OPPONENT: Auburn
WHERE: Athens
WHEN: October 5
EARLY LINE: Georgia by 20
Introduction
This fall is Year 2 of the Hugh Freeze era at Auburn, so what does the future hold?
Season one had its share of ups and downs, but the excitement level remains, and Tigers fans are counting on Freeze coaching their team to an even better season this fall.
In the final year of division play, Auburn finished 6-7 overall and 3-5 in the league. With the additions of Texas and Oklahoma, the league standings will now consist of 16 teams combined.
While it’s undoubtedly Auburn’s goal to finish in the upper echelon, that’s probably a stretch, although a move back to .500 is definitely the goal.
Offense: What we learned
…It appears Auburn has some depth at running back. In the spring game, projected starter Jarquez Hunter only rushed four times for 27 yards, but four other backs rushed 36 times for 202.
…The offensive line caught Freeze’s attention. He believes it will be better, but time will tell.
…One lineman to keep an eye on is sophomore Connor Lew, who some think has the most potential of any offensive lineman on the team.
…Quarterback Payton Thorne is the projected starting quarterback. Last year against Georgia, the Bulldogs held Thorne to 10 of 19 passing for 82 yards. He did rush for 92 yards, including a run of 61 yards.
…Two key wide receiver transfers to watch include Keandre Lambert-Smith, who was the leading receiver last year at Penn State, and Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis.
…At left tackle, Mississippi State transfer Percy Lewis appears to have a leg up.
…The Tigers are counting on tight end Rivaldo Fairweather having an even better year after catching 38 passes for 394 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Defense: What we learned
…One of Auburn’s bigger transfer pickups was former Kansas defensive tackle Gage Keys, who had 21 tackles last year with the Jayhawks.
…Buck linebacker Jalen McLeod led the Tigers in sacks with 10.5, but beyond him, Auburn needs some players to step up at the position this fall.
…New nose tackle Trill Carter comes to Auburn from Texas.
…The Tigers love what they have at linebacker in Austin Keys, Dorian Mausi, and Eugene Asanta. After that, again, there are questions.
…Auburn will go into fall camp with one defensive back making a position switch, as Keionte Scott goes from nickel to corner.
…Projected starter at safety Jerrin Thompson is another transfer from Texas, where he played each of the last four years.
Special Teams: What we learned
…Projected starting kicker Alex McPherson missed the spring due to a hamstring injury.
However, that opened the door for walk-on Towns McGough, who hit all seven of his field goal attempts during Auburn’s spring game.
Oscar Chapman is back as the punter.
Summary
The Tigers will be looking for more consistency from quarterback Payton Thorne, at least from what he showed against Georgia last year.
Auburn feels good about its backfield, but the Tigers are going to have to throw the football better than they did when they finished next-to-last in the SEC with an efficiency rating of just 126.04.
Overall, the Tigers lost 20 players to the transfer portal and brought in 14, each of whom are expected to play key roles.
On paper, Auburn is not expected to contend just yet; a .500 season would at least be a step in the right direction. But do the Tigers have enough offensive firepower to make that happen? That’s the main question at this juncture, in early May.
