a look back at Hugh Freeze’s top passers from his time at Arkansas State, Ole Miss, and Liberty.

Hugh Freeze says that Robby Ashford’s skills are ‘hard to evaluate’

Just how good can Robby Ashford be in Hugh Freeze’s offense? It’s too early to tell.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has coached his share of talented quarterbacks since taking his first FBS head coaching job at Arkansas State in 2011.

In 10 years as a coach at this level, five of his quarterbacks have passed for more than 3,000 yards, and five also ended the season by leading the team in rushing attempts in addition to their passing numbers.

In this regard, sophomore quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] has the potential to be the sixth quarterback to accomplish this feat under Freeze.

Ashford took over the role as starting quarterback late in Auburn’s loss to Penn State last season and would go on to lead the team to three wins while passing for 1,613 yards and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for 710 yards, which was second on the team behind [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag].

How easy will it be for Ashford to join Chad Kelly and Malik Willis as the next talented dual-threat quarterback to play for Freeze? Well, it is too early to tell.

During Monday’s press conference, Freeze discussed the quarterback situation. Specifically, he was asked how Ashford was performing in practice. Due to the way that spring practice is conducted, where the play is blown dead if the quarterback elects to run the football, Freeze says that he doesn’t have a true grasp of what all Ashford can do.

“I don’t know,” Hugh Freeze said this week when asked about Ashford’s ability. “I don’t say that to be funny. … I haven’t witnessed him in the games. I’ve seen the tapes and stuff, but I think it’s very hard to evaluate just how good he can be practicing the way we do, so it’s just hard for me to answer.”

Is that to say that Ashford is QB1? How many reps is he truly getting with the first-team offense? Freeze continues to push his “no depth chart” stance throughout spring practice, which continues the mystery of the Auburn quarterback situation.

“I don’t care what group you trot out with on the field right now; I don’t have in my mind that this is a first-team, a second-team, a third-team guy,” Freeze said. “But I really just believe that everybody’s going to get equal reps in the spring and (we will) develop some depth, at least, before we decide where everybody is in the pecking order of depth charts.”

Ashford is among three quarterbacks that are currently battling for the top spot on the quarterback depth chart, joining [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. Auburn will conclude spring practice on Saturday, April 8 with the annual A-Day game.

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Tank Bigsby reveals his pick to win Auburn’s starting quarterback job

Bigsby feels that the new staff will give this QB the opportunity to thrive.

Auburn running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] closed his college career after rushing for 2,903 yards and 25 touchdowns in three seasons on the Plains.

As he prepares for the NFL draft, he is sharing his thoughts about Auburn’s 2023 roster, including who he would choose as the starting quarterback.

During his time in Indianapolis for the NFL combine, Bigsby was asked about several players who will be stepping up to take on more important roles in 2023 and says that [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has what it takes to take over the role now that the right coaches are leading the program.

“He’s a very calm guy. You know, in situations, he never trips. All the adversity he’s been through, he keeps going. He keeps fighting. He’s looking for more. I can relate to guys like that. He’s great. He’s going to be great. He’ll be fine. He’s just going to get around the right guys, and I feel like he is now. The right coaches are in, and he’s going to do what he has to do.”

Finley will enter his third season at Auburn in 2023 with 1,258 passing yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions. Last season, he passed for 431 yards and a touchdown before being sidelined after the Penn State game due to a shoulder injury. Finley is competing this spring with [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] for the starting quarterback job.

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Could Robby Ashford be the SEC’s most surprising player in 2023?

One analyst says ‘I think Robby Ashford is going to be a pretty good football player this year.’

Freshman transfer quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] was thrown into the fire in 2022 and made the most of the hand he was dealt.

Filling in for an injured [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] after Auburn’s loss to Penn State, Ashford ultimately took over the starting quarterback role and passed for 1,613 yards and seven touchdowns in his initial college season.

Heading into 2023, Ashford will need to prove to his new head coach that he is worthy of taking over the starting quarterback spot again. While many are doubtful of his abilities, one national college football analyst has high hopes for Ashford.

Josh Pate, the host of The Late Kick from 247Sports, says that Ashford is a winner and that he will have the chance to showcase that trait this season.

“I happen to think Robby Ashford has winning football inside of him. I don’t know whether it’s seven wins or 10 wins, I think he got the right head coach at the right time. My suspicion is that we will be watching the SEC come November if he’s healthy and say ‘I had no clue Robby Ashford was this good.’ …I think Robby Ashford is going to be a pretty good football player this year. He’s still going to have to prove it.”

Ashford is in a quarterback battle with [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] and T.J. Finley this spring and will compete with incoming freshman [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] once he arrives on campus this summer. Hugh Freeze’s initial reaction to the quarterback room suggests that Ashford, and every Auburn quarterback, will have an uphill battle this spring.

“I thought our quarterbacks threw some decent balls, at times, and other times where our mechanics were really bad. But I kind of expected that,” Freeze said on the opening day of spring practice on Feb. 27.

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