Wesley McGriff – Syndication Server

Auburn in tight battle with USC for four-star safety Anquon Fegans

USC remains the favorite to sign the talented DB from Thompson High School, but Auburn is gaining ground quickly.

The Thompson Warriors have become the state of Alabama’s powerhouse by winning four of the last five Class 7A state championships. Safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] has been a major reason why.

Fegans, a four-star safety, has recorded 176 tackles in three seasons as a varsity player for the Warriors, with five tackles for loss and 18 interceptions. He is one of the most sought-after recruits for the 2025 cycle, and it is easy to see why Auburn is working to keep him within the state’s borders.

Auburn is trending upward in Fegans’ recruitment, and one recruiting expert is ready to throw in his prediction. Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live has logged an “expert pick” for Auburn to land Fegans, joining Jeffrey Lee in doing so.

Fegans visited Auburn last month, where he spent time with defensive backs coaches [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] and [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag]. Fegans also mentioned to On3 that defensive backs [autotag]Antonio Kite[/autotag] and former Thompson teammate [autotag]Kaleb Harris[/autotag] are joining Auburn’s coaches in his recruiting efforts.

USC remains the favorite to land Fegans with a 50.1% forecast from On3, but Auburn is next at 41.8%. Fegans is a four-star safety according to all four major recruiting outlets. By On3’s standards, Fegans is the nation’s No. 4 safety for the 2025 cycle and is the No. 3 overall recruit from the state of Alabama.

New RPM Prediction: In-state 4-star DB to Auburn (On3+) @AuburnLiveOn3

Count me in on this prediction.. Liking what I am hearing here. https://t.co/p9oqsfHjJX

— Cole Pinkston (@ColePinkston) April 9, 2024

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Keionte Scott elected to stay at Auburn, and Wesley McGriff deserves the credit

Scott flirted with the transfer portal in January, but returns to bring experience to a depleted Auburn secondary.

Auburn’s secondary is one of the least experienced units on the defensive side of the ball, so it needs as much leadership as possible.

After the departures of [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]DJ James[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], who declared for the NFL draft, Auburn needed a player like [autotag]Keionte Scott [/autotag]in-house to provide leadership and experience to the unit. Earlier this week, Scott revealed that he almost left the program, which would have for sure delivered a blow to Auburn’s defense.

Scott entered the transfer portal for a short time in January before pulling his name out of consideration just two days later. What sparked his return? The return of defensive backs coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag]. McGriff took a step back from his on-field duties last October before leaving the program to join Mike Elko’s staff at Texas A&M. The deal with Texas A&M fell through, which led him back to Auburn.

Scott says a brief chat with McGriff made the difference.

“We talked a lot throughout the process and stuff like that,” Scott said. He was able to still mentor me through the process of everything. So ultimately having him come back, that was a plus.”

Scott, who will move to cornerback this season, says that the prospective of playing in new defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag]’s defense, and staying at a place he loves in Auburn, also played a role in his decision to stay.

Scott enters the 2024 season with 72 total tackles, an interception, and four pass deflections. He has also returned 29 punts in two seasons on the Plains for 356 yards and a touchdown.

Wesley McGriff’s return is ‘big’ for 5-star Auburn target Zelus Hicks

Auburn is firmly in the running for five-star safety Zelus Hicks and Wesley McGriff is a major reason why.

[autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] was a member of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s first coaching staff at Auburn and despite a brief stint at Texas A&M, he will be a part of the second one.

That development was significant for five-star safety [autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag]. McGriff coaches the cornerbacks but he has taken the lead for Hicks.

“It was very important actually. I was shocked that he came back so quick,” Hicks told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “He was only up there for like a week. When he came back it definitely surprised me and it was big that he came back. The main thing that he said to me today is that he’s here and he wants me here with him. He’s not going nowhere. After leaving, he’s not going nowhere. That’s big.”

From Georgia, Hicks has spent plenty of time on Auburn’s campus and that won’t be stopping soon. He visited for three games last season and after stopping by on Saturday, he plans on spending plenty of more time on the Plains.

“Oh yeah, I’m definitely going to be back as much as I can,” Hicks said.

He is the No. 31 overall player and No. 3 safety in the 247Sports composite ranking. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder is also the No. 4 player from Georgia.

Great talk with @CoachHughFreeze today enjoyed @AuburnFootball today. @AuburnMade @Rivals @On3sports @247Sports pic.twitter.com/80ypCO9BeY

— Zelus Hicks (@Zelus_Hicks) January 20, 2024

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Report: Texas A&M football program hires Aggies alumnus Jordan Peterson from Kansas as DBs coach

According to a report from Billy Liucci of TexAgs, the Aggies have hired Kansas co-defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson as co-cornerbacks coach.

The old cliche goes “Everything happens for a reason,” and that is certainly evident in Aggieland over the past nine days.

The day after Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko retained Bryant Gross-Armiento as a senior defensive analyst, Wesley McGriff decided to return to Auburn rather than becoming passing game coordinator & co-defensive backs coach alongside Ishmael Aristide.

Now only eight days later, Elko has found McGriff’s replacement and it’s a face that diehard members of the 12th Man will know. According to a report from Billy Liucci of TexAgs, the Aggies have hired Kansas co-defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson as co-cornerbacks coach.

Peterson is a Texas A&M alumnus who played four seasons at Kyle Field before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sport management in 2009 along with his master’s in education curriculum and instruction in 2010. As a 5-foot-10, 185-pound safety, he racked up 81 tackles 15 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.

After becoming a two-time All-Big 12 Academic First Team selection, Peterson got his start in coaching as a graduate assistant in College Station from 2010-11. He coached at Fresno State from 2012-16, New Mexico from 2017-19 and had been with the Jayhawks for the last four seasons from 2020-23.

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Report: Wesley McGriff reverses course and returns to Auburn after accepting Texas A&M job

After agreeing to leave Auburn for Texas A&M on New Year’s Eve, Wesley McGriff has apparently changed his mind according to Justin Hokanson.

After agreeing to leave Auburn for Texas A&M on New Year’s Eve, Wesley McGriff has apparently changed his mind.

According to Justin Hokanson, the Auburn reporter for On3 Sports, McGriff has reversed course and will be returning to the Tigers to coach defensive backs. He had agreed to work for head coach Mike Elko and serve as co-defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator on the final day of 2023.

McGriff was supposed to work alongside Ishmael Aristide, who was hired in early December to coach cornerbacks and followed Elko from Durham after coaching on his Duke staff for one season. The move comes one day after Elko retained Bryant Gross-Armiento to serve as a senior defensive analyst after coaching defensive backs on Jimbo Fisher‘s staff.

As pointed out on New Year’s Eve by Billy Liucci of TexAgs, McGriff has more than just SEC coaching experience, he is also a talented recruiter who has developed elite prospects into dependable NFL players.

McGriff returns to Auburn to continue his third separate stint with the Tigers, including 2016, 2019 to 2020 and 2023 to the present day. He served as the secondary coach at Lousiville in 2022. McGriff also has previous experience at Florida and Ole Miss.

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Zac Etheridge departs Auburn, expected to be hired at Houston

Etheridge resigns after spending three seasons on his alma mater’s staff.

The Auburn coaching staff continues to see shake-up as the offseason heats up.

Late Thursday, Auburn associate head coach and running backs coach Cadillac Williams announced his resignation from the staff to “explore other opportunities.” Early Friday, another alum followed suit.

[autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag], a former Auburn defensive back who spent three seasons on Auburn’s staff, also announced his resignation via X (formerly Twitter). Matt Zenitz of 247Sports has reported that Etheridge’s next move will be joining the staff at the University of Houston.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] released a statement Friday to show gratitude for Etheridge’s service to Auburn’s staff.

“Auburn football would like to thank Zac for his contributions to the program the last three years. He played a vital role in establishing the foundation of the future. Zac is a relentless recruiter and tireless worker who has a bright future in this profession. I look forward to watching his career develop and wish him nothing but the best.”

Etheridge joined Auburn’s staff in 2021 as part of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s first staff. He was retained by Freeze and continued his role as defensive backs coach for the 2023 season. It was announced on Dec. 30 that Charles Kelly was hired to serve as co-defensive coordinator with an expected role working with defensive backs. Since then, both defensive backs coaches from the 2023 staff, [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] and Zac Etheridge, have both departed.

In addition to his on-field role, Etheridge was known as an elite recruiter. Etheridge played a role in Auburn landing four-star talent such as [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Woodyard[/autotag]. He was also the primary recruiter for current commits [autotag]Antonio Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Kendarius Reddick[/autotag], and [autotag]JaKaleb Faulk[/autotag].

Etheridge’s departure is the fifth move of the offseason for Auburn’s coaching staff. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag], defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag], defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff, and running backs coach Cadillac Williams have also departed the staff.

Cadillac Williams resigns from position as Auburn’s associate head coach

The former Auburn running back resigns after spending five seasons as an assistant coach under three different head coaches.

The latest move regarding Auburn’s coaching staff involves a program legend.

[autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag], who played for Auburn from 2001-04 and served as an assistant coach for his alma mater over the last five seasons, resigned from his position as associate head coach and running backs coach late Thursday evening.

Williams shared his reasoning for the move in a press release. He says that he is looking to pursue other opportunities.

“After taking time to pray and reflect, I have made the decision to resign from my position with Auburn football to pursue other opportunities. I love Auburn, the players and AU family with all my heart, but this decision is what is best for me, my wife and sons. I am extremely grateful for the coaching opportunity given to me first by Coach Malzahn and most recently by Coach Freeze. These past five years on the Plains have been nothing short of incredible. Auburn is and always will be a special part of my life.”

War Eagle!

Williams first joined Auburn’s football staff during the 2019 season under head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag], and would go on to serve on the staffs of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] and [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. Following the firing of Harsin during the 2022 season, Williams was named interim head coach. During his time as interim, Williams led the Tigers to a 2-2 record which included an emotional home win over Texas A&M.

Williams is also known as an effective recruiter, as he played a role in landing running backs [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]. He was also the primary recruiter for offensive linemen [autotag]Clay Wedin[/autotag] and [autotag]Bradyn Joiner[/autotag].

Williams’ resignation marks the fourth assistant coach to leave the staff since the offseason began. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] is now a member of the staff at Florida while defensive backs coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] has joined Mike Elko’s staff at Texas A&M. Auburn has also parted ways with offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag].

Bryant Gross-Armiento retained by Texas A&M to serve as senior defensive analyst

Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko is a very smart man and knows when you have a good person already in your building, you do everything you can to keep them, which is exactly what he did this week.

According to Carter Karels, the Texas A&M beat writer for 247Sports, the Aggies will retain Bryant Gross-Armiento in an off-field role. Gross-Armiento previously served as defensive backs coach under Jimbo Fisher. As noted in the report, the Aggies Athletics website recently updated Gross-Armiento’s title from secondary coach to “senior defensive analyst.”

After serving as cornerbacks coach for Elko at Duke, Ishamael Aristide was hired to the same role in Bryan-College Station on Dec. 5. In the final hours of 2023, Wesley McGriff was hired from Auburn to serve as co-defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. Per Karels, Gross-Armiento is expected to work directly under Aristide and McGriff.

Gross-Armiento has been in Aggieland since 2021 and boasts an impressive factoid. Back in July, he was named the fifth-best recruiter in the country and fourth-best in the SEC.

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Report: Auburn starting cornerback Keionte Scott to enter the transfer portal

Auburn could be losing one of its most important players to the transfer portal.

Auburn could be losing one of its top returning players to the transfer portal as starting cornerback [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] is expected to enter the portal, according to a report from Matt Zenitz of 247Sports.

Scott has been one of Auburn’s most productive and vocal players over the past two seasons after starting his career at Snow College, a JUCO program. He has excelled as the starting STAR (nickel) cornerback and punt returner in that time.

With starting outside cornerbacks [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] off to the NFL, Scott was expected to transition to outside corner, a role he played in Auburn’s loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl.

Prior to the bowl game, there was speculation that Scott would also declare for the 2024 NFL draft, but he announced he would be returning for the 2024 season on social media. It was a massive break for a secondary that has already lost James, Pritchett and starting safeties [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag].

Since then Auburn underwent coaching changes in the secondary with cornerbacks coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] leaving to take a job at Texas A&M and [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] bringing on former Colorado and Alabama defensive coordinator [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag].

Auburn standout defensive back Keionte Scott is expected to enter the transfer portal, sources tell @dukesthescoop and me for @247sports.

Scott, one of the top players on Auburn’s defense, was viewed by NFL scouts as an early-round prospect before opting to return to school.… pic.twitter.com/qXMmhntQfj

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 6, 2024

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Auburn announces changes to football staff

One longtime Auburn coach’s departure makes way for an Auburn alum to return home.

The first major shakeup of the 2023 offseason has officially taken place.

Before Auburn’s TransPerfect Music City Bowl loss to Maryland on Saturday, it was announced that former Colorado defensive coordinator and Auburn alum [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] would join the staff as a co-defensive coordinator.

Sunday, it was reported by TexAgs that Auburn secondary coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] is expected to take on a defensive role on Mike Elko’s staff at Texas A&M, thus paving the way for Kelly to replace him.

Kelly joins Auburn’s staff after building a successful track record at Alabama. Tennessee, Florida State, and Georgia Tech. Before joining Deion Sanders’ initial staff at Colorado in 2023, Kelly served as the assistant defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Alabama for four seasons. During that time, Kelly worked with several great athletes such as DeMarcco Hellams, Brian Branch, Jordan Battle, and Xavier McKinney. He was also a part of the 2020 staff that led Alabama to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2020.

Kelly is also known as an avid recruiter. According to 247Sports, Kelly was responsible for being the head recruiter for nine five-star recruits during his coaching career. Several recruits he has worked with in the past include Caleb Downs, Will Anderson, Isaiah Bond, and Aaron Beasley.

McGriff departs Auburn after completing his third stint as a defensive assistant coach. He was responsible for being the secondary recruiter for recent Auburn signees such as [autotag]Amon Lane-Ganus[/autotag], [autotag]Kensley Faustin[/autotag], [autotag]Jayln Crawford[/autotag], and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag].