With roster turnover being higher than ever, SEC Analysis just launched a new roster view on the teams page to enable users to view up-to-date roster data from the transfer portal and high schools signees. I'll be building the rosters and writing about them for the new few weeks. Checkout Auburn's roster here.

Enjoy!

* indicates new high school signee

(T) indicates transfer

Quarterback:

• Jackson Arnold*

• Deuce Knight*

• Ashton Daniels (T)

• Tanner Bailey (T)

It's Jackson Arnold's job to lose headed into the 2025 season. Arnold finished the year at Oklahoma with 1421 yards, 12 TD, 3 INT, and 154/246 (62.6%), while adding 444 yards on the ground. Arnold is comfortable operating in a heavy RPO scheme which bodes well for Freeze and what he expects out of the quarterback. After a film review of the OU vs Alabama game, his athleticism jumps out. He displays good vision as a runner a has a great ability to extend plays and make throws on the move.

Hopefully Arnold plays efficient football for the Tigers, and Deuce Knight has the ability to sit behind him and grow for a season. Rounding out the group, Ashton Daniels has collegiate experience and went 170/271 (62.7%) for 1700 yards at Stanford a year ago on a lackluster 3-9 Stanford team. He provides some comfort in that room should plans go awry for the Tigers.

As for the evaluation on Deuce Knight, the physical traits are all there for him. He's listed at 6'5 / 205, and he looks it. I like the way he delivers the football - he throws with a solid base. When a kid is that big and athletic at the quarterback position, I'm always worried about their pocket presence and ability to move forward in the pocket while keep their eyes downfield, but I was pleasantly surprised when I turned on Deuce's tape. He continually shows that he wants to throw the football when he moves forward in the pocket; he's not simply looking to run when he sees open field. I think there will be a significant amount to learn, as is the case for most high school to college signees, but I am encouraged by what I see. His ability to make off-rhythm plays is extremely valuable, and if he can be a guy that makes good decisions in the RPO game over and over, his ceiling is very high. Lastly, and maybe most important, is he accurate? The short answer is, I think so. I probably watched ~100 throws between his highlight tape and the game against Picayune, and he seems to always put the football where he's trying to, which is a great sign. Some guys are just inherently accurate with the football, and some aren't.

Runningback:

• Damari Alston

• Jeremiah Cobb

• Durell Robinson (T)

• Alvin Henderson*

• Omar Mabson*

Jarquez Hunter finished the 2024 season with 187 carries and 1201 yards. Needless to say, there's opportunities for touches in the Auburn backfield this season. Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb return, who rushed for 276 yards and 142 yards respectively. My take on Alston and Cobb is they are solid backs - nothing elite jumps out to me on tape but you feel comfortable with either of those guys.

Durell Robinson is an incoming transfer from UCONN, where he rushed for 731 yards on 107 carries in the 2024 season. I don't see anything special about Robinson, after watching some UCONN clips and his senior tape. He's listed at 6'1 / 200, so he has decent size. Overall, I'd say he's pretty average all around when it comes to quickness, change of direction, short area quickness.

Alvin Henderson is the highly touted signee, who's listed at 5'9 / 195. His body type looks like he has the ability to add weight. He's a between the tackles guy, for sure. Henderson combines great contact balance and short-area quickness that enables him to break tackles and pick up extra yardage in small spaces. If he can develop in terms of instincts and vision for the collegiate level, he can be an efficient inside zone and power runner. I'd love for him to put on 15-20 pounds.

Omar Mabson is an Auburn High School kid who has a similar body type and running style to Alvin Henderson. Although Mabson is listed at 5'9, it wouldn't shock me for him to get measured at 5'7 or 5'8 when he's on campus.

Wide Receiver:

• Cam Coleman

• Eric Singleton Jr. (T)

• Malcolm Simmons

• Horatio Fields (T)

• Perry Thompson

• Bryce Cain

• Sam Turner*

• Derick Smith*

• Erick Smith*

The WR room has gone from the least talented room in the building to the most talented room in a span of 3 years. I expect Cam Coleman to mature, improve, and shine in 2025. He finished the year with 598 yards on 38 receptions. In a perfect world where Auburn has a QB who can deliver the football consistently, there's no reason he shouldn't be a 1000 yard receiver in 2025.

Eric Singleton Jr is a transfer from Georgia Tech who is incredibly explosive. He has twitch, separation skills, phenomenal body control, run after catch, and pretty much every trait you're looking for in a slot receiver. Georgia Tech used him all over the field, including giving him the ball out of the backfield a good bit. Expect Hugh Freeze to give Singleton 7-10 touches per game. Singleton may take a share of Malcolm Simmons's touches, since both players operate out of the slot, but if you have play-making ability, you will find a way on the field.

Horatio Fields is a bigger body (6'3 / 202) who transferred in from Wake Forest where he caught 39 passes for 463 yards and 4 TDs. He'll most likely back up Cam Coleman at the X or fight for a starting spot at the Z.

As for the rest of the crew, there are a lot of unknowns. We do know that Hugh Freeze has the desire to rotate a lot of guys in the WR room. He constantly expresses that he doesn't want receivers staying on the field after running long routes - he wants fresh players in to win matchups.

Tight End

• Brandon Frazier

• Preston Howard (T)

• Rico Walker

• Ryan Ghea*

• Hollis Davidson*

Auburn will be looking for answers at the Tight End spot in the spring and summer. Brandon Frazier is the only tight end who has caught a pass on Auburn's roster (which was exactly 1 pass in 2024), but he has mostly contributed as a blocker in his tenure at Auburn. As Frazier returns from injury, expect him to be the primary TE in blocking opportunities. Rico Walker is the other scholarship tight end, who transferred from Maryland in 2023, but he hasn't played.

Preston Howard, also a Maryland transfer, caught 24 balls for 189 yards this past season for the Terrapins, which is encouraging. He seems to have enough athleticism to be a threat. Due to the youth of Hollis Davidson, Howard is the most likely player to be involved on passing downs early in the season.

Ryan Ghea's senior tape shows mostly blocking capabilities. I don't see much ability from a pass-catching perspective. He does have great size, listed at 6'5 / 235, so if he can continue to add strength and knowledge of the playbook, he could be a reliable blocker long-term, but I wouldn't expect much in terms of a receiving threat.

Hollis Davidson flashes tremendous athleticism. I was pleasantly surprised to turn on his senior highlight tape and see how sudden he was to be 6'6. If he is truly 6'6 / 230 and moving like that, he has HUGE upside as a pass catcher for the Tigers. In his 9 game senior tape, he shows great ability to win routes with his size and with his footwork. His route precision is oddly good for a high school tight end. Davidson can sink his hips and change direction on out routes and in breakers. He has good ball skills and body control. If he can develop as a blocker, he is what you want at the Tight End spot - a matchup problem for defenses.

Offensive Line

• Conner Lew

• Jeremiah Wright

• Dillon Wade

• Xavier Chaplin (T)

• Mason Murphy (T)

• Bradyn Joiner

• Tate Johnson

• Kail Ellis*

• Broderick Shull*

• Tai Buster*

• Jacobe Ward*

Auburn returns some quality depth at the interior offensive line spots. Conner Lew, Dillon Wade, Jeremiah Wright, and Bradyn Joiner all started at times on the line in 2024. Dillon Wade played some RG, LG, and LT last year when players got banged up.

The big questions are the tackle spots, which are presumed to be in the hands of the incoming transfers: Mason Murphy and Xavier Chaplin. Murphy transfers in from USC, where he accumulated 10 starts and played in 27 games. He played mostly Right Tackle for USC in 2024 but played several spots on the line in his 3 years. I assume he'll slide into the RT spot for Auburn as well. Xavier Chaplin is a big time get and the assumed starter at Left Tackle. I'm not an offensive line expert, so I haven't watched much film on those guys - it's tough to get your hands on good tape to evaluate linemen if you don't have PFF and end-zone, all 12 footage.

Bradyn Joiner could play in a lot of spots depending on health of the O-Line. Tate Johnson has also seen snaps at multiple positions. Hopefully the 4 high school signees will come along nicely and be able to add depth as the season progresses.

Defensive Line

• Keldric Faulk

• Keyron Crawford

• Malik Blocton

• Zykeivous Walker

• Jamonta Waller

• Amaris Williams

• Malik Autry*

• Jared Smith*

• Antonio Coleman*

• Chris Murray (T)

• Jourdin Crawford*

• Darrion Smith*

The defensive line is in rebuilding mode with the loss of 5 significant contributors: Isiah Raikes, Jayson Jones, Jalen McLeod, Trill Carter, and Philip Blidi. Keldric Faulk was a staple on this defense in 2024, and he could be a double digit sack guy in 2025 if his progression continues. He has a great ability to affect the passer, and he holds up well against the run when the effort is there.

As for the rest of the defensive line, the Tigers are hopeful that other returners Amaris Williams, Malik Blocton, and Z Walker can play a big role in the front 4. Amaris Williams was a 5-star player out of high school who entered the portal following the season after a small role, but Auburn made a push to keep him, and they are happy to have him returning to a depleted line. Expect Williams to compete with Keyron Crawford to occupy the other end spot opposite of Faulk.

Let's talk about the newcomers and their expectations. Just an FYI, recruiting rankings don't truly mean anything - they are just evaluations like some of the ones i've provided in this blog. They have a high likelihood of inaccuracy for numerous reasons, including the fact that evaluation is extremely difficult.

Having said that, I took the time to go watch Malik Autry's senior tape. Malik has the highest expectation to be an early contributor this fall. 247 Sports has him rated as this 25th overall player nationally. After a few clips, you could tell he moves really well to be ~6'4 / 320 pounds. His lateral movement and initial quickness off the ball flash immediately. Opelika shows the end zone view on their HUDL which is HUGE for evaluating o-line and d-line. He plays a lot of 3-technique for them, but I also saw him lineup as a 0-tech. The strength gap for interior defensive line in high school vs college is pretty vast, but I like what I see in terms of strength at the point-of-attack and commanding double teams. With his skill set, he can contribute early if he's a hard worker.

Chris Murray is an edge transfer from Sam Houston State who had 5 sacks and 2 QB hurries a year ago. Jared Smith, the signee from Thompson, is built exactly how you want your edge guys to be built - long and rangy. I wish he a little more get-off and initial quickness, but he certainly has the tools to be an effective pass rusher in the SEC. Jourdin Crawford is a signee from Parker HS in Birmingham who's 6'1 / 330 and is going to play inside. Darrion Smith and Antonio Coleman are both around 6'2 / 260 and projected as DEs.

Linebacker

• Demarcus Riddick

• Robert Woodyard

• Xavier Atkins (T)

• Jakaleb Faulk*

• Elijah Melendez*

• Bryce Deas*

It's crucial for Riddick and Woodyard to take a massive step this offseason. Both linebackers have played slowly increasing roles for Auburn's defense, but now they are the guys at MIKE and WILL. Riddick's primary usage in 2024 was at the MIKE in a spy role on 3rd downs. He's extremely athletic and does a great job watching the QBs eyes and making tackles in open field, but it remains to be seen if he can hold up against the run and be an every down LB. At 217 pounds, that's pretty light to play MIKE in the SEC. Woodyard primarily played a backup role at the SAM against 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 TEs) in 2024, but I like his mobility and strength at the point-of-attack.

Xavier Atkins transferred in from LSU, but his size gives me concern at 6'0 / 210. He didn't contribute much for LSU last year on a very average defense. I'm not sure what he'll play yet - we'll see.

Jakaleb Faulk and Elijah Melendez are the high schools signees. Both of those guys have inside, MIKE linebacker type bodies. Jakaleb is 6'3 / 225 and Melendez is 6'2 / 225 - both already heavier than our current LBs. It would be surprising for one of them to start at the MIKE as a true freshman, but anything is possible.

Physically, Jakaleb Faulk has everything. His size JUMPS off the tape, and it's even more accentuated by the fact that he's playing small town football and is so much bigger than everyone around him. I like his instincts and ability to key and diagnose plays, but overall it feels really raw to watch him on tape. His older brother Keldric has great instincts, and it took him some time to really mold into the player he was this past season. The upside on Jakaleb is massive.

Elijah Melendez is a rolling ball of butcher knives, as former Auburn DC Kevin Steele would put It. Dude is running downhill looking for heavy contact 24/7. I love the physicality and intensity he plays with. Strength at the POA (point-of-attack) is very, very good. I really think his play strength and ability to shed blocks are above average as well. On the limited lateral movement clips I saw, it also looks promising. There's a couple clips where he does well to move laterally to avoid a blocker and still maintains the strength to strike the ball carrier with force. I like this kid A LOT.

Could Auburn be in the market for another MIKE linebacker this spring and summer? I certainly think so.

Defensive Back

Let's break these down into 2 sub-groups: Corner & Safety. I'll group the guys who might play the Nickel in with the safeties. DBs are always subject to change position.

Corner:

• Kayin Lee

• Jay Crawford

• JC Hart

• Champ Anthony (could play Corner or Nickel)

• Raion Strader (T)

• Donovan Starr*

• Blake Woodby*

• Devin Williams*

Champ Anthony showed promise at the corner spot last year, but he was sidelined after a leg injury against Arkansas in September. Kayin Lee and Jay Crawford emerged as the corners that would play a majority of the snaps for the rest of the season with JC Hart getting mixed in as well. Jay Crawford really came along as a true freshman and ended up earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman squad - yeah, he's ball player. I feel solid about Kayin Lee's progression. He's headed into his 3rd season, and he played fairly well down the stretch at the boundary corner spot. This room is getting some much needed support with the addition of the 3 high school signees and the transfer from Miami Ohio, Raion Strader. Strader had 53 tackles and 17 passes defended a year ago for the RedHawks. Admittedly, I haven't watched the tape on the high school guys, so their projection is unknown for me at the moment.

Safety:

• Kaleb Harris

• Sylvester Smith

• Taye Seymore (T)

• Kensley Louidor-Faustin

• Terrance Love

• Eric Winters*

• Anquon Fegans*

Kaleb Harris is a freakin' dude. I really felt like he should've had a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team alongside Jay Crawford but whatever. He's going to be a force in the secondary for the next two years. Taye Seymore is an incoming safety transfer from Georgia Tech. He finished the 2024 season with 45 tackles and 3 TFLs. I think Seymore, Terrance Love, and Louidor-Faustin could see the most time there in the spring and summer while the young guys develop.

As for the nickel, Sylvester Smith played a lot of nickel down the stretch last year, and I'll be curious to see where he fits in long-term. I'm not sure he's the ideal nickel player, but I think he was fine. Champ Anthony played a lot of nickel early in the season before sliding to the corner spot where he got injured. Durkin and McGriff will probably rotate someone else in as well to get reps.

Kicker

• Towns McGough

• Alex McPherson

• Ian Vachon

• Connor Gibbs (T)

A struggle last year for the Tigers, to say the least. Towns McGough finished the year 5/12 (42%) on field goals which is obviously not great. Alex McPherson dealt with an injury, illness, I don't even know for most of last year, so who even knows if he'll be back. Connor Gibbs is transferring in from Southern Miss. Gibbs was 10/13 (77%) last year with a long of 59. He could be the guy if he can find consistency.

Punter

• John McGuire*

• Hudson Kaak (T)

With Oscar Chapman's departure, the punting spot is wide open. Hudson Kaak has been the starting punter for Oklahoma State the past two seasons and has a decent resume. He averaged 43 YPP last fall on 31 punts with a long of 51. 11/31 (36%) punts were downed inside the 20. John McGuire is no slouch, though. He averaged 42.8 YPP at Thompson with a long of 63.

Long Snapper

• Reed Hughes

• Keaton McNutt

• J.R. Buckner

Reed Hughes returns as Auburn's long snapper and will most likely command that role all year.