SEC football – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Ex-Stanford QB Ashton Daniels commits to Auburn

Daniels commits to Auburn after making 20 starts for the Stanford Cardinal.

Auburn will bring zero scholarship quarterbacks from the 2024 season into 2025 and the coaching staff is working quickly to fill the void.

Two days after landing the signature of former Oklahoma quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], Hayes Fawcett of On3 reports that Auburn has grabbed the commitment of another experienced quarterback in [autotag]Ashton Daniels[/autotag], formerly of Stanford.

Daniels was the first name to emerge once the winter transfer portal opened on Dec. 6. Steve Wiltfong of On3 submitted a prediction that favored Auburn landing the 20-game starter from Stanford following an interview in which Daniels said he could “be a spark” to the young wide receivers.

Daniels will enter an expected stiff competition between Arnold and five-star signee [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] for the right to be named QB1 for the 2025 season. In three seasons at Stanford, Daniels passed for 3,986 yards and 21 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 1,121 yards and nine scores.

Daniels’ addition brings confidence to the RPO game, as [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] now has three mobile quarterbacks on his roster. Three dual-threat quarterbacks will open play-calling and give Auburn more opportunities to win close games.

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Former Georgia Tech safety Taye Seymore commits to Auburn

Seymore made 45 tackles as a sophomore at Georgia Tech in 2024.

Auburn is adding an experienced safety from the transfer portal to its secondary.

According to a report by Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, Auburn has landed a commitment from [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag], a safety formerly of Georgia Tech. Seymore joins Auburn’s roster after spending his first two collegiate seasons with the Yellow Jackets.

The 2024 season was a breakout year for Seymore. The sophomore from South Atlanta High School (Georgia) played in ten games this season for Georgia Tech with seven starts. He made 45 tackles with two pass deflections. He logged a career-best 10 tackles in Georgia Tech’s 31-28 loss to Syracuse on Sept. 7.

According to Pro Football Focus data, Seymore tallied 401 snaps in 2024. During his time on the field, he allowed 76.9% (10-of-13) of targeted passes to be caught for 183 yards while allowing just two touchdowns. Seymore did not participate in the Yellow Jackets’ final two games against NC State and Georgia due to injury.

Seymore will look to earn a spot in the safety rotation alongside Kaleb Harries and Sylvester Smith in 2025. True freshmen Eric Winters and Anquon Fegans will also look to join the mix.

Auburn freshman EDGE Amaris Williams plans to enter transfer portal

A five-star EDGE from the 2024 signing class, Williams departs after just one season on the Plains.

Auburn’s second-highest-rated signee from its 2024 recruiting haul is projected to leave the Plains after just one season.

According to a report by Hayes Fawcett of On3, Auburn EDGE rusher [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag] has filed the paperwork necessary to enter the transfer portal. The news of his plan to enter the transfer portal comes a day after EDGE coach Josh Aldridge’s announced departure from the program to become the defensive coordinator at East Carolina.

Williams signed with Auburn as the No. 5 EDGE of the 2024 recruiting cycle, trailing wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] for the top spot in Auburn’s recruiting haul. He appeared in five games for the Tigers during his freshman campaign in 2024, where he logged seven tackles and 0.5 sacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Williams participated in 120 snaps this season and created five quarterback pressures.

Williams was expected to play a larger role on defense in 2025 following the departure of [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], who graduates after making 106 stops in two seasons at Auburn with 13.5 sacks. Should Williams elect to play elsewhere, Auburn will look to rising senior [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag], redshirt freshman [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag], and 2025 signee [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] to fill the void left behind by McLeod and to team up with rising junior Keldric Faulk to continue Auburn’s run of dominant EDGE play.

Auburn EDGE coach Josh Aldridge to become defensive coordinator at ECU

After coaching Jalen McLeod and Keldric Faulk to success in 2023 and 2024, Aldridge is ready to take on a larger role at an AAC program.

The first coaching move of the offseason has officially taken place.

[autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag], who spent the previous two seasons as Auburn’s EDGE coach, departs the program for the defensive coordinator position at East Carolina according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Auburn’s EDGE rushers were arguably the strongest unit on Auburn’s defense the past two seasons under Aldridge. This season, [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] and [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] were the highest-graded defensive players according to Pro Football Focus at 85.5 and 84.7 respectively. The pair combined to create 74 quarterback pressures with 16 sacks and three forced fumbles. Backup EDGE rushers [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag] had solid seasons as well by combining to make 13 pressures and 12 quarterback hurries.

McLeod found similar success in 2023 by creating 37 quarterback pressures with six sacks. As a freshman that season, Faulk made 36 tackles with a sack.

Before his time at Auburn, Aldridge spent four seasons under head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] at Liberty, where he began as a defensive line coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator, becoming a Broyles Award nominee in 2021. He has also spent time at Lenor-Rhyne and West Georgia.

Freshman QB Walker White to enter transfer portal

White’s Auburn career concludes after just one season on the Plains.

One piece of disappointing news has surfaced on an otherwise positive day for Auburn football.

According to reports from multiple outlets, including On3 and 247Sports, Auburn freshman quarterback [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] intends to enter the transfer portal after spending one season on the Plains. The news comes hours after former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold signed with Auburn as a transfer.

White saw action in one game this season, passing for 18 yards on two pass completions in Auburn’s 48-14 win over ULM on Nov. 16. The Little Rock, Arkansas native signed with Auburn as the No. 5 quarterback of the 2024 signing class and the No. 1 overall recruit from Arkansas.

Although disappointing, White’s decision to transfer is understandable. Auburn signed five-star quarterback [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] to its 2025 recruiting haul and snagged Jackson Arnold from the transfer portal early in the cycle. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff has also made contact with Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy and Stanford quarterback Ashton Daniels, as it is expected that Auburn will sign another transfer portal quarterback this cycle to fill in for the departures of Payton Thorne, Holden Geriner, and Hank Brown.

Following White’s anticipated departure, Auburn will bring zero scholarship quarterbacks from 2024 into its 2025 season. Thorne has graduated, Brown will sign with Iowa as a transfer, and Geriner remains in the transfer portal at the time of this post.

Auburn football lands Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold

Has Auburn found its QB1 for the 2025 season?

Following the graduation of [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], the Auburn Tigers must look to a new name to lead the offense as the team’s starting quarterback.

Their search may have ended on Saturday morning.

Pete Nakos of On3 reports that former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, who visited Auburn on Friday, has committed to the Tigers. He commits to Auburn after passing for 1,984 yards and 16 touchdowns in 16 games throughout two seasons.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] says that Arnold is a quarterback who can succeed at Auburn due to his understanding of the current offensive system.

“He’s as natural operating the RPO game as any kid mechanically that I’ve seen,” Freeze said Saturday. “I’ve seen enough on tape that he has a clear understanding of it. The thing that excites me the most is his mechanics are as good as they get. We’re not going to have to change a thing with that.”

Arnold signed with Oklahoma as the No. 4 quarterback of the 2023 recruiting cycle, a class that included Texas quarterback Arch Manning, Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The Denton, Texas native won Gatorade Player of the Year for his state after a senior season in 2023 that saw him pass for 3,476 yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 921 yards and 24 scores.

According to Auburn athletics’ official website, Arnold is the highest-rated quarterback (based on high school ratings) to sign with Auburn. Arnold, along with 2025 signee [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag], will be the first five-star duo to grace the Auburn quarterback room at the same time.

Arnold will now join a quarterback competition between redshirt freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] and 2025 signee Deuce Knight. Following the departures of [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], Auburn is expected to add one more quarterback to its 2025 depth chart. Names to watch for in this regard are former Duke QB Maalik Murphy and former Stanford QB Ashton Daniels.

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Former Oklahoma Sooners QB commits to Auburn Tigers

Former Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback heading to the Auburn Tigers.

Former five-star prospect and Oklahoma Sooners starting quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] has a new home via the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag], committing to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday morning, according to On3 Sports.

Arnold, who started 10 games for the Oklahoma Sooners, including the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona in 2023, was the National Gatorade Player of the Year for 2022 and 2022 Elite 11 MVP coming out of high school. After sitting for a year behind 2024 Heisman finalist [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], Arnold took the reigns of the Oklahoma offense.

Arnold and the Sooners offense struggled throughout the season due to injuries and inconsistent offensive line play. With limited experience, Arnold couldn’t overcome the instability around him. Turnovers against Tennessee forced him to the bench, but he stayed ready and came back against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

From that point on, Arnold kept the quarterback job. Arnold had some good moments over the second half of the season but still struggled with turnovers, including a costly fumble against the Missouri Tigers.

Arnold bounced back from the loss to Missouri with a solid performance against Maine. He then led OU to a win over Alabama with his ability to run the football. In the win over the Crimson Tide, Arnold carried the ball 25 times for 131 yards.

In 2024, Arnold completed 62.6% of his passes for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for 444 yards and three touchdowns.

With Ben Arbuckle as their new offensive coordinator, the Sooners opted to take a new approach on offense. Michael Hawkins Jr. will start the bowl game, and the Sooners are likely to pursue a veteran quarterback option via the transfer portal.

Arnold will head to Auburn to replace Payton Thorne as the Tigers’ starting quarterback and help the Tigers improve upon their 5-7 season in 2024. That continues the trend of Sooners heading to other SEC teams after Brenen Thompson landed with Mississippi State and Bauer Sharp committed to LSU on Friday.

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SEC names four Tigers to All-Freshman squad

Several freshmen are being rewarded for their efforts this season with their first conference honors.

The Southeastern Conference has released its postseason awards for the 2024 season, and four Tigers have found a place within the All-SEC Freshmen team.

Auburn relied heavily on several freshmen this season, and they are being rewarded by earning their first conference honor. Wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Bradyn Joiner[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag], and cornerback [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag] were named to the SEC’s All-Freshman team, the league office announced this week.

Coleman had a spectacular first season on the Plains, ending the year as Auburn’s second-leading receiver behind Penn State transfer [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag]. The freshman from Phenix City logged 37 catches for 598 yards and eight scores in his debut season. He played a vital role in Auburn’s late-season wins over ULM and Texas A&M by hauling in over 100 receiving yards in both games.

Joiner saw action in 10 games as a redshirt freshman for the Tigers in 2024. After participating in 158 snaps over the first eight weeks of the season, Joiner took over the starting role at left guard over Auburn’s final five games. In 486 total snaps, Joiner allowed 11 pressures with three sacks.

Riddick played in 10 games this season in three different positions. He earned his first start in Auburn’s 31-13 loss to Georgia in October and would record two more starts by the season’s end. Riddick’s freshman campaign concluded with 27 tackles, three sacks, and a pass deflection. He made a season-high six tackles in Auburn’s loss to Oklahoma on Sept. 28.

Crawford wraps up Auburn’s representation after making 15 stops with seven pass breakups and an interception. According to Pro Football Focus, Crawford is the fifth-highest-graded freshman cornerback at 77.3. He earns the grade after allowing just 40.3% of passes to be caught and allowing just two opposing touchdowns.

In addition to Auburn’s four all-freshman nods, running back Jarquez Hunter and wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith secured All-SEC honors earlier this week.

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.

Georgia is nation’s most watched college football team

More fans watch Georgia football than any other CFB team

The 2024 SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs dominated the Nielsen ratings as the most-watched football team of the year, thanks to a schedule packed with top-25 matchups.

Georgia averaged 8.6 million viewers per game, significantly outpacing the Ohio State Buckeyes, which ranked second with 6.8 million viewers. The Alabama Crimson Tide had (6.6 million viewers per game), the Texas Longhorns (6.4 million), and Tennessee Volunteers (5.4 million) completed Nielsen’s top-five list.

Georgia’s marquee matchups contributed to these high numbers. Alabama and Texas both saw ratings boosted by hosting the Bulldogs. The SEC championship game, where Georgia defeated Texas, drew a staggering 16.6 million viewers with peaking at 19.7 million viewers. More people watched the SEC championship than any other all Power Four conference championship.

Other standout games included Georgia’s October victory at Texas, which garnered 13 million viewers, and their late September loss at Alabama, which 12 million fans viewed.

Georgia football’s 2025 schedule dropped on Wednesday night and there are plenty of marquee matchups for the Bulldogs next season (especially at home).