Nick Mardner – Syndication Server

Ottawa RedBlacks select former Auburn WR Nick Mardner with 1st round pick

Mardner is heading to Canada to continue his football career after spending one season on the Plains.

Wide receiver [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] spent just one season on the Plains, but it was enough time to catch the eyes of Canadian Football League scouts.

Mardner, who played for Auburn during the 2023 season after transferring in from Cincinnati, was selected in the 1st round of the CFL draft on Tuesday, going 2nd overall to the Ottawa RedBlacks. As a native of Oakville, Ontario, Mardner is the first Auburn player in history selected in the CFL draft due to his national designation.

Following his selection, Mardner becomes teammates with former Auburn wide receiver [autotag]Eli Stove[/autotag] on Ottawa’s roster. He is also the sixth former Auburn player on an active CFL roster joining [autotag]Brandon Council[/autotag], [autotag]Zakoby McClain[/autotag] (Saskatchewan), [autotag]Smoke Monday[/autotag], [autotag]TD Moultry[/autotag] (Montreal).

Mardner had a solid career as a wide receiver at Hawaii and Cincinnati before transferring to Auburn for his final collegiate season. He totaled 81 catches for 1,488 yards and 11 touchdowns at his two previous stops but failed to record a catch at Auburn. According to Pro Football Focus, he appeared in four games last season for 37 total snaps. He was the most active in Auburn’s loss to Georgia on Sept. 30, where he participated in 18 snaps.

Mardner now joins a long list of former Auburn players who have also played in the CFL including Darvin Adams, Nick Coe, Nick Marshall, and Ryan Davis.

Auburn ➡️ 𝐎𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐰𝐚@NMardner has been drafted second overall by the @REDBLACKS !#CFLDraft pic.twitter.com/OT3YegsL4L

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) May 1, 2024

Photos: The best images from Auburn’s 2024 Pro Day

A total of 17 players participated in front of scouts from 31 NFL franchises on Friday.

The NFL draft is next month, and several Auburn players had the chance to make one final impression in front of NFL scouts at Friday’s Pro Day at the Woltosz Football Performance Center at Auburn University.

Auburn’s Pro Day had 17 participants including [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag]. Several highlights from Friday’s workout include Marcus Harris’ 34 bench press reps, Jaylin Simpson’s 40-inch vertical, and [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag]’s 4.52 40-yard dash.

Here are some of the best images from Auburn’s Pro Day workout courtesy of Jake Crandall of The Montgomery Advertiser.

Spring breakdown: Cam Coleman, Bryce Cain poised to make early impression at wide receiver

Coleman and Cain will bring a boost to Auburn’s wide receiver room during the spring practice period.

Spring practice has officially begun, and it is time to break down another position group ahead of A-Day on April 6.

After examining Auburn’s quarterback and running back situation going into spring, we will now take a look at which receivers will go through spring practice.

Auburn lost a few names from last season such as [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] due to graduation, as well as [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag] to the transfer portal. Several recognizable names such as Koy Moore and Caleb Burton return to the rotation while true freshmen Cam Coleman and Bryce Cain are getting their feet wet.

Below is a look at every wide receiver participating in this season’s spring drills.

Hugh Freeze provides injury update after Auburn’s second scrimmage of fall camp

Several expected contributors were unable to play in Auburn’s scrimmage on Saturday.

Auburn has been battling injuries throughout fall camp and [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] provided an update about the health of the team Saturday after Auburn’s second scrimmage of fall camp.

The wide receiver group and defensive front have been hit the hardest and that was still the case with several expected contributors unable to play.

Defensive end [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] and pass-rusher [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] were both unable to play in the scrimmage. Faulk “tried, but he’s not ready,” Freeze admitted.

Wide receivers [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag], [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Johnson Jr.[/autotag] as well as linebacker [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag] were also unable to practice.

“Now its time for us to get a lot of those guys out of those yellow jerseys hopefully, and get them healthy with two weeks to go,” Freeze said. “We’re without some guys we’ve been counting on for sure.”

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Hugh Freeze shares thoughts on the enhancement of receiver room

The Tigers needed a boost to its receiving corps, and got just that from the transfer portal.

The position group with the most buzz this fall camp is quarterback. However, a quarterback is only as good as his supporting cast.

In addition to enhancing the quarterback room by adding [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] from Michigan State, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] boosted his offensive line and receiving corps.

Auburn failed to have a receiver reach 500 yards last season and the last receiver to come close to a 1,000-yard season was [autotag]Darvin Adams[/autotag] in 2009 when he reeled in 60 catches for 997 yards.

As someone who is known for having solid receivers, Freeze knew that he needed to upgrade his receiver room for his team to reach its true potential.

“We needed to overhaul that room and improve it for sure,” Freeze said Thursday. “I say that and truthfully I don’t know, the evaluation sample was so small for most of them because this system is totally different than what they’ve played in.”

Javarrius Johnson returns as the Tigers’ leading receiver after reeling in 26 catches for 493 yards and three scores last season. [autotag]Koy Moore[/autotag] is back, as are several tight end options such as [autotag]Brandon Frazier[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag], and [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag].

Freeze enhanced the group by adding [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] and [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag], who were Jackson State and North Texas’ leading receivers last season respectively. He also grabbed a tall target in [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag], as well as another tight end in [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag].

The potential is there, but it is time now for them to prove it on the field.

“I do think we’ve improved that room in recruiting, and I do think there are guys here that can be better than what they’ve shown,” Freeze said. “We’re excited to see, I think we’ve seen glimpses of that but now we’ve got to go and do it when it’s real and live. But we are excited about the fact that I think we’ve improved that room for sure.”

The receivers, as well as the offensive line, will use this two-week period of fall camp to prove that they are worthy of a starting position.

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Hugh Freeze updates status of Daquayvious Sorey

He signed with Auburn back in December but it no longer looks like he will be joining the team.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] spoke at SEC Media Days on Tuesday and he provided an update on wide receiver [autotag]Daquayvious Sorey[/autotag], who no longer appears set to join the program.

Freeze expressed optimism that JUCO defensive lineman Quientrail Jamison-Travis would be able to join the team for the season before telling reporters “not quite as much (confidence) about Sorey.”

Sorey was Auburn’s only high school wide receiver in the class and signed with the program back in December. The three-star prospect now appears to be taking the JUCO route, adding #JUCOPRODUCT to his Instagram bio.

He was ranked as the No. 471 overall player and No. 63 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite ranking. The Campbellton, Florida product was also the No. 85 player from The Sunshine State.

While he was Auburn’s only high school signee they also added four receivers out of the transfer portal in [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag], [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag] and [autotag]Caleb Burton[/autotag].

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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. 11 Shane Hooks

The veteran has a chance to be Auburn’s top wide receiver.

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 transfer wide receiver [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag]. The veteran is entering his sixth season of college football and has a chance to be a difference-maker for Auburn in the passing game.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Orlando, Florida

Height: 6-4

Weight: 191

Previous School: Jackson State (2021-22), Ohio (2018-20)

Class in 2023: Senior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 334 in FL / No. 317 WR

Career Stats

Year	G	Receptions	Yards	YPC	YPG	TDs
2018 (Ohio)	5	0	0	0	0	0
2019 (Ohio)	13	26	515	19.8	39.6	5
2020 (Ohio)	3	8	120	15.0	40.0	1
2021 (JSU)	6	16	199	12.4	33.2	2
2022 (JSU)	13	66	775	11.7	59.6	10

PFF Grades

Year	Offense	Receiving	Drops	Run Blocking
2018	41.8	41.9	2.7	62.9
2019	72.4	74.5	78.4	65.6
2020	59.4	63.3	58.9	43.8
2021	64.9	64.6	85.1	60.1
2022	70.7	70.2	78.7	66.6

Depth Chart Overview

Hooks bring a ton of experience with 40 career appearances and has the ability to play all over the field for Auburn. His speed will allow him to take the top off of defenses from the slot while his impressive 6-foot-4 and 191-pound frame enables him to be a jump-ball machine while lining up outside or in the red zone.

While [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] should also see plenty of reps at the Wide Receiver-X spot, Hooks is set to be a focal point of the passing attack and is a breakout candidate for Auburn.

Shane Hooks’ Photo Gallery

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 8 Nick Mardner

The veteran adds some great size and expereince to Auburn’s wide receiver room.

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

Up next is transfer wide receiver [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag]. He was the first of four receivers that Auburn landed out of the transfer portal and should feature heavily in the rotation at wide receiver.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Oakville, Ontario

Height: 6-6

Weight: 206

Previous School: Cincinnatti (2022), Hawaii (2018-21)

Class in 2023: Senior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Two-Star / No. 2 in Ontario / No. 372 WR

Career Stats

Year	G	Receptions	Yards	YPC	YPG	TDs
2018 (Hawaii)	1	0	0	0	0	0
2019 (Hawaii)	12	5	169	33.8	14.1	2
2020 (Hawaii)	8	11	188	17.1	23.5	1
2021 (Hawaii)	13	46	913	19.8	70.2	5
2022 (Cincinnati)	12	19	218	11.5	18.2	3

PFF Grades

Year	Offense	Receiving	Drops	Run Blocking
2018	58.5	59.6	–	60.0
2019	51.1	49.8	21.7	79.2
2020	60.7	62.1	49.8	51.6
2021	75.6	76.1	68.1	64.5
2022	64.3	66.6	62.5	54.7

Depth Chart Overview

Mardner is on his third team after starting his career at Hawaii and spending last season at Cincinnati. He and new Auburn wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] were both at Hawaii in 2021, and this familiarity should enable him to be someone Auburn can lean on.

Auburn also added [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] at the X-Wide receiver spot and Hooks figures to be the starter due to his past production. However, Mardner should be able to carve out a role for himself, especially in the red-zone threat due to his great size. Expect Mardner to see plenty of action as the coaching staff rotates him, Hooks and [autotag]Camden Brown[/autotag] heavily.

Nick Mardner’s Photo Gallery

On3 Roundtable highlights Auburn’s playmakers at wide receiver

Who will be the Tigers’ top receiving targets in 2023?

The 2023 edition of the Auburn Tigers will look vastly different.

Auburn’s offense will see notable changes at offensive line and wide receiver. The latter position group was discussed on a recent episode of The On3 Roundtable.

Host J.D. PicKell welcomed Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson to chat about the Tigers last week. Auburn will have several new faces lining up to catch passes from either [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] or [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] this season thanks to the transfer portal. Players such as [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag], [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag], and [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] will be tall targets for Auburn’s quarterbacks, but the one transfer receiver that Hokanson is most looking forward to watching is FIU transfer [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag].

Fairweather comes to Auburn after reeling in 28 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns last season at FIU and is poised to help out the Tigers at tight end.

He’s only played football for four or five years of his life, but played basketball, played soccer in high school, super athletic and super raw,” Hokanson said. “That kid’s got NFL potential written all over him. He’s going to be really interesting to see. Is he involved in just the red zone or is he involved all the way up and down the field? He’s a guy that’s going to be a big target.”

Outside of the new transfers, Auburn’s leading receiver from a season ago returns to the roster.

[autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] caught 26 passes for 493 yards last season for the Tigers. Hokanson believes that Auburn’s fresh receivers will provide relief to Johnson.

“I think there’s a lot to be determined. I don’t know that there will be a premier pass catcher,” Hokanson said. “I feel like you’ve got some guys that can maybe turn into reliable guys across the board but I would probably start with those four.”

According to Pro Football Focus, three of Auburn’s top offensive players reside in the receiving corps.

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Jyaire Shorter included in College Sports Wire’s best SEC wide receivers list

Auburn secured several wide receivers from the transfer portal, and the former North Texas star is set to make an immediate impact.

Auburn will have a completely revamped offensive unit in 2023, as [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] performed a complete overhaul by using talent from the transfer portal.

One of the most talented additions to Auburn’s receiving unit is North Texas transfer [autotag]Jyaire Shorter[/autotag]. Shorter announced his transfer to Auburn the same day as fellow North Texas product, linebacker [autotag]Larry Nixon III[/autotag], shared his intention to also transfer to Auburn. Shorter joins [autotag]Caleb Burton[/autotag] and [autotag]Nick Mardner[/autotag] as new wide receivers to the squad, and one college football analyst feels that he can become one of the SEC’s leading receivers by season’s end.

In his initial SEC wide receiver rankings, College Sports Wire’s Patrick Conn listed Shorter as the No. 12 wide receiver in the conference. Conn feels that Shorter and quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] will team up to create explosive plays for Auburn this season.

If you want explosive plays, keep your eyes on Jyaire Shorter of Auburn. He joins a team in desperate need of big plays on the offensive side of the ball. Shorter should be a big play threat with plenty of those explosive plays, as long as Robby Ashford isn’t the one throwing the ball.

Shorter snagged 23 passes for 628 yards and 11 touchdowns last season for the Mean Green. His 11 touchdowns led the team last season, with the next closest receiver only snagging five. He has a total of 58 catches for 1,1,320 yards and 20 touchdowns ahead of his final eligible season in 2023.

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