Jamonta Waller – Syndication Server

Auburn freshman EDGE Amaris Williams plans to enter transfer portal

A five-star EDGE from the 2024 signing class, Williams departs after just one season on the Plains.

Auburn’s second-highest-rated signee from its 2024 recruiting haul is projected to leave the Plains after just one season.

According to a report by Hayes Fawcett of On3, Auburn EDGE rusher [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag] has filed the paperwork necessary to enter the transfer portal. The news of his plan to enter the transfer portal comes a day after EDGE coach Josh Aldridge’s announced departure from the program to become the defensive coordinator at East Carolina.

Williams signed with Auburn as the No. 5 EDGE of the 2024 recruiting cycle, trailing wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] for the top spot in Auburn’s recruiting haul. He appeared in five games for the Tigers during his freshman campaign in 2024, where he logged seven tackles and 0.5 sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams participated in 120 snaps this season and created five quarterback pressures.

Williams was expected to play a larger role on defense in 2025 following the departure of [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], who graduates after making 106 stops in two seasons at Auburn with 13.5 sacks. Should Williams elect to play elsewhere, Auburn will look to rising senior [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag], redshirt freshman [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag], and 2025 signee [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] to fill the void left behind by McLeod and to team up with rising junior Keldric Faulk to continue Auburn’s run of dominant EDGE play.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Auburn vs. Texas A&M injury report: Latest updates, news for Saturday’s game

All the latest updates and news on Auburn’s injury report ahead of Saturday’s game vs. Texas A&M.

The initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report for week 13’s action features several notable names from Auburn ahead of its game with No. 14 Texas A&M on Saturday night.

Auburn’s injury report includes four players who are nursing season-ending injuries: DBs [autotag]Tyler Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag], TE [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], and LB [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag]. Three other players are included, two are ruled out while one is deemed “questionable.”

Four Aggies have been ruled out for Saturday’s game, one of those is surprisingly not running back Reuben Owens. Owens was reportedly ruled out for the season after sustaining a lower-leg injury but has been upgraded to doubtful for Saturday’s game.

Here’s a full rundown of the initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report ahead of Saturday’s game between Auburn and Texas A&M.

Auburn injury report

WR Caleb Burton (Out)
LB Jamonta Waller (Out)
DB Tyler Scott (Out)
DB Champ Anthony (Out)
K Alex McPherson (Out)
TE Brandon Frazier (Out)
S Caleb Wooden (Questionable)

Texas A&M injury report

WR Cyrus Allen (Out)
DB Tyreek Chappell (Out)
RB Le’Veon Moss (Out)
OL Mark Nabou Jr. (Out)
RB Rueben Owens (Doubtful)
OL Chase Bisontis (Doubtful)
QB Jaylen Henderson (Questionable)

Caleb Wooden injury update

Wooden did not play in last week’s game vs. ULM due to an undisclosed injury. According to a report from Auburn Undercover, Wooden returned to practice this week, which could be a good sign for his chances to play vs. Texas A&M.

Alex McPherson injury update

McPherson has missed nearly every game this season due to complications from a gastrointestinal illness. He is listed as “out” again this week, which means that walk-on kicker Ian Vachon will remain the Tigers’ placekicker after connecting on 6-of-6 extra point attempts and going 2-for-2 on field goal opportunities.

Caleb Burton injury update

Auburn Undercover reports that Burton was placed in concussion protocol earlier this month and has yet to return to the practice field. Burton has appeared in three games this season, recording two catches for 49 yards.

Remaining injury update

Waller, Scott, Anthony, and Frazier are battling season-ending injuries and will not return to the field for the 2024 season.

Initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report released ahead of Auburn vs. Kentucky

What is the status of several key Tigers ahead of Saturday’s game at Kentucky?

The initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report was released Wednesday, ahead of week nine’s action.

Auburn football has four players nursing season-ending injuries, with just one other player listed on the report. Wide receiver [autotag]Caleb Burton[/autotag] is listed as “doubtful” for Auburn’s game at Kentucky this Saturday according to the first report. Burton has played in three games this season for the Tigers, hauling in two catches for 49 yards. The cause of his injury is unknown at this time.

LB [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag], DBs [autotag]Tyler Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag], and tight end [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag] are ruled out for Saturday’s game.

Another player to keep an eye on this week is kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag]. He has been removed from the availability report but has yet to play this season. Head coach Hugh Freeze suggested the possibility of McPherson getting a chance to kick this weekend during his weekly press conference.

“Should we have another opportunity within the 35-yard range, we are going to give Alex (McPherson) that shot,” Freeze said Monday. “He told me he felt like he could do that, so we’re close to thinking on that. We’ll see how the week goes. Again, we are excited about Towns (McGough) and his future and his talent, but we need to make those. Those are critical moments that keep our momentum up and us feeling good and us feeling like we are finding ways to win the game. But he (Alex) did feel like he could have participated if we had that situation again Saturday.”

Kentucky‘s injury woes will carry into this weekend’s game as seven players are ruled out, three players are listed as “questionable,” five are “probable,” and one player is listed as “doubtful.”

The player deemed “doubtful” for Kentucky early on is leading rusher, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, who has rushed for 419 yards on 92 carries with four touchdowns.

The next SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report will be released on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT, unveiling the final report 90 minutes before Auburn’s game at Kentucky, which is scheduled for a 6:45 p.m. CT kickoff on Saturday.

Auburn’s first SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report post-bye week is released

How healthy is Auburn heading back into SEC play?

Auburn football returns to action this Saturday by traveling to Missouri to battle the No. 16 Tigers at Faurot Field in Columbia. For the most part, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s squad will be healthy heading into the contest.

The conference released the initial SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report for Saturday’s game on Wednesday. Four Tigers have been ruled out of the contest early on: Cornerback [autotag]Tyler Scott[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], defensive back [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag], and BUCK [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag].

Scott sustained an ACL injury during the offseason while Frazier and Anthony suffered lower-body injuries during the early portion of the season. The newest addition to the report is Waller, who will miss the rest of the season due to a foot injury. He appeared in two games this season, most recently in Auburn’s loss to Oklahoma on Sept. 28.

Missouri has been bitten by the injury bug over the last week as linebacker Khalil Jackson and defensive end Joe Moore III have been ruled out for the season due to injuries. Jackson and Moore join quarterback Sam Horn and defensive end Darris Smith in sustaining season-ending injuries at Missouri. Eli Drinkwitz’s camp did receive positive news regarding wide receiver Luther Burden this week as he is listed as “probable” and is expected to play this Saturday. Outside of Burden, running back Nate Noel and linebacker Triston Newson are tabbed “questionable” for Saturday’s game with Auburn.

The SEC Student-Athlete Availability Report will be updated several times between now and kickoff, with the final report released 90 minutes prior to the 11 a.m. CT kickoff between Auburn and Missouri on Saturday.

Jamonta Waller to miss remainder of 2024-2025 season

The 6-foot, 243-pound nose tackle was a consensus top 10 edge rusher in the 2024 class.

Former five-star defensive lineman recruit Jamonta Waller will miss the rest of his freshman season due to a foot injury, Auburn announced on Wednesday. The Picayune, MS native appeared in only two games for the Tigers this season, registering a tackle against Alabama A&M and Oklahoma.

The 6-foot, 243-pound buck linebacker was a consensus top 10 edge rusher in the 2024 class. Originally committed to Florida, Waller flipped to Auburn in November of last year. While his career on the Plains is not off to the start he would have liked, Waller is eligible to medically redshirt following the news, and the talented lineman is likely to do just that.

Keldric Faulk, Philip Blidi, and Isaiah Raikes will continue to see most of the snaps as down lineman as the season rolls on, with Jalen McLeod leading the way at buck linebacker. As for Waller, he’ll have to compete for reps with current Tigers as well as a top five incoming recruiting class when spring practice kicks off next March.

Faulk, Blidi, Raikes, and the Auburn front seven will look to improve over the bye week before attempting to upset No. 18 ranked Missouri in Columbia.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Four-star LB Demarcus Riddick signs with Auburn

Riddick flipped from Georgia to Auburn over the summer.

Hugh Freeze was able to snag four-star linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] from Georgia over the summer. Now, he is an Auburn Tiger.

Riddick, a native of Clanton, signed with Auburn on Wednesday. As a senior at Chilton County High School, Riddick recorded 92 tackles with three sacks and an interception.

Riddick is one of 11 defensive players to sign with Auburn today, joining the likes of [autotag]TJ Lindsey[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], and [autotag]Amon Lane-Ganus[/autotag]. Auburn has also added Florida flips [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] and [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag] as defensive signees.

The linebacker from Clanton is Auburn’s fourth-highest rated signee of the 2024 class. He is the No. 5 overall linebacker for the cycle, and is the No. 6 overall player from Alabama.

Coming to The Plains with something to prove 😤

𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐄𝐃 → @DemarcusRiddic
🏠 Clanton, Alabama
🏈 Linebacker pic.twitter.com/cgD86XZWSF

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 20, 2023

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.

Quarterbacks beware 😈

𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐄𝐃 → @JamontaWaller
🏠 Picayune, Mississippi
💪 EDGE pic.twitter.com/INghjhI2MQ

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 20, 2023

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

4-star DL Amaris Williams: ‘Auburn has a big chance right now’

Auburn is looking to flip a second four-star defender from the Florida Gators.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Auburn’s coaching staff made several big additions last year during the early signing period and they are looking to do so once again. One of their top targets is four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag], who has been committed to Florida since June.

They have already shown the ability to steal a commit from the Gators, flipping four-star edge rusher [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] earlier this cycle and following an official visit to the Plains, Williams admitted the Tigers could do so once again.

“Auburn has a big chance right now,” Williams told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “Even though awhile back I told Coach JG ([autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag]) I wasn’t considering Auburn at the time, I feel like that’s just because I never visited and because of what I had already seen from other colleges. Actually being here today and seeing what it’s all about, it’s a really big chance I could come here.”

Williams is the No. 84 overall player and No. 12 defensive lineman in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Clinton product is also the No. 1 player from North Carolina.

It won’t be easy for Auburn to land Williams, Florida is fighting to hold onto him and Ohio State and Georgia are both pushing for a flip and can’t be counted out.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

Auburn commit Jamonta Waller ‘working hard’ to flip Five-star LJ McCray

Waller says that he wants to be on the same field as McCray.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] isn’t the only Auburn man working the recruiting trail this offseason.

Four-star EDGE commit [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] is reportedly “working hard” to flip 5-star Florida defensive lineman commit [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] to the Tigers according to On3.

The Daytona Beach, Florida native McCray took a visit to the Plains after visiting Florida State last week, showing he is weighing his options heavily ahead of National Signing Day in February.

The 5-star recruit is a wrecking ball of an athlete. Standing at 6-foot-6 and weighing in around 260 pounds, McCray collected 17.5 tackles for loss in his senior season at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach.

His presence would be immediately felt on an Auburn interior defensive line that struggled to pressure the quarterback outside of [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag].

Waller took it one step further, describing how he and McCray would create “magic” on the same defensive front.

“I just want us to be on the same field together, man,” Waller said. “They can’t block both of us. It’s just magic what it could be.”

Whether the two highly-touted recruits would create magic remains to be seen, but Auburn’s staff will certainly be hoping to fill another hole with a flipped-5-star recruit.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and company did it just a few weeks ago with wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag]. We’ll see if they capture strike lighting in a bottle twice by flipping McCray.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Four-star defensive lineman LJ McCray to visit Auburn

He is one of Auburn’s top remaining targets in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Auburn missed out on four-star defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] when he announced his commitment to the Florida Gators back in October but they have not stopped recruiting him.

That decision is paying off as he announced to a group of reporters on Thursday that he would be taking a visit to Auburn this weekend.

“Those guys have not faded since the commitment,” he said. “Coach (Jeremy) Garrett has been in there day one since I got the offer. I have a pretty good relationship with him.”

McCray is the No. 54 overall player and No. 10 defensive lineman in the 247Sports composite. The Daytona Beach native is also the No. 9 player from Florida.

Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class is nearly complete but McCray is one of several elite prospects that [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Co. are trying to flip ahead of the early signing period. The Tigers have already pried four-star edge rusher [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] away from Florida and are also pursuing [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag], another four-star defensive lineman currently pledged to the Gators.