Morning reads: Dee Davis finds new home, Keegan Thompson is dealing and more
Good morning, Auburn fans, and welcome to the Morning Reads. Every day, we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Tigers’ athletics. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Auburn football, recruiting, basketball, baseball and much more in Morning Reads.
Auburn football coaches hit the road
Last spring, because of COVID, Bryan Harsin and the new coaching staff were limited in when and where they could go visit high schools and prospects. The same was similar for high school coaches and prospects wanting to visit Auburn. There were restrictions that made it more difficult than usual. That’s certainly a tough place to be for a new staff trying to build relationships. With all restrictions lifted, the Auburn staff is making it the highest of priorities to hit the road starting on Monday. With spring practice finished and player evaluations finished, the assistants are canvassing the southeast to hit as many high schools over the coming weeks as possible. It’s a massively important time for this staff to make some serious strides, especially on the heels of inviting coaches from across the state of Alabama and beyond for the Coaches Clinic a few weeks ago.
Bryan Harsin listed among coaches facing the most pressure this fall
Barrett Sallee from CBS Sports wrote about college football coaches under the most pressure this fall. Little surprise that Harsin made the list. Here’s what Sallee said:
A coup attempt by influential members of the Auburn program nearly ousted Harsin during the offseason, but the second-year coach of the Tigers needs to thrive in order to survive in 2022. A 6-7 season should never happen at Auburn, even during rebuilding years. That’s exactly what Harsin posted in his first year, which also included massive coaching turnover, a mass exodus of players to the transfer portal, a 25-point collapse vs. Mississippi State and an overtime escape from the clutches of Group of Five foe Georgia State.
Harsin has to manage a three-man quarterback battle among T.J. Finley, Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada and Robby Ashford this offseason, and will do so with long-time confidant Eric Kiseau running the offense. The right decision better be made. The Tigers have road games at Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama this year, in addition to a home tilt vs. Penn State in Week 3.
In only Year Two, it’s hard to argue that Harsin certainly faces a ton of pressure. The question is, where are expectations considering the circumstances? Auburn faces one of, if not the toughest schedule in the nation, and lacks depth at some key positions. The gap between expectations and reality is a significant factor in the pressure Harsin will face this fall.
QB battles rage on in the SEC
On3 Sports’ Jesse Simonton writes about the quarterback battles happening in the SEC. Auburn certainly isn’t the only school trying to choose the right signal caller heading into next fall. Florida, Missouri, LSU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are all facing decisions. That falls in line with projecting teams’ successes this fall, as the teams without quarterback battles seem to be garnering more positive attention for the season, like Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, etc.
Dematrius Davis finds a new home
Former Auburn quarterback Dematrius Davis has found a new home. Davis committed to Alabama State on Monday night. Davis, a former four-star recruit, was a national top 200 recruit and the 20th-rated quarterback in the 2021 class, according to the On3 Consensus Rankings, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He never saw in-game action in an Auburn uniform.
Coming out of high school, Davis played for North Shore High (Houston, Texas) and guided them to a 14-1 overall record in 2021 and the state semifinals in 2020. As a senior, Davis passed for 3,553 passing yards with 38 touchdowns. On the ground, he showed off his versatility with 875 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. According to the On3 Consensus Rankings, he was rated as the No. 20 quarterback prospect in America for the 2021 recruiting class.
As things currently stand, Davis is the 24th-rated quarterback to enter the transfer portal during this cycle. Among quarterbacks currently available in the portal, Davis is the fourth highest-rated signal-caller remaining.
Fantastic start for Keegan Thompson
Former Auburn star Keegan Thompson is off to a great start this season. Pitching in relief for the Chicago Cubs, Thompson has three appearances, two wins, and 10 strikeouts in 9.2 innings pitched. Thompson appeared in 32 games last season for the Cubs, notching a 3-3 record in six starts, and finishing the season with a 3.38 ERA.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Coach Michael Vick
Former NFL star is college HC
- 2Hot
Zachariah Branch
USC 5-Star hits the portal
- 3
Jaylen Mbakwe
5-Star Alabama freshman staying in Tuscaloosa
- 4
Dan Mullen
Contract details released
- 5
Updated National Title odds
Latest odds on the CFP title chase
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In other news
Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims has officially taken his name out of the transfer portal per On3 Sports’ Matt Zenitz. DawgsHQ was able to first report earlier in the day that Mims, a former five-star offensive tackle, was expected to stay at Georgia after entering the transfer portal last week. He visited Florida State over the weekend. Florida State appeared to have a ton of momentum in landing Mims, but after an official visit to Tallahassee, Mims decided to remain at Georgia. It’s a significant happening in the SEC.
Mike Huggenin from On3 Sports listed the winningest and losingest Power 5 programs over the past decade. Auburn fell short of making the top ten, mainly because of a 2012 season with three wins, and now back-to-back six win seasons. The Tigers have 77 total wins over the last ten seasons. That’s 29 wins short of landing in the top five.
Don’t miss the latest Asked and Answered
It was time to catch up on all the happenings and answer questions from our loyal community at Auburn Live. The latest Asked and Answered hit on spring football, athletic director Allen Greene, the potential impact of transfer Johni Broome, baseball’s outlook and more. These will happen once a week moving forward, most likely towards the end of the week. You’ll be able to post your questions when you see the A&A thread on The Corner, and see if your question is answered.
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