Walker White – Syndication Server

Leadership is strong within Auburn’s QB room

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is pleased with his quarterbacks’ desire to get better ahead of Saturday’s A-Day game.

Auburn fans are set to flock to the Plains this weekend to watch Auburn’s annual A-Day game. One of the many aspects that fans will be watching this Saturday is the quarterback rotation.

[autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is set to return as Auburn’s incumbent starter, but returners [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] and [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], as well as true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], are working towards taking the starting role.

How have Auburn’s quarterbacks progressed? Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] says that they are not where he would like for them to be, but there is one aspect of the room that he is truly impressed with.

“Leadership has been really good,” Freeze said. “Our decision-making has not been exactly what I want it to be just yet, but, boy, they’re hungry to learn.”

According to a report by Richard Silva of The Montgomery Advertiser, Thorne continues to see the most action with the first team this spring due to his experience in the role, as well as his understanding of opposing defenses. It appears that the backup competition is between Geriner and Brown. Geriner has taken the most second-team snaps, while Brown is looking to build off of his Music City Bowl outing where he passed for 132 yards.

When it comes to White, Silva says that he appears more experienced than his age would lead everyone to believe. Earlier this spring, Thorne told reporters that White is great at asking questions, and is eager to learn as much as he can.

A-Day is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Auburn reveals jersey numbers for 2024 early enrollees

2024 signees such as Cam Coleman, Walker White, and Joseph Phillips have secured their jersey numbers ahead of spring practice.

Auburn football will begin this week, and they will have several members of its No. 7 ranked 2024 recruiting class joining them.

Signees such as wide receivers [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] will enroll this summer, but the Tigers will still have the likes of [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], and [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] on campus to go through spring exercises and to get ahead start to their college careers.

Ahead of the start of spring practices, Auburn football revealed the numbers that each early enrollee will wear during their first season on the Plains. Here is a look at which 2024 signees will participate in spring practice, as well as the number they will be representing on their jerseys.

2026 quarterback Dia Bell to visit Auburn in March

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound prospect has already received an offer from the Tigers with plenty of other major programs also interested.

Class of 2026 quarterback [autotag]Dia Bell[/autotag] has announced his intention to visit Auburn this spring. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound prospect has already received an offer from the Tigers with plenty of other major programs also interested.

Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Miami, Indiana, Penn State as well as SEC programs Florida and LSU have already extended an offer to the sophomore.

Bell will make stops at two of those schools, Miami and LSU, a week before he comes down to the Plains. He’ll then continue to Texas, Penn State, West Virginia, Florida, and Mississippi State at some point later on in the spring or summer.

While it is still very early in the process for Bell, it is likely a prospect of his size and talent waits until the last minute to verbally commit to a program.

We’ll see how incoming Auburn freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] performs over the next year and a half. His performance could tie directly into how hard head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and company go after Bell in the coming years.

Busy spring ahead for class of 2026 quarterback Dia Bell.

The class of 2026 quarterback is going to be all over the place in the coming month or so, as he visits a ton of schools.

Story: https://t.co/z1J3XSBwg1 @DiaBell3QB1 @247Sports pic.twitter.com/IjSdQsc1fn

— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) February 21, 2024

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Walker White ranks top-five in 247Sports’ final 2024 quarterback rankings

White is one of many talented players that will join the Tigers’ roster ahead of the 2024 season.

Auburn football’s 2024 signing class is special.

The Tigers have landed quality talent at wide receiver, such as five-star [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag]. The guy who will be throwing passes to those stud wide receivers is not so bad himself.

247Sports recently released its final rankings for the 2024 class, and quarterback signee [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] is among the nation’s best at the position. White is considered to be the fifth-best quarterback in the class, which makes him the highest-ranked quarterback signee for Auburn since [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag], who was the No. 2 quarterback in the 2019 class.

White is considered to be a four-star quarterback by 247Sports’ standards. He is the No. 41 overall player for the 2024 class and is the top player from the state of Arkansas. As a senior at Little Rock Christian Academy, White passed for 2,660 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 834 yards and eight scores.

White is one of three SEC signees to earn a top-10 ranking from 247Sports, joining Florida signee DJ Lagway and Georgia pledge Ryan Puglisi.

The FINAL Top 10 QBs in the Class of 2024. 🏈

MORE: https://t.co/C494jFLdtZ pic.twitter.com/AFBjRspBlf

— 247Sports (@247Sports) January 25, 2024

Is Will Rogers a perfect fit for Auburn?

On3’s Pete Nakos believes that one season of Will Rogers could benefit the future of Auburn’s quarterback room.

An eventful week in Seattle has led to one of the nation’s top college quarterbacks to return to the transfer portal.

Following the departure of head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama, former Mississippi State quarterback [autotag]Will Rogers[/autotag] has decided to back off his pledge to Washington and has re-entered the transfer portal. Ryan Haley of College Sports Wire lists Auburn as a potential landing spot for Rogers, and Pete Nakos of On3 has similar sentiments.

In a recent interview with On3’s Andy Staples, Nakos mentioned that he has spoken with Rogers since his re-entry into the transfer portal. Rogers tells Nakos that he is open to every option on the table, including a return to Washington.

If he elects not to play for new Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch, could Auburn be the best suitor? Rogers has one season of eligibility remaining, which could benefit Auburn’s quarterback room while true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] develops Nakos says.

“[Auburn] is going to try to add a quarterback one way or the other.. They’re not going to take a quarterback with like three years of eligibility left. There’s Walker White, the freshman, coming in, who’s really highly-touted and really highly thought of. They want him to be the guy in the years to come.”

In four seasons as the primary starter at Mississippi State, Rogers passed for 12,315 yards and 94 touchdowns while holding a 69.3 completion percentage. Auburn returns three scholarship quarterbacks, including incumbent starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], for the 2024 season.

Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter will return for senior season.

Auburn’s best offensive player from this past season is officially returning to the Plains in 2024.

Running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter [/autotag]announced his intentions to return for his senior season on Friday. His commitment adds another piece to what should be the Tigers’ best group of skill-position players in some time.

The Philadelphia, MS native had his best season on the Plains in 2023, surpassing 1,000 all-purpose yards while scoring the most touchdowns on the team.

After struggling out of the gate, Hunter went on to average well over 100 rushing yards per game over Auburn’s final five SEC contests.

Auburn’s “RB1” was arguably the best offensive player in the SEC over the Tigers 3-game win streak against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas, accumulating over 400 yards on 7.4 yards per carry in three games.

Hunter also had a great Iron Bowl, rushing 14 times for 93 yards. One of those 14 carries went for 42 yards to set up Auburn’s first touchdown of the afternoon.

Barring injury, Auburn’s top back should crack the all-time top 10 list in rushing yards by a Tiger. He’ll enter his senior season 537 yards behind 10th-place Ronnie Brown. Hunter could feasibly crack the top 6 with another near 1,000 yard season.

The senior’s return instantly gives a stable, familiar face to what could be a brand-new looking [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] offense.

Whether it’s incumbent [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], freshmen [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], or a transfer portal quarterback taking snaps under center for Auburn in 2024, they’ll be confident knowing Hunter is in the backfield with them.

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Robby Ashford among top quarterbacks remaining in transfer portal

Brad Crawford of 247Sports considers the former Auburn quarterback one of the best available transfer portal options.

Former Auburn quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] is still looking for a new home. However, he may cash in his luck sooner rather than later.

Following the announcement of Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s decision to enter the transfer portal, Brad Crawford of 247Sports updated his list of the top quarterbacks remaining in the transfer portal. Out of all the available quarterbacks, Ashford checks in at No. 8.

Ashford is above Arizona transfer Jayden de Laura and New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia on Crawford’s list. Crawford recaps Ashford’s brief but productive two-year stay in Auburn.

After initially transferring to Auburn from Oregon per Auburn Undercover, Ashford was Auburn’s primary starting quarterback during the 2022 season, taking over for nine games after T.J. Finley’s early season injury. Ashford completed 49.2 percent of his passes for 1,613 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] said following his team’s loss to Maryland in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl that the quarterback competition at Auburn is “wide open” for the 2024 season. He did not indicate that he would be looking into the transfer portal for his next starter, however, there are many solid options available such as USC‘s Malachi Nelson, James Madison’s Jordan McCloud, and Matthew Sluka at Holy Cross.

Auburn will head into spring practice with four quarterbacks set to compete for the open position: [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], and true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag].

Auburn recruit Walker White impressing scouts at All-American Bowl

Auburn recruit Walker White has been impressive at All-American Bowl practice.

Auburn 4-star recruit Walker White is reportedly cooking at the All-American Bowl practices this week.

According to 247 Sports, the 18-year-old has been the most impressive quarterback in camp through the first half of the week.

This is an impressive feat considering the All-American Bowl is the last stop for a profusion of high school seniors before they transition into college football. Some of the other signal-callers in camp include TCU signee Hauss Hejny, Texas signee Trey Owens, Arizona signee Demond Williams, and Wake Forest commit Jeremy Hecklinski.

The list of quarterbacks is talented, but White has been able to stand out because of his “explosive arm capable of making any throw” and “psychical presence that draws eerie similarities to former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis.”

Their is no doubt White has all the physical gifts that make up a great quarterback. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 222 pounds, White dominated at Little Rock Christian Academy in Arkansas. The 4-star threw for 2,660 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior, adding on eigth rushing touchdowns.

White’s impressive start to the All-American Bowl practice window is encouraging to see, and Auburn fans will surely have their eyes on him when the game kicks off this Saturday, Jan. 6, at noon CT on NBC and Peacock.

Other than White, linebacker Demarcus Riddick, defensive lineman Amaris Williams, defensive back Kensley Faustin, and offensive lineman DeAndre Carter will be in action.

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Auburn’s QB woes will bleed into 2024 season

After a disappointing performance by Auburn quarterbacks in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, Hugh Freeze will need to find a consistent option for the position in 2024.

One of the main inconsistencies surrounding Auburn’s football program dating back as far as the 2021 season is quarterback play.

This season was no different, as [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] split snaps in 10 of Auburn’s 13 games this season. Ashford’s role was not surprising to him, as he shared snaps with TJ Finley during the 2022 season as well.

However, after it was made obvious that Thorne would be the main guy rolling into the 2024 season, Ashford elected to enter the transfer portal.

Problem solved, right? The issue is far from being resolved.

Three quarterbacks saw action for the Tigers in their 31-13 loss to Maryland in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl last Saturday, combining to complete 21-of-42 passes for 224 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Auburn starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] managed to complete 13-of-27 passes for just 84 yards and a score while [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] could only complete 1-of-6 passes for eight yards. Both players threw one interception in the contest.

True freshman [autotag]Hank Brow[/autotag]n was Auburn’s most efficient passer by passing for 132 yards on seven completions.

Brown’s performance, and the lackluster efforts from Auburn’s two most experienced signal callers, leaves [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] to make serious decisions regarding the position in 2024.

Freeze told reporters that the quarterback job is “wide open” for next season following Auburn’s bowl loss, and that everyone will need to step up in order to earn the right to be called QB1 next season.

All three of Auburn’s quarterback participants are set to return next season, and true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] is set to join the roster in January, thus throwing his name into consideration for the job during spring practice.

Although Freeze has mentioned that he plans on staying with his current quarterback unit for the 2024 season, there are several viable options remaining in the transfer portal as of the timing of this post. Several uncommitted names that remain in the transfer portal include Missouri’s Jake Garcia, Florida State’s Tate Rodemaker, and USC‘s Malachi Nelson.

No matter who wins the quarterback battle in 2024, I think every Auburn fan would love more consistency out of the winning candidate going forward.

Walker White earns a spot on On3’s 2024 Quarterback Superlatives list

Auburn has paired its historical wide receiver haul with a solid quarterback in Walker White.

Auburn landed its best wide receiver class in history on Wednesday.

Hugh Freeze earned the signatures of five-stars [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and four-stars [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] on the opening day of the early signing period. For a unit that needs immediate improvement, the addition of these four players will help Auburn in its effort to compete for an SEC championship.

The next question surrounding Auburn’s receiver unit is, “Who will throw them the football?”

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has expressed his intent to keep Payton Thorne as Auburn’s quarterback for next season, but he also signed the quarterback of the future during the 2024 cycle in [autotag]Walker White[/autotag].

White is considered the No. 3 overall player from the state of Arkansas, and On3 considers White to be one of the top quarterbacks for the 2024 class.

In their 2024 Quarterback Superlative list, On3 gives White the title of “Most Physically Developed” quarterback of this year’s cycle.

At 6-foot-3.5 and around 220 pounds, Walker White has long-been one of the more physically-developed and impressive 2024 signal callers. White owns a big, muscular build that is more college ready than the vast majority of his peers. The Auburn signee is a physical, tough player who is able to shrug off defenders in the pocket and lower his shoulder to pick up extra yards as a runner. The On300 prospect led his Little Rock (Ark.) Little Rock Christian Academy team to a state title game appearance as a senior.

White is the No. 3 overall prospect from Arkansas for the 2024 cycle according to On3, and the No. 7 overall quarterback. He is apart of Auburn’s 2024 haul that ranks No. 7 overall according to On3’s rankings.