Tag: Zykeivous Walker

Five Tigers receive invites to NFL Combine

Four Auburn seniors and one junior defensive lineman have been invited to compete in the upcoming NFL Combine.

Five Auburn Tigers have received an invitation to the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Defensive backs [autotag]D.J. James[/autotag], [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] along with defensive linemen [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Rogers[/autotag] will perform in front of NFL scouts and coaches during the final week of February.

The senior Harris and junior Rogers will compete with other defensive linemen and linebackers in individual drills on Thursday, February 29, while the trio of senior defensive backs will take the field a day later on Friday, March 1.

Harris and Simpson were the clear stars of a solid Auburn defense last season and could play their way into the early Day 2 conversation, while DJ James seems like a lock to be drafted sometime between the third and fourth rounds.

Senior [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] should be a lock for the third or fourth round as well, although his injury history could sway some teams in other directions.

Auburn’s most intriguing prospect is junior Justin Rogers. The Kentucky transfer collected 17 tackles and 1 sack in his lone year on the Plains but profiles as a late 5th-round pick because of his large 6-foot-3, 346-pound frame and quickness from the interior line.

If all five Tigers competing in the combine get drafted, it would tie the 2023s class as the most Auburn alumni picked in the draft since 2020.

There is a possibility that non-combine invitees [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] hear their names called on Day three as well. If that were the case, Auburn’s seven draft day selections would be the most since 1989.

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DT Zykeivous Walker exits the transfer portal

Walker has reportedly decided to return to Auburn after entering the transfer portal last week.

Auburn’s defensive line has received a major boost.

Defensive tackle [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] has decided to exit the transfer portal and return to Auburn, according to Nathan King of Auburn Undercover.

Walker appeared in one game this season before leaving the team in October and officially entering the transfer portal on Dec. 7. He is the third Tiger who entered the portal to decide to withdraw and stay on the Plains, joining wide receivers Tar’Varish Dawson and Landen King.

He appeared in one game and did not record a stat before leaving the team.

The 6-foot-4. 304-pound Walker signed with Auburn in 2020 as a top 100 recruit. He appeared in 10 games as a freshman, making 14 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack.

His playing time dipped to eight games as a sophomore while he battled a shoulder injury. Injury once again struck before the 2022 season, he suffered a knee injury that limited his availability during the preseason.

His return gives defensive line coach [autotag]Jeremy Grant[/autotag] a sixth scholarship defensive lineman to work with. Previously the Tigers were returning just Marcus Harris, Jayson Jones, Tobechi Okoli, Jeffrey M’ba, and Enyce Sledge from last year’s group.

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BREAKING: Landen King enters transfer portal

King appeared in three games this year.

Another Auburn player has elected to enter the transfer portal.

This time, its wide receiver and tight end [autotag]Landen King[/autotag], who most notably caught Auburn’s first touchdown pass in overtime in its loss to the Crimson Tide in 2021. The Texas native said he plans to enter the portal on Dec. 5.

King hasn’t seen too much action this year, which may be a contributing factor in his decision. He’s played in three games but caught just one pass so far in 2022, which was a 24-yard reception against Penn State. His trajectory is a major step down from last year, where he played in eight games and caught five passes for 59 yards, one of which was that touchdown pass against Alabama.

With the announcement, King is now the second player to transfer out of the program in as many days after defensive lineman [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] announced his intent to transfer on Monday.

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Auburn defensive lineman hits the transfer portal

Zykeivous Walker was reportedly no longer a part of the team as of this Monday.

A depth piece on Auburn’s defensive line is moving on.

Tigers defensive lineman [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] was reported to be no longer on the roster on Monday, and now it would seem as if he’s still intent on playing football. Walker announced on his Twitter that he plans on hitting the transfer portal.

This is the first action for Auburn in the transfer wire for quite some time. According to 247Sports, the last activity for the Tigers on the transfer portal was on May 1 of 2022 when tight end Grant Hidalgo transferred from Illinois to Auburn. Hidalgo is on the roster at Auburn, but has thus far not played any snaps in for the Tigers.

Walker, however, has. He last played in four games for the Tigers in 2021 and has recorded a career total of 20 tackles and a sack. Walker did not name an exact reason for him wanting to transfer, but he’ll now look to get a second chance on a new team after entering the portal.

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Report: Auburn DL Zykeivous Walker no longer on roster

Auburn loses key depth on the defensive line with the departure of Walker.

Auburn has lost depth on the defensive line, as it has been reported that one of its interior defensive linemen is no longer on the roster.

Nathan King of Auburn Undercover has reported that defensive tackle [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag] is no longer with the program. No official reason for his departure has been given, and there has not been an official statement from the football program regarding the news.

King says that Walker’s decision was made to depart last week. His last appearance for Auburn was on Oct. 8 when the Tigers visited Georgia. He did not play in the game but was a part of the travel roster. He was not present for Auburn’s Oct. 15 game at Ole Miss and is now no longer listed on Auburn’s official roster.

Prior to his departure, Walker was classified as a junior. In two-and-a-half seasons on the Plains, Walker appeared in 14 games, most recently playing four games in 2021. He made 20 total tackles, with one sack.

Walker was a four-star defensive end for the 2020 class according to 247Sports. He was the No. 3 overall defensive end from the class and was Georgia’s No. 11 overall prospect when he signed out of Schley County High School in Ellaville, Georgia.

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Auburn set to host experienced Pac-12 transfer for visit

Auburn is hosting an experienced veteran defensive lineman from UCLA on a visit on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live reported that the Tigers will be hosting UCLA defensive lineman transfer Odua Isibor. His visit is set to begin on Thursday on the Plains.

If there is one word to describe Isibor, it is experienced. The native of Phoenix, Arizona spent a total of five years in Westwood. His career with the Bruins began in 2017. This was ultimately the lone year where he didn’t play exclusively.

As a freshman, he would redshirt. After the 2017 season ended, he would go on to play in 42 of the next 43 games that the Bruins played. Over the course of his final four seasons, he accumulated 56 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

Although his stats may not seem too glaring, he still had 14 starts as a Bruin. Ten of those starts came at outside linebacker, while the other four came on the defensive line. It goes to show that Isibor is very versatile. The coaching staff could use him in different roles whether it be off the edge or along with the interior.

He was projected to be a starter on the defensive front for Chip Kelly in his final year of eligibility. In a turn of events, he will now utilize his sixth and final year of eligibility elsewhere. His mentality on the field and in the locker room should not be taken lightly. I look for the Tigers to make him a priority regardless of what his role may be for Bryan Harsin’s team.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Tigers will return several key pieces along their defensive front. Several of those being [autotag]Derrick Hall[/autotag], [autotag]Colby Wooden[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], and [autotag]Zykeivous Walker[/autotag]. However, they also brought in Oregon transfer [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag]. It is unclear as to what the Tigers’ plans may be for Isibor if he were to commit.

However, it is crucial to have depth along the defensive line, especially in one of the tougher conferences in all of college football — SEC. A veteran and experienced transfer like Isibor is something the coaching staff and Auburn faithful would appreciate. This will be something to keep an eye on closely as he makes the trip to the Plains for his visit.

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Auburn names Tank Bigsby, Zykeivous Walker as Iron Men of the Week

These two impressed over the past week.

Two Auburn juniors were named the Iron Men of Week 5. Running back Tank Bigsby and defensive lineman Zykeivous Walker won the honor for their work in the past week.

This is a weekly award given to one offensive and defensive player to recognize their hard work in the offseason.

Bigsby is one of the most important players on the team and is one of the top running backs in the country. He rushed for 1,099 yards and 10 touchdowns on 223 carries. He will be looking to have an even better junior season as he should be the centerpiece of the offense.

Walker is looking to become an impact player along the defensive line this season. In two seasons he has made 20 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and one sack. With the departures along the defensive line, he will have a chance to be an important player along the defensive line. An impressive offseason may be just the key to him unlocking his potential.

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Spring Football Preview: Projecting the defensive line

This group needs to develop depth quickly.

Auburn was due for some attrition along the defensive line.

The Tigers had to many talented players for everyone to get enough playing time and when Nick Eason left for Clemson it only worsened the situation.

But losing six players to the transfer portal was unexpected and has thinned out Auburn’s depth.

The Tigers return their top defensive lineman in Colby Wooden and quality starter in Marcus Harris. Marquis Burks gives them another experienced player they will lean on.

After those four, Auburn has several promising players who have yet to carve out roles for themselves and are now in line for serious playing time.

Here is a look at the group.

Auburn Spring Practice: Can the Tigers find a dominant defensive line?

Here are the Tigers projected to fill the positions on the defensive line.

The last few months have been chaotic for every aspect of Auburn football, especially the Tigers’ defensive line. New defensive line coach Nick Eason comes to Auburn after spending a season coaching the Cincinnati Bengals’ d-line. Eason steps in to replace Tracy Rocker who left after just 11 days for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The hardest task that lies ahead for Eason and DC Derek Mason is replacing two of the line’s biggest contributors from last season in defensive end Big Kat Bryant and defensive tackle Daquan Newkirk.

Bryant left Auburn to originally follow Kevin Steele to Tennessee but finally ended up at UCF with former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn. He finished last season with 15 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 interception. Newkirk transferred to Florida and finished last season with 28 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

Mason typically runs a hybrid defense that alternates between three and four man fronts. Here are the Tigers projected to fill the positions on the defensive line:

Defensive tackle:

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Dre Butler 6’5, 304 lb junior

  • 2020 stats: 14 tackles, 1 sack
  • Butler transferred to Auburn from Independence Community College in Kansas where he recorded 66 tackles, 22.0 TFL, and 11.5 sacks

Lee Hunter 6’4, 300 lb freshman

  • Senior statistics at Blount High School (Mobile, AL): 54 tackles, 20 TFL, 4.5 sacks
  • 4-star recruit with high praise for his strength and athleticism along all aspects of the line

Jay Hardy 6’4, 300 lb redshirt freshman

  • 2020 stats: early season leg injury sidelined Hardy throughout season, saw action in one game against Northwestern
  • Instinctually a very solid player with quick hands and big upside but will need to step up athletically this spring to fill the role

Zykeivous Walker 6’4, 266 lb sophomore

  • 2020 stats: solid option for Auburn at DE, finished season with 14 tackles and 1 sack
  • Powerful and quick for his size, has the versatility and skillset to play on the edge and the interior

Marquis Burks 6’3, 312 lb senior

  • 2020 stats: 4 tackles, 1 sack
  • Two years of experience at Iowa City Community College

Defensive end:

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Colby Wooden 6’4 268 lb sophomore

  • 2020 stats: 42 tackles, 3 sacks, 9.5 TFL
  • His 9.5 TFL ranked third best in the SEC and he finished the season on the SEC All-Freshman team

Zykeivous Walker 6’4 266 lb sophomore

  • 2020 stats: 14 tackles, 1 sack
  • As mentioned before, his versatility is great and he’s a proven pass rusher

Jaren Handy 6’5 252 lb junior

  • 2020 stats: 3 tackles, 1 sack
  • Reserve DE for the Tigers in 2020, plays aggressively and runs well in pursuit

Miami losing on field, but still landing 4-star recruits from former Florida State flock

Miami landed a pair of four-star recruits, both former Florida State pledges — running back Jaylan Knighton and safety Jalen Harrell — less than a week after an embarrassing loss to FIU.

Miami is less than two weeks removed from one of the most embarrassing defeats in program history, a 30-24 setback at the hands of Florida International University (FIU). One might think that would all but officially sever the pipeline between elite talent in South Florida and “The U.” Incredibly, the opposite has happened.

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, the Hurricanes gained commitments from a pair of former Florida State commits: Champagnat Catholic (Hialeah, Fla.) safety Jalen Harrell and Deerfield Beach (Fla.) running back Jaylan Knighton. The pair of two of the four Florida State recruits who decommitted following the firing of head coach Willie Taggart.

Incredibly, both committed after visiting Miami during the aforementioned FIU loss, then still decided to commit because of atmosphere around the program.

Harrell, who committed on his birthday, picked the Hurricanes on social media with an all-time classic send off, claiming he plans to “Make the Crib Great Again,”

That sentiment was echoed by Knighton, who also took his official visit over the FIU weekend.

“I love the school,” Knighton told 247Sports. “I love the program. I love the system. I love the support.”

Now, Miami fans will love him. Just as they’re sure to love Harrell, with both players talented enough to make a significant impact early.