Tag: jay fair

Instant Analysis: Slow start leads to homecoming win for Tigers

After a scoreless first quarter, Auburn outgained Samford 444-159 over the final three quarters to run away with the win.

It is not always about how you begin, but it is always about how you finish.

The Auburn Tigers and Samford Bulldogs failed to post any points in the first quarter, but it would be the Tigers who would find momentum and cruise with it to a 45-13 victory.

Auburn (3-0) would outgain Samford (1-2) 444-159 in the yardage department through the final three quarters in the win.

The first half began very slowly for Auburn, as the game remained scoreless through one quarter. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] completed 10-of-14 passes for 93 yards, but could not find the end zone. He had one opportunity to do that in the quarter but threw an interception in the end zone to kill a 3rd-and-goal situation.

The action began to pick up in the 2nd quarter as Auburn delivered the first blow with 9:31 remaining in the half. Thorne connected with [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] for a 32-yard score to push Auburn ahead, 7-0.

Thorne found the end zone one other time in the half, this time with his legs. Thorne rushed for five yards with 3:04 to go in the 2nd quarter to extend Auburn’s lead to 14-0. Thorne tossed another end-zone interception in the quarter that stopped what could have been another scoring play.

Alex McPherson kicked a 22-yard field goal within the final minute of the half to push Auburn’s lead to 17-0 at halftime.

Thorne nearly matched his 2023 season total during the first half. He entered Saturday’s game with 235 yards passing. Through one half against Samford, he passed for 232 yards on 18 completions. [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] and [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] each had over 50 yards of receptions, while Jarquez Hunter rushed for 31 yards in the first half.

After not taking a snap in the first half, quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] finally played a role in an Auburn score. On the 13th play of Auburn’s first drive of the second half, Ashford scampered across the goal line to increase Auburn’s lead to 24-0 with 8:30 to go in the quarter.

It would not take long for Samford to respond, as the Bulldogs found the scoreboard for the first time on the ensuing drive. Samford used a five-play, 75-yard drive in less than two minutes to strike when Michael Hiers connected with Chandler Smith from 36 yards away to cut the Tigers’ lead to 24-7 with 6:35 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Like the first two possessions of the 3rd quarter, the next two would also result in scores by both teams. Hunter would find the end zone for the first time this season with 4:29 remaining on a one-yard rush. The next drive for Samford would see Hiers rush from three yards out to end the quarter with Auburn ahead, 31-13.

The Tigers would score the final two scores of the game to put the game to rest. Thorne would showcase his wheels again with 9:44 remaining in the game to move Auburn ahead, 38-13, and the final blow came with 5:32 left when Ashford connected with Micah Riley on a 32-yard pass.

Thorne ended the game with 405 total yards (282 passing, 123 rushing) and three total touchdowns. His leading receiver, Fair, hauled in seven passes for 93 yards. Defensively, Caleb Wooden led the team in tackles with six, while Jaylin Simpson recorded an interception for the third-straight game.

Auburn returns to the road next weekend to open SEC play at Texas A&M. Kickoff from Kyle Field in College Station, Texas is set for 11 a.m. CT next Saturday.

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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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Auburn’s two-quarterback system shows its value in blowout win over UMass

Hugh Freeze has said he think Robby Ashford and Payton Thorne can help Auburn win games, they did just that Saturday against UMass.

The saying “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none,” is not always accurate and the Tigers proved that Saturday in their blowout win over UMass in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] named [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] Auburn’s starting quarterback back on Aug. 17, but the plan has always been for [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] to play. While Thorne can run, he is a proven passer while Ashford is working to improve his accuracy and decision-making but is a dynamic runner.

Thorne started the game for Auburn and marched Auburn right down the field for the touchdown. He completed 1-of-3 passes for nine yards and rushed for 16 yards.

He started the next drive as well but Ashford subbed in when the Tigers approached the red zone. Ashford rushed for eight yards and completed a pass but a holding penalty caused the drive to stall out and Auburn was forced to kick a field goal.

He once again came in when Auburn entered the red zone on their ensuing drive and this time it worked perfectly. He took the designed carry around the left side and into the endzone to give Auburnt the 17-7 lead early in the second quarter.

“Every press conference that I’ve been in I’ve said Robby Ashford is vital to us winning football games and I don’t know how else to say it,” Freeze said after the game. “He is vital to us winning football games. I don’t know what that looks like week-to-week, but I know that he’s vital to us winning football games and we need him.”

This week that meant that Thorne would lead the Tigers into the red zone where Ashford would take over and give Auburn a numbers advantage in the running game. It worked to perfection as he rushed for touchdowns on their next two drives to give Auburn a 31-7 lead and put the game away.

“It was good,” Thorne said of the rotation. “When Robby (Ashford) is running out there, I’m obviously running off. Also, when he gets in the endzone, I’m obviously excited. I don’t really care how we get into the end zone as long as we are scoring points, so that’s exciting. As far as the future, that’s up to Coach (Freeze), not me. But, if that’s how we roll, then I’m cool with that as long as we are scoring points. It was great today.”

Ashford finished the first half with six carries for 36 yards and three touchdowns as well as one completion.

“Obviously you always want to be the starter but Payton’s done a great job,” Ashford said after the game. “I look at him like a brother and we come out there every day and just know we are out here to get each other better and do whatever we can to help this team win.”

While Ashford did his damage on the ground, Thorne did his through the air. The Michigan State transfer completed 10-of-17 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown, a perfect pass to a wide-open [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] to give Auburn the 45-7 lead early in the third quarter.

Thorne’s day was done after the touchdown pass as Ashford took over for the next three series before giving control of the offense to Holden Geriner.

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Photo Gallery: Auburn Football cruises in season opener vs. UMass

Here are the best images from Auburn’s 59-14 season-opening win over UMass.

The [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era started off with a bang in week one, as the Auburn Tigers dismantled the UMass Minutemen, 59-14.

Led by[autotag] Payton Thorne’s[/autotag] arm and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]’s legs, the Auburn offense had its way with the UMass defense. The Tigers found pay-dirt eight times, collecting 494 total yards in the process.

Here are some of the best photos from the high-scoring opener in Jordan-Hare.

 

Instant Analysis: The Freeze era debuts with dominating win over UMass

Auburn cruises to a 59-14 win over the UMass Minutemen to begin the season, 1-0.

The Hugh Freeze era has gotten off to an incredible start, as he has led the Auburn Tigers to a gigantic win to kick off the 2023 season.

Auburn (1-0) outgains UMass (1-1) 495-301 in the yards department, including a 289-140 discrepancy in the run game to win, 59-14.

The Tigers took a 17-7 lead into the second quarter but would proceed to score 21 points in both the 2nd and 3rd quarters to pull away from the Minutemen in the season-opener.

Auburn got on the board first at the 11:28 mark in the first quarter. USF transfer [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] returned the opening kick to the Auburn 38-yard line from seven yards deep in the endzone. The drive ended with a two-yard rush by [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], capping off an 11-play, 62-yard drive.

In the Tigers’ first drive, quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] completed 1-of-3 passes for nine yards and rushed for 16 more. Alston rushed for 25 yards and Battie gained nine yards on one carry.

The Minutemen answered on the ensuing drive by tying the game at 7-7 with 7:20 remaining in the quarter. UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh scored on a 1-yard rush to close out an 8-play, 89-yard drive. Phommachanh rushed for 50 yards on the drive, while Kay’ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 26 yards.

The Tigers’ second drive would see the season debut of Robby Ashford, who subbed in at quarterback for three plays, where he completed a pass for four yards and rushed for eight more. The drive would stall out, however, as Auburn was forced to kick a field goal. [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag]’s 37-yard attempt was true, thus extending Auburn’s lead to 10-7 with 2:11 remaining in the first quarter.

After forcing UMass to punt, returner [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] set Auburn up in a great field position with a 56-yard return to the UMass 16-yard line. The drive was short-lived, as Ashford checked into the game to score on the opening play of the 2nd quarter on a 10-yard rush to extend Auburn’s lead to 17-7.

Ashford’s momentum carried into the next drive. He entered the game on the final three plays of Auburn’s next possession and rushed one yard into the endzone for his second score of the game to advance Auburn’s lead to 24-7 with 10:11 in the first half.

His third score of the game would come in the Tigers’ next possession. Auburn increased its lead to 31-7 thanks to a four-yard rush by Ashford to cap a five-play, 35-yard drive.

The Tigers ended the first half with 237 net yards. Thorne completed 9-of-16 passes for 112 yards. Ashford rushed for 36 yards on six carries, scoring three times. Auburn’s leading rusher was Alston, who carried the ball eight times for 43 yards. [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] reeled in four catches for 27 yards, while [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] led in overall receiving yards with 41 yards on two catches.

Defensively, [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] led the way with five tackles. [autotag]Donovan Kaufman[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag] each recorded a sack while Asante and freshman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] teamed up to record another.

The second half began with a bang as [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] picked off Phommachanh on the second play of the third quarter. Simpson returned the interception 50 yards for a Tigers touchdown, increasing Auburn’s lead to 38-7 with 14:43 remaining in the quarter.

Auburn quickly scored on its first true possession in the second half. The Tigers needed just one play and 10 seconds for Thorne to connect with Fair from 29 yards out for the first touchdown pass of his Auburn career to move the lead to 45-7.

Freshman [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] broke onto the scene later in the quarter by taking his second-ever college carry 42 yards for an Auburn touchdown to move the lead to 52-7 with 5:25 in the third.

Two of Auburn’s three touchdowns in the third quarter lasted just one play. Auburn ran just six plays in the quarter.

UMass got off one final punch in the 4th quarter. Minutemen quarterback Carlos Davis connected with Anthony Simpson for 58 yards to cut into Auburn’s lead, 52-14, with 8:50 remaining in the game.

[autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag] became the fourth rusher to put points on the board. His 45-yard rush with 7:02 to go in the game pushed Auburn’s lead to 59-14.

The Tigers (1-0) will make the trip out west next weekend to face Cal at California Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 9:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN.

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Brian’s column: Auburn needs to find its identity in week one

Auburn Wire’s Brian Hauch says that Auburn should discover themselves under Hugh Freeze.

Auburn football has been in a tenuous place for the last few years. The [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] era was full of controversies, flip-flopping recruits, and downright bad football.

The last few years have caused the Auburn Tigers to have the main thing every successful football team has, a true, strong, identity. The 2010 Tigers were Hollywood rockstars, feeding off the swagger of their best player, and one of the best Auburn football players of all time, [autotag]Cam Newton[/autotag].

The 2013 team was defined by their offensive explosiveness, with playmakers like [autotag]Nick Marshall[/autotag], [autotag]Tre Mason[/autotag], [autotag]Sammy Coates[/autotag], and [autotag]Cameron Artis-Payne[/autotag] making sure Auburn was never out of a game.

In 2017, the Tigers ran, ran, and ran some more. Defined by grit and toughness off the back of SEC player of the year [autotag]Karryon Johnson[/autotag] and head Coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]’s approach.

Auburn teams of late have lacked these true defining characteristics, often times looking uninspired on the field. With a new head coach and an overhauled team, the time is now for Auburn to find an identity again.

So what can that identity be? On the offensive side of the ball, the team needs to be quick and elusive, but also mean and gritty.

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze [/autotag] has been known for his air-raid offense in the past, and Auburn has the personnel to implement it.

[autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] needs to be quick, calm, and poised in the pocket in week one. Coach Freeze’s system is designed for quick reads and accurate balls. Here’s an example of what kind of throws Thorne will be asked to make in the Hugh Freeze offense.

In this clip, Liberty quarterback Malik Willis reads man gets the snap, and fires a dot to his receiver running the go. The play was simple, smooth, and effective. Payton Thorne has already hinted that Auburn’s offense will look similar to [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s fast-paced, one read and go, Liberty offense. 

Now he has to execute it, which may be a tougher task than assumed against a UMass secondary that had a great deal of luck confusing New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia with their man coverage in week one.

While Thorne needs to be quick in his reads, bad decisions will be detrimental against a UMass team that is going to try to bait him into as many as possible. Auburn’s quarterback needs to trust the system and get the ball in the hands of [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag], and [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] quickly and often. If he can do that, the Tigers are going to be a quick, energetic, fun offense.

The next step comes from the offensive line. The boys up front need to be feasting, supplying more pancakes than the waffle house on West Glenn on a Sunday Morning. [autotag]Kam Stutts[/autotag], [autotag]Avery Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Gunner Britton[/autotag] and Co. have to establish themselves as the gritty, nasty, yin to the skill positions fast and energetic yang.

That is how you build a strong offense. Auburn should be able to punch their opponent in the gut for 3 quarters then take the top off the defense before they know what hit ’em. Physicality paired with elusiveness creates winning football, and more importantly, it can build an identity.

As for the defensive side of things, the Tigers have to become big-time playmakers. Last year Auburn had a negative 0.7 turnover margin. The year before that they were negative 0.1.

On the surface, it is easy to blame the inept play of the offense, but in reality, both units were equally bad. In 2022, Auburn’s offense turned the ball over 22 times, good for 107th most of out FBS teams. They also only gained 13, which was 112th most among teams in the FBS. 

[autotag]DJ James[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and the rest of the secondary’s focus should be creating chaos.

The high-tempo [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] offense surely is going to wear down opposing defenses. The more you can change the field and get the opponent’s unit back on it the more successful Auburn will be.

If the offense is going to transition into a high-energy unit, the defense needs to follow suit. That happens by creating turnovers.

 

Auburn not only has to beat UMass, but they have to show the rest of the SEC what kind of team they will be under [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. If they are going to be successful this season and beyond,  that team needs be flying around the field, out-conditioning their opponents while also beating them down physically. We need to see who this team is going to be moving forward. It’s time for Auburn Football to re-establish itself.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 5 Jay Fair

He is entering his second season on the Plains.

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 wide receiver [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag]. The sophomore saw action in nine games last season but was rarely targeted and is looking to prove himself in the reworked passing attack.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Rockwall, Texas

Height: 5-10

Weight: 186

Class in 2023: Sophomore

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star // No. 87 in Texas // No. 84 WR

Career Stats

Year G Receptions Yards TDs YPC YPG
2022 9 2 34 0 17 3.8

PFF Grades

Year Offense Receiving Drops Run Blocking
2022 58.3 61.6 70.7 39.9

Depth Chart Overview

Fair caught two passes last season but appeared in nine games as a true freshman. However, Auburn brought in [autotag]Caleb Burton III[/autotag] over the offseason and the two will now be battling for reps behind starter [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] in the slot.

If Fair can hold off Burton then he has a chance to see his playing time rise significantly as Auburn has not shied away from its desire to heavily rotate at all three wide receiver spots.

Jay Fair’s Photo Gallery

The Full Auburn depth chart for Week 6

Coach Bryan Harsin has made perhaps his biggest changes yet for the team’s Week 6 depth chart ahead of its Georgia matchup.

It’s Georgia week, and coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] has come prepared.

There are a lot of changes for the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. There’s a new position on the depth chart, called “Nickel”, where cornerback [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] starts. The entire offensive line for the Tigers has been restructured to more closely match what Auburn came out with during the LSU game, which was far different than what it put on the depth chart. Finally, there are two players that were elevated to starters — wide receiver [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag].

Here is the updated depth chart for Auburn’s matchup on Saturday:

Auburn in final eight for 2023 wide receiver from Florida

The Tigers are one of eight finalists for wide receiver William Fowles.

On Monday, 2023 wide receiver William Fowles listed his final eight schools on Twitter and the Auburn Tigers were one of the eight schools listed. Other schools included were Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida State, Michigan State, Florida, and South Florida.

In his junior season at Dade Christian, he hauled in 47 catches for 1,100 receiving yards. Along with those jaw-dropping numbers, he also found the end zone 19 times. In the best game of his high school career, he netted seven receptions for 204 receiving yards and one touchdown.

The Tigers could certainly use Fowles at the wide receiver position in 2023. Wide receiver coach [autotag]Ike Hilliard[/autotag] is trying to build a receiving room that is one of the best in the Southeastern Conference. In the 2022 class, Auburn added wide receivers Omari Kelly, Camden Brown and Jay Fair. All three have the ultimate opportunity to earn a starting spot entering the fall. The coaching staff could certainly use open competition to lure in a guy like Fowles.

Film

William Fowles’ Recruiting Profile

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 5 Jay Fair

Here is a look at No. 5 Jay Fair ahead of the 2022 season.

Going into the 2022 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 Bryan Harsin this season.

Our focus here will be on true-freshman wide receiver Jay Fair. Fair signed with Auburn in the 2022 recruiting class. Due to Auburn’s lack of returning production at wide receiver, Fair will have a chance to make an immediate impact for Auburn.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Rockwall, Texas

Ht: 5-10

Wt: 181

247Sports Composite Ranking

3-star // No. 88 in Texas // No. 84 Wide Receiver

Class in 2021: High School Senior

Career Stats (High School)

Year G Rec Yards YPC TDs
2021 13 46 894 19.4 13

Depth Chart Overview

An early enrollee, Fair brings a big-play threat to the wide receiver room, something the room was sorely lacking last season. The speedster averaged 19.4 yards per catch as a high school senior, the Tigers averaged 11.7 yards per catch last season.

After initially looking like the receiving room would be in dire straits, the returns of Shedrick Jackson for a fifth season and Ja’Varrius Johnson deciding to return after entering the transfer portal could help save the group.

Auburn has to replace the production of Kobe Hudson, Demetris Robertson, Caylin Newton, and Elijah Canion. Hudson was Auburn’s leading receiver with 44 receptions, 580 yards, and four touchdowns before he was dismissed from the team. Robertson was Auburn’s third-leading receiver with 37 receptions for 489 yards and four touchdowns but was out of eligibility. Canion and Newton both transferred away.

Even with Jackson and Johnson returning, there is a void at the wide receiver position and with his speed, Fair will have a chance to help fill that void as a true freshman. His performance in spring and fall camps will determine if he gets a chance to do so.