AUBURN — Between signing high school recruits and wooing players from the transfer portal, Auburn Football’s new staff has signed 27 new players to the program since the hiring of coach Hugh Freeze in November.
Some of the signers had committed to the Tigers before Freeze arrived, but others like four-star defensive lineman Keldric Faulk and four-star cornerback Kayin Lee were convinced to move to Auburn early in the season. the signing period. Faulk had been committed to Florida State before changing his decision, and Lee was tied to Ohio State.
Each of the seven transfers introduced in recent weeks can also be credited to new staff. The window for players to enter the portal opened on December 5, a week after Freeze was officially hired. The Tigers picked up tight end Rivaldo Fairweather from Florida International on Dec. 18 to get things going, and have since secured commitments from offensive tackles Dillon Wade (Tulsa) and Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky), defensive linemen Mosiah Nasili-Kite (Maryland) and Lawrence Johnson (Purdue), linebacker DeMario Tolan (LSU) and edge Elijah McAllister (Vanderbilt).
EARLY SIGNING PERIOD:Auburn Football Recruiting Class of 2023: Meet the Tigers’ first signings for Hugh Freeze
COLLEGIAN:Auburn football gets two juco commitments in OT Izavion Miller, DL Quientrail Jamison-Travis
There are still more holes to fill, however, and this is the critical moment for Auburn. Classes start on Wednesday and the last day to register is January 18. If Freeze wants incoming transfers to be able to take part in spring training, which usually starts in March, he needs to square them up in the next week.
Here are some positions the Tigers need to add before the deadline.
Strategist
Ever since Freeze confirmed at a press conference on Dec. 21 his interest in taking a quarterback from the transfer gate, fans have been waiting to see who it will be. Even before Freeze’s comments, however, logic dictates that the Tigers need another arm for spring training.
Robby Ashford, TJ Finley and Holden Geriner are on the roster, but that’s it for stock quarterbacks in spring training. Having a player talented enough to push the starting point to create competition would be ideal, but adding someone else to take reps in the spring seems like a necessity.
Top transfer quarterbacks like Grayson McCall, Devin Leary, Brennan Armstrong, Sam Hartman and Tanner Mordecai have already left the portal, either finding new homes or retiring and returning to their original teams.
Edge
Auburn won’t fire two of its best defensive players as rushers Colby Wooden and Derick Hall both declared for the 2023 NFL Draft in December. Freeze has approached departures by signing a few high school rookies, like Faulk, who can go to quarterback. McAllister was also brought in.
But this is not enough. The Tigers are set to have a busy secondary in 2023, especially after cornerback DJ James announced he would return for one more season, and that should help a young pass rush in, but add another veteran on the brim would be helpful.
Interior offensive line
Talent was thin on the entire offensive line when Freeze was hired a few weeks ago. He filled some of the holes early by adding two offensive tackles from the gate, taking over OT Izavion Miller from junior college and signing three-star tackle Tyler Johnson from Natchitoches Central High School in Louisiana.
Now is the time to work on the inside. Miller could be pushed inside if Wade and Britton emerge as the starting tackles, and Jeremiah Wright looks set to be a starter at one of the guard positions. Three-star rookie Connor Lew could play center, but asking a rookie to come in and start at bat is a tough spot to fill. And if nothing else, Auburn needs depth.
Richard Silva is the author of Auburn Rhythms for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached by email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.