Tag: Micah Riley

Former Auburn TE Micah Riley commits to fellow SEC program

Auburn will face Riley as part of its 2025 schedule.

The winter transfer portal opened this week, and 11 members of Auburn football’s 2024 roster entered in hopes of continuing their careers in a new setting. On Thursday, one of those players announced that he had found a new home.

[autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag], who played three seasons for the Tigers from 2022-24, shared Thursday on his social media accounts that he has committed to a fellow SEC program, Texas A&M. Riley tweeted a photo of him in a Texas A&M uniform with the “thumbs up” emoji, a nod to the Aggies’ “gig ’em” hand gesture.

Riley appeared in 24 games for Auburn over three seasons, totaling 200 snaps. His best season stat-wise was his redshirt freshman season in 2023 when he logged two catches for 40 yards and one touchdown. Last season, Riley caught a three-yard touchdown pass in Auburn’s win over New Mexico for his only reception.

Following the departures of [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], and [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] to graduation and the loss of Micah Riley and [autotag]Grant Hidalgo[/autotag] to the transfer portal, Auburn’s tight end room will be depleted heading into 2025. [autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag], a 2024 transfer from Maryland, as well as 2025 signees [autotag]Ryan Ghea[/autotag] and [autotag]Hollis Davidson[/autotag], are prime candidates to step in and take over the leading role of tight end next season.

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DL Gage Keys enters transfer portal after one season in Auburn

Keys, who transferred to Auburn from Kansas last cycle, is searching for his fourth collegiate home.

This week is important in terms of shaping the 2025 roster for the Auburn Tigers. In addition to the early signing period, the transfer portal is beginning to field names before its opening day of Dec. 9.

Three players from Auburn’s 2024 roster: QB [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], TE [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag], and OL [autotag]EJ Harris[/autotag] have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal when it opens next week, and a defensive lineman is set to join them.

[autotag]Gage Keys[/autotag], a junior defensive lineman from Hilliard, Ohio, announced Monday that he will enter the transfer portal after spending one season with the program. Keys will be searching for his fourth home, as he made stops at Minnesota and Kansas before joining Auburn’s roster last cycle.

Keys transferred to Auburn in hopes of cracking the rotation on the Tigers’ defensive line. However, he managed to play in just two games, totaling 18 snaps in Auburn’s wins over Alabama A&M and New Mexico. He failed to record a tackle during his time on the Plains but registered a quarterback pressure in Auburn’s season-opener vs. Alabama A&M according to Pro Football Focus data.

Keys is the fourth Tiger to declare his intention to enter the transfer portal Several others could follow him once the early signing period begins Wednesday and concludes Friday. Check Auburn Wire for updates as transfer portal news continues to pour in.

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Auburn tight end Micah Riley entering transfer portal

The former three-star recruit caught three passes during his time on the Plains

Auburn sophomore tight end Micah Riley is reportedly entering the transfer portal following another disappointing season on the Plains. The Omaha, NE native played sparingly during his time with the Tigers, catching just three passes in two seasons during his career.

The second-year pass catcher was buried on the depth chart behind star tight end Rivaldo Fairweather and team captain Luke Deal, but was seemingly set to gain plenty of playing time with both pass catchers set to graduate after the 2024 season. Instead, Riley will enter the portal in hopes of landing with a program which promises him more time on the field.

A former three-star prospect, Riley failed to haul in a reception against an SEC opponent during his time on the Plains. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound pass catcher captured his first career catch, and touchdown, against Samford last season. He would go on to haul in another reception in the Music City Bowl against Maryland before securing his second, and final, touchdown of his Auburn career this season against New Mexico.

With Riley set to depart, Auburn’s tight end room will be wide open next season. Seniors Rivaldo Fairweather (31 receptions), Luke Deal (1 reception) and Brandon Frazier (1 reception), were the only  Tiger tight ends other than Riley to enter the stat sheet in 2024. Hugh Freeze does have a pair of 2025 recruits, four-star Hollis Davidson and three-star Ryan Ghea, set to join the squad next season.

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Hugh Freeze reveals who will start at quarterback for Arkansas game

Did Hank Brown do enough against New Mexico to earn another start? Hugh Freeze shared his answer on Saturday night.

Auburn enters SEC play this week with confidence after defeating New Mexico, 45-19 on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Most of its confidence comes from quarterback play. Redshirt freshman [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] earned his first career start on Saturday, taking over for previous starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag]. Brown passed his first test by completing 17-of-25 passes for 235 yards and four touchdowns. He completed a pass to 10 different receivers including [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag], and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag].

Brown has won the respect of his teammates outside of the gridiron, and it was great for players such as tight end [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag] to watch Brown finally get his chance to shine.

“He balled out man,” Riley said of Brown’s performance postgame. “The way that he carries himself is great. He always has his Bible. Reading it and talking to guys. He always keeps his spirits up. I’m proud of him and can’t wait for him to ball out his next game.”

Brown checked most of the boxes head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] was hoping to accomplish on Saturday. Because of his performance, Brown has earned another start. He will get the nod for Auburn’s SEC opener next Saturday against Arkansas at Jordan-Hare Stadium according to Freeze, citing that he wants to see how Brown competes against a tougher opponent.

According to a report from Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live, Freeze is not ready to say that Brown is Auburn’s permanent fixture at quarterback, but he hopes to see every player at the position to practice better in the event that their number is called.

“I don’t know if it’s, if he keeps playing well, it’ll be a permanent fix,” Freeze said of Brown’s hold on the QB1 spot. “If not, maybe it wakes everybody else up, spurs them to be better prepared and make better decisions.”

Following Saturday’s performance, Brown has now passed for 463 yards and six touchdowns while completing 69.2% of his passes with zero interceptions. So far in 2024, he has completed 20-of-30 passes for 331 yards. The biggest test of his young career will unfold next Saturday as Auburn welcomes Arkansas to Jordan-Hare Stadium to open SEC play. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN.

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Auburn Tigers make three-star TE’s Hollis Davidson’s top seven

The Auburn Tigers have made the cut for tight end Hollis Davidson, who is down to seven schools.

The Auburn Tigers are looking to sign multiple tight ends in the 2025 recruiting class and one of their targets is [autotag]Hollis Davidson[/autotag]. The interest is mutual as the three-star prospect included Auburn in his top seven schools on Friday.

The Tigers are battling Miami, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Florida, and Cincinnati for him. Auburn and tight ends coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] offered him a scholarship on Oct. 21, 2023, and have been pursuing him ever since.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Aigamaua stopped by McIntosh High School on Thursday to visit Davidson. It was their first time getting to see him since he visited the Plains for the Iton Bowl last season.

Davidson is the No. 365 overall player and No. 20 tight end in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Peachtree City native is also the No. 40 player from Georgia.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder caught 30 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Auburn has already landed one tight end in the 2025 recruiting cycle in three-star [autotag]Ryan Ghea[/autotag], who is also from Georgia. The Tigers have not signed a highs chool tight end since [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag] in 2022 and are looking to add some much needed youth to the room.

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Auburn lands Maryland TE transfer Rico Walker

Auburn has landed Maryland tight end Rico Walker.

Auburn has addressed a key need in the tight end room with the addition of [autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag], who announced his commitment to the Tigers Monday on social media.

Walker spent one season at Maryland before entering the transfer portal. He appeared in eight games, catching four passes for 28 yards.

Walker’s father Ricardo played defensive line an Auburn in 1990’s but Auburn was never a serious contender for Walker as a high school recruit under the previous staff.

A great athlete at 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds, Walker has three seasons of eligibility left and is a developmental project for tight ends coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag].

With [autotag]Ricardo Fairweather[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] both out of eligibility after the 2024 season, Walker gives the Tigers another promising young player to go with [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag].

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Maryland transfer TE Rico Walker nearing decision after Auburn visit

Decision time is approaching for Auburn transfer tight end target Rico Walker.

[autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag]’s time in the transfer portal could be coming to a close.

The former Maryland Terrapin visited Auburn on Thursday and after his upcoming visit to USF, it will be decision time, he told On3’s Cole Pinkston. He also revealed what stands out about Auburn.

“Facility for sure,” Walker said. “Coach (Hugh) Freeze, and of course Coach B ([autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag]). They’re good, honest people. I can tell they’re family-oriented too.”

An Auburn legacy, Auburn recruited Walker in the 2023 recruiting cycle but he ultimately signed with Maryland. He appeared in eight games, catching four catches for 27 yards and will have three seasons of eligibility at his next stop.

His youth plus his ability to be a hybrid tight end, serving as both a blocker and pass catcher, make him a perfect fit for Auburn. The Tigers have not signed a high school tight end since [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag] in 2022 and will likely lose [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] after this season.

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Miami transfer TE Jaleel Skinner ‘really enjoyed’ his visit to Auburn

Auburn was the first visit for Jaleel Skinner since he entered the transfer portal after starting his career at Miami.

With it looking unlikely that Auburn will sign a high school tight end in the 2024 recruiting cycle, they have decided to dip into the transfer portal to add some youth to the position.

Former Miami Hurricane [autotag]Jaleel Skinner[/autotag] has become the top target and he took an official visit to the Plains over the weekend. The trip reminded him of his hometown and made quite an impression on him.

“It’s been fun,” Skinner told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “Auburn, this is the first time I’ve ever been down here and I was like telling my dad riding around and experiencing it all it looks like Greer (South Carolina) to me. It looks like home. I really enjoyed my time here.”

Auburn is Skinner’s only visit so far but he was willing to name then his early leader.

“Auburn’s up there at the top by itself,” he said.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 84 Micah Riley

Micah Riley could be the future of the tight end room.

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 tight end [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag]. He is looking to carve out a role in a room that is full of veterans.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Height: 6-5

Weight: 247

Class in 2023: True Freshman

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star / No. 4 in Nebraska / No. 19 TE

Career Stats

Year G Receptions
2022 4 0

PFF Grades

Year Offense Receiving Pass Blocking Run Blocking
2022 62.6 52.1 65.4 73.1

Depth Chart Overview

Riley was listed as Auburn’s third-string tight end on Auburn’s initial depth chart but he could certainly move up due to his ability to be a threat in the receiving game and blocking. While that’s possible, it seems more likely that he is someone who could be set to make a push to start in the 2024 season and moving forward.

Micah Riley’s Photo Gallery

Michigan State Football makes 3-star TE Micah Riley’s top teams list

3-star tight end Micah Riley has narrowed his recruitment down to eight teams and the Spartans have made the cut.

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Tight end is a big position of need for Michigan State heading into the 2022 recruiting calendar. The Spartans are in on a lot of good tight end’s and Micah Riley is no exception.

Riley is a native of Bellevue, Nebraska and is ranked in the top-350 of the national rankings and is a top-15 tight end in the nation. He dropped a list of his top eight schools on Thursday night that featured Michigan State.

The Spartans will be battling Arizona State, Auburn, Florida State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon and Wisconsin for the tight end’s commitment. There is no timetable for his commitment at this time.

The Spartans are for sure looking for one tight end and that may expand to two as the 2022 recruiting cycle unfolds.