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Auburn football ‘seperates themselves’ with spring transfer portal additions

Auburn’s 2024 transfer portal haul continues to impress the national media, including The Athletic.

Auburn football filled needs by adding several key players during the spring transfer portal window. Most media outlets feel that Auburn took a giant step forward this spring by landing players such as former Indiana defensive lineman [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag] and former Penn State wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith to its roster, including Kennington Smith of The Athletic.

Smith released his SEC spring recap over the weekend, which features several interesting aspects such as projected wins, coaching changes, and notable returners. Near the end of his review, he added the SEC’s top five transfer portal winners, including Auburn.

Smith was impressed with two of Auburn’s defensive additions, but adding another talented wide receiver to the mix blew him away.

The Tigers added a few defensive players this spring to bolster the defensive front: Keyron Crawford (Arkansas State) and Isaiah Raikes (USC), but the biggest win was nabbing (KeAndre) Lambert-Smith, one of the most sought-after players in the spring window.

The Athletic joins CBS Sports by tabbing Auburn a ‘transfer portal winner.’ CBS Sports placed Auburn at No. 2 of its national rankings and issued them a “B-” grade.

Auburn ranks No. 28 in 247Sports’ 2024 transfer portal rankings. The Tigers have landed 14 transfers from the portal since the final whistle of the 2023 season. Lambert-Smith is the top transfer, followed by former Maryland tight end [autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag], former Mississippi State tackle [autotag]Percy Lewis[/autotag], and ex-Georgia State wide receiver [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] following.

Where does Auburn land in CBS Sports’ post-spring SEC power rankings?

Will Backus of CBS Sports says that there is one giant question facing Auburn heading into the summer session.

A-Day provided a disappointing ending to Auburn’s spring practice session as the offense failed to score more than one touchdown in the game.

The touchdown, however, was exciting. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] connected with freshman wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] for a 34-yard score in the 4th quarter, which could be seen as foreshadowing for what could be the 1-2 punch on Auburn’s offense this season.

Still, Auburn’s offense has work to do in order to find success in 2024. Following the spring session, CBS Sports’ Will Backus revealed his post-spring SEC rankings, where he placed Auburn at No. 12. Backus says that Auburn has the potential to rise, but Thorne holds the key to overall success.

Hugh Freeze has spent a lot of time and effort upgrading his team around the quarterback. Now it’s up to Payton Thorne to take that next step. The former Michigan State transfer failed to impress in his first season on The Plains. Whether that was due to a lack of talent to spread the ball to — no longer an issue now that former five stars like WR Cam Coleman are on the team — or Thorne’s own limitations, he has to be a whole lot better if the Tigers want to avoid embarrassments like losing to New Mexico State.

In addition to Coleman, Auburn has added three other highly touted freshman wide receivers [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] to its roster. [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] also provide the room with experience from the transfer portal. Expect Thorne to take a step forward this season and to play a major role in Auburn moving up CBS Sports’ rankings once the season gets underway.

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.

Auburn football’s spring transfer portal haul receives praise from CBS Sports

CBS Sports’ Clint Brewster is impressed with Auburn’s ability to fill key needs within the transfer portal this spring.

Auburn football quickly assessed its needs following the spring practice session by adding four key players to its roster.

On offense, the Tigers added another experienced receiver in [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] from Penn State to go along with Georgia State transfer [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] and several key freshmen such as [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag].

Defensively, Auburn filled its front need with three defensive linemen: [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag], [autotag]Keyron Crawford[/autotag], and [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag]. Auburn added several defensive backs, wide receivers, and offensive linemen during the winter window in hopes of enhancing its six-win campaign from last season.

Following the closure of the spring transfer portal window on April 30, Clint Brewster of CBS Sports graded several top programs’ transfer portal moves. The Tigers’ ability to fill important needs impressed Brewster, who placed the Tigers at No. 2 with a B- grade.

The Tigers addressed the defensive line in the transfer portal with Philip Blidi (No. 291) and Isaiah Raikes (No. 679). Their rankings won’t “wow” you but they’re high three-star guys who project as solid contributors. Auburn also added a deep threat on the offensive side with receiver Keandre Lambert-Smith (No. 68), who had 12 plays of 15 yards or more last season at Penn State. At offensive tackle, Percy Lewis (No. 194) could be a starter after a strong spring.

Alabama was the lone program to top Auburn in Brewster’s rankings. Florida, Florida State, and LSU join Auburn by rounding out the top five.

Auburn lands former Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith out of portal

Auburn football is continuing to improve its receiving corps for the 2024 season, adding Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith

Auburn football is continuing to make moves to its roster through the transfer portal, gaining some high talent from other programs within the last few days.

Things got better for coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and this Tiger offense, as former Penn State wide receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] announced he is joining this new and improved receiving squad on Wednesday.

Auburn lands the senior after he entered the transfer portal on April 15. Lamber-Smith left State College after four years of playing under James Franklin, making a significant impact on the field for the Nittany Lions.

He started in 12 of the team’s 13 games last season. He ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 53 catches on the year and sixth in receiving yards, posting 673.

The 6-1, 185-pound receiver only racked up four touchdowns, with his longest being a 72-yard house call in the Penn State’s season opener with West Virginia. He was able to post over 80 yards catching four times, as well.

He is currently the only player in Nittany Lion history to have ever recorded multiple 80-yard reception. He also has three touchdown receptions of over 70 yards to his name, to go along with his 20 catches of over 20 yards.

Lambert-Smith is set to join veteran transfers [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] out of Georgia State and [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag] out of California in this receiving corps, to go along with highly touted freshman class the Tigers are bringing in at the position.

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Former Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith schedules official visit to Auburn

Who says there is such a thing as too much talent in your wide receiver room?

Auburn is set to have one of its most talented wide receiver rooms in recent memory as Georgia State’s leading receiver from last season, [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], joins the roster in addition to true freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag].

However, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] wants to give his quarterbacks every advantage possible. Because of this, he is pursuing one of the top wide receivers in the transfer portal.

Former Penn State wide receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] entered the transfer portal this week, and is already filling his calendar with official visits. According to Pete Nakos of On3, Lambert-Smith will be in Auburn for his official visit beginning Thursday.

Lambert-Smith had a productive career at Penn State. In four seasons, he logged 1,721 yards on 126 catches with 11 touchdowns. He completed his best season in 2023 by hauling in 53 passes for 673 yards, both were career-highs. He also tied his career-best in touchdowns with four.

He was Penn State’s highest-graded receiver according to Pro Football Focus with a 74.0. He caught 53 of 85 targeted passes with 11 contested catches and five drops.

Lambert-Smith has scheduled for Texas A&M that will take place following his Auburn visit this weekend. Colorado and West Virginia are other known schools that are actively pursuing Lambert-Smith.

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Auburn among teams interested in Penn State transfer WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith

Fellow SEC programs Georgia and Texas A&M as well as Colorado and West Virginia have reportedly been in contact with the talented 6-foot-1 receiver.

Auburn has reportedly been in contact with wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith following his decision to enter the transfer portal on Monday. The fifth-year senior is coming off a year in which he led the 10-3 Penn State Nittany Lions in receiving with 673 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Despite the success with five-star freshman quarterback Drew Allar, Lambert-Smith is now seeking a new home. Fellow SEC programs Georgia and Texas A&M as well as Colorado and West Virginia have reportedly been in contact with the talented 6-foot-1 receiver.

If Auburn can land his talents, Lambert-Smith will join an already vastly talented receiving core featuring new faces like five-star freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and transfers [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag].

With spring practices in the rear-view mirror, the former Penn State star will surely want to find a new home soon. We’ll see if Hugh Freeze and company can bring him over to the Plains.

NEWS: Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M, Colorado and West Virginia have been in contact with Penn State transfer WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith, @PeteNakos_ reports👀

Lambert-Smith is the top available receiver in the portal. https://t.co/tA2FTzX0RB pic.twitter.com/vIGn3u6gs9

— On3 (@On3sports) April 16, 2024

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Mike Farrell Sports lists Auburn’s top three transfer portal additions

Which transfer portal addition will make the greatest impact on the Plains this season?

Auburn football had several needs to fill this offseason and found several great additions through the transfer portal.

The Tigers took care of areas by adding transfers such as former Alabama safety [autotag]Spoodie Kite[/autotag], former Mississippi State tackle [autotag]Percy Lewis[/autotag], and former California quarterback turned wide receiver [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag].

Which of Auburn’s nine transfer portal additions could make the biggest impact this season? Mike Farrell Sports has examined all nine of Auburn’s transfers and has picked three that could have the best chance.

The first player Tony Thomas of Mike Farrell Sports mentions is Georgia State transfer [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag]. Lewis was the secondary receiver to Jamari Thrash in Atlanta in 2022 and made his way to the top of the pack in 2023 following Thrash’s transfer to Louisville. He hauled in a team-leading 70 passes for 877 yards and seven scores last season for Georgia State.

Next up is [autotag]Jerrin Thompson[/autotag], a former safety for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns. Thomas breaks down why Thompson is such a valuable addition to the Tigers’ secondary.

Tied for the team lead with three INTs, Jerrin Thompson returned one of those picks for a 27-yard touchdown in a 31-10 win over Wyoming. In addition, Thompson added 38 tackles and broke up seven passes and was named an Honorable Mention All-Big XII. Thompson will fill a position of need for Freeze and the Tigers. For his collegiate year, Thompson has 176 tackles, five INTs, and 18 pass break ups to his credit.

The final impact transfer this season according to Mike Farrell Sports is former Duke linebacker [autotag]Dorian Mausi[/autotag]. Mausi recorded 192 total tackles in four seasons at Duke, with the 2023 season being his best. In 10 games during the 2023 season in Durham, Mausi made 61 tackles, with 3.5 going for loss with an interception.

The Tigers’ 2024 transfer portal haul ranks No. 40 in the nation according to 247Sports, which ranks No. 15 in the SEC. Their high school recruiting class is top-notch. It wrapped up the cycle as the No. 7 class in the nation.

Cam Coleman named an ‘instant-impact’ signee by College Sports Wire

Auburn’s top signee of the 2024 recruiting cycle is poised to play an important role early on.

Auburn struck gold during the 2024 recruiting cycle by signing four quality wide receivers to boost its passing production.

The leader of the group is [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], a five-star signee from nearby Phenix City who joins Auburn’s roster as the state of Alabama’s top recruit of the class, and the nation’s No. 2 overall wide receiver.

Coleman is on campus and is going through spring practice. He is expected to be in contention for the offense’s top receiver role alongside [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag], [autotag]Caleb Burton[/autotag], and Georgia State transfer [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag].

When breaking down every SEC signing class, College Sports Wire‘s Matt Melton picked Coleman as Auburn’s “instant-impact” player for the cycle. Melton believes that Coleman can be the best receiver that Auburn has had in quite some time.

When looking at Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class overall, it’s hard to pick against Coleman not being the biggest instant-impact player of the group as a true freshman. Rated as the No. 3 prospect in the country, Coleman is a bigger receiver at 6-foot-3 who could very easily be the most talented wideout that Auburn has had in recent years, even as a true freshman.

Alabama‘s Ryan Williams, Florida‘s LJ McCray, and Texas A&M‘s Terry Bussey join Coleman in being named instant-impact signees by College Sports Wire.

Auburn dubbed a ‘transfer portal winner’ by The Athletic

Auburn has reeled in several notable additions from the transfer portal to fill key areas ahead of the 2024 season.

Auburn’s coaching staff is working hard to fill key areas with transfer portal additions, and are currently succeeding.

The Tigers will have added a talented wide receiver, a sturdy offensive lineman, and several solid defensive additions which should help boost its stock in the upcoming 2024 season. The haul has been impressive so far, and outlets such as The Athletic are taking notice.

Manny Navarro of The Athletic recently revealed his winners and losers from the SEC when it comes to their activity in the transfer portal. At the front of the “winners” list is Auburn. Navarro says the Tigers’ transfer additions have outweighed their departures.

Auburn’s recruiting has been on the uptick since Hugh Freeze took over. The 2024 class ranks No. 8 after the early signing period and the Tigers are also bringing in quality talent in the portal. Among the notable additions are former Georgia State standout receiver [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag] (70 catches, 877 yards in 2023), ex-Mississippi State left tackle [autotag]Percy Lewis[/autotag] (seven starts in 2023), former Texas and Minnesota defensive tackle [autotag]Trill Carter[/autotag] (31 career starts), ex-Duke linebacker [autotag]Dorian Mausi[/autotag] (27 starts) and former Texas safety [autotag]Jerrin Thompson[/autotag] (31 starts).

Those pickups outweigh the losses of 2022 starting quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] (South Carolina) and linebacker [autotag]Cam Riley[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Donovan Kaufman[/autotag], who both ranked in the top 11 on the team in tackles last season and haven’t found new landing spots yet.

[autotag]Antonio Kite[/autotag] (CB-Alabama), Jerrin Thompson (S-Texas), Percy Lewis (OT-Mississippi State), and [autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag] (TE-Maryland) are the most notable transfer additions for Auburn so far, as they all join the roster as four-star transfers according to 247Sports.

Joining Auburn as “winners” include Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Missouri. Arkansas and Florida were teams who “broke even”, while Alabama, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt joined the “losers” category.