Jalen McLeod – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Instant analysis: Auburn boatraces Arkansas to earn bowl eligibility

Auburn took control of the game early, and dominated throughout on its way to a 48-10 victory over the Razorbacks.

Arkansas snapped a six-game losing streak last Saturday by upsetting Florida on the road and hoped to keep momentum going this week by hosting Auburn, a team that needed just one win in order to qualify for a bowl game.

From the very beginning, it was evident Auburn wanted to play the role of villain on Saturday. They set the tone early and dominated nearly every aspect of the game throughout. Because of this, they will strut out of Fayetteville with a 48-10 win.

Auburn (6-4, 3-4 SEC) won many categories on Saturday including total yards (519), first downs (32), yards per play (7), and red zone opportunities (7-of-7). The Razorbacks ended with 255 total yards, and they managed to earn just 10 first downs.

Auburn quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] headlined offensive production yet again, as they were responsible for 374 of Auburn’s 517 yards. Thorne passed for 163 yards and three scores while completing 12-of-20 passes. Hunter posted another triple-digit rushing output by gaining 109 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, the Tigers recorded eight tackles for loss, with five going as sacks. Linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] was the star of the defense by making nine stops, with three sacks and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

The opening quarter was dominated by Auburn, as they outgained the Razorbacks 169-24 en route to a 21-3 lead.

Auburn, or should I say [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], set the tone early by playing a key role in two of Auburn’s three scores. He led his team on a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive which ended with a 12-yard touchdown run to push his team ahead, 7-0 with 12:37 remaining.

He paired up with [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] for the team’s third score of the first quarter with 6:28 remaining. The 11-yard pass pushed Auburn ahead, 21-0. The second score of the quarter for Auburn was a 74-yard punt return by [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag], which took place following Arkansas’ first possession.

The Razorbacks’ lone score came with 1:54 to go in the quarter when kicker Cam Little nailed a 39-yard field goal to cut the Tigers’ lead to 21-3. The score was set up by a Thorne interception that was returned 42 yards by Dwight McGlothern.

The second quarter was not as fast-paced, as [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] was responsible for both scores, a 39-yard field goal and a 31-yard field goal, to give Auburn the 27-3 lead. However, the Tigers still managed to gain 108 yards on 20 plays.

The Tigers’ defense played a key role in Auburn’s wide first-half margin. Auburn limited Arkansas to just 110 total yards, with Razorbacks’ quarterback KJ Jefferson only gaining 103. They also posted five tackles for loss with four sacks through the first half.

Auburn’s 3rd quarter brought flashbacks the the 1st quarter of the game, where the Tigers grabbed command early. Auburn scored 21 points in the quarter and posted 143 yards to expand their lead to 48-3 through three quarters. Thorne threw two more touchdown passes, one to Fairweather and another to [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag]. Running back [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] entered the chat with 0:14 remaining in the quarter. He rushed from seven yards out for his first touchdown as a Tiger.

The Tigers coasted in the 4th quarter to secure the victory. The lone score in the quarter came with 14:35 in the game when Arkansas quarterback Jacolby Criswell connected with Isaac Teslaa on an 11-yard reception.

Auburn will go for win No. 7 of the season next Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium when they host New Mexico State for the nonconference finale. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on SEC Network.

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Instant Analysis: Auburn ends losing streak with win over Mississippi State

A strong first half allowed Auburn to cruise to its first SEC win of the season.

It took five tries, but Hugh Freeze has earned his first SEC win as Auburn’s head coach.

Auburn used a dominating first half to coast past Mississippi State, 27-13, on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn (4-4, 1-4 SEC) jumped out to a dominating 24-3 halftime lead after posting 301 total yards. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] appeared to be comfortable throughout the game, as he tossed three passing touchdowns in the first half on his way to a 230-yard performance. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-4 SEC) busted for 223 total yards in the second half, but they could not overcome the giant first-half deficit laid out by Auburn.

The Tigers dominated the first quarter by outgaining the Bulldogs, 163-77 en route to a 14-3 lead. Thorne completed eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. On the Tigers’ initial drive, he connected with [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] on a 27-yard pass with 11:38 remaining in the quarter to put the Tigers up, 7-0.

After a Mississippi State field goal on their first possession, Thorne again led Auburn on a 75-yard drive that ended with a 45-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] to extend the Auburn lead to 14-3. [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 61 yards on six carries.

Auburn added 10 points to their total in the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead into the locker room for halftime. Kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] jumped into the box score by connecting on a 39-yard field goal with 7:18 remaining in the 2nd quarter. The Tigers ended the half on a touchdown connection between Thorne and freshman running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] for a seven-yard touchdown pass to extend the Auburn lead to 24-10 with 0:09 remaining.

Auburn’s first half ended with 301 total yards, compared to Mississippi State’s 122-yard output. Thorne ended the half with 192 passing yards and three scores with a completion percentage of 75%. He completed a pass to 11 different receivers in the first half, with [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] hauling in three passes for 22 yards. Defensively, Keionte Scott and [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] recorded five tackles each. Asante and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] had a tackle for loss.

The third quarter was rather quiet, as both teams traded field goals. Mississippi State’s Kyle Ferrie nailed his second field goal of the day from 40 yards with 9:10 to go in the quarter. McPherson answered with 3:14 to go in the 3rd quarter to extend Auburn’s lead to 27-6. Thorne added 32 yards to his passing total in the quarter to break the 200-yard mark for the second time this season.

State opened the 4th quarter by scoring their first touchdown of the game. Wright found Zavion Thomas from 14 yards away on the first play of the quarter to trim Auburn’s lead to 27-13. Mississippi State had a chance to cut the lead even more, but a fourth down attempt from the Auburn 13-yard line did not work in their favor, allowing Auburn to run out the clock.

Auburn outgained Mississippi State, 416-345. Thorne completed 20 passes to 11 different receivers, with Rivaldo Fairweather making four catches for 31 yards. Yardage-wise, Ja’Varrius Johnson led the team with 59 yards on two catches. Hunter’s day ended with 144 yards, which goes down as his first 100-yard game of the season.

Defensively, [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] led the team in tackles with nine, while [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] recorded two tackles for loss. [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] recorded his second interception in as many games in the 4th quarter.

Auburn will go for their second SEC win of the season next week on the road at Vanderbilt. The Tigers and Commodores will face off at FirstBank Stadium next Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

Jalen McLeod’s draft stock is on the rise

McLeod has had a strong start to his senior season and the NFL has noticed.

[autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] came to Auburn from App State for his senior season looking to prove he could compete with the best players in the country and through five weeks of the season he has done just that.

He quickly emerged as Auburn’s top pass rusher and despite being banged up, has made 12 tackles, two quarterback hurries, broken up a pass and forced a fumble.

Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy believes he has been even better than his box score indicated and named him one of nine seniors who generated draft buzz in Week 5, in his weekly interview with On3’s Matt Zenitz.

“Showed up more in live exposure against Georgia than what his stat line might suggest,” Nagy said. “Consistently around the ball. Has the ability to bend the edge on pass rush. Athletic and instinctive enough to be solid special teams contributor at the next level. NFL scouts we spoke with in the press box also like him as draftable level player.”

McLeod was one of 14 Auburn players to make the Senior Bowl watch list ahead of the season.

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Instant Analysis: Late score plagues Auburn in loss to No. 1 Georgia

Georgia put the final nail in the coffin with 2:52 remaining in the game to sneak out of Jordan-Hare with a rivalry win.

For three quarters, the Auburn Tigers matched the pace of the nation’s top team.

It took No. 1 Georgia nearly the entire game to put the nail in the coffin but did so with 2:52 remaining in the game. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck connected with tight end Brock Bowers for a 40-yard touchdown pass to secure the 27-20 victory on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn.

Georgia (5-0, 2-0 SEC) outgained Auburn (3-2, 0-2 SEC) 275-134 in the second half, and outscored the Tigers 17-10 to pull away for the win. Bowers was a key component in Georgia’s second-half surge. He caught eight passes for 157 yards and a score in the win after securing just two catches for nine yards in the first half.

Entering Saturday’s game, Auburn had failed to score in the first quarter in three straight games. That all changed when the Tigers dropped 10 points on Georgia in Saturday’s opening quarter.

Auburn’s first score would come off the legs of [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag], who ended an eight-play, 84-yard drive with a 27-yard field goal to put Auburn ahead, 3-0 at the 6:04 mark. Auburn struck again with 2:00 remaining in the quarter when [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] rushed from five yards out to extend the Tigers’ lead to 10-0. The touchdown drive was set up by [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag]’s fourth interception of the season.

It would not take long for Georgia to strike back. With 11:50 remaining in the 2nd quarter, Georgia’s Dijuan Edwards scampered into the end zone from two yards out to cut into Auburn’s lead, 10-7. The drive was Georgia’s longest at that point, covering 56 yards on 11 plays.

Auburn’s defense allowed Georgia to gain 61 yards on their next drive but ended with a win as they forced the Bulldogs to kick a field goal. Peyton Woodring’s 37-yard attempt tied the game at 10-10 with 5:57 remaining in the first half.

Auburn’s strong first-half start continued into the second half, as they forced a turnover on the first play of the 3rd quarter. [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] fell on the football at the Georgia 32-yard line to put the ball back into his team’s hands.

The Tigers needed just two plays to make Georgia pay for the turnover. Robby Ashford rushed nine yards to paydirt to extend Auburn’s lead to 17-10 with 13:31 in the quarter. Ashford rushed for 27 yards in Auburn’s 32-yard drive.

Auburn’s defense held strong until the waning minutes of the 3rd quarter. Georgia pieced together a 10-play, 98-yard drive to tie the game at 17-17 with 1:03 to go in the quarter. The headlining play was a 29-yard pass from Beck to Brock Bowers, which set up a 13-yard touchdown rush by Edwards on the very next play.

Georgia grabbed their first lead of the game with 10:57 remaining in the game on a 38-yard field goal by Woodring. McPherson answered with 6:21 remaining to set the score at 20-20 by nailing a 42-yarder.

The final nail in the coffin was driven in by Bowers with 2:52 remaining in the game. He hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Beck to push Georgia ahead for good, 27-20.

Auburn enters the bye week with a 3-2 record, and 0-2 in SEC play. On the other side of the bye week is SEC West rival, No. 12 LSU. Kickoff and broadcast information will be announced Monday morning.

Auburn tweaks depth chart ahead of matchup with Samford

Auburn’s coaching staff has made several changes to the depth chart.

For the first time this season, Auburn has made some changes to its depth chart. The Tigers revealed their depth chart for their Week 3 game against Samford on Monday and there have been several changes on the defensive side of the ball.

The first is that starting middle linebacker [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag] has been removed from it. This is no surprise after it was announced that he had surgery for a thumb injury and is out indefinitely, [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag] has been elevated to the starter in his absence.

There has also been a change at weakside linebacker but this one is due to the breakout of [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]. He was one of Auburn’s top players last week and led the Tigers with 12 tackles and is now listed as the starter.

The next change is at jack, where [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] is now listed as the starter. McLeod was held out in Week 1 as he recovered from an injury but was on the field for 57 snaps and made three tackles in Auburn’s victory over Cal.

Here is a look at the full depth chart ahead of their game against Samford Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Instant Analysis: Auburn gains late momentum, steals win from California

A late touchdown followed by an interception secures Auburn’s west coast trip with a victory over California.

Auburn’s California dream almost ended in a nightmare.

In a game plagued by turnovers and poor offensive play, Auburn caught momentum late and rode it to victory. A late touchdown followed by an interception in the final two minutes lifts Auburn to a 14-10 win over California late Saturday night.

Auburn (2-0) trailed 10-7 with 6:31 remaining in the game before quarterback Payton Thorne connected with tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] for a touchdown pass to give the Tigers the lead. Later in the quarter, California (1-1) forced and recovered a fumble which gave them one final opportunity to steal a win. However, [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] picked off Steven Jackson’s pass in the end zone with 1:44 remaining to secure the victory.

“A win is a win” head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] said following the game on the ESPN broadcast.

Auburn’s first drive set the tone for the evening. On 3rd down, quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] fumbled the football before stepping out of bounds. California’s Jackson Sirmon recovered the fumble with 13:33 remaining in the 1st quarter to give the Bears great field position at the Auburn 35-yard line.

Cal would respond by converting a seven-play drive into three points. Michael Luckhurst nailed a 39-yard field goal to give the Bears the 3-0 lead with 9:42 remaining in the first.

The quarter would end with Auburn obtaining three drives. Two ended on punts, and one would end on a fumble. The Tigers managed to gain just 32 yards of offense in the first quarter, trailing 3-0.

It took Auburn several drives to return the favor, but they managed to record a turnover of their own in the 2nd quarter. Auburn’s [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] tackled Cal’s Isaiah Ifanse, and the football was stripped away by [autotag]Donovan Kaufman[/autotag]. Kaufman would recover the fumble at the California 17-yard line to give Auburn a new set of downs with 13:01 remaining in the first half.

Like California in the first quarter, Auburn turned a fumble into a score. On the third play of the drive, Thorne connected with [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] for the second time this season for a score. This time, Thorne dialed up a 13-yard strike to Fair to give Auburn the 7-3 lead with 11:50 in the 2nd quarter.

The trend continued later in the quarter, as California turned another turnover into points. Damari Alston fumbled the football with 7:20 remaining in the quarter to, unfortunately, end a positive drive at that point. Running back Jadyn Ott rushed for a 14-yard score to push the Bears ahead, 10-7.

Thorne was responsible for Auburn’s third turnover of the game. California’s Nohl Williams picked off Thorne with less than two minutes remaining in the first half to set up the Bears’ final drive of the 2nd quarter. The Bears planned to end the half by kicking a last-second field goal. However, a holding penalty erased the kick, forcing the Bears to try one last play from scrimmage. California quarterback Steven Jackson V threw a desperation pass to the end zone, which landed in the hands of Jaylin Simpson. He returned the pick to the Auburn 25-yard line to cap the first half.

The Tigers gained just 99 yards of total offense in the first half while committing three turnovers. Auburn had just four first downs and converted 1-of-6 third down opportunities. Defensively, the Tigers allowed 129 yards of offense and created two turnovers.

The third quarter featured less action than the previous two. California needed two possessions to set themselves up for a scoring opportunity. The Bears began a nine-play drive with 5:57, which ended in a missed 42-yard field goal to keep the score 10-7 heading into the 4th quarter.

After several frustrating drives that resulted in zero points, Auburn found the end zone again with 6:31 remaining in the 4th quarter. Thorne tossed his second touchdown pass of the game to tight end Rivaldo Fairweather to push Auburn ahead, 14-10. The play was set up by a pass interference call on the Bears two plays prior.

Turnovers woes continued for Auburn on its next possession. Hunter fumbled on the Tigers’ second play from scrimmaged, and it was recovered by Cal’s Ricky Correia for the fourth turnover of the game.

However, that turnover did not plague Auburn as others had done before. On the sixth play of California’s ensuing drive, DJ James picked off Jackson in the end zone to regain possession.

Auburn finished behind California in total yards, 273-230. The Tigers also had fewer first downs than California, and ran 23 fewer plays. Those stats go in-line with the time of possession battle, which Auburn lost by nearly 10 minutes (34:48 for California opposed to 25:12 for Auburn).

Thorne completed 9-of-14 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Fairweather hauled in three passes for 39 yards and a score. In his return to action, Jarquez Hunter rushed for 53 yards on 11 carries.

Auburn returns to Jordan-Hare Stadium next Saturday to face Samford. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.

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Fourteen Tigers named to Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list

Auburn has plenty of talented veterans on its roster.

Auburn has struggled to produce draft picks over the past few NFL drafts but that could be changing soon. The Reese’s Senior Bowl revealed its annual watch list on Wednesday and the Tigers are well represented with 14 players making the list.

The group includes six offensive players and eight defensive players. The offensive group consists of quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], left tackle [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] and wide receivers [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag].

Auburn’s secondary is full of players to monitor with cornerbacks [autotag] DJ James[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] making the list. They are joined by defensive linemen [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] and [autotag]Elijah Mcallister[/autotag] as well as linebackers [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag].

The 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl will be played on Feb. 3, 2024, and will be shown on the NFL Network.[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

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Hugh Freeze provides injury update after Auburn’s second scrimmage of fall camp

Several expected contributors were unable to play in Auburn’s scrimmage on Saturday.

Auburn has been battling injuries throughout fall camp and [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] provided an update about the health of the team Saturday after Auburn’s second scrimmage of fall camp.

The wide receiver group and defensive front have been hit the hardest and that was still the case with several expected contributors unable to play.

Defensive end [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] and pass-rusher [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] were both unable to play in the scrimmage. Faulk “tried, but he’s not ready,” Freeze admitted.

Wide receivers [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag], [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Johnson Jr.[/autotag] as well as linebacker [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag] were also unable to practice.

“Now its time for us to get a lot of those guys out of those yellow jerseys hopefully, and get them healthy with two weeks to go,” Freeze said. “We’re without some guys we’ve been counting on for sure.”

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Keldrick Faulk is set to make an impact this season

It will be difficult for defensive coordinator Ron Roberts to keep the true freshman off the field this fall.

After the departure of [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag] to the NFL, Hugh Freeze knew that he needed to bring in experienced players from the transfer portal to fill those roles.

He did so by snagging [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag], [autotag]Stephen Sings[/autotag], and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag]. There is zero doubt that their combined experience will be beneficial to the defense, but there is a true freshman in the mix that is poised to be a valuable player for the unit.

Freshman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] almost went another direction with his recruitment, as he flipped to Auburn just before signing day. Since then, he has proven to be worthy of the flip. He has worked just as hard in the field as he has in the weight room, and it has caused defensive coordinator Ron Roberts to place him in a new spot.

“He played Jack most of the spring. A lot of our four-down stuff, it’s the same thing,” Roberts said. “So he was doing it half the dag-gum time, so we moved him to end. He’s 290 pounds by the summertime, so he’s kind of filled that spot. He’s in there fighting for the job. I don’t know how it’s going to pan out the next couple of weeks, but he’s going to be an impact player for us this season.”

That says plenty about what kind of player Faulk can be. Sure, the Tigers’ depth chart is filled with plenty of transfers, but Faulk’s quick development could be a great sign of what is to come from the coaching staff.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 35 Jalen McLeod

He is one of several key additions Auburn made at the jack linebacker spot over the offseason.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.

Up next is transfer jack linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag]. He is looking to become the pass-rusher that Auburn needs.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Washington, D.C.

Height: 6-1

Weight: 237

Previous School: App State

Class in 2023: Junior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 13 in D.C. / No. 68 ILB

Career Stats

Year	G	Tackles	TFLs	Sacks	PDs	FFs
2020 (App State)	4	9	2.0	2.0	0	1
2021 (App State)	12	26	3.0	1.0	3	0
2022 (App State)	11	41	7.5	6.0	1	2

PFF Grades

Year	Defense	Tackling	Run Defense	Pass Rush	Coverage
2020	67.7	81.2	57.3	71.8	64.4
2021	74.2	87.8	66.3	71.2	83.1
2022	86.6	61.4	76.8	90.7	64.7

Depth Chart Overview

With Auburn losing its entire edge room after last season the pressure was on to go out and land several transfers who could make an immediate impact and the coaching staff did that with the additions of McLeod, [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag] and [autotag]Stephen Sings V[/autotag]. McLeod is probably undersized to play every down, but he has the ability to be a pass-rushing specialist.

It is quite a jump off from the Sun Belt to the SEC but he had his best game of the season last year against Texas A&M, making 2.0 sacks and three total tackles.

While McAllister and the other jack linebackers will see plenty of action to help stop the run, McLeod looks like Auburn’s top pass-rusher and should be on the field on passing downs.

Jalen McLeod’s Photo Gallery