Tag: Zach Calzada

Former Auburn quarterback Zach Calzada finds transfer destination

Calzada never played a down for Auburn in his one-year stint with the team.

Former Tigers quarterback [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] has found his new home.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Tuesday that Calzada plans on transferring to Incarnate Word. The Cardinals will be Calzada’s third team in his college career, following Texas A&M and Auburn.

To say Calzada’s Auburn tenure was uneventful may be selling it short — he never played a game for the Tigers in the one season he was on the roster for Bryan Harsin. Calzada came to the Plains after a season at Texas A&M in 2021, but his tenure was marred by a shoulder injury that required surgery and thus he never saw the field where quarterbacks T.J. Finley and Robby Ashford got playing time over the course of the season. It would seem that coach Hugh Freeze didn’t have Calzada in his plans, as he entered the transfer portal and now has subsequently found a landing spot with Incarnate Word.

Incarnate Word is an FCS team, but it’s quite a successful one. The Cardinals made the FCS Championship semifinals and lost a close game to the North Dakota State Bison. Calzada, with SEC experience at Texas A&M, should be a valuable addition to the Cardinals’ roster.

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Hugh Freeze, Spencer Sanders reportedly in contact

After NC State QB Devin Leary signed with Kentucky, Hugh Freeze is seeking another quarterback option from the transfer portal.

Auburn enters the offseason with a lack of depth at the quarterback position.

[autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] remain from last season’s roster following the departures of [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] and [autotag]Trey Lindsey[/autotag] to the transfer portal. Mix that in with the mysterious future of [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and the freshness of 2023 signee [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], and Auburn will need to add a quarterback with some sort of experience.

“Yes, we are (going to seek a transfer QB),” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said during his early signing period press conference on Wednesday. “If it’s the right one, that we believe we can win games with.”

The next biggest name tied to Auburn is former Oklahoma State quarterback [autotag]Spencer Sanders[/autotag] according to Nathan King of Auburn Undercover.

Sanders, who entered the transfer portal in early December, would be a solid fit in Freeze’s system due to his success as a passer. In four seasons at Oklahoma State, Sanders passed for 9,553 yards and 67 TD. He is also a threat with his feet, as he has added 1,956 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns to his career total.

Sanders is the next name to watch following former NC State quarterback [autotag]Devin Leary[/autotag]’s signing with Kentucky. Leary visited Auburn prior to the start of the early signing period but elected to sign with the Wildcats. Coastal Carolina’s [autotag]Grayson McCall[/autotag] has also been a hot name to follow, however, he canceled a trip to Auburn due to an “academic snag” according to Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live.

Auburn has inked two additions from the transfer portal since Dec. 5, former Vanderbilt EDGE rusher [autotag]Elijah McAllister[/autotag] and former FIU tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag].

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D.J. Uiagalelei to the Plains? One expert believes Auburn is a great fit

Auburn is in the market for a transfer quarterback. Could the ex-Clemson signal-caller get a fresh start under Hugh Freeze?

The transfer portal officially opened on Monday. While Auburn did not take as big of a hit as many programs did, they are in the hunt to boost several key areas.

One of those positions is quarterback. [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], who missed the 2022 season due to a shoulder injury, has announced that he will enter the transfer portal. His departure leaves Auburn with three scholarship quarterbacks, which could decrease even more if [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] elects to enter the portal, as rumors suggest.

There are several strong options in the portal, including NC State’s Devin Leary and Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed. However, there is one transfer candidate that ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg feels is a good fit for the Tigers.

After recent struggles at Clemson, quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has elected to get a fresh start elsewhere. Rittenberg explains why he and Auburn could pair well together.

Uiagalelei visited the Plains during his recruitment back in 2018, and might consider returning there to suit up for Tigers coach Hugh Freeze. Auburn certainly needs more competition at quarterback, and Freeze runs a QB-friendly offense and typically stacks up talented wide receivers. Freeze’s work in transforming Malik Willis, who struggled at Auburn before transferring to Liberty, likely will appeal to Uiagalelei and his camp.

He would get a chance to play in the SEC and develop his game against top defenders. Clemson and Auburn also have many similarities, so the environment wouldn’t be a big adjustment for Uiagalelei. Auburn should regain Robby Ashford, who showed some promise this season, and added an ESPN 300 recruit earlier this year in Holden Geriner. But there’s not much depth in the quarterback room.

Uiagalelei enrolled at Clemson as the No. 1 quarterback from the 2020 recruiting cycle from St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower, California. He was expected to live up to the expectations of former Clemson quarterbacks Tahj Boyd, Deshaun Watson, and Trevor Lawrence. He appeared to be on his way to doing just that when he passed for 439 yards and two touchdowns in relief of Lawrence during a losing effort to Notre Dame in 2020.

However, his Clemson career did not pan out as he intended. He took over the starting job in 2021, where he threw for 2,246 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He improved in 2022 by tossing 22 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions, but a struggling performance against South Carolina, where he completed just 8-of-29 passes for 99 yards, was enough for head coach Dabo Swinney to bench Uiagalelei for freshman Cade Klubnik. Klubik would start the ACC Championship Game against North Carolina, thus closing the book on Uiagalelei’s career at Clemson.

Florida, Oregon, and Notre Dame are among other programs that Rittenberg believes Uiagalelei could be a great fit for.

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Auburn quarterback enters transfer portal

Zach Calzada never played a down for the Auburn Tigers.

It’s been a hectic day for college football’s transfer portal across all positions, and the Auburn Tigers didn’t make it out unscathed.

On3 reported Monday that quarterback [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag], who transferred to Auburn from Texas A&M before the season began, has entered the transfer portal for a second time. Calzada started 10 games at Texas A&M in 2021, his most notable game being a victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Calzada’s saga at Auburn was somewhat bizarre, as he never played a down for the Tigers after transferring in. A lingering shoulder injury kept him from playing in the team’s spring game and he eventually had a procedure on it in September that ended his season. Despite this, there were still games where Calzada was dressed during the season, though he never seemed to be in line for any playing time across the year.

Calzada is the second Auburn quarterback to go for the portal, as T.J. Finley distanced himself from the team earlier this year. While the motives behind Calzada’s transfer are unclear, it may be worthwhile to see what new head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] plans to do with the transfer portal as he continues to build his staff at Auburn in preparation for his first season with the team in 2023.

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Auburn among top destinations for transfer portal quarterbacks

Hugh Freeze’s record of quarterback development has made Auburn a top spot in the transfer market.

The transfer portal is officially open for business, and Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] looks to take full advantage.

During his introductory press conference on Nov. 29, Freeze says he believes that he can right the ship reasonably quickly thanks to Auburn’s success in raising funds for NIL, and with help from the transfer portal.

“Ten years ago, you didn’t have that, and so the turnaround is a little different. Kids couldn’t just leave a school and come to Auburn. They can now,” Freeze said. “I do think we’ve got to be careful to get the right kids that fit our culture, but at the same time, it’s much easier to add to your roster now than it was when I took over at Ole Miss and they hadn’t won an SEC game in two years. Obviously, we were going to some New Year’s Six Bowls in year three and four, so I see no reason why with the current structure we can’t do this fairly fast.”

Auburn needs help in a few areas, one of which will be the quarterback position.

Auburn’s current depth chart is filled with transfer quarterbacks, including [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag]. Ashford became the full-time starter during Auburn’s overtime win over Missouri in September and found success running the football. However, his passing game needs a little more work. Calzada transferred from Texas A&M last offseason but missed the entire 2022 season due to a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.

There is still a chance that both quarterbacks could be in the hunt to earn the starting job in 2023 but with Freeze’s history of developing quarterbacks, Auburn could be a destination for those signal-callers in the market for a new home.

Isaac Trotter of 247Sports has listed Auburn as a top destination for quarterbacks that currently reside in the transfer portal, and says that Freeze will be keeping an eye out for solid options behind center.

Part of that equation has to factor in the quarterback play. Auburn freshman quarterback Robby Ashford flashed some big-time potential with his legs (710 rushing yards, seven touchdowns), but he had some growing pains as a passer (dead-last among qualified SEC quarterbacks with a 49.7 quarterback rating). Ashford and Freeze both have to commit to each other before it’s safe to assume Ashford is the quarterback of the future. Until that happens, Freeze will undoubtedly be monitoring the quarterback market.

Wisconsin, Notre Dame, SMU, and Miami are among other programs that are seen as top transfer destinations for quarterbacks.

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Auburn vs. Arkansas: Injury report ahead of Saturday’s game

Here is a list of those who are expected to miss Saturday’s game between the Tigers and Razorbacks.

The Auburn Tigers return to the field on Saturday to face the Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff.

Both teams are coming off of a bye week, which is usually a good time for those with injuries to heal. The bye week came at a good time for Arkansas, who were missing a few defensive backs before the bye week due to injury.

During Monday’s press conference, Pittman revealed the news that Myles Slusher, Latavious Brini, and Malik Chavis received favorable reports ahead of the Auburn game.

“We’re gonna look at (Myles) Slusher today in (individual) and see how he can progress or how much better he is,” Pittman said in his Monday press conference. “We feel like he’s gonna be fine. Khari (Johnson) will be back and hopefully, we can get Malik (Chavis) back no later than tomorrow. Hopefully (Latavious) Brini’s ankle that’s been bothering him for five or six weeks now, hopefully, it’s healed. We’ll know a little bit more about that.”

Pittman also said that offensive linemen Ty’Kieast Crawford and Marcus Henderson are practicing this week, and that wide receiver Jadon Haselwood is fine after getting “dinged up” in the BYU game on Oct. 15.

For Auburn, [autotag]Eku Leota[/autotag], [autotag]Tate Johnson[/autotag], and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] are each still expected to miss the regular season due to having surgery to repair their respective injuries. Head coach Bryan Harsin added a new name to the mix during his Monday press conference.

“Jordon Ingram is out. He had a lateral meniscus tear in practice, which was kind of a fluke deal. It was on a pass-catching drill and he just kind of landed on it wrong, so he had surgery and he’s out,” Harsin said. “He is out for three to four months, so obviously that is season-ending for him. Everybody else I’ve told you before that’s been injured, those guys are still injured and are out and other guys are just banged up.”

Here is a look at the full injury report ahead of Saturday’s game on the Plains.

Potential transfer quarterbacks for Notre Dame and if they should pursue

Who do you like from this hypothetical list?

With the quarterback position in such a odd place for Notre Dame, it only makes sense to look around and see who else is out there. Recently, I complied a list of current QB’s in the transfer portal and if they would be a fit for the Irish.

Today, 247Sports Clint Brewster looked at hypothetical portal quarterbacks, so let’s do the same drill and see if they are fits for the Irish if they end up in the portal.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeFChen

More details on T.J. Finley’s shoulder injury have emerged, expected to miss LSU game

Finley, who started the first three games for Auburn at quarterback this season, is set to miss his second straight game due to the injury.

The injury status of quarterback [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] has received clarity.

According to reports, Finley has suffered a Grade 2 AC sprain to his throwing shoulder, which will cause him to miss Auburn’s upcoming game against LSU. AL.com’s Tom Green first reported the news.

Finley appeared to have suffered the injury during the first half of Auburn’s 41-12 loss to Penn State on Sept. 17 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. He began the second half of the game behind center but was ultimately replaced by Oregon transfer [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag].

Last week, Finley was dressed out on the sidelines but did not play in Auburn’s overtime win over Missouri. This week, he was listed as the second-string quarterback alongside true freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag].

He is the second quarterback to have suffered a shoulder injury this fall. Last week, it was reported that Texas A&M transfer [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] has elected to take a medical redshirt for the season in favor of having season-ending surgery.

Through three games this season, Finley has completed 33-of-53 passes for 431 yards and a touchdown but has thrown four interceptions.

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What can Auburn fans expect from Holden Geriner?

True freshman Holden Geriner could take his first collegiate snap on Saturday against Missouri. What style of play does he bring to the field?

Auburn head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s appearance on the weekly radio show “Tiger Talk” was… rather interesting.

News broke earlier this week that starting quarterback [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] would not play in Saturday’s game against Missouri after suffering a shoulder injury in last week’s loss to Penn State. Then, on Thursday, it was reported that third-string quarterback [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] has elected to have season-ending surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.

Despite the breaking news, Harsin did not discuss Finley or Calzada’s status with the team but told Andy Burcham, the voice of the Auburn Tigers, that his policy regarding injuries is not to talk about them publically unless it is season-ending and that he wishes his team’s privacy was respected.

Although Harsin offered zero insight into the quarterback situation, it has been reported by Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live that [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] will get the start at quarterback and that true freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] could see playing time as well.

What can Auburn fans expect to see from Geriner as he prepares to potentially see his first college action?

Geriner was the No. 18 overall quarterback for the 2022 class out of Benedictine Military Academy in Savannah, Georgia. Andrew Ivens of 247Sports says that Geriner is an intriguing quarterback prospect that has a quick release, is sound in the decision-making process and has the ability to push the ball down the field.

According to his current teammates, he is already showing potential to be a great college quarterback.

“(Geriner) can zip it,” Auburn pass rusher Marcus Harris said Monday during Auburn’s weekly media availability. “The first week he was on the scout team and he was just dotting up receivers, and he’s a pretty good quarterback. As his time goes on at Auburn, I feel he’s going to be great. He has one of the best balls I’ve seen and I think he’s going to be great.”

Geriner not only has shown potential, but he continuously works to perfect his craft.

“He carries himself like a pro already,” Harris said. “He’s staying after practice with guys and different receivers and passing the ball. Even after practice, even though he’s not playing right now, he still does those types of things.”

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Auburn vs. Missouri: Stream, injury report, broadcast information for Saturday’s game

Here is the broadcast information for Auburn’s SEC opener with the Missouri Tigers:

Auburn plays Missouri on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

The Auburn Tigers (2-1, 0-0 SEC) welcome Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC) to the Plains for the SEC opener. Auburn will look to bounce back after suffering a tough 41-12 loss to Penn State last Saturday. The main storyline to watch for Auburn this week will be the quarterbacks. Auburn learned that they would be without quarterbacks [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] and [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] due to shoulder injuries, which leaves [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] to take over the role for the Missouri game.

Missouri, meanwhile, will hit the road for the second time this season. Their first road trip did not go well for them, as they traveled to Kansas State in week two to clash with their former Big 12 rival. The Wildcats outgained Missouri 336-222 in the total yards category on their way to a 40-12 win. The Tigers bounced back last week by defeating Abilene Christian, 34-17.

If you are wondering how to watch and listen to Saturday’s game, here is a rundown of key information: