Tag: Kent Austin

The best images from Auburn’s time at SEC Media Days

Here’s a look at the best images from Auburn’s time at the podium on Thursday.

The second season of the [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] era officially began Thursday as the Tigers’ head man, along with quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag], and defensive lineman [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], took the stage at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas.

Freeze spoke on many topics while in Texas, one of those involved playcalling. Freeze says that playcalling duties will fall on him, offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], and quarterbacks coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag]. How will playcalling be distributed? Freeze explained Thursday.

“Now that it’s back to our terminology that I’m comfortable with, once we have a successful play, I’ll have the flexibility to jump in,” Freeze said. “With our landmarks, I will control those for things we want to see as shots and such. It will be a mixture and combination, but it will be something we’ve agreed upon that this will be the shell of the game plan until we need to make adjustments.”

Take a look back at the best moments of Auburn’s stay at SEC Media Days by checking out this photo gallery.

Hugh Freeze: ‘I believe in our quarterback room’

Auburn’s head coach believes that he has the offensive pieces to make Payton Thorne and all Auburn quarterbacks successful.

Auburn football handled several needs this offseason, especially at wide receiver.

Following the additions of [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] from high school and [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] from the transfer portal, Auburn fans and media members alike began to wonder if Auburn’s quarterback room would allow the new receivers to reach their full potential.

Hugh Freeze pondered that question also. When weighing the options, he decided to subscribe to the “bloom where you are planted” method and develop the stable of quarterbacks that are already on the roster. In a recent interview with Jox 94.5’s McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Freeze broke down his thought process when deciding to develop or go to the transfer portal this offseason.

“The options that you’re presented with: develop Payton (Thorne), develop Holden (Geriner), develop Hank (Brown), develop Walker (White), or go spend a million dollars on this guy, I just couldn’t bring myself to doing that, because I wanted to put all the pieces together,” Freeze said.

Following A-Day, Freeze made it apparent that Thorne will get the first nod at the position this season. Following a disappointing season in which he passed for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns with 10 interceptions, Freeze believes that the recent receiver additions will boost his production, citing his Michigan State targets Keon Coleman and Jalen Nailor as examples.

“I’ve watched (Thorne’s) Michigan State stuff 1,000 times, he had two NFL receivers and he was pretty danged good,” Freeze said. “There’s a lot of things that should be 50-50 balls and you’ve got to have a guy that can do that. I think Dre Lambert, he’s a 50-50 pass-catcher. And obviously, we’re excited about the ones we signed.”

Outside of receivers, Freeze says that newly-appointed quarterbacks coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] will get Thorne, and every Auburn quarterback, to the right level.

“I believe in our quarterback room. I believe in Kent Austin,” Freeze said. “I believe if you have the right pieces around Payton that we can have success. I think you saw some glimpses of that, and I don’t think we had a total package around him really.”

In three seasons at Michigan State, Thorne passed for 6,501 yards and 49 touchdowns. In 2022, Thorne passed for 3,240 yards and 27 touchdowns with Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Nailor as his top targets. It will be interesting to see how much of a step forward Thorne takes with a revamped wide-receiving corps.

Three-star QB Cutter Woods earns Auburn offer

Woods has been high on the radars of Hugh Freeze and QB coach Kent Austin for several years.

Three-star quarterback [autotag]Cutter Woods[/autotag] has racked up several Power Five offers recently, most recently earning one from Auburn.

The Anderson, South Carolina native added three offers to his list this week. One of those offers was from Auburn, his first from an SEC program.

The Auburn offer was a long time coming, but it was not a surprise. Auburn quarterback coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] began developing a relationship with Woods during his time at Liberty, and he has worked to continue the bond now as the Tigers quarterbacks coach.

Woods visited Auburn for a game during the 2023 regular season, and tells Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports that he enjoyed the sights and atmosphere of Jordan-Hare Stadium, as well as the city.

“Spent the night and my family went to church Sunday in Auburn, really liked that. Town in general is really cool,” Woods said in an interview with 247Sports. “I met Coach (Hugh) Freeze and Coach (Kent) Austin at Liberty a few years back. So we’ve had a good relationship for awhile. Have a lot of respect for Coach Austin, we’ve kept in touch and he’s been great to keep that going.”

Woods has thrown for over 3,000 yards in each of the last two seasons at Westside High School in Anderson, South Carolina, and has tallied 70 passing touchdowns in that time frame. The 2023 season was his best yet, when he passed for 3,915 yards and 42 touchdowns in a state championship-winning season. On the ground, he rushed for 345 yards and five touchdowns.

In the South Carolina class AAAA state championship game against South Florence, Woods passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns in Westside’s 34-32 win. Westside overcame a 20-7 first quarter deficit to pull out the victory.

Woods is a three-star quarterback from the 2025 cycle, and is considered to be the No. 30 quarterback of the class. Woods also has notable offers from Wake Forest, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Indiana.

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__

Report: Auburn to hire DJ Durkin as defensive coordinator

Durkin will team up with Charles Kelly to lead the Auburn defense in 2024.

In a bit of late-night news, Auburn has reportedly found its next defensive coordinator.

Auburn Undercover reports that Auburn will hire [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] as its next defensive coordinator. He is expected to team up with [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] to lead the Tigers’ defense in 2024.

Durkin joins Auburn’s staff after spending the last two seasons as defensive coordinator under Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M. He also has SEC experience at Ole Miss (2020-22) and Florida (2010-14).

Since returning to the SEC, Durkin has led defenses to top-10 rankings within the conference. Last season, Texas A&M’s defense finished No. 3 in the SEC by allowing 316 yards per game and was No. 2 behind Florida in average plays allowed with 60.5. The Aggies finished No. 7 in the SEC in 2022 by allowing 365 yards per game.

Durkin’s hire would close out Auburn’s assistant coaching vacancies. This offseason, Auburn has tabbed former Ole Miss wide receivers coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] as offensive coordinator, former Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly as co-defensive coordinator, and has promoted former assistant [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] to quarterbacks coach.

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__

Auburn hires Will Redmond to serve as GM of player personnel

Redmond joins the Auburn staff following a successful stint at LSU.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is continuing to revamp his coaching staff ahead of the 2024 season, most recently hiring a solid off-the-field addition.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reports that Auburn has hired former LSU director of player personnel [autotag]Will Redmond[/autotag] to serve in an off-the-field role. Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover reports that the position will be “General Manager of Player Personnel.”

According to LSU Athletics’ website, Redmond was responsible for maintaining recruiting boards, identifying potential prospects, and monitoring prospects throughout the year. He held the position of director of player personnel for three seasons. During that time, LSU pieced together three top-10 signing classes including the current 2024 class that ranks No. 9 nationally.

Cooper Petagna of 247Sports shares some of the duties that Redmond will take on at Auburn in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover.

“A person in his newly formed GM position is now more important than ever to the success of a college football program, not only when it comes to talent acquisition and retention but to leading and directing an essential arm of the program as it pertains to NIL efforts,” Petagna said. “With player movement at an all-time high, it pays to have forward-thinking minds off the field that can keep your program nimble when it comes adapting in this age of college football.”

The hiring of Redmond is the most recent hire made to Freeze’s revamped staff. Before Redmond’s hiring, Freeze added offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], and co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag]. [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] has also been promoted to quarterbacks coach.

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__

DJ Durkin emerges as a candidate for Auburn’s defensive coordinator job

Durkin has several years of experience working in the SEC, most recently with Texas A&M.

Auburn may be on the verge of adding a defensive coordinator with SEC experience.

According to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, former Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] has become a target to replace [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] on Auburn’s staff. If hired, Durkin would split defensive coordinator duties with [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag], who returns to his alma mater after most recently spending a season on Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado.

Under Durkin’s leadership, Texas A&M has posted a top-five defensive within the SEC over the last two seasons. The Aggies ended the 2023 season with the conference’s fifth-best defense, allowing 22.1 points and 316.2 yards per contest. Texas A&M’s defense was considered to be better than Ole Miss, South Carolina, and LSU last season.

Before his time in College Station, Durkin was defensive coordinator for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Rebels’ defense progressed in his two seasons, moving from No. 14 in the SEC in 2020 to No. 8 in 2021. He also served as defensive coordinator at Florida from 2013-14, where he coached the Gators’ defense to a No. 3 ranking in the SEC in 2013. In between stops in SEC country, Durkin led the Maryland Terrapins as head coach from 2016-18, where he failed to win more than six games during his stay.

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has added three assistant coaches to his staff since the end of the 2023 season. Joining Kelly is [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], who joins Auburn’s staff as offensive coordinator and running backs coach after spending 16 seasons at Ole Miss. Freeze has also promoted [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] to quarterbacks coach after he spent last season as an assistant to Freeze.

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__

Is Auburn’s next offensive coordinator already on staff?

How far is Hugh Freeze willing to search for Philip Montgomery’s replacement?

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is committed to overhauling the entire offensive unit ahead of the 2024 season.

He has taken steps by recruiting blue-chip wide receivers, declaring a “wide-open” quarterback competition, and has decided not to retain offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery.

Who will Freeze bring in to control the Tigers’ offense next season? One writer at 247Sports feels that the top candidate already resides within the staff.

Nathan King of 247Sports recently dropped his 5 early names to watch for Auburn’s OC opening list and has placed current assistant to the head coach and quality control coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] at the top of the list.

King feels that Freeze will have a new identity within the offensive staff next season, which will allow Austin to make the move to an on-field coaching position. Austin followed Freeze to Auburn from Liberty ahead of the 2023 season, serving as co-offensive coordinator for the Flames from 2019-22.

We believe this is the candidate most likely to fill the vacant offensive assistant position at the moment. Auburn Undercover has been told Freeze will likely have a much bigger role in running the offense next season, and that could take the shape of him doing so as his own play caller, and hiring Austin as his QBs coach.

Prior to his time at Liberty, Austin was an offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and a head coach in the Canadian Football League.

According to King’s list, Ole Miss wide receivers coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] and former Auburn quarterback [autotag]Dameyune Craig[/autotag] are also names to keep an eye on.

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__

QB update: Is there a frontrunner?

Hugh Freeze provided an update on his program’s ongoing quarterback battle during his time at SEC Media Days on Tuesday.

When a new head coach enters the SEC, his first appearance at SEC Media Days is usually filled with plenty of exciting questions.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s experience was no different as he took the stage for the first time as Auburn’s head coach on Tuesday at Grand Hyatt in Nashville. One topic of discussion was the ongoing quarterback battle between incumbent [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and Michigan State transfer [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

Freeze admitted that he has not seen Thorne throw with his own eyes yet, but is pleased with the competition he brings to the room, as well as his exhibited leadership.

“Obviously, we want to create competition in the room. That’s why we brought in Payton (Thorne), who’s had great experiences,” Freeze said Tuesday. “I think what he adds to that room right now is incredible leadership. One of the first things he did was come in and say, ‘Coach, is there any way someone can give me a sheet of paper that has a picture of everyone that works in this building because I want to learn everyone’s name? That’s the type of leader he is.”

On the other side, Freeze says that Ashford is valuable to the program and has responded well to the competition.

“We’ve challenged Robby (Ashford) since I’ve been here to elevate what comes with being the quarterback at Auburn,” Freeze said. “And I think he’s responding, mostly positive with that.”

It is clear that the competition will be between Ashford and Thorne, but when will the competition be decided? Freeze documents the plan that he, offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery,[/autotag] and offensive analyst [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] are orchestrating.

“We’ve got to have a 10-day plan with three guys getting some reps and then it’s got to go down to two guys, and hopefully all of them will handle the competition aspects of it well, but that’ll tell us a lot about that,” Freeze said.

Thorne joins the program after a three-year stint at Michigan State, where he passed for 49 touchdowns. Ashford returns for his second season at Auburn after throwing for 1,613 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

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__

Auburn football ranks bottom-tier in USA TODAY’s post-spring power rankings

How quickly can Hugh Freeze right the ship at Auburn?

The spring season has come to a close, and now head coaches around the country can begin putting pieces together for the upcoming season that is set to kick off in just over four months.

How much did each SEC team impress Paul Myerberg of USA TODAY Sports this spring? He revealed his picks, as well as each question surrounding each SEC program on Monday.

Auburn has gone through a rough patch over the last several seasons, and this season’s abbreviated A-Day game did not do any favors to the team, who wants to show signs of improvement under new head coach, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. Due to recent history, and the lack of performance at A-Day, Myerberg has ranked the Tigers near the bottom of the conference at No. 12.

Here’s a look at Myerberg’s power rankings now that spring practice has concluded around the conference:

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Tennessee
  4. LSU
  5. Texas A&M
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Kentucky
  8. Arkansas
  9. South Carolina
  10. Mississippi State
  11. Florida
  12. Auburn
  13. Missouri
  14. Vanderbilt

When it comes to Myerberg’s one question surrounding Auburn, he looks to offense. Auburn improved its offensive coaching staff by adding [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] and [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] to the staff, as well as keeping [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] on. But the Tigers have not had a top-five offense since 2014. Can [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] push the offense in the right direction?

There’s going to be a learning curve and some growing pains as the Tigers transition to a third coaching staff in four seasons. Unlike the hire of Bryan Harsin, however, Auburn’s decision to tap former Mississippi and Liberty coach Hugh Freeze seems to work on multiple levels. The question this spring is how quickly he can turn around an offense that hasn’t ranked in the top five of the SEC in yards per play since 2014.

Auburn will continue working towards building a successful 2023 campaign, starting on Saturday, Sept. 2 when they host UMass to kickoff the season.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]

Freshman QB wants to have a say in Auburn’s ongoing battle

Freshman Hank Brown will be ready to compete once he arrives on campus this summer.

Now that spring practice has concluded, one thing is apparent about Auburn football’s quarterback battle… it is far from over.

Quarterbacks [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] each played adequate snaps in the abbreviated A-Day game back on April 8. But due to the cold, rainy conditions on that dreary Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, neither player was able to showcase exactly what they needed to do in order to separate themselves.

“I think you saw today that (Ashford) got the capability of making some plays. I thought he threw a really good seam ball in those conditions. I thought Holden (Geriner) threw some good balls. He missed a couple of reads on some RPOs I think, T.J. (Finley) did too,” Freeze said following Auburn’s A-Day game. “It’s kind of been that way all spring. Some real positives one day and some inconsistencies the next day. We’ve still got some time to help them improve, hopefully.”

Freeze has suggested that he is willing to dip into the transfer portal to find the right quarterback, but there is one player that is ready to have his shot at winning the quarterback battle.

[autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], a three-star quarterback from Nashville that signed with Auburn as part of the 2023 signing class, has yet to arrive on campus. However, the ongoing quarterback battle has him excited to be able to show off what he can add to the Tigers’ offense.

“It’s definitely more motivation just for me to be ready,” Brown said in a recent interview with Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover. “When that time comes, to be able to compete with them, I’m super excited. I’m going to do whatever I can to help out.”

Brown is already familiar with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], as well as quality control coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag], as he was once committed to Liberty before Freeze made the move to Auburn. He spent time on campus earlier this spring watching practice and says that he is impressed with what each quarterback brings to the table, and how they can help him become a better signal caller.

“It was really awesome to see how three or four different quarterback guys are able to help us,” Brown said. “They all have different strengths, so it’s going to be such a blessing to be able to get feedback from them at all times. Being able to work with them and help me get through the playbook and working with my mechanics, it’s going to be awesome.”

Brown completed 73% of his passes for 3,264 yards during Lipscomb Academy’s 13-0 championship run in 2022, tossing 47 touchdown passes. He was led by former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and current UAB head coach, Trent Dilfer.

Brown signed with Auburn during the early signing period as the No. 59 quarterback in the country, and the No. 34 player from Tennessee for the 2023 class.

Check out some of Brown’s senior year highlights here

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__

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyzb4ahnasj2m3 player_id=01f5k5y2jb3twsvdg4 image=]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]