Tag: Jayson Jones

Asante, Hunter headline Auburn’s Senior Bowl watchlist representation

Auburn football is well represented on this season’s watchlist.

The coveted Senior Bowl watchlist has been released, and Auburn is well represented.

A total of 14 players on Auburn’s roster made the cut, with linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] headlining the representation.

Asante broke onto the scene last season by recording a team-leading 86 tackles with 8.5 going for a loss. He also tipped a pass and returned a fumble 67 yards for a touchdown in Auburn’s loss to Texas A&M. As for Hunter, he came close to reaching the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for the first time in his career last season. He ran for 909 yards and scored seven touchdowns while reeling in 18 passes for 118 yards.

Joining Hunter as offensive players to make the list are QB [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], WRs [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], and offensive linemen [autotag]Percy Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag].

Thorne is projected to take a step forward this season thanks to the additions of Lambert-Smith and Lewis, who were stars at Penn State and Georgia State respectively. Fairweather will be a great threat in the passing game as he returns after hauling in 38 catches for 394 yards and six scores last season. Finally, Lewis joins an experienced offensive line after spending the previous two seasons at Mississippi State. Wade’s 819 snaps were the most among Auburn offensive players last season. In that frame, he allowed just two quarterback sacks.

Six defensive players were also labeled. Outside of Asante, DLs [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], LB [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag], and defensive backs [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Jerrin Thompson[/autotag] are also considered for a roster spot.

McLeod holds the highest grade among returning defenders from PFF with an 80.8, which was third-highest behind [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], who has since departed for the NFL. Scott had a great season by leading all defensive backs in tackles with 42 with five pass deflections in 2023. He will team up with Thompson, who hauled in three interceptions at Texas last season, to provide experience to the Tigers’ defensive backfield. In two seasons at Auburn, Jones has complied 48 tackles with one registering as a loss.

The final representative on the Senior Bowl watchlist for Auburn is punter [autotag]Oscar Chapman[/autotag]. Chapman recorded 61 punts last season for a career-high average of 44.6 yards.

The 2025 Senior Bowl will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. The game will begin at 1:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted live on NFL Network.

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Sophomore Keldric Faulk talks leadership at SEC Media Days

The Tigers’ defense is full of new faces, which gives the 6-6, 290-pound sophomore a unique opportunity to have his voice heard. 

Auburn defensive lineman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] made history a few weeks ago after his coaches selected him to be one of Auburn’s representatives at SEC Media Day, the first-ever Auburn sophomore to earn such honor.

The second-year Tiger told media members the designation “means a lot…It shows that I’m becoming a leader on my team, and I’m leading the right way on my team.”

A sophomore becoming a leader on a squad as capable and talented as Auburn is a rare feat, but Faulk, who won’t graduate from his teenage years until this fall, has taken command of a defensive front full of new faces. Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has taken notice,

“Keldric has just had an incredible voice that people listen to — because he’s wise for his age and his work ethic is incredible,” Freeze said.

That work ethic and wiseness has been imperative for Faulk to lead a defensive line filled with transfers and freshman. The current Tigers unofficial opening depth chart features just two incumbent Tigers in the top six of the defensive line rotation. Besides Faulk and senior tackle [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag], transfers [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag], [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag], [autotag]Trill Carter[/autotag], and [autotag]Gage Keys[/autotag] are all expected to soak up snaps up front on the Plains.

Despite the college football experience from the aforementioned quartet of big men, none have played a snap with the Tigers, giving the 6-6, 290-pound sophomore a unique opportunity to have his voice heard.

Faulk will not only try to build off an impressive freshman campaign in which he registered 36 tackles and a sack, but he’ll also look towards replicating the qualities of his former Tiger mentors from a season ago.

“Guys like Marcus Harris and Justin Rogers, those two guys, they showed me that being a leader is more than just showing people how to do stuff,” Faulk said. “It’s getting people to follow you in the right way.”

An Alabama native, Faulk’s leadership on the field will be put to the test as camp rolls on in early August before Auburn kicks off the season at the end of the month against Alabama A&M.

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Hugh Freeze breaks down Auburn’s most notable position battles ahead of season

Rotations will be key for the Tigers this season, and Freeze wants the best players possible to be involved.

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers took the stage at SEC Media Days Thursday and one of the many topics up for discussion was position battles within the program.

The most notable battle, at least in the eyes of those outside of the program, is at wide receiver. The Tigers have a revamped wide receiver room which will feature three transfers, four true freshmen, and two returners. However, the most contested battle is on the other side of the line.

Freeze told reporters Thursday that the defensive line will feature a steady rotation this season.

“The most contested, we have six guys on defensive line you might say it’s contested, but I think we need to rotate all six of them,” Freeze said.

Auburn’s defensive line will be experienced as [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] returning with the additions of [autotag]Trill Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag], and [autotag]Gage Keys[/autotag] joining the program from the transfer portal. Experience will not be an issue, but it will be up to Freeze and defensive line coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag] to find the perfect combination to give the Tigers the best chance to succeed.

Another position group of concern is at safety, which was ravaged by the NFL draft. [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] is out, meaning Auburn will need to look to transfers and new faces to fill the role.

“I’d probably say safety. You are going to have Keionte (Scott) and Kayin (Lee) getting the bulk of reps at corner, but we really need (Antonio) Kite and (Jaylin) Crawford, Amon Lane (Ganus), some of these younger guys to get ready to play there,” Freeze said. “(Jerrin) Thompson is the vocal leader there, but we need other pieces to give us depth there.”

Freeze went on to mention that [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] will get the nod at quarterback and that the rotation of running backs will feature [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]. At receiver, Freeze calls for six receivers to step into the rotation. Freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], as well as transfers [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], look to be prime candidates to earn steady playing time at the position.

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Arkansas baseball player enters transfer portal

Arkansas’ Jayson Jones struggled to find playing time in two seasons with the Diamond Hogs. He entered the transfer portal Monday.

Arkansas INF/OF Jayson Jones has entered the transfer portal, WholeHogSports reported late Monday.

Jones played in 23 games with the Razorbacks in 2024, starting 19 games. He batted .194 with four home runs, three doubles and 17 RBIs. Jones struggled to find playing time in an outfield that included Ben McLaughlin, Peyton Holt, Jack Wagner and others.

As a freshman in 2023, Jones battled .196 in 20 games (13 starts). He came to Arkansas via Braswell High School in Savannah, Texas, and will have two years of college eligibility left moving forward.

Jones was a highly touted player in high school and should attract a fair amount of interest in the portal. Perfect Game ranked him the No. 5 overall prospect in the Class of 2022 and the No. 1 overall player out of the Lone Star State.

Jones is the second Arkansas player to enter the transfer portal since the Razorbacks’ season ended with a loss to Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) on June 2 in the Fayetteville Regional of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. Outfielder Hunter Grimes, seeking a seventh season of college eligibility, also entered the transfer portal. Grimes did not play in a game in 2024.

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Five Tigers receive invites to NFL Combine

Four Auburn seniors and one junior defensive lineman have been invited to compete in the upcoming NFL Combine.

Five Auburn Tigers have received an invitation to the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Defensive backs [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] along with defensive linemen [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] will perform in front of NFL scouts and coaches during the final week of February.

The senior Harris and junior Rogers will compete with other defensive linemen and linebackers in individual drills on Thursday, February 29, while the trio of senior defensive backs will take the field a day later on Friday, March 1.

Harris and Simpson were the clear stars of a solid Auburn defense last season and could play their way into the early Day 2 conversation, while DJ James seems like a lock to be drafted sometime between the third and fourth rounds.

Senior [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] should be a lock for the third or fourth round as well, although his injury history could sway some teams in other directions.

Auburn’s most intriguing prospect is junior Justin Rogers. The Kentucky transfer collected 17 tackles and 1 sack in his lone year on the Plains but profiles as a late 5th-round pick because of his large 6-foot-3, 346-pound frame and quickness from the interior line.

If all five Tigers competing in the combine get drafted, it would tie the 2023s class as the most Auburn alumni picked in the draft since 2020.

There is a possibility that non-combine invitees [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] hear their names called on Day three as well. If that were the case, Auburn’s seven draft day selections would be the most since 1989.

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Auburn shakes up depth chart for Week 9 matchup with Mississippi State

Austin Keys and Keionte Scott are back as starters after returning last week from injury.

Auburn returned two starters on defense last week and they are now back in the starting lineup ahead of Auburn’s Week 9 game against Mississippi State.

[autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] missed three games after undergoing ankle surgery but couldn’t be kept off the field against Ole Miss. He played 71 snaps and made five tackles and defended two passes and is back as the starting star cornerback.

Middle linebacker [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag] also made his return after missing five games, playing 26 snaps and making four tackles. He and [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag] are both listed as the starting middle linebacker for Mississippi State, separated by an OR

There was another change along the defense with [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] now listed as the starting nose tackle after backing up [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] all season, Jones is now the backup.

Rogers actually started against Ole Miss and played a season-high 42 snaps. He made the most of his opportunity, making four tackles, including one for a loss.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Co. also tweaked the offensive depth chart, [autotag]Jeremiah Wright[/autotag] is now listed as a backup right guard with [autotag]Jalil Irvin[/autotag]. Wright was previously listed as the backup right tackle but has been replaced by [autotag]Jaden Muskrat[/autotag].

Here is a look at the complete depth chart.

Jim Nagy predicts Jaylin Simpson to ‘blow up’ at NFL combine

The Director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl is impressed with Jaylin Simpson’s performance through three games.

Auburn safety [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] has made his presence known to opposing offenses through three games.

He has hauled in three interceptions, which is the most in that span since [autotag]Jerraud Powers[/autotag] reeled in three in three games in 2007. He is also one of the highest-graded defensive players on the Tigers’ roster with an 80.1 overall grade by Pro Football Focus.

He is already generating plenty of NFL buzz and has caught the attention of Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy.

In a recent interview with On3, Nagy mentioned the athleticism of Simpson by pointing out that he can dunk a basketball despite being 5-feet-11. Matching that with his on-field presence, Simpson could make a splash at next year’s NFL combine.

“So you’re talking about a guy that’s gonna blow up the combine. You see the range,” Nagy said in an interview with On3’s Andy Staples. “He’s got true centerfield skills, and probably athletic enough to play some nickel. I think that’s what a lot of teams right now are looking for, that nickel/free type of player, and they’ve got so many good ones.”

Simpson is having a wonderful season to this point, but Nagy says that the combination of Simpson with linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] is a lethal one for the Auburn defense.

“You add Simpson into the mix and Eugene Asante at linebacker, I watched him the other day. Unbelievable against Cal, and to think that he was on the bench last year and on the scout team, crazy to think because they had Owen Pappoe a year ago as an off-the-ball linebacker who was the fastest guy at last year’s combine,” Nagy said. “Eugene Asante is every bit as fast on tape and he’s a more natural football player than Owen Pappoe was and this guy didn’t even play, wasn’t even on our watch list.”

Outside of those two players, Nagy says that he is intrigued by defensive backs [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ James[/autotag], as well as transfers [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag].

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__

The key to stopping UMass runs through Auburn’s defensive line

Auburn must slow down UMass QB Taisun Phommachanh, who played a “comfortable” game against New Mexico State, on Saturday.

UMass named Taisun Phommachanh its starting quarterback ahead of the Minutemen’s season-opener against New Mexico State.

The decision by UMass head coach Don Brown proved to be wise, as the former Georgia Tech and Clemson quarterback passed for 192 yards and rushed for an additional 96 yards in the 41-30 victory over the Aggies last Saturday.

Brown told the media Monday that they are pleased with Phommachanh, and hope to continue using packages that make him comfortable.

“We tried to give [Phommachanh] some plays that he’s very comfortable with,” Brown said Monday. “We’re really comfortable with him. (Offensive coordinator Steve) Casula has done a good job preparing him, and I thought that bared out.”

Phommachanh has Power Five experience but did not see much action during his time at Clemson and Georgia Tech. That is one advantage that Auburn has on the UMass quarterback, as the Tiger defense is primed to battle the best offenses in the country.

This weekend, Auburn sends two returning starters to the defensive line, [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag]. Jones, the Tigers’ starting defensive tackle, missed just one tackle in 370 snaps. As for Harris, he created 15 pressures last season.

Two exciting transfers will fill out the defensive line. Vanderbilt transfer [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag] will get the start at jack linebacker after recording seven total pressures last season in Nashville.

The most exciting starter for the UMass game is [autotag]Mosiah Nasili-Kite[/autotag]. Kite, who is the SEC’s most underrated transfer according to Mike Farrell Sports, made 26 tackles last season and created 16 pressures with two sacks at Maryland in 2022.

It is not a given, but it is almost a lock that Auburn will earn its first win of the 2023 season on Saturday against UMass. In order to guarantee a win, the defensive line will need to be relentless in their effort to make Phommachanh uncomfortable all game long.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 52 Justin Rogers

He brings SEC experience and upside to Auburn’s defensive line.

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 defensive lineman [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag]. One of Auburn’s top pickups through the portal, he brings experience and upside to the interior of the defensive line.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan

Height: 6-3

Weight: 346

Previous School: Kentucky

Class in 2023: Junior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star / No. 1 in Michiagn / No. 7 DT

Career Stats

Year G Tackles TFLs Sacks PDs FFs
2020 (Kentucky) 7 9 1.0 1.0 0 0
2021 (Kentucky) 12 16 2.5 1.5 0 0
2022 (Kentucky) 12 35 1.5 0.5 0 0

Depth Chart Overview

Rogers was mostly a nose tackle in his three seasons at Kentucky but with Auburn also having [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag], the two will both see some time at tackle when they are on the field together. The two massive linemen will look to clog up the interior of the field when Auburn is looking to stop the run.

One area that Rogers is looking to improve in is his ability to force negative play, he has made 5.0 tackles for loss in his career, if he can increase that number it will make a huge difference for Auburn’s defense.

Justin Rogers’ Photo Gallery

Tigers defensive line praised in new list

This Auburn defensive line could give teams nightmares in 2022.

Teams may have some trouble with Auburn in the trenches when the season begins this September.

A new list from On3 laid out their top-12 defensive lines in the NCAA before the start of the season, and Tigers fans may be pleased to hear that Auburn made the list at No. 10. Here is what writer Mike Huguenin had to say about the Tigers’ defensive line:

The Tigers lost a lot of depth pieces along the line, but the starting group is quite good and, barring injury, there still should be enough depth. Hall is a big-time pass rusher. Wooden is the group’s star. Jones, an Oregon transfer who is an Alabama native, is a big body (6-6, 330) in the middle.

Both [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] and [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag] have gotten quite the press over the offseason, and the duo will look to back up the praise and perhaps improve their NFL draft stock when the Tigers hit the gridiron to start the year. Oregon transfer [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] should not be overlooked either, however, and the Alabama product is likely to show out for his home state with the firepower on either side of him in 2022.

Auburn will play its first game on Sept. 3 when it squares off against the Mercer Bears at home.

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