Everything Bryan Harsin, players said after losing to LSU

Auburn blew a 17-0 lead over the LSU Tigers Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Whenever Auburn and LSU play a football game, it is destined to be weird.

That was once again the case Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn took a 17-0 lead but ultimately fell, 21-17, to the Bayou Bengals.

While [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] had his best college game, the host Tigers were unable to overcome four turnovers and another poor offensive performance in the second half.

The Tigers are 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the SEC. Bryan Harsin and several players met with the media after the game to discuss the loss and how they will attempt to move on. Here is everything they said.

Derick Hall is excited about moving from ‘student’ to ‘teacher’

Derick Hall has prepared to become a captain ever since he arrived on campus in 2019. His opportunity has come, and he plans to make the most of it.

Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin announced Tuesday the three players that will represent the team as captains for the 2022 season. One of those chosen players is defensive end [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag].

After being named a captain, Hall took time to share with the media his thoughts on becoming a captain, a title that will forever cement him in Auburn Football history.

“Coming here to Auburn, I busted my butt for four years,” Hall said in a recent press conference. “I was blessed enough to play immediately. Just coming in, busting my butt, not taking anything for granted every single day, showing up and doing the work and it finally paid off.”

Hall has prepared to become a captain by exhibiting a captain’s personality, as well as being a student under past captains.

“There are plenty of guys. K.J. (Britt), Chandler Wooten, Marlon Davidson, Derrick Brown, just having those guys here. That was a big thing for me,” Hall said. “I came in early, so that was a big thing to get in the spring and just watch how they work, watch, how they went about their day, and the things they did to be successful and take that and run with it. So that’s what I did.”

By working hard, and by gaining knowledge from past captains, Hall always knew that he wanted to be a captain. Now that his name has been called, he is ready to be the best leader that he can be.

“We have a new season coming up so I come in every day trying to prove myself and just help this team take that next step,” Hall said. “My peers, coaches, and people in the facility chose me to be one of the team captains, so I’m honored.”

Joining Hall as a captain of the 2022 football season are linebacker [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] and tight end [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag].

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Eight Aubun Tigers named to 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list

Here are the eight Tigers that made the watch list for the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

The watch list for the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl was announced Wednesday and Auburn was well represented with eight Tigers making the cut.

Edge [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], tight end [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] wide receiver [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag], edge [autotag]Eku Leota[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and offensive tackle [autotag]Killian Zierer[/autotag].

The Senior Bowl is an annual all-star game and practice that is run by NFL personnel that is for seniors or graduating players.

Hall, Shenker, and Pappoe will be Auburn’s three permanent captains for the 2022 season and are expected to be leaders on and off the field for the Tigers.

Jackson is the most experienced wide receiver on the roster and is looking to build on a strong 2021 season where he caught 40 passes for 527 yards and one touchdown.

Pritchett is looking to become Auburn’s No. 1 cornerback now that Roger McCreary has moved onto the NFL while James is expected to be a key reserve in the secondary.

Leota is Auburn’s No. 2 edge rusher behind Hall and is looking to give the Tigers two fearsome rushers. Zierer has used a strong camp to lock down the starting left tackle spot.

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2022 Auburn football preview: Tight End

This is one of the best position groups on Auburn’s roster.

Auburn’s tight end room is one of the deepest on the roster and has several versatile players.

[autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag] is the unquestioned leader after catching 33 passes for 413 yards last season, both program records, but [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], and even true-freshman [autotag]Micah Riley-Ducker [/autotag] bring something interesting to the position.

With the uncertainty at the quarterback and wide receiver positions, this group could be asked to do a lot but has the talent to do just that. Tight-end coach [autotag]Brad Bedell[/autotag] has done a great job filling this room with players who have skill sets that complement each other.

Wide Receiver Preview 

Running Back Preview

CFN lists Auburn Football’s top players ahead of the 2022 season

Who will make the biggest impact for Auburn in 2022?

Auburn Football will have plenty of weapons on the field in 2022.

Offensively, the Tigers were paced by running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag]. The second-year back rushed for 1,099 yards and ten touchdowns in 2021, while reeling in 21 passes for an additional 184 yards.

Auburn fans expect to see Bigsby have the same impact for Auburn this season, but they also hope to see a few more players step up and ease Bigsby’s workload.

There will be a quarterback battle involving four candidates in incumbent [autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag], freshman [autotag]Holden Greiner[/autotag], and transfers [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]. Whoever wins that battle will need to find a target at receiver that they can rely on. [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag] are among the top candidates to fill that role.

Defensively, Auburn looks to be more stable. The top three tacklers from last season have all graduated, but defensive linemen [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag] and [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] are expected to be the top players up front. [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] returns at linebacker, and Oregon transfer [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] should pair perfectly with safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] in the backfield.

Who will make the biggest impact for Auburn football this season? Below is the list of the Tigers’ most impactful players according to College Football News: 

John Samuel Shenker named to John Mackey Award watch list

John Samuel Shenker is looking to become the first Auburn player to win this prestigious award.

[autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag] has had quite the busy week. On Thursday the veteran tight end represented Auburn at SEC Media Days and on Friday he made the John Mackey Award watch list, which honors the best tight end in college football.

Shenker caught 33 passes for 413 yards last season, setting the program record for both catches and receiving yards by a tight end in a single season.

He is entering his fifth-season with the Tigers and is one of the leaders of the offense. With a lack of proven play makers at the wide receiver position, Auburn is expected to lean on the tight ends heavily in the passing game.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Shenker is the unquestioned leader of that group and is set to have a impressive season.

The John Mackey Award was established in 2000 and Shenker is looking to become the first Auburn player to win the award, here is a look at the full watch list.

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Auburn Morning Rush: Cannella heads north, Baseball breaks records

There’s plenty of information in today’s Auburn Morning Rush, so come check it out.

Good morning, Tiger fans. It is time for the Friday edition of the Auburn Morning Rush.

Thursday was a busy day for Auburn Athletics, as [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag], [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag], and [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] all took the podium at SEC Media Days. Because of that, there were several stories surrounding Auburn Athletics that got swept under the rug. No worries, though. Auburn Wire has put all those stories together for your viewing pleasure.

Auburn Baseball had a successful week in the Major League Baseball draft. But, how successful was it? We break down all of the program records that were set this week.

A former tight end is finally getting his shot to prove himself at the professional level after a successful season in the USFL. Who is he, and where is he going?

The Basketball Tournament is heating up, and Auburn’s alumni squad, “Team War Ready” is set to take the court this Sunday.

Finally, a new NIL deal involving a key piece to Auburn Men’s Basketball’s starting five may have fans drinking a new soda.

All of that is coming up in today’s Auburn Morning Rush:

Shenker on the offense: ‘I think it’s a little bit easier with Eric Kiesau’

John Samuel Shenker think’s the communication among the offense will be better than last year.

All eyes are going to be on Auburn’s offense at the start of the 2022 season. The Tigers will have a new offensive coordinator, a new starting quarterback and an unproven group of receivers.

Despite these changes, veteran tight end [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag] thinks the group will have it easier than last season. His reasoning is that while [autotag]Eric Kiesau[/autotag] may be entering his first season as Auburn’s offensive coordinator, he and [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] have plenty of experience.

“I think it’s a little bit easier this year with [Offensive Coordinator] Eric Kiesau, because they’re on the same page,” he said. “They’ve been together for a while now.”

“They see that. And now we get it be a part of that. I think with Eric Kiesau there’s a whole different dimension of communication. Allowing all of us to be on same page and pushing towards the same goal.”

Shenker is not wrong, Kiesau spent four seasons at Boise State with Harsin. He was the wide receivers coach from 2017-19 before being promoted to offensive coordinator in 2020. It would make since that the two of them would have a better understanding of what the other is looking for and that it would help the offense.

“To be on that same page is really beneficial for our offense,” Shenker added. “Like Tank said, added run emphasis as well. But I also think it creates better communication with our wide receivers and tight ends.”

The offense will be put to the test when the Tigers open the season against Mercer in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sep. 3. Shenker also answered several other questions during his availability, here is everything he said.

Best images from Auburn’s media day appearance

A look at Auburn at SEC media day on Thursday.

On Thursday it was Auburn’s turn to take to the podium and discuss the upcoming season. Head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] was joined by running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], tight end [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag], and edge defender [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag].

The Tigers are preparing for a season of retribution in year two of the Harsin era. After finishing 6-7 after losing five-straight games, the 2022 season will give them a chance to build a solid foundation. It will likely fall on the shoulders of Zach Calzada and the offense. The defense seems like the strongest unit at this point in time. As the offense goes, likely so will the team.

Check out these images from the SEC media session on Thursday:

Auburn to send three players to SEC Media Days

Auburn will be sending two offensive players and one defensive player to SEC Media Days.

Auburn is sending three upperclassmen to the 2022 SEC Media Days, the SEC announced Tuesday.

Running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], tight end [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag], and edge [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] will represent the Tigers in Atlanta.

The event will be held at the College Football Hall of Fame and The Omni Atlanta Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Ga., July 18-21. The first day will start at 10 a.m. CT on Monday and the entire event will be on the SEC Network.

Bigsby, who was recently named the best running back in the SEC, is entering his junior season as the focal point of the offense. He rushed for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns on 223 carries last season.

Shenker is entering his fifth season as a reliable playmaker for the offense. His 33 receptions and 413 yards receiving yards last season were the most ever by an Auburn tight end in a single season.

Hall is one of the conference’s best defensive linemen and is the Tiger’s top pass rusher. He made 52 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 9.0 sacks as a junior last season.

The Tigers are set to speak on Thursday with Tennessee and Texas A&M. You can view the full list of attendees here.

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

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