Tag: Zion Puckett

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 14 Marquise Gilbert

The safety is entering his second season on the Plains.

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 safety [autotag]Marquise Gilbert[/autotag]. He is entering his second season on the Plains and is looking to make a bigger imapct after playing just a handful fo snaps last season.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Dayton Beach, Florida

Height: 6-2

Weight: 186

Previous School: Hutchinson CC (2020-21), Bethune-Cookman (2019)

Class in 2023: Junior

247Sports Composite JUCO Ranking

Three-Star / No. 2 in Florida / No. 1 S

Career Stats

Year G Tackles TFLs Sacks PDs INTs
2019 (B-CU) 3 3 0 0 0 0
2020 (HCC) 7 12 1.5 0 5 2
2021 (HCC) 10 25 1.0 0 2 0
2022 3 1 0 0 0 0

PFF Grades

Year Defense Tackling Run Defense Pass Rush Coverage
2022 59.5 26.4 55.2 – 61.2

Depth Chart Overview

Gilbert played sparingly in his first season but looked improved in spring practice and is looking to become a key reserve in the secondary this season.

He is behind [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] at safety but is in contention to be the next man up with [autotag]Cayden Bridges[/autotag]. Those four are Auburn’s most proven options at safety and lead a group that is talented but inexperienced behind them.

Marquise Gilbert’s Photo Gallery

Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 10 Zion Puckett

He is a leader in the secondary who will be counted on to help all the new pieces come together.

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 safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] who is entering his third season as a starter and is one of the leaders of the secondary.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Griffin, Georgia

Height: 6-0

Weight: 226

Class in 2023: Senior

247Sports Composite Ranking

Four-Star / No. 17 in GA / No. 12 s

Career Stats

Year G Tackles TFLs INTs Sacks PDs FFs
2019 4 4 1 0 0 1 0
2020 10 15 2 0 0 1 0
2021 10 48 0.5 0 0 0 0
2022 11 45 1 1 1 2 1

PFF Grades

Year Defense Tackling Run Defense Pass Rush Coverage
2019 57.6 51.7 54.8 54.3 59.3
2020 56.5 83.8 74.2 53.1 54.8
2021 66.3 80.9 64.3 54.4 63.0
2022 46.7 77.9 57.2 63.0 41.4

Depth Chart Overview

Puckett is one of the leaders in the secondary and looks set to be a starter at safety alongside [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag]. It will be Puckett’s third straight season as a starter and he is unquestionably one of the leaders of the secondary and someone the coaching staff can lean on to help the newcomers adjust.

He will be backed up by several talented players that deserve to see the field but Puckett’s experience and leadership will the difference as he looks to build on the best season of his career.

Zion Puckett’s Photo Gallery

Focus, discipline will be key for Auburn to create more turnovers

Bryan Harsin wants to see his secondary create more turnovers going forward. Safety Zion Puckett has the solution to the issue.

Auburn did many things well in last Saturday’s 42-16 win over Mercer.

On offense, Auburn racked up 497 total yards, had two quarterbacks reach the 100-yard passing mark, and running backs [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag] and [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] combined to score five rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Auburn held Mercer to 271 total yards, and linebacker [autotag]Cam Riley[/autotag] had a breakout game by recording 15 tackles.

Bryan Harsin was pleased with his team’s overall effort last Saturday, but, as many coaches are, was not completely satisfied with every aspect of the game — specifically his team’s lack of creating turnovers in the game and leaving receivers open.

“If that ball is in the air, just speaking from an offensive coordinator standpoint, if they’re going to put the ball in the air, we should have a chance to go compete for the ball,” Harsin said during Monday’s press conference.  “That’s what I think you do at the back end when you have a good football team.”

Harsin went on to say that he has set a high standard for his secondary, but believes that his unit is good enough to make a play on the ball if given the opportunity.

Out of Mercer quarterback Fred Payton’s 36 attempted passes last Saturday, Auburn was only able to get a hand on five of them. What does the Auburn secondary need to do in order to disrupt their opponent’s passing game? Safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] says that focus is key.

“To get more turnovers, I believe that we need to read more of our keys, be more disciplined with our eyes, and basically focus on everything that we have to do each play,” Puckett said Monday afternoon. 

This week’s opponent, San Jose State, found success throwing the football in their season-opening win over Portland State last Saturday. Spartan quarterback Chevan Cordeiro threw for 239 yards and a touchdown.

Puckett says that with proper focus and discipline, Auburn’s secondary should improve in limiting San Jose State’s air attack.

“They are a pretty good team I feel like,” Puckett said. “We have to respect the run game and the pass game, but as long as we know our keys and do what we do and do the right techniques, I think that we will be pretty good.”

Auburn meets San Jose State for the third time in history on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPNU.

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Three defensive keys to stopping Mercer in season opener

The Tigers face off against a run-heavy bears team to kick off the year.

Sure, Mercer isn’t the hardest opponent the Tigers will face this year, but it’s an opponent nonetheless.

There’s a lot of excitement buzzing around incumbent starter T.J. Finley and the Auburn offense, of course, but the Tigers will have to remain vigilant on the other side of the ball regardless of how talented the Bears’ roster is. College football has taught us all that it is important to never overlook any opponent, and Auburn should know that well — it was almost on the receiving end of an upset at the hands of Georgia State last year.

Will all that said, here are a few key areas the Tigers should look to address to win their opening game of the 2022 season:

2022 Auburn football preview: Safety

Zion Puckett is the leader of a talented group at safety for Auburn.

Auburn will be without a former leader in [autotag]Smoke Monday[/autotag] at safety but [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] is ready for his turn to be the leader of the group.

He was Auburn’s No. 2 safety last season and is the undisputed top dog this year. While the second starting spot is up for grabs, the secondary coach [autotag]Zach Etheridge[/autotag] has several interesting options in [autotag]Cayden Bridges[/autotag] and newcomers [autotag]Marquise Gilbert[/autotag] and [autotag]Craig McDonald[/autotag], who both have plenty of experience.

Another key player is [autotag]Donovan Kaufman[/autotag], who will spend time at both nickel and safety and is once again looking to create disruptive plays, something he excelled at doing last season.

Wide Receiver Preview

Tight End Preview

Running Back Preview

Offensive Line Preview

Quarterback Preview

Edge Preview

Defensive Line Preview

Linebacker Preview

Cornerback Preview

Pritchett, Simpson are ‘next level’ according to Zac Ethridge

Secondary coach Zac Etheridge is pleased with the work ethic and leadership that Nehemiah Pritchett and Jaylin Simpson are showing during fall camp.

Auburn corner backs [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] matched each other step for step last season. Each made 27 total stops, and both recorded an interception each.

This season, they plan on taking their performance a step further, and are working hard in preseason camp to do so says secondary coach [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag].

During his meeting with the media Thursday, Etheridge took time to speak about Pritchett and Simpson’s work ethic as the Tigers continue to prepare for the 2022 season.

“I think Nehemiah (Pritchett) and Jaylen (Simpson) have taken their game to a new level. I have been really impressed with their work ethic, the way they attack practice every day. They set the bar high in terms of what it is supposed to look like,” Etheridge said. “You count on leaders that have played a lot of ball like those guys to bring these young guys behind them. They are setting the example. Every day they come out and put the work in. They get to the ball; they communicate and make plays.”

Etheridge also added praise for safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag]. Puckett recorded 48 tackles last season, which is third-best among returning players. Etheridge says that Puckett will be one of Auburn’s leaders on defense this season.

“(Puckett is) a silent assassin, but he’s probably the smartest guy in the room in terms of football IQ. Guys trust him,” Etheridge said. “He’s going to get them lined up in the right spot. I trust him making the right checks and communication. He’s been working his tail off from a physical standpoint.”

Pritchett, Simpson, and Puckett join a solid list of returning players on defense. Joining those three are EDGE [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag], DE [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag], and LB [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag].

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CFN lists Auburn Football’s top players ahead of the 2022 season

Who will make the biggest impact for Auburn in 2022?

Auburn Football will have plenty of weapons on the field in 2022.

Offensively, the Tigers were paced by running back [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag]. The second-year back rushed for 1,099 yards and ten touchdowns in 2021, while reeling in 21 passes for an additional 184 yards.

Auburn fans expect to see Bigsby have the same impact for Auburn this season, but they also hope to see a few more players step up and ease Bigsby’s workload.

There will be a quarterback battle involving four candidates in incumbent [autotag]TJ Finley[/autotag], freshman [autotag]Holden Greiner[/autotag], and transfers [autotag]Zach Calzada[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag]. Whoever wins that battle will need to find a target at receiver that they can rely on. [autotag]Shedrick Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]John Samuel Shenker[/autotag] are among the top candidates to fill that role.

Defensively, Auburn looks to be more stable. The top three tacklers from last season have all graduated, but defensive linemen [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag] and [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] are expected to be the top players up front. [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] returns at linebacker, and Oregon transfer [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag] should pair perfectly with safety [autotag]Zion Puckett[/autotag] in the backfield.

Who will make the biggest impact for Auburn football this season? Below is the list of the Tigers’ most impactful players according to College Football News: 

New list names potential Auburn breakout candiates

Who do you think will emerge as a star player this season for Auburn?

You never know which players could break out over a season, but there are certainly some that show more potential than others.

A new list by the Montgomery Advertiser has done its best to try and predict who these players will be, and it’s never an easy feat. Here is the criteria the new list uses to try and determine which Auburn players could shine under [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s second year with the Tigers:

“There are two schools of thought for applicable returners. The first type: someone who hasn’t gotten much playing time in previous years and who Auburn needs to step up with increased reps. The second type: someone who’s already a regular but underachieved last season.”

There will certainly be an influx of these types of players coming to play for Auburn in Bryan Harsin’s second year. Following the departure of Bo Nix and a massive wave of transfers out of the program following Bryan Harsin’s controversy, plenty of players will have the chance to make their mark on the program as Harsin will desperately look to prove his worth and keep his job at the end of the 2022 season.

Here are the six players the list names as potential breakout stars for this— upcoming college football season:

Spring Football Preview: Projecting the safety position

We move on to the secondary and the safety positional outlook.

After reviewing the front seven of the Tigers defense, focus now shifts to the secondary. Much like other spots on the team, they are losing some production from the 2021 team.

Auburn will be without one of the secondary’s leaders in Smoke Monday but there are still some promising players in the safety room.

Starter Zion Puckett is back, and Auburn added Marquis Gilbert, the top JUCO safety in the class to the mix.

Auburn also returns Donovan Kauffman, who made several big plays and will look to be more consistent in his second season at Auburn. With several players competing for the second spot, this group will be interesting to watch during spring practices, here is a look at the group.

Zion Puckett will not play in the Birmingham Bowl

Zion Puckett is out.

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The Auburn defensive back will be unable to play for the Tigers in the Birmingham Bowl at Protective Life Stadium.

Zion Puckett reportedly had surgery after the Iron Bowl. Per Auburn Live, he suffered a shoulder injury and is still recovering.

Expect Bryan Harsin to turn to his depth as he sees what the future of his team looks like in the Ticket Smarter Birmingham Bowl.

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