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Auburn among top schools recruiting 2026 TE Kaiden Prothro the hardest

What about Auburn intrigues the talented tight end from Bowdon, Georgia the most?

Auburn football remains a heavy-hitter for 2026 tight end [autotag]Kaiden Prothro[/autotag] after making his top-10 list in November.

In a recent interview with On3’s Chad Simmons, Prothro says that Auburn is one of the seven schools recruiting him the best, joining programs such as Alabama, Georgia, and Florida State.

Auburn’s coaching staff and program trajectory intrigue Prothro the most.

“I like the coaches. In the future, they’re going to be great,” Prothro said. “I can see that they’re going to be a great team in the next couple of years with a top recruiting class and some great guys coming in. I really like that about Auburn.”

Overall, what does Prothro look for in a program? He tells Simmons that proximity to home and the history of how well each coaching staff develops tight ends are important. At the time of this post, he has not set a commitment date and is in no hurry to do so.

Prothro is coming off another impressive season at Bowdon High School in Bowdon, Georgia. The junior logged 56 catches for 1,203 yards and 22 touchdowns. He caught three passes for 92 yards and a score in Bowdon’s GHSA A-D2 state championship win over Brooks County on Dec. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Bowdon’s third-straight title.

Prothro is a 6-6, 210 pound tight end from the 2026 recruiting class. According to On3, he is the No. 2 tight end in the nation, and is the No. 6 overall recruit from Georgia from the cycle.

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Former Maryland tight end Preston Howard announces commitment to Auburn

Howard will look to fill the void at tight end after the departure of Rivaldo Fairweather.

Auburn will be without a myriad of tight ends from its 2024 roster heading into the 2025 season. However, a transfer with Power Four experience is heading to the Plains to help fill the void.

[autotag]Preston Howard[/autotag], a tight end formerly of Maryland, announced his commitment to Auburn on Friday via Instagram.

Howard brings 21 games of starting experience to the Plains, which will benefit Auburn as it loses a key offensive piece in [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag]. In two seasons on the Plains, Fairweather made 69 catches for 766 yards and eight touchdowns.

In two seasons at Maryland, Howard logged 37 catches for 349 yards and a score. His best season took place in 2024 when he hauled in 24 of 28 targeted passes for 189 yards, with his best game being a five-catch, 59-yard outing in Maryland’s 37-10 loss to Northwestern on Oct. 11. Ironically, his lone touchdown reception occured in the Terrapins Music City Bowl win over Auburn in 2023.

Auburn now has 13 transfer portal additions ahead of the 2025 season. Hugh Freeze and his staff have filled needs at quarterback, defensive back, offensive line, and linebacker to this point in the cycle.

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Auburn to promote TJ Rushing to outside linebackers coach

Rushing is expected to fill the void left by outgoing EDGE coach Josh Aldridge.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is not searching far for a replacement for outgoing EDGE coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag].

According to reports from On3 and Auburn Undercover, Auburn is expected to promote special assistant to the head coach [autotag]TJ Rushing[/autotag] to an on-field role. Rushing is forecasted to coach outside linebackers and possibly work with Auburn’s nickelbacks.

After a professional football career that saw him win a Super Bowl title and build 1,290 return yards, Rushing dipped into the coaching world in 2013 as a graduate assistant at Arizona State, which later turned into a job with defensive quality control. He joined Texas A&M‘s coaching staff as a defensive backs coach under Jimbo Fisher in 2020. He was later dismissed along with the entire coaching staff following Fisher’s firing in 2023.

He followed ex-Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] to Auburn by taking an off-the-field role for the 2024 season to serve as special assistant to the head coach. Rushing has also coached at Northern Arizona and Memphis.

Rushing will fill the role left behind by former EDGE coach Josh Aldridge. Earlier this week, Aldridge announced that he is leaving Auburn after two seasons to become the defensive coordinator at East Carolina. He will step back into the coordinator role after being Freeze’s defensive coordinator at Liberty in 2022.

On3 projects former Auburn QB Walker White to land at Big 12 program

Could Auburn see Walker White again in the future?

One former Auburn quarterback, [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], has found a new home with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Another former signal-caller is reportedly close to announcing his transfer destination.

Pete Nakos and Steve Wiltfong of On3 have submitted a prediction for former Auburn quarterback Walker White to join the Baylor Bears with 60% confidence. The deal could be announced soon as White is scheduled to visit Baylor on Friday.

On3’s projection of White to Baylor is interesting, as the Tigers will travel to Waco to face Baylor on Aug. 30, 2025, to kick off the season.

According to 247Sports, White was the No. 5 quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle and Auburn’s fifth-highest-rated signee of the class behind players such as wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag].

White appeared in one game for Auburn this season, completing 2-of-5 passes for 18 yards in Auburn’s 48-14 win over ULM on Nov. 16. White was expected to be a key piece of future Tiger offenses, but with the signing of five-star Deuce Knight and the incoming transfers of former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold and former Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels, White elected to find a new home and grab a fresh start.

Several notable players from Auburn’s 2024 roster who have found new homes in the transfer portal are wide receiver Camden Brown (Georgia Southern), tight end Micah Riley (Texas A&M), and defensive back Antonio Kite (Ole Miss). Learn more about Auburn’s outgoing transfers by checking out Auburn Wire’s transfer portal tracker.

Jarquez Hunter announces plans to enter NFL draft

Hunter was a vital piece of Auburn’s offense for four seasons. Now, he is ready to turn pro.

A major bright spot in Auburn football’s recent history is ready for the next step in his college career.

[autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], who played a vital role in Auburn’s offense as the team’s premier running back over the last two seasons, announced Thursday that he is declaring for the NFL draft after four great years on the Plains.

Hunter shared the news on social media by writing to Auburn fans, coaches, and teammates. He began his post by sharing his gratitude for the opportunity to play for Auburn.

“First and foremost I want to thank GOD for blessing me with an opportunity to be able to play at my dream school and the position he has put me in. I give him all the glory and without him I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Although underutilized, there is zero doubt that the Auburn fanbase fully appreciated Hunter. Hunter stepped into the premier back role in 2023 following the departure of [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] to the NFL, where he played at a high level over his final two seasons on the Plains. His first season as the bellcow back saw him rush for 909 yards on 159 carries while scoring seven touchdowns.

He finally reached the 1,000-yard mark as a senior in 2024 by rushing for 1,201 yards on 187 carries. Playcalling limited Hunter’s rushing ability as he recorded less than 20 carries in nine of 12 games this season. Coincidentally, Auburn won three games when Hunter carried the football more than 20 times.

Hunter joins an extensive list of offensive starters who will move on from the program due to graduation including quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], and tackle [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag].

Former Auburn WR returns to college coaching ranks

After spending time in the NFL, Kodi Burns has landed a co-offensive coordinator position with an FBS squad.

After spending two seasons in the NFL coaching ranks, a former Auburn standout returns to college to take on an important role.

[autotag]Kodi Burns[/autotag], who played quarterback and wide receiver for the Tigers from 2007-10, has agreed to become co-offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, and assistant head coach at South Florida. He will reunite with Bulls head coach Alex Golesh after spending time together at Tennessee in 2021.

Golesh is excited to have the former Tiger on board.

“Kodi is a winner who has had great success developing players at both the collegiate and NFL level,” Golesh said in a press release. “I am very excited to have him join our staff, lead our wide receiver group and help us continue to build one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Kodi is a process-driven coach who cares greatly for his players. We worked very well together for a season at Tennessee, he knows our system, and he will be a great mentor for our players.”

Burns returns to the college ranks after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He also spent time at Tennessee, Arizona State, Samford, Middle Tennessee State, and Arkansas State while serving two terms at Auburn.

In 2013, he joined [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]’s inaugural staff as a graduate assistant and later returned to Auburn from 2016 to 2020 to coach wide receivers. Under Burns’ guidance, players like Darius Slayton, Ryan Davis, Seth Williams, Eli Stove, and Anthony Schwartz excelled at Auburn. He was dismissed as part of Malzahn’s firing at the end of the 2020 season.

South Florida finished 6-6 in 2024, and will face San Jose State at the Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 24. Golesh will look to Burns to help improve USF’s passing numbers, which ranked No. 8 in the AAC with 226.8 yards per game.

Auburn adds LSU transfer LB Xavier Atkins

Atkins played in five games at LSU during the 2024 season.

Auburn boosted its roster Wednesday by adding a linebacker with SEC experience.

[autotag]Xavier Atkins[/autotag], a linebacker from Humble, Texas, announced his commitment to Auburn on Wednesday after spending his true freshman season at LSU. Atkins signed with LSU as the No. 25 linebacker from the 2024 class according to 247Sports composite rankings, choosing the Bayou Bengals over Texas A&M.

In his debut season in Baton Rouge, Atkins appeared in five games where he logged 31 snaps, mostly at middle linebacker. Atkins recorded three tackles with two quarterback pressures.

Atkins is the 10th transfer player to commit to Auburn since the winter transfer portal window opened on Dec. 6. He is the fourth defensive player to commit to the Tigers this cycle, joining cornerback [autotag]Raion Strader[/autotag] (Miami University), defensive lineman Dallas Walker (Western Kentucky), and safety [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag] (Georgia Tech).

According to 247Sports, Atkins is Auburn’s No. 8 incoming transfer. Virginia Tech offensive line transfer [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] takes the top spot, followed by USC OL transfer [autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag], Miami (Ohio) cornerback Raidon Strader, and Oklahoma quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

Amaris Williams changes course, elects to stay with Auburn

Williams briefly considered entering the transfer portal after his debut season on the Plains.

Auburn fans can breathe a sigh of relief as a key true freshman has backed off his intent to enter the transfer portal.

Earlier this week, it was reported that freshman EDGE Amaris Williams filed the paperwork necessary to enter the transfer portal. After taking a couple of days to weigh options, Williams announced Tuesday that he will change course and stay with Auburn for the 2025 season.

As a freshman, Williams recorded seven tackles with 0.5 sacks. Williams was Auburn’s 13th-highest-graded defensive player in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus (71.2), with tackling being his strong suit at 78.3. He logged five total pressures last season in 120 snaps over 10 games.

The news of his return is important for Auburn football as he is expected to fill the role of outgoing EDGE Jalen McLeod, who logged 106 tackles and 13.5 sacks over the last two seasons for Auburn. With the return of Williams, [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], and [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag], along with the signing of five-star EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], the EDGE position will continue to be a strong point within the Tigers’ defense.

The only question surrounding Auburn’s EDGE rushers is “Who will lead the position group?” Hugh Freeze is looking to fill the slot of EDGE coach following the departure of [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag], who accepted the defensive coordinator position at ECU earlier this week.

Auburn adds former USC tackle Mason Murphy from transfer portal

Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire sheds light on what Auburn fans can expect from Murphy following his commitment.

Auburn fans woke Tuesday to the news that an experienced offensive lineman would join.

[autotag]Mason Murphy[/autotag], a 22-game starter for the USC Trojans at right tackle, announced his commitment to Auburn on Tuesday morning. His commitment is welcomed as head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] are searching for a replacement at right tackle for the outgoing [autotag]Izavion Miller[/autotag].

What exactly is Auburn getting in Murphy? We asked Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire for insight on Murphy’s time in Los Angeles, and he delivered.

Murphy started all 12 of USC’s games this season, with his best game coming in the Trojans’ 42-20 win over Rutgers on Oct. 25. Pro Football Focus graded his performance 81.0 overall, with an 83.6 in pass blocking. However, he failed to grade above 71.0 in his remaining 11 starts, which caused frustration among the USC fanbase according to Zemek.

“Maybe (Thornton) can create improvements from Murphy, but USC fans winced (and probably yelled with anger) when Murphy made key mistakes which kneecapped the Trojans in 2024,” Zemek said.

Several of Murphy’s mistakes included losing a block against Minnesota on Oct. 5, which forced a momentum-swinging interception that led to a Trojan loss. Murphy also committed four false start penalties in USC’s loss to Washington on Nov. 2.

However, Zemek feels Murphy could become a high-level player with great coaching.

“To be fair to Auburn, USC offensive line coach Josh Henson has not done a good job with the Trojans,” Zemek said. “If Auburn thinks it can coach Murphy better than Henson did at USC, this could all work out. If that was the thought process behind this pickup, it makes sense. Just beware: Mason Murphy was not part of the solution at USC.”

Last season, Izavion Miller earned a grade of 64.4 from Pro Football Focus after allowing 17 pressures with four sacks in 570 snaps at right tackle. However, two key linemen: [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag] and [autotag]Connor Lew[/autotag], were graded above 70 for the season.

Murphy will compete alongside Virginia Tech transfer [autotag]Xavier Chaplin[/autotag] for the role of Auburn’s starting right tackle this spring. Chaplin committed to Auburn Monday after starting 25 games at left tackle for the Hokies over the last two seasons.

FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt weighs in on Auburn’s addition of Jackson Arnold

Will Arnold find success on the Plains?

Auburn football may have found its replacement at quarterback in former Oklahoma signal-caller [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

Arnold signed with Auburn from the transfer portal on Saturday following a successful visit to the Plains. In an interview with Auburn Undercover, Arnold shared that Auburn’s history and the perspective of being developed led him to sign.

“For me, I think the opportunity here to go out and play at a high level and on a national stage,” Arnold said following his commitment to Auburn. “(Auburn senior offensive analyst Jesse Stone) was telling me that Auburn is one of six programs to play for two national championships in the past 20 years, you’re playing at a high level. You’re going to get developed and you’re going to play in front of a huge crowd that’s passionate about their team.”

After a rocky tenure at Oklahoma, will Arnold turn his career around in Auburn? One FOX Sports analyst says there is still hope for the former five-star quarterback to end his collegiate career positively.

Joel Klatt recently joined an episode of “The Next Round” podcast to discuss several topics surrounding college football, including Auburn’s addition of Arnold. Klatt feels that Auburn will bring out hidden aspects to Arnold’s game.

“I think he can have a lot of success, it remains to be seen,” Klatt said.

Part of Arnold’s shaky season in Norman was due to him being benched following a poor start against Tennessee. He was later re-inserted as the starter, but could not build consistency due to injuries affecting his supporting cast. Klatt feels that if Arnold has a long memory, it could affect his abilities on the Plains.

“My biggest question is going to be his confidence,” Klatt said. “I’m wondering what happened to his psyche during the course of this year.”

Arnold joins former Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels as a new addition to Auburn’s QB room from the transfer portal. The pair, plus five-star signee [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag], will compete for Auburn’s starting quarterback job this spring.