Tag: Jalen McLeod

Elite edge rusher Jamonta Waller signs with Auburn

Jamonta Waller is one of the countries best edge rushers and he is now an Auburn Tiger.

One of Auburn’s most important commitments is officially a Tiger.

The Tigers are in need of help rushing the passer and [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] is someone who can come in and immediately get after the quarterback. The Picayune, Mississippi native signed his national letter of intent with the Tigers on Wednesday, completing a critical recruitment for [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag].

Waller originally committed to the Florida Gators but Auburn kept recruiting him and were ultimately able to flip the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder. He is the No. 82 overall player and No. 6 edge in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 2 player from Mississippi.

Expect him to push for immediate playing time at jack alongside [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] once he arrives on the Plains. Stay up-to-date with the latest signing day news by checking out Auburn Wire’s early signing period tracker.

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Three-star linebacker D’Angelo Barber signs letter of intent with Auburn.

Linebacker D’Angelo Barber is the latest 2024 recruit to sign with Auburn

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] are continuing to beef up the middle of the Auburn defense.

Linebacker D’Angelo Barber has officially signed his letter of intent to join the Auburn Tigers next season.

The High School senior had been committed to the Tigers since July after his visit went well on the Plains.

The Pinson, AL native won “All-South Metro Football” Defensive Player of the Year honors after his fantastic senior season for Clay-Chalkville High School.

Barber has a classic middle linebacker build. Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing in at 225 pounds, he’ll join four-star Demarcus Riddick and four-star Joe Phillips as the three linebackers in Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class.
While Barber is unlikely to start as an underclassmen, he’ll have plenty of advice to soak up playing behind stars [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag].
Auburn’s newest recruit has reportedly already started receiving that advice, as he’s been attending practices with the team ahead of the Music City Bowl next week.

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Edge rusher Jalen McLeod returning to Auburn for another season.

Jalen McLeod is officially returning to Auburn for another season.

Jack linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] will officially return to the Plains for his senior season next year.

The Appalachian State transfer became a key member of the Tigers front seven this season, recording 46 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and one pass defended.

After injuries caused the Washington, DC native to start slow on the Plains, McLeod dominated late in SEC play, earning Team of the Week honors for his 9-tackle, 3-sack effort against Arkansas.

The junior didn’t stop his great play there, as he led the team in tackles in an overall phenomenal defensive effort against Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

His late production paired with fellow linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]’s great season helped the Tigers finish just outside of the top 20 in defensive efficiency according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Both players are now officially returning for Auburn in 2024, giving the Tigers one of the best 1-2 punches at the linebacker position in the SEC heading into next season.

The news is especially reassuring to Tiger fans as the secondary is set to lose some key pieces in safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag], cornerbacks [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and possibly safety [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has some holes to fill along the defense, but he can take solace in the fact his linebacking core is mostly set heading into his second season on the Plains.

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Jalen McLeod named to The Athletic college footballs all-portal team

The Athletic has named Jalen McLeod one of the top transfers in the country.

[autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] flew under the radar when he transferred to Auburn from Appalachian State but he ended up being one of Auburn’s most impactful transfers.

A preseason injury caused a slow start to the season but he quickly became Auburn’s top pass-rusher when healthy, leading the team with 35 pressures and finishing second with 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. His work was good enough to be named to The Athletic’s 2023 All-Portal Team.

He also had 44 tackles, forced one fumble and recovered one as well. His 80.7 Pro Football Focus grade was the third highest on Auburn’s defense.

His best performance of the season came against Arkansas when he made 3.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss and forced one fumble en route to being named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

McLeod has the option to return to the Plains for another season but could also declare for the NFL draft.

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Marcus Harris earns place on USA TODAY Sports Network All-SEC football team

The Tigers’ defensive lineman has been a quarterbacks nightmare all season long.

Auburn defensive lineman [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] has been nightmare fuel for opposing quarterbacks all season long and is now being recognized for it.

Earlier this week, USA TODAY Sports revealed their picks for this season’s All-SEC football team. On the list was Harris, representing Auburn as a defensive lineman.

Harris earns a place on the All-SEC team after a stellar season of finding ways to create tackles for loss. He ended the regular season with 40 total tackles, 11 of which were for a loss, and seven of those were counted as quarterback sacks. He leads the team in tackles for loss and sacks and is fifth on the team in total tackles behind [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag], [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag], [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], and [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag].

Joining Harris on the defensive line include Florida‘s Princely Umanmielen, Tennessee‘s James Pierce Jr., and Missouri’s Darius Robinson. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is this season’s Player of the Year while Coach of the Year belongs to Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz.

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First half highlights: The Iron Bowl is tight through one half

Auburn is trailing No. 8 Alabama at the break at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Here are the plays that defined the Tigers’ first half play.

The first half of the 88th Iron Bowl is complete, and there is a fun finish brewing at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide leads Auburn at the break, 17-14 thanks to a few late scores in the 2nd quarter. Auburn’s Ja’varrius Johnson scored with 2:24 remaining in the half on a reverse play that was set up by a 56-yard rush from running back [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] on the previous play. Three plays later, Alabama took the lead back on a 68-yard pass from Jalen Milroe to Jermaine Burton with 1:33 to go in the first half.

The Tigers ended with 201 total yards after being able to gain just 74 in the 1st quarter, all on the ground. Hunter and Alston combined to rush for 153 of Auburn’s 181 rushing yards while [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] completed just 2-of-10 passes for 20 yards. Defensively, [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] lead in tackles with four each.

Here are the plays that defined the first half between Auburn and Alabama.

Instant analysis: New Mexico State stuns Auburn behind impressive ball-control

New Mexico State dominated the time of possession battle while Auburn never gained momentum.

Everyone has their day. However, Saturday was not Auburn’s.

Auburn entered Saturday’s game against New Mexico State riding a three-game winning streak and was looking to add one more in order to push its streak to a season-high four games. The Aggies, had other plans, as they stunned Auburn, 31-10 on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

New Mexico State pulled off the win by dominating the time of possession battle and making the most of it. The Aggies held on to the football for a total of 38:28, while Auburn struggled to have it for more than 21 minutes. New Mexico State also outgained Auburn, 414-213. Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne passed for 148 yards and a score, but no one else offensively sniffed the century marks. His counterpart, Diego Pavia, completed 19 passes to 11 different receivers for 201 yards.

There were plenty of fireworks in the first quarter. Sadly, most belonged to New Mexico State. On their first possession, the Aggies served notice to Auburn that they were ready to play. Aggies quarterback Diego Pavia, who was questionable to play in the game after sustaining a hamstring injury last week, led them on a scoring drive that lasted over five minutes. Pavia connected with wide receiver Kordell David for a nine-yard pass to push New Mexico State ahead, 7-0 with 9:34 to go in the 1st quarter.

After being forced to punt on their first possession, Auburn earned its first highlight of the game on an interception that never was. [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] picked off Pavia on New Mexico State’s second drive, however, it was called back due to a pre-snap offsides call on linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag]. The key moment of the sequence, however, was on the return. Pavia bodyslammed Pritchett, which resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct call on the Aggies quarterback.

New Mexico State posted 126 yards in the first quarter, picking up eight first downs. The Tigers ran five total plays in the first quarter, gaining just eight yards.

After a few aggravating possessions, Auburn finally got on the board in the 2nd quarter. Payton Thorne capped an 11-play, 81-yard drive by tossing a 32-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rivaldo Fairweather with 6:28 remaining in the first half. The Aggies regained the lead, 10-7, with 0:26 on an Ethan Anderson 40-yard field goal.

The Aggies began the second half in a similar fashion to its opening drive. Auburn could not score on its opening drive of the 3rd quarter despite having seven plays to get it going. New Mexico State made them pay by putting together a 10-play drive that ended with Pavia tossing a 17-yard touchdown pass to Star Thomas to extend the lead to 17-0 with 5:03 to go in the 3rd quarter. New Mexico State ended the 3rd stanza with a whopping 304 yards compared to Auburn’s 148. The Aggies also had the football for 12 minutes longer than the Tigers.

The dagger was delivered with 8:42 remaining. Pavia threw his third touchdown pass of the game to Eli Stowers to complete a 16-play, 83-yard drive that pushed the Aggies ahead, 24-7. Auburn trimmed the lead to 24-10 with a 48-yard field goal with 5:29 remaining before New Mexico State scored once more with a two-yard rush by Makhilyan Young with 1:59 to go.

Auburn will look to bounce back against rival Alabama next Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT.

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Tale of the Tape: Auburn vs New Mexico State

The 6-4 Auburn Tigers have a great chance to win their senior day game on Saturday against the New Mexico State Aggies.

The 6-4 Auburn Tigers have won three games in a row heading into their season-day game against the 8-3 New Mexico State Aggies.

Auburn is coming off its best win of the season, dismantling Arkansas 48-10 in a game that was never close.

New Mexico State meanwhile has been great this season but may be without quarterback Diego Pavia on Saturday.

Pavia’s questionable tag and Auburn’s recent success have the Tigers as 23.5-point favorites according to BetMGM.

ESPN’s FPI agrees with the oddsmakers, as the model gives Auburn a 93.8% chance to send the seniors home happy with a win in their second-to-last game at Jordan-Hare.

Does the tale of the tape tell us this game could be closer than everyone expects?

As always, we’ll start with the most important players on the field, the quarterbacks.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has become an extremely valuable member of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s offense after a sub-par start to the season.

The junior has thrown for 8 touchdowns during Auburn’s three game win streak, throwing 2 interceptions and scoring another touchdown on the ground.

The Michigan State transfer finally has the keys to the offense, and he is peaking at the right time ahead of the Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare and an eventual bowl game.

New Mexico State quarterback [autotag]Diego Pavia[/autotag] is one of the best small conference signal-callers in the nation.

Pavia has thrown for 2,257 yards this season. He is also the team’s leading rusher with 703 rushing yards.

The Aggies quarterback has scored 24 total touchdowns this year, making the gap between him and [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] closer than some might believe.

His status is uncertain for this game however, and his health problems as well as inexperience against good competition give Thorne the edge.

Auburn gets the edge on the offensive line and skill positions as well. Running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] is far and away the best player on the offensive side of the ball.

Hunter’s 853 scrimmage yards and 7 touchdowns lead all skill players in this game.

As for the big guys up front, the Tigers also have the clear edge, mostly due to the sheer size difference of the two units. The Aggies’ offensive line averages 307 pounds. Auburn’s big men average over 10 pounds more, at 317.4.

Auburn has the edge in every offensive category, although [autotag]Diego Pavia[/autotag] is a great player that Auburn will need to keep in check in he plays.

On the defensive side of the ball, the gap is more massive than my confusion the first time I walked into the Haley Center.

[autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] lead an Auburn unit that ranks second in the SEC in defensive efficiency.

The Tigers give up just 21.3 points per game to opponents, which is 31st in the country.

New Mexico State’s defense has actually been better this season in OPPG, as the Aggies have given up just 20.3 points per game this year. Those number have come in a very below-average Conference USA however.

The Aggies allowed Liberty to score 33 points on them earlier in the season, showing they have struggled against above-average competition.

 

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Jalen McLeod and Keionte Scott earn SEC Player of the Week honors

Jalen McLeod and Keionte Scott had performances to remember on Saturday, and were honored by the SEC.

Auburn linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] have been named to the All-SEC team of the week after their performances in week 11.

McLeod takes home SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after his 9 tackle, 3 sack performance in Auburn’s dominant win over Arkansas.

The junior also recorded another tackle for loss along with the 3 sacks and forced a fumble.

The 3 sack performance is not only the best individual showing from a Tiger defender all year, but also the highest single-game sack production for an Auburn Tiger since 2021.

McLeod has given the Auburn defense one of, if not the best linebacker duos in the country with himself and [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]. He is peaking at the right time with two regular season games and a bowl game remaining on the schedule.

Safety and punt returner [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] was also named to the All-SEC Team as the Special Teams Player of the Week.

After a few promising-looking punt returners against Vanderbilt, Scott finally broke one on Saturday for a 74-yard touchdown.

Scott added 9 more yards on returns on the day, finishing with 3 returns for 83 yards and the touchdown. The junior was asked about his thoughts on the return after the win.

“My main focus on punt return is being able to get my eyes down to scan the field and see where the hole is,” Scott said. “After receiving some great blocks from my teammates, I visualize being able to see the hole, hit the hole, stay vertical, and get into the end zone.”

Scott also played a large role on the defensive side of the ball, securing 3 total tackles in the contest.

Monday’s announcement marks the second week in a row two Auburn Tigers have been named to the All-SEC Team of the Week.

Auburn will hope to keep the good times rolling when they return to the Plains for senior day against New Mexico State on Saturday.

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Kirk Herbstreit names Jalen McLeod one of his top players from Week 11

Jalen McLeod is garnering plenty of attention after his monster game against Arkansas.

Auburn jack linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] played the game of his life in Auburn’s dominant win over the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday. The junior made nine tackles, four tackles for a loss, 3.0 sacks and a forced fumble, each of which is a career-high.

His performance has drawn plenty of attention, the SEC named him the conference’s defensive player of the week on Monday and now ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit has named him one of his top-performing players from Week 11.

McLeod has become Auburn’s top pass rusher in his first season on the Plains. His 86.4 grade when rushing the passer is the highest on the team according to Pro Football Focus. He leads the team in pressures (31), quarterback hits (7), quarterback hurries (18) and is tied in sacks (6).

He and the rest of the Tigers will return to action against New Mexico State on Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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