Tag: Zion Puckett

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].

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Edge rusher Jalen McLeod returning to Auburn for another season.

Jalen McLeod is officially returning to Auburn for another season.

Jack linebacker [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] will officially return to the Plains for his senior season next year.

The Appalachian State transfer became a key member of the Tigers front seven this season, recording 46 total tackles, 5.5 sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and one pass defended.

After injuries caused the Washington, DC native to start slow on the Plains, McLeod dominated late in SEC play, earning Team of the Week honors for his 9-tackle, 3-sack effort against Arkansas.

The junior didn’t stop his great play there, as he led the team in tackles in an overall phenomenal defensive effort against Alabama in the Iron Bowl.

His late production paired with fellow linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag]’s great season helped the Tigers finish just outside of the top 20 in defensive efficiency according to ESPN’s Football Power Index.

Both players are now officially returning for Auburn in 2024, giving the Tigers one of the best 1-2 punches at the linebacker position in the SEC heading into next season.

The news is especially reassuring to Tiger fans as the secondary is set to lose some key pieces in safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag], cornerbacks [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and possibly safety [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag].

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has some holes to fill along the defense, but he can take solace in the fact his linebacking core is mostly set heading into his second season on the Plains.

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Keionte Scott announces return for senior season

Auburn receives great news as one of their most versatile players has announced that he is returning to the program.

Auburn cornerback [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] is returning for one more season on the Plains.

The junior from San Diego took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning, announcing his intentions to return for his senior season in a video tribute to his teammates, coaches, and the Auburn Family.

Scott’s return certainly signals a huge sigh of relief for a Tigers team that is set to lose a quartet of starters in the secondary next season.

Cornerback [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] are out of eligibility in 2024. While safeties [autotag]Jaylin Simpson [/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] could very well leave for the NFL Draft.

The loss of the aforementioned players created a glaring hole for the Tigers heading into next year.

Scott’s impending return is a giant step towards filling it.

The STAR cornerback/punt returner is having a very solid junior season, collecting 39 total tackles and 4 passes defended after appearing in every regular season game.

Scott also provided a spark on special teams, securing All-SEC Special Teams Player of the Week Honors against Vanderbilt after scoring a 74-yard return touchdown.

The to-be-senior totaled 13 punt returns on the regular season, accumulating 188 total return yards.

It remains to be seen if Auburn defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] will use Scott more on the outside next season, but the senior is due for a major upgrade in usage as he leads the Tigers secondary into next season.

As Scott said in his return announcement, “The job’s not finished.”

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SEC Bowl game ranking: Which draw is the most intriguing?

How intriguing is Auburn’s bowl matchup with Maryland compared to others within the conference?

The selection of every college football bowl game has been announced, and  Auburn football is set to face off with the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday, Dec. 30 at the Music City Bowl in Nashville, Tennessee.

The matchup will be interesting, as Auburn’s secondary will be tested by Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s arm. The younger brother of Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has thrown for over 3,000 yards this season, which will keep the likes of [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], and [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] busy.

How interesting is Auburn’s bowl draw compared to the rest of the SEC? The conference will be represented by nine teams this bowl season, with every game appearing to be interesting in its unique way.

Here’s a look at each bowl game featuring an SEC team, ranked from least intriguing to most intriguing.

Tight end Luke Deal announces return to Auburn football

Deal says that “unfinished business” is the reason that he is coming back to Auburn for a sixth season.

One of Auburn’s most experienced offensive players has announced that he will return to the program for the 2024 season.

[autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag], a former three-star tight end from the 2019 recruiting cycle, revealed Thursday that he will return to Auburn next season for his sixth season of eligibility.

Deal spoke with Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover shortly after announcing his decision. He tells Caldwell that he is strong enough to play for another season and is excited to see the progress that the team is expected to make. He also wants to take care of some “unfinished business” before he departs from the program.

“There’s a couple of games, the Georgia game and Alabama game, but especially the Bama game. That will stick in my mind for 364 days,” Deal said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “That’s something I can’t quite let go yet. My wife and I are here and we love it here. I’m blessed with another year of eligibility. I’m ready to lead this team next year. We’re going to have some serious dudes and we’re going to win some serious ballgames next year.”

His return makes him one of Auburn’s most experienced players. Since arriving in 2019, he has been involved in 1,302 snaps according to Pro Football Focus. He has also participated in 52 games with 16 starts over the last five seasons.

He was a part of Auburn’s 2019 class that was ranked No. 13 according to 247Sports. [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag], [autotag]Ja’varrius Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag], [autotag]Tyler Fromm[/autotag], and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] join Deal as members of the class who are still on Auburn’s roster. The class was headlined by linebackers [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] and [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], as well as former Auburn quarterback [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag].

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Instant Analysis: Auburn ends losing streak with win over Mississippi State

A strong first half allowed Auburn to cruise to its first SEC win of the season.

It took five tries, but Hugh Freeze has earned his first SEC win as Auburn’s head coach.

Auburn used a dominating first half to coast past Mississippi State, 27-13, on Saturday afternoon at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Auburn (4-4, 1-4 SEC) jumped out to a dominating 24-3 halftime lead after posting 301 total yards. Quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] appeared to be comfortable throughout the game, as he tossed three passing touchdowns in the first half on his way to a 230-yard performance. Mississippi State (4-4, 1-4 SEC) busted for 223 total yards in the second half, but they could not overcome the giant first-half deficit laid out by Auburn.

The Tigers dominated the first quarter by outgaining the Bulldogs, 163-77 en route to a 14-3 lead. Thorne completed eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. On the Tigers’ initial drive, he connected with [autotag]Shane Hooks[/autotag] on a 27-yard pass with 11:38 remaining in the quarter to put the Tigers up, 7-0.

After a Mississippi State field goal on their first possession, Thorne again led Auburn on a 75-yard drive that ended with a 45-yard touchdown pass to [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag] to extend the Auburn lead to 14-3. [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 61 yards on six carries.

Auburn added 10 points to their total in the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead into the locker room for halftime. Kicker [autotag]Alex McPherson[/autotag] jumped into the box score by connecting on a 39-yard field goal with 7:18 remaining in the 2nd quarter. The Tigers ended the half on a touchdown connection between Thorne and freshman running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag] for a seven-yard touchdown pass to extend the Auburn lead to 24-10 with 0:09 remaining.

Auburn’s first half ended with 301 total yards, compared to Mississippi State’s 122-yard output. Thorne ended the half with 192 passing yards and three scores with a completion percentage of 75%. He completed a pass to 11 different receivers in the first half, with [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] hauling in three passes for 22 yards. Defensively, Keionte Scott and [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] recorded five tackles each. Asante and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] had a tackle for loss.

The third quarter was rather quiet, as both teams traded field goals. Mississippi State’s Kyle Ferrie nailed his second field goal of the day from 40 yards with 9:10 to go in the quarter. McPherson answered with 3:14 to go in the 3rd quarter to extend Auburn’s lead to 27-6. Thorne added 32 yards to his passing total in the quarter to break the 200-yard mark for the second time this season.

State opened the 4th quarter by scoring their first touchdown of the game. Wright found Zavion Thomas from 14 yards away on the first play of the quarter to trim Auburn’s lead to 27-13. Mississippi State had a chance to cut the lead even more, but a fourth down attempt from the Auburn 13-yard line did not work in their favor, allowing Auburn to run out the clock.

Auburn outgained Mississippi State, 416-345. Thorne completed 20 passes to 11 different receivers, with Rivaldo Fairweather making four catches for 31 yards. Yardage-wise, Ja’Varrius Johnson led the team with 59 yards on two catches. Hunter’s day ended with 144 yards, which goes down as his first 100-yard game of the season.

Defensively, [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] led the team in tackles with nine, while [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag] recorded two tackles for loss. [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] recorded his second interception in as many games in the 4th quarter.

Auburn will go for their second SEC win of the season next week on the road at Vanderbilt. The Tigers and Commodores will face off at FirstBank Stadium next Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

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Auburn’s secondary is back, and stronger than ever

Auburn’s secondary has a chip on its shoulder heading into the 2023 season.

Everywhere you look, it seems that each position group has been upgraded thanks to the transfer portal. However, there is one group that will return most of its experienced players.

The defensive backfield at Auburn will have the most “homegrown” players heading into the 2023 season as players such as [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag], [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag], and [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] return. In fact, four of those five previously named players are among the Auburn defense’s top returning players.

Although this unit is the most experienced, they are still learning new things ahead of the season. Auburn’s secondary welcomes the new strategies and ideas set forth by defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] and secondary coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] to go along with the familiar style of safeties coach [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag].

When it comes to McGriff and Etheridge, defensive back Keionte Scott compares their relationship to one of the NBA’s best duos of all time, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal.

“Chemistry, They’ve got chemistry already,” Scott said. “You’ve got an old-school coach with more old-school tradition and you’ve got a new-school coach. Being able to merge those together — it’s crazy to see it sometimes.”

The unit appears to be meshing well with the new style, but what does that mean for expectations? Scott says that the transition has been easy, as the expectations for Auburn are considered to be low.

“Everyone knows we have one of the top groups in the country. Just being able to go to practice knowing that we’re not nowhere, we’re not anybody, we’re not ranked in the country, we’re not anything… Offensive coordinators around the country are going to know,” Scott said. “We just want to live in that. We want to let everyone know that there’s not going to be a person you can pick on in our DB group.”

Auburn’s projected rotation in the defensive backfield combined to make 248 stops last season and accounted for four interceptions.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 36 Jaylin Simpson

The veteran is making the move to safety.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.

Up next is veteran defensive back [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag]. After starting his career at corner, the coaching staff moved him to safety last season and he showed the potential to be a difference-maker for the Tigers.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Brunswick, Georgia

Height: 6-1

Weight: 178

Class in 2023: Senior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star / No. 34 in Georgia / No. 33 CB

Career Stats

Year G Tackles TFLs PDs INTs
2019 4 2 .5 0 0
2020 7 14 1 3 0
2021 9 27 1 4 1
2022 12 37 0 7 2

PFF Grades

Year Defense Tackling Run Defense Pass Rush Coverage
2019 65.1 27.5 68.7 – 60.0
2020
58.6
32.2
 51.4 47.7 60.9
2021 65.6 68.2 48.3 57.5 69.1
2022 71.0
73.9
 76.6 59.8 68.8

Depth Chart Overview

Simpson spent the first four years of his Auburn career playing cornerback but his future is at safety after a late positional change last season. He flashed his ability last season but with a full year of preparation under safeties coach [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag] the sky is the limit for him.

He and [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] have the two starting jobs locked down ahead of several talented but unproven players.

Jaylin Simpson’s Photo Gallery

Report: Auburn safety no longer on roster

The Tigers will be down a man in the defensive backfield ahead of fall camp.

Auburn will be without one of its key defensive backs heading into fall camp.

Brian Stultz of Auburn Rivals reported Thursday afternoon that safety [autotag]Cayden Bridges[/autotag] is no longer listed on Auburn’s roster. The report was confirmed by Matt Cohen of AL.com. At the time of this post, there is no reason given for the departure.

Bridges played in 12 games over his two-year career, with all 12 games coming in the 2022 season. As a redshirt freshman, He recorded 19 tackles with a pass deflection. His most notable play was his fumble recovery in the endzone of Auburn’s 17-14 overtime win over Missouri.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bridges missed just three tackles and allowed two touchdowns in 386 snaps. His final grade of 63.9 was the 10th-highest among returning defensive players.

Cohen also pointed out that there are only two players from the 2021 signing class remaining on the roster: [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and [autotag]Garner Langlo[/autotag]. [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] will look to anchor the safety position this season.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 20 Cayden Bridges

Get to know the sophomore safety.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.

Up next is safety [autotag]Cayden Bridges[/autotag]. The sophomore appeared in every game last season and is looking to take a step forward.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Magee, Mississippi

Height: 6-2

Weight: 221

Class in 2023: Sophomore

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 32 in Mississippi / No. 151 S

Career Stats

Year G Tackles TFLs INTs PDs FRs
2021 3 0 0 0 0 0
2022 12 19 0 0 1 1

PFF Grades

Year Defense Tackling Run Defense Pass Rush Coverage
2022 63.9 63.1 63.3 59.5 63.4

Depth Chart Overview

Bridges is looking to create a bigger role for himself after appearing in every game last season. That experience could be the separator between him and the rest of Auburn’s young safeties who have plenty of talent but lack those key reps.

He and [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] are likely the second-team safeties behind the duo of [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag].

Cayden Bridges’ Photo Gallery