Tag: Jeremiah Cobb

Cadillac Williams resigns from position as Auburn’s associate head coach

The former Auburn running back resigns after spending five seasons as an assistant coach under three different head coaches.

The latest move regarding Auburn’s coaching staff involves a program legend.

[autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag], who played for Auburn from 2001-04 and served as an assistant coach for his alma mater over the last five seasons, resigned from his position as associate head coach and running backs coach late Thursday evening.

Williams shared his reasoning for the move in a press release. He says that he is looking to pursue other opportunities.

“After taking time to pray and reflect, I have made the decision to resign from my position with Auburn football to pursue other opportunities. I love Auburn, the players and AU family with all my heart, but this decision is what is best for me, my wife and sons. I am extremely grateful for the coaching opportunity given to me first by Coach Malzahn and most recently by Coach Freeze. These past five years on the Plains have been nothing short of incredible. Auburn is and always will be a special part of my life.”

War Eagle!

Williams first joined Auburn’s football staff during the 2019 season under head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag], and would go on to serve on the staffs of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] and [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. Following the firing of Harsin during the 2022 season, Williams was named interim head coach. During his time as interim, Williams led the Tigers to a 2-2 record which included an emotional home win over Texas A&M.

Williams is also known as an effective recruiter, as he played a role in landing running backs [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]. He was also the primary recruiter for offensive linemen [autotag]Clay Wedin[/autotag] and [autotag]Bradyn Joiner[/autotag].

Williams’ resignation marks the fourth assistant coach to leave the staff since the offseason began. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] is now a member of the staff at Florida while defensive backs coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] has joined Mike Elko’s staff at Texas A&M. Auburn has also parted ways with offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag].

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Brian Battie withdraws from transfer portal, decides to stay with Auburn

Auburn’s top kick returner from the 2023 season is set to return to the Plains.

A valuable piece of Auburn’s running back depth is set to return to the program for the 2024 season.

[autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag], who transferred to Auburn from USF before the 2023 season, announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Jan. 1. However, he has changed his tune. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported Tuesday that Battie has elected to withdraw his name from the transfer portal, and will return to Auburn.

Battie joined Auburn’s roster after rushing for 1,842 yards in three seasons at USF. His best season in Tampa came in 2022 when he rushed for 1,186 yards and eight touchdowns.

He gained 227 yards on 51 carries during his initial season on the Plains but was utilized more as a returner. He recorded 29 kickoff returns last season for 645 yards.

Battie’s return to Auburn provides much-needed depth to its running back room, as well as its return game. Battie will re-join the running back group headlined by [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag], and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag].

His decision to come back is key for the return game, as it ensures that Auburn’s top punt and kick returners are back for the 2024 season. [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag], Auburn’s top punt returner, announced earlier this week that he has also withdrawn from the transfer portal.

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Auburn named a school to watch for former Ole Miss RB Quinshon Judkins

Quinshon Judkins, an Alabama native, has been one of the best running backs in the country over the past two seasons.

[autotag]Quinshon Judkins[/autotag], one of the best running backs in the country, has announced he plans to enter the transfer portal and is set to be one of the top players available.

In two seasons at Ole Miss, he rushed for 2,725 yards and 31 touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. The loss is a big blow for the Rebels ahead of the 2024 season but a massive gain for someone else, and one expert believes that school could be Auburn.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports included the Tigers on his six teams to watch for the Alabama native, alongside Michigan, Florida State, Alabama, LSU, and Oregon.

Judkins is from nearby Pike Road and turned down a late push from [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] and Auburn to sign with the Rebels out of high school. The Tigers could also be facing some depth concerns at running back, depending on what [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] decides to do.

The junior is draft eligible and could declare early for the 2024 draft, leaving [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] as the only scholarship running backs on Auburn’s roster.

Even if Hunter does return, a 1-2 punch of Judkins and Hunter would help lessen the blow on [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and the revamped passing attack.

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Music City mash: Tigers crush Vanderbilt for first SEC road win

That’s two wins in a row for the Tigers!

The Auburn Tigers headed to Nashville in hopes of earning their first SEC road win of the season at Vanderbilt. They managed to get the job done, doing so in a dominating fashion.

The Tigers (5-4, 2-4 SEC) outgained the Commodores (2-8, 0-6 SEC), 424-266, and recorded five total sacks on defense in a 31-15 win.

Auburn started fast with two quick scores in the first quarter and pulled away with a solid defensive effort and two third quarter touchdowns.

The big storyline when reflecting on this game, was the quarterback rotation. After spending the first seven weeks of the season splitting time between Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford, head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] elected to give Thorne a majority of the snaps in Auburn’s win over Mississippi State last Saturday. Freeze turned it up a notch in Saturday’s game at Vanderbilt by giving Thorne 100% of the snaps. His day ended with 194 yards and two touchdowns.

Auburn got off to a hot start by jumping out to a 14-0 lead in the 1st quarter.

Vanderbilt put together a solid opening drive that covered 40 yards in nine plays, but it resulted in zero points as Commodores’ kicker Jacob Borcila missed a 43-yard field goal. The missed field goal proved costly as [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] sprinted 67 yards on the second play of Auburn’s ensuing drive to put Auburn on the board, 7-0 with 10:00 remaining in the opening quarter.

Hunter’s incredible run was nearly duplicated two possessions later. Seven minutes after rushing for a 67-yard score, he ran 56 yards to push Auburn’s lead to 14-0 with 3:01 remaining in the quarter. He rushed for 144 yards in last Saturday’s win over Mississippi State, he ended the 1st quarter with 121 yards and two scores on four carries.

Auburn outgained Vanderbilt, 154-83 in the first quarter, with Hunter’s two long runs being the highlights. The Tigers’ defense held both Vanderbilt quarterbacks, Ken Seals and Walter Taylor, to 26 passing yards on five completions.

In a similar fashion to Auburn’s quick 1st quarter start, Vanderbilt had a hot start of their own in the 2nd quarter. On a 3rd down play inside their own five-yard line, Auburn’s [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] threw an interception to Bryce Cowan which was returned for a touchdown. The five-yard pick-six trimmed Auburn’s lead to 14-7 with 12:15 remaining in the first half.

Both teams traded a few possessions throughout the second quarter before another score was added to the board. Auburn’s [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] connected on a 32-yard field goal with 0:20 remaining in the half to give the Tigers the 17-7 halftime lead.

Auburn outgained Vanderbilt, 226-93 in the yards department through one half. Hunter remained Auburn’s top rusher with 131 yards on nine carries while [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] led the team in receiving with 23 yards on two catches. Thorne completed 10-of-17 passes for 72 yards in the half, completing at least one pass to five different receivers.

Defensively, [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] led the team in tackles with six. As a unit, the defense created two quarterback hurries and two tackles for loss.

After struggling offensively in the 2nd quarter, Auburn made adjustments in the locker room that were immediately felt.

Auburn needed just three plays on their first drive of the 3rd quarter to extend the lead to 24-7. Thorne connected with tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] for a 53-yard score with 13:36 to go in the quarter. Then, just four minutes later, Thorne flipped the football to freshman [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] for a five-yard touchdown pass to bump the lead to 31-7 with 9:44 to go in the 3rd.

The 3rd quarter would also see the Commodores’ first offensive touchdown. With 2:43 to go in the quarter, Seals threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to receiver Junior Sherill to trim Auburn’s lead to 31-15 following a successful two-point conversion play.

The 3rd quarter was Auburn’s best quarter offensively, as they gained 167 total yards. Thorne cracked the 100-yard mark for the third straight game by passing for 167 yards in the quarter, which brought his total up to 194 to that point.

Neither Auburn nor Vanderbilt posted a score in the first quarter, but a late interception by Nehemiah Pritchett sealed the Auburn win.

Hunter led the team in rushing with a season-high 183 rushing yards on 19 carries while Rivaldo Fairweather and Ja’varrius Johnson each recorded 62 receiving yards. Defensively, DJ James led the team in tackles with seven while five sacks were split between Eugene Asante, Zykevious Walker, Austin Keys, Jalen McLeod, Marcus Harris, and Cam Riley.

Auburn will hit the road for the second straight week next Saturday when they visit the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff. The Razorbacks upset Florida on Saturday in overtime, 36-33.

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Auburn RB commit J’Marion Burnette is open to other schools

Burnette had previously announced that his recruitment was shut down.

[autotag]J’Marion Burnette[/autotag] has been committed to Auburn since March 24 and had previously announced his recruitment was shut down but things between him and the Tigers have clearly changed.

He took to social media Wednesday night to announce that his “recruitment is 100% open still committed to auburn just opened to options!”

Burnette, a four-star prospect, is Auburn’s only commit at running back in the 2024 recruiting class but would be joining a crowded running back room on the Plains. The Tigers could have all five scholarship running backs return next season and [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] have already proven they can be productive players and deserve touches.

Burnette is the No. 255 overall player and No. 18 running back in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Andalusia native is also the No. 14 player from Alabama.

Checking in at 6-foot-1 and 214 pounds, Burnette is a big, physical back who is at his best running between the tackles. He has been limited by an injury in his senior season and has played in just six games.

Auburn has been looking to add a second running back to the class and two of their top targets have been Clemson commit David Eziomume and Miami commit Kevin Riley but with Auburn’s expected depth they could end up without a running back and instead focus on 2025 target Alvin Henderson.

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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.

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Damari Alston out indefinitely with shoulder injury

Auburn has lost another key player to injury.

[autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] has been ruled out indefinitely after dislocating his shoulder in Auburn’s 27-10 loss to Texas A&M, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] announced Monday.

“Damari will be out for a period of time, for sure,” Freeze said. “They’re doing some more tests today on that, but he had a dislocated shoulder for sure.”

He suffered the injury in the first quarter of the game when he caught a pitch from [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and was immediately hit by a Texas A&M defender. The sophomore went to the medical tent before going to the locker room and returning to the sideline in street clothes and a sling.

Freeze was unable to provide a timeline for when Alston could return to action.

Thankfully for Auburn, running back is probably the deepest position on the roster with Hunter, [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] also impressing at times this season.

Auburn will return to action Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT when they host the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Brian’s Column: Auburn’s running game needs to show up against Texas A&M

The Auburn Tigers have gotten off to an undefeated start this season, but the running game has struggled. It needs to be better on Saturday.

For the past decade, the Auburn football offense has run through the running game.

The best player on the offensive side of the ball for the Tigers has always been their running back, whether it’s [autotag]Tank Bigbsy[/autotag], [autotag]Kerryon Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Cameron-Artis Payne[/autotag], or Tre Mason, the offense has literally run on running the ball.

This year that has not been the case. The team’s leading rusher through three weeks is quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

The team’s leader in rushing touchdowns is backup quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]

In a year in which starting running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] was voted to the preseason All-SEC team, he has rushed for a grand total of 90 yards and 1 touchdown in non-conference play.

If Hugh Freeze’s team is going to be successful in SEC play, the running backs are going to have to start running the ball and running it well.

This week Auburn travels to play a familiar opponent, the Texas A&M Aggies, who are currently giving up just over 4 yards per carry on the ground.

Auburn’s running backs are averaging 4.3, and that number dips almost below 4 if you take away long touchdown runs by [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag] against UMass.

That is simply not good enough for a team that has issues throwing the ball as well. This week the Tigers are going to have to score points against an A&M offense that averages 44 points per game.

If Thorne and the receivers falter in the passing game, the running game has to pick them up.

While Payton Thorne ran free last week, it was mostly due to him being a superior athlete against FCS competition. The run game needs to be more fundamentally sound against A&M and avoid sequences like the one below.

This sequence is downright brutal from first to fourth down.

Auburn tries to run an outside concept on first down, and it get’s completely blown up. The line of scrimmage immediately shifts to the Auburn backfield, and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] is left with little to do but string out the run as long as he can before hoping a hole develops.

It does not, and Auburn is left with a second and long.

Now for second down.

Everything about this play is executed perfectly besides the most important part.

#77 [autotag]Jeremiah Wright[/autotag] and #72 [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag] execute their pulls perfectly, and have the edge completely locked up for Payton Thorne to follow them to the endzone.

Wide receiver #0 [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] does his part as well, taking his defender completely out of the would-be-play.

This should have been 6 points for Auburn. Instead, [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] handed the ball off and the Tigers gained one yard.

Fourth down is just as bad as first and second. Just like they did on the outside run, the Auburn lines gets bullied on this inside run, leaving [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] with nowhere to go.

Auburn had many drives similar to this one during their 45-13 win last week. They were able to get away with it because of their talent,

That won’t be the case this week.

If Auburn is going to win as 8-point underdogs, the running game has to show up. The offensive line and running backs need to take some of the pressure off of Payton Thorne.

We’ll see if they can when the Tigers kick off SEC play Saturday at 11 CST.

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Auburn announces depth chart ahead of matchup with Texas A&M

Auburn has made two changes to the depth chart ahead of their game against Texas A&M

For the second week in a row, Auburn has made some changes to its official depth chart. The Tigers unveiled their depth chart for their Week 4 showdown with Texas A&M on Monday and there is a change on offense and on special teams.

With primary punt returner [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] expected to miss “considerable time,” [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] has been named the new starter. Simpson has returned one punt in his time at Auburn, back in 2021 he had a return of -1 yards.

The other change to the depth chart was the addition of freshman running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]. He has looked impressive in the first three weeks of the season and has earned more playing time in a crowded backfield.

Here is a look at the full depth chart ahead of their game against Texas A&M Saturday in College Station.

Auburn’s running backs struggle against Samford

Auburn’s running backs had a rough game against Samford.

Auburn was able to pick up the 45-13 win over Samford Saturday night in a soldout Jordan-Hare Stadium. While the Tigers were able to get their passing attack going for the first time this season, their running backs went silent.

The foursome of [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] managed just 3.1 yards per carry against a Samford defense that allowed 284 yards on the ground to Western Carolina last week.

The group did not manage a single explosive run, their longest run of the night went for nine yards. Hunter led the group with 37 yards and one touchdown on 11 carries.

“I thought we left some yards out there in the rushing game, particularly in the first half,” Hugh Freeze said after the game. “I thought the backs didn’t press it enough. The second half, I thought they were better. I like all those guys. We left some yards out there”

He pointed out Samford was focused on stopping the run and that allowed Auburn to have more success throwing the ball.

“They wanted to stop the run and played an odd front with both safeties, they were really active in the box, thus the explosive plays (through the air).”

Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] was Auburn’s most effective runner, rushing for a career-high 123 yards and two touchdowns, making Auburn’s rushing numbers look much better.

The running backs rarely had room to operate as Auburn’s offensive line was unable to generate any push against the Samford defensive front. Their inability to run the ball proved costly in key situations.

Auburn went for it on 4th-and-2 in Samford’s red zone early in the second quarter but Alston was met in the backfield by the Samford defense and Auburn turned it over on downs, costing them points.

The running back room entered the season as the unquestioned strength of the offense but they have now struggled in back-to-back weeks and now face several questions, as does the offensive line’s ability to block for them.

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