Tag: Jake Thornton

Auburn adds former USC tackle Mason Murphy from transfer portal

Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire sheds light on what Auburn fans can expect from Murphy following his commitment.

Auburn fans woke Tuesday to the news that an experienced offensive lineman would join.

[autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag], a 22-game starter for the USC Trojans at right tackle, announced his commitment to Auburn on Tuesday morning. His commitment is welcomed as head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] are searching for a replacement at right tackle for the outgoing [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag].

What exactly is Auburn getting in Murphy? We asked Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire for insight on Murphy’s time in Los Angeles, and he delivered.

Murphy started all 12 of USC’s games this season, with his best game coming in the Trojans’ 42-20 win over Rutgers on Oct. 25. Pro Football Focus graded his performance 81.0 overall, with an 83.6 in pass blocking. However, he failed to grade above 71.0 in his remaining 11 starts, which caused frustration among the USC fanbase according to Zemek.

“Maybe (Thornton) can create improvements from Murphy, but USC fans winced (and probably yelled with anger) when Murphy made key mistakes which kneecapped the Trojans in 2024,” Zemek said.

Several of Murphy’s mistakes included losing a block against Minnesota on Oct. 5, which forced a momentum-swinging interception that led to a Trojan loss. Murphy also committed four false start penalties in USC’s loss to Washington on Nov. 2.

However, Zemek feels Murphy could become a high-level player with great coaching.

“To be fair to Auburn, USC offensive line coach Josh Henson has not done a good job with the Trojans,” Zemek said. “If Auburn thinks it can coach Murphy better than Henson did at USC, this could all work out. If that was the thought process behind this pickup, it makes sense. Just beware: Mason Murphy was not part of the solution at USC.”

Last season, Izavion Miller earned a grade of 64.4 from Pro Football Focus after allowing 17 pressures with four sacks in 570 snaps at right tackle. However, two key linemen: [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag] and [autotag]Connor Lew[/autotag], were graded above 70 for the season.

Murphy will compete alongside Virginia Tech transfer [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] for the role of Auburn’s starting right tackle this spring. Chaplin committed to Auburn Monday after starting 25 games at left tackle for the Hokies over the last two seasons.

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2025 OT Carde Smith decommits from Auburn

Alabama’s No. 15 recruit from the 2025 cycle is re-opening his recruitment after committing to Auburn in April.

One of Auburn’s top pledges has re-opened his recruitment.

[autotag]Carde Smith[/autotag], a four-star OT from Mobile, shared to X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday that he has backed off his pledge to Auburn and will look to sign elsewhere this cycle.

Smith joined Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class on April 10, choosing the Tigers over Florida State and Mississippi State. At the time, he was the third offensive lineman to commit to Auburn’s haul after striking a relationship with offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag]. Since then, he has earned offers from Tulane, Colorado, and USC. He officially visited USC over the weekend before announcing his decision to resign from his commitment to Auburn.

With Smith’s de-commitment, Auburn now sits at No. 8 in 247Sports’ 2025 recruiting rankings, down four spots from last week when four-star running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] flipped his commitment from Penn State to Auburn. The Tigers have four offensive line commits so far, headlined by four-star OT [autotag]Tavaris Dice[/autotag].

 

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Auburn offensive line strengthened with commitment from four-star Broderick Shull

Broderick Shull kicks off the weekend by becoming Auburn’s 13th commitment of the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Auburn added to its 2025 recruiting class Friday by reeling in a big fish for its upcoming offensive line haul.

Four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Broderick Shull[/autotag] announced his commitment to the Tigers and head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] on Friday following his recent official visit last weekend.

Shull, a native of Bixby, Oklahoma, made the trip to the Plains for the second time following his first visit in the spring, one which he was very impressed by. Auburn won the race for him over many schools, including SEC foe Texas A&M.

The 6-5, 275-pound offensive tackle is ranked as the No. 149 player in the nation and the No. 13 player at his position according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 3 player in the state of Oklahoma.

Shull is the fifth offensive lineman and the highest rated overall offensive player in the Tigers’ 2025 class. On the offensive line, he joins [autotag]Tavaris Dice[/autotag], [autotag]Carde Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Tai Buster[/autotag] and [autotag]Spencer Dowland[/autotag].

His recruitment was primarily led by offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag], who has had a great amount of success with the 2025 class.

Shull makes it back-to-back days that Auburn has landed a commitment, with four-star cornerback Donovan Starr committing to the Plains on Thursday.

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Auburn impresses offensive tackle target Broderick Shull on official visit

In the midst of many recruiting battles, Auburn offensive tackle target Broderick Shull has a highly positive view after his official visit

Auburn football is attempting to make massive moves on the recruiting trail in the summer, with many prospective players making official visits to the Plains.

One of those recruits is offensive tackle [autotag]Broderick Shull[/autotag], who made his visit to the Tigers this weekend and was highly impressed.

“This was definitely the experience I needed to kind of make my decision much easier,” Shull said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “I would say definitely getting more of the campus vibe was a good part of it. Also just seeing everyone again was a pretty good experience. The most important part was getting to see the players mainly because you can see what they’re really like off campus and seeing if it’s a fit for me. And which, these guys are pretty awesome, they fit me well. They’re responsible, mature guys.”

Shull made his second visit to Auburn after visiting earlier this spring. This time, he left with a very positive feel about what all Auburn had offer throughout its campus facilities.

The four-star offensive lineman is currently ranked as the No. 149 player in the country and the No. 13 offensive tackle recruit according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also ranked the No. 3 prospect in the state of Oklahoma.

A main reason why Auburn now sits in a good position to land Shull can be credited to the relationship that offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] has built with him.

With a possible decision day nearing later in June, Shull is still set to visit the likes of Texas Tech and Texas A&M during the month, while he already visited Nebraska in May.

Auburn football hosted several notable targets for visits over the weekend including five-stars [autotag]Caleb Cunningham[/autotag] and [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag], as well as former Ohio State pledge [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag]. Any commitments from these players would be monumental for the program, and coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is making sure that he does whatever he can to land the talented players.

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Auburn receives prediction to land three-star OL from Georgia

Auburn football’s 2025 haul is impressive, and the commitment of Jacobe Ward could enhance it greatly.

Auburn’s top-10 2025 recruiting class is filled with several talented offensive linemen. However, the Tigers have a chance to enhance its haul by adding a three-star lineman from Savannah, Georgia.

Auburn is looking to close the deal on several offensive linemen including [autotag]Jacobe Ward[/autotag], a 6-4, 305-pound OL from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag], and staff are close to making it happen according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. Auburn Live writers Jeffrey Lee and Cole Pinkston have submitted predictions in favor of Auburn landing Ward, which pushes its forecast to 98.2%.

In March, Ward told Lee that Auburn was his top choice by saying that Auburn provides a “great fit” for him due to Auburn’s practice intensity and his relationship with Thornton.

“The relationships I have with all of the coaches, they just keep it real with me, especially Coach (Jake) Thornton. He’s such a good guy,” Ward said. “He told me that I could possibly be a day one starter here and that’s something I like to hear.”

Auburn has four offensive linemen committed for its 2025 class: [autotag]Tavaris Dice[/autotag], [autotag]Carde Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Spencer Dowland[/autotag], and [autotag]Tai Buster[/autotag]. In addition to Ward, Auburn is also in a great spot to land four-star OT [autotag]Broderick Shull[/autotag] as On3 gives the Tigers a 92.0% chance to secure Shull’s pledge.

South Carolina and Alabama are the other programs in the hunt to land Ward. However, both programs have less than a 1% chance to earn his commitment according to On3.

Auburn becomes frontrunner to land four-star OT Broderick Shull

Auburn is looking to add its fourth OL for the 2025 cycle, and has the No. 5 OT in the nation in its sights.

Auburn football looks to add a fourth offensive lineman to its 2025 recruiting haul, and a top-five tackle from Oklahoma may be the perfect match.

[autotag]Broderick Shull[/autotag], a four-star offensive tackle from Bixby, Oklahoma, visited Auburn last month and is scheduled to return for an official visit in June. That is seen as a positive sign from On3’s Steve Wiltfong, who has logged an expert prediction for Auburn to earn Shull’s pledge with a confidence level of 60%.

During his visit to the Plains in March, Shull shared his experiences with On3’s Cole Pinkston. He shared that he enjoyed the campus and the meeting with offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag]. He could not pinpoint one specific aspect of his visit that he enjoyed the most, but pointed out that the strength and conditioning program has piqued his interest.

“I mean everything has been standing out to me,” Shull said in an interview with On3. “The coaching staff, how players want to work, the strength and conditioning part of it. That (strength and conditioning) was also a major part of it. The guy (Dom Studzinski), he cares about science. Coach Dom cares about science in a way that is incredible. I haven’t seen that in a coach in a while. He likes to do that and I like that.”

Along with Auburn, Shull is set to visit Texas A&M, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Kansas State, and Illinois. At the time of this post, Auburn is the frontrunner to land his signature while Texas Tech is next in line.

Shull is the No. 5 OT for the 2025 class according to On3’s rankings, and the top player from Oklahoma. Auburn currently has three offensive linemen committed to its 2025 haul: four-star [autotag]Tavaris Dice[/autotag], as well as three-stars [autotag]Spencer Dowland[/autotag] and [autotag]Tai Buster[/autotag]. The class currently ranks No. 8 in 247Sports recruiting rankings. However, a commitment from Shull would boost Auburn to the No. 5 slot.

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Fresh off a visit to Auburn, 4-star OL Dontrell Glover decommits from Alabama

Four-star offensive lineman Dontrell Glover has decommitted from Alabama after he visited Auburn over the weekend.

Another Auburn target is back on the open market.

Four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Dontrell Glover[/autotag] decommitted from Alabama on Tuesday. Glover had been committed to the Crimson Tide since April 13, 2023, but has reopened his recruitment after Nick Sabam retired.

Glover visited the Auburn on Saturday and enjoyed his time on the Plains.

“Today, it was great. I felt more of the environment,” Glover told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “I came to the basketball game and it was good vibes. It showed that the University loves their school, the students, the staff, it was a good time being down here.”

While offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] is leading Auburn’s push for the Fairburn, Georgia product, safety Terrance Love played his high school football with Glover and gives Auburn another important connection.

Glover is the No. 169 overall player and No. 10 interior offenisve linemen in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 24 player from Georgia.

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Auburn lands Mississippi State OT transfer Percy Lewis

Auburn has landed Percy Lewis, who will compete to be the starting left tackle for the Tigers in 2024.

Auburn has landed its first offensive line transfer of the offseason and it is a big one. Former Mississippi State offensive tackle [autotag]Percy Lewis[/autotag] signed with the Tigers Thursday night, he is Auburn’s seventh transfer addition this cycle.

Lewis started the final seven games at left tackle for the Bulldogs during the 2023 season. He rotated in their previous five games and allowed just one sack in his 235 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

The 6-foot-8, 345-pounder visited Auburn and Arkansas last week and will have two seasons of eligibility on the Plains. The Sallis, Mississippi, native started his career at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before transferring to Mississippi State ahead of the 2022 season.

Offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] and Auburn have been looking to solidify the offensive line by adding an offensive tackle, allowing them to move [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag] inside to guard to help replace departing starters [autotag]Gunner Britton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kam Stutts[/autotag].

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In-state offenisve tackle Mal Waldrep schedules visit to Auburn

Mal Waldrep, one of the best offenisve linemen in Alabama, will be visiting Auburn this weekend.

Auburn is building its 2025 recruiting class through the trenches with five of their eight commits playing along the offensive or defensive line. While it’s a great start, they are far from done, and offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] will be hosting a key in-state target this weekend in [autotag]Mal Waldrep[/autotag].

Waldrep has already taken three visits to the Plains, including watching the Tigers play in the Iron Bowl. Thornton and the Tigers offered him a scholarship back in April 2023 and he has been a top target ever since.

He is the No. 442 overall player and No. 39 offensive tackle in the 247Sports composite ranking. The 6-foot-5, 290-pounder is also the No. 19 player from Alabama.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Auburn have focused on keeping the state’s best players home in the 2025 recruiting cycle, landing commitments from five of the state’s top 22 players.

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Massive offensive tackle Favour Edwin signs with Auburn

Auburn has landed offensive tackle Favour Edwin, capping off a good early signing day for the Tigers.

Auburn has landed its second commitment of the day and it is once again along the trenches.

The Tigers announced that three-star offensive tackle [autotag]Favour Edwin[/autotag] had signed with the program late Wednesday night. He is Auburn’s 20th signee of early signing period.

Offensive line coach and [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] beat out Alabama and Florida for the McDonough, Georgia product, who is in his first year of playing football.

Edwin is the No. 680 overall player and No. 52 offensive tackle in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 80 player from Georgia.

Originally from Nigeria, Edwin is listed at 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds. The only linemen on Auburn’s roster who are the same size are Gunner Britton and Tyler Johnson, who are also 6-foot-6.

Edwin is Auburn’s third signee along the offensive line, joining four-star [autotag]DeAndre Carter[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Seth Wilfred[/autotag]. You can view all of Auburn’s activity during the early sighing period here. 

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