SEC Kickoff Preview: Auburn Tigers

Thanks to our good friends at Kroger, the KSR crew is in Nashville covering SEC Media Days in the most in-depth and at times ridiculous manner possible. Kroger is your hometown, community spot for all your shopping needs. Now, let’s go Krogering. 

Welcome back to the SEC, Hugh Freeze. The Tigers are coming off back-to-back 7-loss seasons. That just isn’t getting it done on the Plains. A change at the top was awkwardly predictable. War Eagle has a different approach to athletic management. It’s often the case that It’s unclear exactly who is in charge of the athletics department. Is it the AD or boosters? History and hiring/firing practices suggest the latter. 

Hugh Freeze has won a lot of football games. The head coach does come with questions that mostly surround non-football matters. On the field, Freeze is a creative offensive mind that has experienced success throughout the years at various levels. Recruiting is the lifeline of all college football programs. AU had experienced lows in that arena over the past few years. The Tigers have also gone through a mass exodus via the portal. 

Hugh Freeze is faced with rebuilding fractured relationships with boosters. These affluent supporters have a history of being overly influential at the school. Freeze also has to reconnect with old recruiting ties, retain his best players, install an offense and defense, and manage the portal. He’s done well so far by all appearances. With so much turnover and portal additions, it’s difficult for an outsider to project the Tigers. But, we’ll give it a shot. Let’s get into it.

OFFENSE

Phillip Montgomery is technically listed as Auburn’s offensive coordinator. He was previously the head coach at Tulsa for eight seasons. Montgomery also spent time at Houston and Baylor. He is considered to be an innovative offensive play caller. How much autonomy will he have with Freeze looking over his shoulder? That’s yet to be seen.  

It all starts with the quarterback position. Robby Ashford is an exciting playmaker with a world of potential. The Oregon transfer and Hoover, Alabama product became the Auburn starter a year ago. He combined for 14 touchdowns and threw for 1,613 yards while rushing for 709. 

Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne entered the equation after leaving East Lansing. The graduate transfer started 26 games for the Spartans. He threw 49 career touchdown passes to go along with 6494 yards. Sources close to the situation indicate that Thorne will likely win the job come fall camp and be the team’s starting quarterback. Running back depth could come into question with the unknown eligibility status surrounding Jarquez Hunter. One answer is Brian Battie. 

Battie came to Auburn from South Florida. The running back rushed for 1185 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. Other portal additions include several receivers: Shane Hooks (Jackson State), Jyaire Shorter (North Texas), and Nick Mardner (Cincinnati). Jackson is a high-catch receiver while Shorter and Mardner are taller targets that can operate at X. 

FIU transfer TE Rivaldo Fairweather (6’4, 251) was a top get for Freeze. He recorded 54 catches for 854 yards and 5 touchdowns at his former school. The TE room is deep and skilled. Tyler Fromm, Brandon Frazier, and Luke Deal are all starter-level contributors. 

A veteran offensive line is loaded with Portal additions. Tulsa tackle Dillon Wade, East Carolina center Avery Jones, and WKU tackle Gunner Britton make up a nice collection of experienced linemen. Holdovers Cameron Stutts and Jeremiah Wright complete the OL for the Tigers. Lots of new, but a veteran presence could ease the transition.

Best Offensive Player: Ja’Varrius Johnson

This was a difficult decision. Auburn’s offense was not good last season. With Hunter’s unknown status, there aren’t many options. Johnson led the Tigers with 26 receptions for 493 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2022. The veteran has recorded 45 career catches for 767 yards. 

Most Important Offensive Player: Quarterback Thorne or Ashford 

Thorne is expected the be the starting quarterback. Having two starter-level, experienced signal callers on the same team is extremely rare these days. Freeze’s offenses heavily lean on the quarterback to make quick decisions and to be versatile. He’s proven to develop quarterbacks at previous stops. This is a transition year, but the Tigers don’t like to rebuild on the Plains.

DEFENSE

Coordinator Ron Roberts comes to Auburn after three years of calling plays at Baylor. His 2021 defense led the Big 12 in INTs (19), turnovers gained (27), turnover margin (0.93), and defensive touchdowns (3). Roberts also has eleven years of head coaching experience with stops at Delta State and Southeastern Louisiana. 

The Auburn defense mostly underachieved in 2022 after allowing 29 points and 395 yards per game. Ranked near the bottom of the SEC in several categories, room for improvement is available. I think Freeze has the right play-caller in place to improve his defense. 

Four front seven starters arrived at Auburn via the portal. Kentucky NT Justin Rogers (6’3, 340) departed Lexington for the Plains and is projected at NT. He’s joined by former Maryland defensive tackle Mosiah Nasili-Kite (6’2, 285). Vanderbilt LB Elijah McAllister and Ole Miss LB Austin Keys round out the foursome.  

The Tigers were extremely active in the portal on the defensive side of the football. Freeze added likely starting linebacker Austin Keys from Ole Miss where he racked up 39 tackles, 2 QB sacks, 10 QB pressures Joining Keys are Jalen McLeod (Appalachian State) and his 41 tackles, 6 QB sacks, and 23 hurries in 2023, Vanderbilt’s Elijah McAllister (7 QB pressures), and North Texas LB Larry Nixon. 

The secondary is constructed with veteran players that were in the Auburn program when Freeze took over. 6’1, 185-pound cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett leads the group and is considered the top secondary defender. The soon-to-be four-year starter is more than capable to match up against the opponent’s top receiving threat. He’s joined at corner by fellow veteran DJ James. The former Oregon transfer was named 2^nd Team All-SEC last season. 6’1, 178-pound senior safety Jaylin James mans the back third. 6’0, 188-pound STAR; Keionte Scott plays a hybrid role and can align all over the field. 

Best Defensive Player: Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett 

Pritchett has recorded 91 career stops from his cornerback position. He’s also contributed 22 pass breakups. Experience matters in a transition year. Pritchett has the skill to push for postseason honors.

Most Important Defensive Player: Nose Tackle Justin Rogers

This isn’t my pick just because Rogers is a former Kentucky Wildcat. Auburn badly needed to bolster its defensive front with physical defenders. Hugh Freeze is counting on the Detroit, Michigan product to demand double teams and to be an enforcer as a 0-technique defender. AU’s front got pushed around last season. That’s not consistent with program history or standards. 

2023 Schedule Overview

Hugh Freeze’s Auburn Tigers begin the season with three non-conference opponents: Massachusetts, at California, and Samford. Cal could be a tricky deal due to time changes and travel challenges. But, Auburn is the better roster. New Mexico State in late November tops off their out-of-league foes.  

AU’s SEC schedule sees War Eagle going to Texas A&M, LSU, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas. Difficult, but winnable games in Nashville and maybe Fayetteville. The home conference schedule includes matchups against Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Alabama. The most difficult opponents will be played against in Jordan-Hare.

2023 PREDICTION: SEC West, 7th

What Does All This Mean?

Lots and lots of moving parts. This is a reference to the high number of portal pickups that will top the Tigers’ two-deep this fall. Patience is not a trait that is accepted by the university’s muddled administration/booster dynamic. There has been a significant investment in the War Eagle program at all levels. Those in power expect a positive return. What does that look like? For starters, a winning record. That hasn’t happened over the past two seasons.