Tag: kobe hudson

Former Auburn WR Ja’Varrius Johnson transfers to UCF

With the transfer portal window coming to an end in the college football offseason, former Auburn WR Ja’Varrius Johnson commits to UCF

The transfer portal window is coming to an end in the college football offseason and rosters are becoming set for the 2024-25 year. A lot of moves are being made all around the country, especially ones that should be put on high notice.

One that is potentially very impactful comes from former Auburn wide receiver, [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag], who has committed to the UCF Knights for next season.

Johnson entered the portal on Dec. 15 with one year of eligibility remaining in his college career. He has spent every season up to this point on the Plains, going through three different head coaches in his time.

The senior racked up 64 receptions for 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns with the Tigers. He capped the 2023 season off with the best game of his season in a loss to Alabama, where he had four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

He joins former Auburn head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] in Orlando, as well as former players in wide receiver [autotag]Kobe Hudson[/autotag] and defensive tackle [autotag]Lee Hunter[/autotag].

The Tigers now only notably return their top receiver from last year in [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], to go along with Camden Brown as main contributors in pass catching from last season.

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USC EDGE, former Tiger Romello Height enters transfer portal

A member of Auburn’s 2020 haul, Height is seeking other opportunities following a two-year stay at USC.

A member of Auburn’s 2020 recruiting haul is exploring new opportunities.

[autotag]Romello Height[/autotag], a former four-star EDGE who signed with Auburn during the 2020 recruiting cycle, announced Friday that he is entering the transfer portal after spending two seasons at USC.

He played in nine games in two seasons at Auburn, recording 18 total tackles. His best games in an Auburn uniform took place during the 2021 season against Alabama State and Arkansas when he made four stops each.

His most productive season at USC was in 2023, where he competed in 11 games and recorded 20 tackles. Six of those tackles were for a loss. He recorded a season-high five tackles in the Trojans’ win over Arizona State on Sept. 23. He also recorded two tackles for loss, and recovered a fumble.

Height was a part of Auburn’s 2020 class that ranked No. 8 in the nation and turned out to be the final signing class under former head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]. He was the No. 16 recruit of Auburn’s 27-member signing class. Several headliners of the class include [autotag]Wesley Steiner[/autotag] and [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] and several who transferred away from the program such as [autotag]Kobe Hudson[/autotag], [autotag]JJ Pegues[/autotag], and [autotag]LaDarrius Tennison[/autotag].

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Knights to know ahead of UCF vs. Oklahoma Sooners

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on UCF, here are six Knights to know ahead of the week 8 contest.

Fresh off its bye week, Oklahoma is readying for the remainder of the season. After six games, it sits atop the Big 12 standings with a 3-0 conference record.

The Sooners have had time to put their win over Texas behind them and come down from that emotional roller coaster. Brent Venables has done a good job keeping this team focused on what comes next. He will have to do it again as Oklahoma prepares to host the UCF Knights on Saturday.

UCF is the second of three Big 12 newcomers the Sooners will see this season. Oklahoma knocked off Cincinnati in its Big 12 opener and will face BYU on the second to last weekend of the regular season.

The Sooners and Knights have never played. So Saturday’s showdown will be a new experience for both. UCF also enters the game off its bye week. Before that, it was on the wrong end of a blowout by the Kansas Jayhawks, 51-22. Kansas ran for 399 yards in the win.

As the Oklahoma Sooners get ready to play the UCF Knights, here are five players to know ahead of Saturday’s contest.

2023 Season Preview: Oklahoma faces new challenge in UCF Knights

The Oklahoma Sooners and the UCF Knights face off for the first time in their respective history as Big 12 foes.

In our next opponent preview, we take a look at a sneaky-good team, the UCF Knights.

Oklahoma and UCF have never faced each other on the gridiron. This year in Norman, they’ll break the ice in the Sooners’ final year in the Big 12 and the Knights’ inaugural season as a Power Five team.

UCF is an interesting team. They bring back a lot of their team that just went 9-5 and played for a conference championship.

They were also ranked the last five weeks of the season before ending the year on a two-game losing streak, which included their Military Bowl loss to Drake May and the Duke Blue Devils.

According to ESPN (ESPN+), UCF returns 66 percent of its production, which ranks 51st in the nation. They return 62 percent of their offense which ranks 78th in the nation, and 69 percent of their defense, which ranks 43rd.

Their offense finished 16th in the country last season. Gus Malzahn knows how to coach offense, so it should be good again. Defensively they finished 69th in the country, but, as we said, they return a lot which should help them as they make the transition to the Big 12.

Starting quarterback John Rhys Plumlee returns after throwing for 2,586 yards, 14 touchdowns, and eight interceptions last season while completing 63 percent of his passes. He also ran for 862 yards, which led the team, and 11 touchdowns.

They lost their second-leading rusher Isaiah Bowser, but he only finished with three yards more than R.J. Harvey, who does return. Harvey averaged more yards per carry as well, but Bowser had more touchdowns.

They lost wide receiver Ryan O’Keefe, who was second in receiving yards last year. However, they bring back leading receiver Javon Baker, who caught 56 passes for 796 yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Kobe Hudson, who led the Knights with seven touchdown receptions, also returns.

If you watched any games of a Malzahn offense, you know how much they love the read option. If you watched Oklahoma play last year, you know how much the Sooners struggled with a running quarterback.

This is a matchup nightmare for the Sooners. It’s why you better hope this defense is much improved, or this is a game they could lose.

The one thing they have going for them is the Sooners will be coming off a bye week. So, they’ll have two weeks to prepare.

Defensively, the Knights return leading tackler Jason Johnson, who had 126 tackles last season. They also bring back four of the top five players in tackles from a year ago.

The Knights also lost only one of the players in the top five in sacks as well. Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste now playing for the Ole Miss Rebels.

UCF returns a lot of production and experience, but they are entering a new conference. The Knights will be one of the most intriguing teams to watch this season. They are a team that could make a lot of noise in the conference. They are also a team that the new conference could be too much for them.

Because of everything Malzahn and that offense brings, this one is going to be a shootout, in my opinion. It’s also one of those games the Sooners would not have won last year.

Score Prediction: 38-35 Oklahoma

Predicted Record: 6-1

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Where Tank Bigsby ranks among Auburn running back legends

How does Tank Bigsby’s career at Auburn stack up with the likes of Bo Jackson, Cadillac Williams, and Joe Cribbs?

A great Auburn career has come to a close, as running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] is preparing for the next stop in his football journey by declaring for the NFL Draft.

Bigsby committed to Auburn as a member of the 2020 recruiting class on Aug. 9, 2019. He was the No. 40 overall prospect of the 2020 cycle and was the No. 4 overall running back out of Callaway High School in Hogansville. He was the top recruit in Auburn’s haul, which was No. 8 overall. He joined the likes of [autotag]Wesley Steiner[/autotag], [autotag]Kobe Hudson[/autotag], and [autotag]Cam Riley[/autotag] in signing with Auburn during the 2020 recruiting cycle.

He would go on to become the signature back from 2020-22, accumulating 2,903 yards and 25 touchdowns during his three-year career. His best season was in 2021, when he rushed for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Auburn is known for producing great running backs, so where do Bigsby’s career numbers rank among those who built upon the legacy of RBU? Let’s take a look.

These rankings are composite and are based on rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and how high they were picked in the NFL Draft.

Former Auburn quarterback to enter transfer portal, seeking fourth home

The former four-star athlete is on the move again after spending two seasons at UCF.

One of Auburn’s top signees from the 2018 class is on the move again.

After spending two seasons on the Plains, quarterback [autotag]Joey Gatewood[/autotag] elected to get a fresh start by transferring to Kentucky. He saw more playing time at Kentucky, but it was not enough to satisfy his needs. He then reunited with the coach that recruited him, [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag], at UCF. Gatewood saw time at quarterback for the Knights, but would eventually move to receiver. After the position change, Gatewood did not record a stat in 2022.

Gatewood announced Wednesday that he would try to find a new home by entering the transfer portal. His new home will be his fourth since signing with Auburn in 2018.

Gatewood was the No. 2 overall athlete from the class of 2018 and was the No. 12 recruit from the state of Florida. When he signed with Auburn after a two-year commitment in December 2017, he was expected to make an immediate impact. However, he would only see the field in eight total games over a two-year span, throwing just eight passes.

After a disappointing start to his college career, he elected to stay within the SEC by transferring to Kentucky. He completed 17-of-35 passes for 109 yards and an interception during his time on the Bluegrass, but, as the trend would be at the time, wanted to join several Auburn teammates including [autotag]Big Kat Bryant[/autotag] and [autotag]Kobe Hudson[/autotag] by reuniting with Gus Malzahn at UCF in 2021.

Gatewood appeared in 10 games for the Knights in 2021, with his most impressive stat being that he rushed for 142 yards on 28 carries. Malzahn moved Gatewood to receiver for the 2022 season, where he failed to record a stat.

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Does data meet the perception of Auburn’s transfer portal additions/subtractions

Auburn is in better standing than expected per the data from Brandon Marcello.

In any transaction at any level of sports, there is a winner and a loser more often than not. It can be subjective based on the information made available. The Auburn Tigers have seen a mass exodus at the team level and on the coaching staff.

Our focus here will be on the talent of the 2022 football. Team, it is well documented as far as the losses through the transfer portal. At the very top, the team lost veteran quarterback Bo Nix to the Oregon Ducks and leading receiver Kobe Hudson to the Central Florida Knights. The perception is that Auburn is hemorrhaging talent.

On the flip side, they added 2021 Texas A&M starting quarterback Zach Calzada that led the Aggies to an 8-4 record and defeated Alabama in College Station. They also added a former four-star quarterback with Oregon’s Robby Ashford. He didn’t play for the Ducks but he will battle Calzada and former LSU Tigers quarterback TJ Finley, who joined the team last season.

The team also added a pair of Duck defenders to the team that should be in line to make a contribution. Jayson Jones will help beef up the interior of the defensive line. He tallied 19 tackles, 1.5 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks in 10 games with Oregon. The 6’6″ 310-pound interior defender should have ample opportunities.

Much like Jones, DJ James returns to his home state of Alabama to play for the Tigers. He racked up 72 tackles and six passes defended for the Oregon defense. With the loss of Roger McCreary to the NFL and Dreshun Miller to the portal, he could see immediate playing time. James appeared in 12 games for the Ducks in 2021.

Brandon Marcello of 247Sports gathered the data on the comings and goings through the transfer portal and despite the perception of Auburn, the Tigers were better than others in the portal.

What Marcello Says…

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Five departures rank higher than Auburn’s top incoming transfer (Oregon defensive lineman Jayson Jones).

Still, if Auburn can work the portal and find a handful of replacements, the Tigers’ net rating will improve and the Tigers will rise. The sheer number of departures is concerning but the quality of incoming talent is not terrible as some believe.

Auburn came in ranked at No. 11 in the SEC. Georgia was dead last as they added no players in the transfer portal. The team also came ahead of LSU in the rankings, who were No. 12. LSU has been among the top teams in the transfer portals, but the data says otherwise.

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Auburn football transfer tracker

Here’s everything that’s happened so far.

The transfer portal has continued to become a bigger part of college football as more and more players enter the portal.

While the biggest exodus came the day after Bryan Harsin fired offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, the biggest name to enter was Bo Nix. As players continue to enter the portal, check back here for all the players leaving Auburn, and those who are joining Auburn.

Transferring out

Quarterback Bo Nix: A three-year starter, Nix was having his best injury before being sidelined with an injury. He leaves as ranking third in school history with 7,251 passing yards. Transferred to Oregon.

Running back Shaun Shivers: A veteran in the running back room, Shivers endeared himself to fans with his physical style, despite his size. He will forever be a hero for his game-winning touchdown in the 2019 Iron Bowl. Transferred to Indiana.

Offensive lineman Tashawn Manning: Manning was a starter in 2020 at left guard but saw his opportunities drop this season. Transferred to Kentucky.

Receiver Elijah Canion: Canion had a big game in last season’s bowl game but managed just four receptions for 46 yards this season. Transferred to Purdue.

Receiver Kobe Hudson: Auburn’s best receiver from this season will be moving on, in a since-deleted Instagram post, Hudson announced he had been “kicked off the team.” He finished with 44 receptions for 580 yards and four touchdowns, all were team-highs. Transferred to UCF.

Receiver Caylin Newton: A special teams star the past two seasons, Newton blocked two kicks this season and caught one pass for 31 yards. 

Defensive back Ladarius Tennison: A physical safety, Tennison spent most of the season in a backup role but played well against Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Transferred to Ole Miss.

Defensive back Ahmari Harvey: Harvey was Auburn’s third highest signee in 2021 but will be moving on without ever playing for Auburn. Transferred to Georgia Tech.

Cornerback Dreshun Miller: After an All-Big 12 season in 2020 for West Virgina, Miller was unable to crack Auburn’s corner rotation and appeared in just one game. 

Edge Caleb Johnson: A reserve who was away from the team for three games for undisclosed reasons. Johnson made 18 tackles, 1.0 sack and 4.0 tackles for loss across four seasons.

Edge Romello Height: Auburn’s depth at edge took a hit with Height deciding to transfer. A reserve last season, Height finished with 18 tackles and 3.0 tackles for a loss in nine games. He was likely going to be a reserve next season as well. 

Defensive line Dre Butler: Butler made 20 tackles, 1.0 sack and 2.0 tackles for loss in his two seasons at Auburn.

Defensive Line Daniel Foster-Allen: After not seeing the field in his two seasons at Auburn, Foster-Allen entered the portal. The former three-star recruit would have had a tough time earning playing time due to Auburn’s depth along the defensive line. 

Defensive line Lee Hunter: A top 100-recruit in the 2021 class, Hunter is already the second player from the class to enter the portal. He did not appear in any games as a freshman. 

Defensive line JJ Pegues: The extremely athletic Pegues reportedly entered the portal on Monday. In his first year playing defensive line, Pegues finished with 17 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and forced one fumble.

Transferring in

Defensive line Jayson Jones: A former four-star recruit from Calera, Alabama, Jones spent just two seasons as an Oregon Duck. He played in all 13 games for Oregon, making 19 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Quarterback Zach Calzada: After losing Nix, Auburn needed to add an experienced quarterback and Calzada fits the bill. He played in 12 games for Texas A&M last season and threw for 2,185 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Quarterback Robby Ashford: Who says there are no trades in college sports? Ashford entered the portal after Nix committed to Auburn and could replace him as Auburn’s starter. A four-star recruit in the 2020 class out of Hoover, Alabama, he did not appear in a game for Oregon.

Cornerback DJ James: Another former Oregon player, James started for the Ducks last season and was a three-year contributor. He will bring experience and playmaking ability to the cornerback room which is full of new faces.

Five potential transfer destinations for Kobe Hudson

Where do you think Kobe Hudson ends up?

Auburn lost a huge piece of their offense on Monday night.

Kobe Hudson, Auburn’s leading receiver in 2021, announced via Instagram that he was leaving the program.

The Tigers now need to do serious work in the transfer portal to replace what has been lost on the offensive side of the ball: quarterback, the majority of the offensive line, and now the lead receiver.

Hudson’s transfer destination is currently unknown. There appeared to be some bad blood between the coaching staff and Hudson (according to Hudson’s post), therefore leading me to believe that teams may not be so quick to jump on him.

That being said, here are five potential transfer destinations for former Auburn wide receiver Kobe Hudson.

Auburn Football: Tracking the transfers

Here’s a full update.

The transfer portal has continued to become a bigger part of college football as more and more players enter the portal.

While the biggest exodus came the day after Bryan Harsin fired offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, the biggest name to enter was Bo Nix. As players continue to enter the portal, check back here for all the players leaving Auburn, and those who are joining Auburn.

Transferring out

Quarterback Bo Nix: A three-year starter, Nix was having his best injury before being sidelined with an injury. He leaves as ranking third in school history with 7,251 passing yards. Transferred to Oregon.

Running back Shaun Shivers: A veteran in the running back room, Shivers endeared himself to fans with his physical style, despite his size. He will forever be a hero for his game-winning touchdown in the 2019 Iron Bowl. Transferred to Indiana.

Offensive lineman Tashawn Manning: Manning was a starter in 2020 at left guard but saw his opportunities drop this season. Transferred to Kentucky.

Receiver Elijah Canion: Canion had a big game in last season’s bowl game but managed just four receptions for 46 yards this season. Transferred to Purdue.

Receiver Kobe Hudson: Auburn’s best receiver from this season will be moving on, in a since-deleted Instagram post, Hudson announced he had been “kicked off the team.” He finished with 44 receptions for 580 yards and four touchdowns, all were team-highs.

Defensive back Ladarius Tennison: A physical safety, Tennison spent most of the season in a backup role but played well against Texas A&M and Mississippi State. Transferred to Ole Miss.

Defensive back Ahmari Harvey: Harvey was Auburn’s third highest signee in 2021 but will be moving on without ever playing for Auburn.

Edge Caleb Johnson: A reserve who was away from the team for three games for undisclosed reasons. Johnson made 18 tackles, 1.0 sack and 4.0 tackles for loss across four seasons.

Defensive line Dre Butler: Butler made 20 tackles, 1.0 sack and 2.0 tackles for loss in his two seasons at Auburn.

Transferring in

Defensive line Jayson Jones: A former four-star recruit from Calera, Alabama, Jones spent just two seasons as an Oregon Duck. He played in all 13 games for Oregon, making 19 total tackles and 1.5 sacks.