Kayin Lee – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Auburn announces changes to football staff

One longtime Auburn coach’s departure makes way for an Auburn alum to return home.

The first major shakeup of the 2023 offseason has officially taken place.

Before Auburn’s TransPerfect Music City Bowl loss to Maryland on Saturday, it was announced that former Colorado defensive coordinator and Auburn alum [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] would join the staff as a co-defensive coordinator.

Sunday, it was reported by TexAgs that Auburn secondary coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] is expected to take on a defensive role on Mike Elko’s staff at Texas A&M, thus paving the way for Kelly to replace him.

Kelly joins Auburn’s staff after building a successful track record at Alabama. Tennessee, Florida State, and Georgia Tech. Before joining Deion Sanders’ initial staff at Colorado in 2023, Kelly served as the assistant defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Alabama for four seasons. During that time, Kelly worked with several great athletes such as DeMarcco Hellams, Brian Branch, Jordan Battle, and Xavier McKinney. He was also a part of the 2020 staff that led Alabama to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2020.

Kelly is also known as an avid recruiter. According to 247Sports, Kelly was responsible for being the head recruiter for nine five-star recruits during his coaching career. Several recruits he has worked with in the past include Caleb Downs, Will Anderson, Isaiah Bond, and Aaron Beasley.

McGriff departs Auburn after completing his third stint as a defensive assistant coach. He was responsible for being the secondary recruiter for recent Auburn signees such as [autotag]Amon Lane-Ganus[/autotag], [autotag]Kensley Faustin[/autotag], [autotag]Jayln Crawford[/autotag], and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/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__

Instant Analysis: Auburn falls victim to Texas A&M’s second half explosion, drops SEC opener

A tight first half defensive battle turned into an Texas A&M offensive clinic on Saturday.

Auburn’s SEC opener against Texas A&M began as a defensive battle before ultimately turning into a second-half offensive clinic by the Aggies.

Texas A&M outgained Auburn 281-81 in the second half to pull away and earn a 20-10 win over Auburn at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Leading 6-3 at halftime, Texas A&M (3-1, 1-0 SEC) owned a small advantage in the yards department, 121-112. Auburn (3-1, 0-1 SEC) held the advantage in rushing with 66 yards while Texas A&M passed for 70 yards.

In the second half, Aggies quarterback Max Johnson stepped up for the injured Conner Weigman and threw for two quick touchdowns in the third quarter to create separation in the second half.

Texas A&M scored on their first drive, but it was a win for Auburn. The Aggies only gained 46 yards on the initial drive with [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] recording a tackle for loss. The Aggies jumped out to a 3-0 lead with 9:23 to go in the first quarter.

The Aggies’ next drive provided trouble for Auburn, but the defense turned up intensity within the red zone, thus forcing Texas A&M to kick another field goal. Texas A&M extended their lead to 6-0 with 5:31 remaining in the 1st quarter on a 32-yard field goal by Randy Bond. The key play of the drive was a 36-yard rush by Texas A&M running back Le’Veon Moss to set them up at the Auburn 23-yard line.

An otherwise successful drive turned into a near disaster for Auburn on their second possession. Running backs [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] combined to rush for 45 yards on the drive before a supposed fumble was recovered by Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper and turned into a 63-yard touchdown. However, after video review, it was determined that [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] attempted a forward pass to Alston, which fell incomplete. The drive ended with an Auburn punt.

Auburn’s only points of the half came in the final seconds when [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] nailed a 53-yard field goal to cut into Texas A&M’s lead, 6-3.

The third quarter got off to a great start for Texas A&M. Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman was ruled out for the second half due to an injury he suffered late in the first half. Max Johnson stepped in and ended his first drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to his brother, Jake, to push Texas A&M to a 13-3 lead with 9:42 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Johnson would connect on all three passes in his first drive for 44 yards.

Johnson extended the Aggies’ lead again with his second passing score of the game with 6:22 remaining in the quarter. He connected with wide receiver Evan Stewart from 37 yards out to advance Texas A&M’s score to 20-3.

Auburn’s first touchdown of the game would occur with 12:16 remaining in the contest. [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] forced Aggies running back Reuben Owens to fumble, with the ball ultimately landing in the hands of [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]. Asante would return the turnover 67 yards to cut Texas A&M’s lead to 20-10.

The final blow from Texas A&M came with 3:59 remaining in the game when Le’Veon Moss scored from four yards away to push Texas A&M to a 27-10 lead.

Auburn looks to bounce back next Saturday against No. 1 Georgia. The next edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry will commence at 2:30 p.m. CT and will be televised live on CBS.

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 23 J.D. Rhym

He should be one of Auburn’s top reserves in the secondary.

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 sophomore cornerback [autotag]J.D. Rhym[/autotag]. He appeared in 12 games as a freshman and is set to be a key reserve once again.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Valdosta, Georgia

Height: 6-1

Weight: 178

Class in 2023: Sophomore

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star / No. 16 in Georgia / No. 20 CB

Career Stats

Year	G	Tackles	TFLs	Sacks	PDs	FFs
2022	12	14	0	0	1	0

PFF Grades

Year	Defense	Tackling	Run Defense	Pass Rush	Coverage	Special Teams
2022	63.8	44.9	36.7	71.0	69.8	54.6

Depth Chart Overview

Rhym broke through the rotation as a freshman and despite missing time in spring, he should once again be a key member of the rotation at corner. With [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] locking down the starting spots, he will form the second wave with [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag] and should see plenty of action.

J.D. Rhym’s Photo Gallery

Keldric Faulk named an impact freshman by On3

He was Auburn’s top signee in 2023.

[autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] was the prize jewel of Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class and is poised to make an immediate impact according to On3’s Matt Zenitz.

Zenitz released his list of 20 SEC freshmen positioned to be factors in 2023, and Faulk made the cut. He was the only Tiger to make the list although Zenitz did mention offensive lineman [autotag]Connor Lew[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] as spring standouts.

Faulk was Auburn’s highest-rated signee, checking in as the No. 64 overall player in the country and the No. 10 defensive lineman in theOn3 Industry Ranking. The Highland Home product was also the No. 9 player in Alabama.

He is already in the mix for a starting job at jack linebacker and has the ability and the work ethic to be an immediate contributor to Auburn’s defense as he continues to develop and work to reach his sky-high potential.

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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

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 3 Kayin Lee

The true freshman is looking to make an immediate impact at cornerback.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Up next is true freshman cornerback [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag], who was one of several impressive flips that Freeze and his staff pulled off during the 2023 recruiting cycle. He showed why they invested so much time in recruiting him by impressing during spring practice and looks set to be an immediate contributor.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Ellenwood, Georgia

Height: 5-11

Weight: 181

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star // No. 11 in Georgia // No. 16 CB

Class in 2023: True Freshman

Depth Chart Overview

Lee, the second-highest ranked member of Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class, took advantage of enrolling early and impressed during spring practice and looks like he will be an immediate contributor in a talented secondary.

D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett are Auburn’s starting cornerbacks but Lee has made a run at being the No. 3 corner as just a freshman. If he is able to hold onto his second-team spot during fall camp expect him to see the field plenty next year.

Kayin Lee’s Photo Gallery

Jayln Crawford includes in Auburn in top four, will announce commitment this summer

Auburn has been expedited to Crawford’s top four following a successful official visit.

The coaching staff at Auburn put together another successful official visit last weekend. It was so enjoyable, that one prospect has expedited Auburn into his top four choices.

[autotag]Jayln Crawford[/autotag], a 2024 four-star cornerback from Lilburn, Georgia, recently visited Auburn and says that it was an “enjoyable experience.”

Crawford tells Auburn Undercover that he got to spend time with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag], and [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag]. He even got the chance to catch up with true freshmen [autotag]Terrance Love[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag], players that he has gotten to know over the years.

“They just talk to me about the atmosphere and what all goes around and how it really goes down at Auburn,” Crawford said of his conversation with Love and Lee. “They just said it’s a great place and you can’t go wrong. It’s very important because I get to see the inside and how they really do things and what it’s all about.”

Crawford has already visited Florida and will take official visits to LSU and North Carolina this month before announcing his commitment in July. Auburn and LSU each have a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports, with the most recent crystal ball coming from Steve Wiltfong, going to LSU.

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 Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Auburn’s A-Day game ranked among this season’s most intriguing spring games

Most of the college football world will be watching A-Day to see the “new look” Tigers under Hugh Freeze.

A new era is underway for the Auburn Tigers Football Program. The hiring of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has sparked a lot of interest and excitement that the program has not been surrounded by for the past two seasons.

A 247Sports article written by Will Backus listed the spring games with the most interest in 2023 and Auburn’s “A-Day” game made the cut. Backus is looking forward to seeing Freeze back in the SEC.

“If nothing else, this marks coach Hugh Freeze’s return to the SEC stage. The former Ole Miss coach who had his tenure with the Rebels end amid an NCAA investigation into numerous recruiting violations rebuilt his career at Liberty. Now he is right back in the SEC West, trying to revive a program that desperately lost its way under former coach Bryan Harsin. Freeze was relatively vocal about his displeasure at the roster he inherited, thanks to Harsin’s lackluster recruiting efforts, which translated into Freeze hitting the portal hard for 12 prospects. Seven of those play along the offensive or defensive line. Auburn’s spring game is key for those pieces gelling together.”

According to 247Sports, the Tigers have the No. 18 recruiting class and the No. 4 transfer class in 2023.

Among these recruits is defensive lineman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag]. Both players are ranked in the top 20 at their position. Some of the biggest hits Auburn made in the portal include linebacker [autotag]Demario Tolan[/autotag] from LSU and defensive lineman [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] from Kentucky.

Auburn’s spring game is scheduled for April 8th and kick-off is set for 1:00 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Rivals names Zac Etheridge an up-and-coming recruiter in the SEC

He is one of the top recruiters on Auburn’s staff.

[autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag] was just one of two coaches that [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] retained from Bryan Harsin’s staff when he took over Auburn football.

One of the reasons why Etheridge was retained is his impressive abilities as a recruiter. He had a hand in recruiting 11 of Auburn’s 21 signees in the 2023 recruiting class.

His efforts are starting to get some national recognition as Rival’s National Director of Recruiting Adam Gorney named him one of 10 up-and-coming recruiters in the SEC.

Numerous prospects have noted Auburn as high on their list because of Etheridge and not only how well he recruits them but how well he connects with them once on campus. The recruiting prowess is unquestioned and it’s one reason why Etheridge is so vital to Auburn’s new coaching staff.

Not only did Etheridge help recruit over half of Auburn’s class, but, according to 247Sports, he was also the primary recruit on Auburn’s four-highest recruits in edge rusher [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag], running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag], and defensive lineman [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag].

Etheridge, who is now Auburn’s secondary and safeties coach, has already gotten off to a great start in the 2024 class. He has already landed commitments from four-star cornerbacks Jayden Lewis and A’Mon Lane.

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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.

Finally Official: Jeremiah Cobb signs with Auburn

The four-star RB from Montgomery rounds out Auburn’s impressive signing class for the 2023 cycle.

It was never a matter of “if”, but a matter of “when” Auburn would receive [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]’s National Letter of Intent.

Cobb, a four-star rated running back from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory High School, officially signed with Auburn on Wednesday, which rounds out an impressive 2023 signing class for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag].

Cobb has been a loyal commit to the Tigers since July 2022 but did not sign during the early signing period that took place in late December because he wanted to sign alongside his high school teammates. A total of six Montgomery Catholic players joined Cobb in signing on Wednesday. One of his teammates, [autotag]Gabe Russo[/autotag], joins Cobb in signing with Auburn. Russo is the No. 10 punter in the country.

Cobb is the nation’s No. 9 overall running back, and the No. 13 player from the state of Alabama for the 2023 cycle. He is Auburn’s third-highest-rated signee for the class, trailing just four-star EDGE [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] and four-star CB [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag].

Auburn ends the cycle with the nation’s No. 18 ranked recruiting class.

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Auburn signee Keldric Faulk shares reasoning behind switch from Florida State

Faulk was one of many “flips” Hugh Freeze performed before December’s early signing period.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] performed many recruiting wonders in a short time.

In a three-week span, Freeze improved Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class from one of the lowest in the SEC to a top-20 haul. He did so by convincing several talented prospects to flip their decision to Auburn from other programs.

One of the most important “flips” of the period was that of [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], the state’s No. 12 recruit who committed to Florida State over Auburn in July. Faulk elected to sign with Auburn on Dec. 21, the beginning of the early signing period, and instantly became the top recruit of Auburn’s 2023 class.

On January 12, Faulk was honored by the Alabama Sportswriters Association as the Class 2A Lineman of the Year after recording 89 tackles for Highland Home in 2022. In an interview with Ben Thomas of AL.com, Faulk shared his reasoning for committing to Florida State in July as opposed to the in-state program.

“Auburn was really my No. 1 school for two or three years in a row, but there were certain coaching changes that just didn’t fit me personnel-wise,” Faulk said.

When Freeze was hired on Nov. 28, 2022, one of his first priorities was winning over Faulk. He did so by calling Faulk in for a visit in an effort to get to know him better. Faulk says that the connection he built with Freeze and staff made it seem as if he’s known them “for a couple of years.”

“(Freeze) just told me if I was destined to be an Auburn man, I need to be an Auburn man, but if I’m not just to let him know,” Faulk said. “He’s a real straightforward dude, and he wanted me to be straightforward with him.”

What will Faulk’s role be for Auburn? He says that he could be used in several different ways depending on the situation.

“They are going to try me at end and at the jack position,” Faulk said. “They are going to play me at both. I think I can play either. On third or fourth-down situations, it could go either way. I think I can go in at D tackle or D end or the jack position. I can play anywhere they want me to play.”

Faulk is one of eight four-star signees that has joined Auburn’s roster from the 2023 recruiting cycle, which includes [autotag]Sylvester Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag].

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