​​Lyle's Corner

​​April 2025

Friday, April 25th, 2025

A reserve offensive lineman has entered the transfer portal. 

​News broke this morning that Jaden Muskrat is on the move from Hugh Freeze's program. In five college seasons at Auburn and Tulsa, Muskrat has appeared in 45 games, including 10 starts, as an offensive tackle. That includes each of the 25 games - with one start - in the past two seasons with the Tigers. 

​A native of Berryhill, Oklahoma, Muskrat played high school ball at Bentonville West in Centerton, Ark. after previously playing at Choctaw (OK). According to the On3 Industry Ranking, he was a top-3,000 prospect as a three-star recruit in the 2020 cycle. He also rated as a Top-30 player in the state of Arkansas. 

Muskrat is the sixth transfer for the spring cycle for Auburn. He joins defensive back CJ Johnson, offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner (Purdue), DB Terrance Love (Colorado), cornerback J.C. Hart (Utah) and cornerback Tyler Scott (Georgia State). Those come after adding defensive lineman James Ash (Florida A&M), CB Rayshawn Pleasant (Tulane), LB Caleb Wheatland (Maryland) and LB Jay Hardy (Liberty). 

All that said, according to On3's 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings, Auburn's class ranks No. 6 in the nation with 20 additions and, because of this, 24 subtractions for the program. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Thursday, April 24th, 2025

Auburn football got another transfer commitment yesterday. 

Rayshawn Pleasant, a cornerback who formerly played for Tulane, announced his pledge to the Tigers yesterday. He also visited USC while in the portal for the spring window, but has decided on the Plains as his new home. Pleasant has two years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2022 and playing in 2023 and 2024 for Tulane. 

​Pleasant registered five tackles in nine games in 2023 before entering a bigger role last season. For the 2024 campaign, he amassed 35 tackles, four pass breakups, a 100-yard pick-six, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss. Pleasant also shined as Tulane's kick returner, averaging 34.5 yards per return on 13 attempts, including two returned for TDs. 

After losing both JC Hart and Tyler Scott to the transfer portal, cornerback became a stronger point of emphasis for defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff and the rest of the staff. True freshman Devin Williams tore an ACL in spring practice. Kayin Lee and Jay Crawford return as projected starters from last year's team, with Miami-Ohio transfer Raion Strader arriving in the previous portal window and vying with them for a starting job. 

Pleasant is the fourth addition for Auburn in the spring transfer portal window, joining defensive linemen James Ash and Jay Hardy and linebacker Caleb Wheatland. 

As a closing note, Happy Birthday, Mama! I love you so much!

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Monday, April 21st, 2025

A defensive lineman is coming to the Plains - for the second time. 

Jay Hardy, who spent the past four seasons at Liberty, will return to Auburn for his final college football season. In his time at Liberty, he recorded 54 tackles (seven for loss), 2 sacks and 3 batted passes. 

At Auburn, Hardy redshirted in 2020, making his debut against Northwestern in the Citrus Bowl. While he's returning to the Plains, the decision is arguably more about the coaching staff. After the 2020 campaign, Hardy transferred to Liberty and played for Hugh Freeze's program in 2021 and '22. Since Freeze brought many of his Liberty staffers to Auburn with him, Hardy will be very excited to see familiar faces in his second stint as a Tiger. 

​The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Hardy played in 34 games over the past 3 seasons at Liberty after redshirting in 2021. His best season came in 2023 when he recorded 31 tackles with five for loss and two sacks in 14 contests. 

This time around, Hardy comes to the Plains free of controversy. His original commitment was shrouded in controversy when Hardy was not announced as an AU signee during the Early Signing Period in December of 2019. But in January of 2020, Hardy was confirmed to be an Auburn signee amid rumors of a potential flip to Tennessee. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Sunday, April 20th, 2025

It's not common for me to write a post on Easter Sunday, but the simple fact is that news never takes a holiday - especially when it comes to recruiting in the sports arena. The Auburn football program gained two transfer commitments today. 

The first is former Austin Peay offensive lineman Malachi Harris. Auburn wasn't exactly intending to add a transfer offensive lineman from the portal this spring. Head coach Hugh Freeze said that the Tigers were "pretty set" on that side of the ball, barring any unforeseen departures. But perhaps things changed course when Bradyn Joiner announced his plans to enter the portal earlier this week. 

With Joiner moving on, the path was cleared for the Tigers to pursue Harris as it strives for depth at the line. Harris, an Alabama native, played one season at Austin Peay before entering the portal. He played in 10 games for Austin Peay and will have three years of eligibility left with Auburn. 

According to the 247Sports Composite, Harris was the No. 128 interior offensive lineman in the country for the Class of 2024. He attended Jemison High School in Anniston, Ala. He's the older brother of 4-star edge Tiger commit Hezekiah Harris. 

- Auburn's second transfer pledge of the day came at the linebacker spot. Caleb Wheatland, a former Maryland Terrapin, is coming to the Plains as well. Wheatland amassed 100 tackles and was a three-year contributor for the Terps before opting to enter the portal earlier this offseason. 

Head coach Hugh Freeze hinted at this addition when sharing Auburn's transfer portal approach with reporters earlier this month. "I really like our young linebackers," he told reporters recently. "Could we use one that has some experience? If one's available, probably so." 

​Wheatland brings plenty of experience and production to a room of talented linebackers including Demarcus Riddick, Xavier Atkins, DJ Barber, JJ Faulk, Elijah Melendez and Bryce Deas. Wheatland earned an overall grade of 67.5 in 2024, per Pro Football Focus. He graded out as Maryland's second-best linebacker (minimum of 400 snaps). 

The Tigers now have 18 transfer commitments thus far this offseason. Their 2025 class ranks No. 7 in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. 

That's all for now. Always remember that Jesus Christ is the reason for not only Easter, but also for our everyday lives! Without Him and the sacrifice He made to save us all from our sins, we are worthless and useless! 

Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Saturday, April 19th, 2025

Yet another player in Auburn's football program is entering the transfer portal - this time a wide receiver. 

This past Wednesday, Dylan Gentry announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal. He joins a recent string of Tigers to leave the team, including safeties Terrance Love and C.J. Johnson, cornerback J.C. Hart and offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner. Gentry will have all four years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2024. 

​Wednesday marked the first day of the spring portal window being open. Gentry and the rest of the departing players will have until April 25th to find a new team when the window closes again. Gentry came to the Plains as a walk-on over offers from Florida A&M and Albany State. However, he didn't see any action in his freshman campaign with the Tigers. 

The three-star receiver out of Phenix City (Ala.) Central High was rated as the 279th-best wide receiver recruit in the nation and the 114th-best recruit in the state of Alabama for the Class of 2024. He is the latest Auburn receiver to move on after the Tigers lost their top wideout in senior KeAndre Lambert-Smith to graduation and the 2025 NFL Draft. 

Fortunately, head coach Hugh Freeze balanced that out by clinching two transfer wide receivers in Georgia Tech's Eric Singleton Jr. - the top transfer in the winter window - and Wake Forest transfer Horatio Fields. Both will join sophomores Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons to form a dynamic receivers room. The trio of returning sophomores left little space for Gentry to climb up in the depth chart. 

​That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Friday, April 18th, 2025

Happy Good Friday, everyone. 

​Chad Baker-Mazara, who was granted an extra year of eligibility due to the NCAA's JUCO ruling, announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal yesterday morning. He was one of Auburn's top players this past season, finishing second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game. He started 34 of the Tigers' 38 contests after starting just nine the season prior. 

​Baker-Mazara is the second player to enter the transfer portal since the season concluded, joining Jahki Howard. Both of them play the same position on the wing, making the recent additions of Keyshawn Marshall and Abdul Bashir even more pivotal. 

With Baker-Mazara moving on, Auburn currently returns none of the players from its previous rotation last season. Tahaad Pettiford is most likely to change that, having declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. 

In other news......

​- On the more fortunate side, the Tigers gained a transferring guard from Texas Tech yesterday. Kevin Overton, a 6-foot-5 product from Oklahoma City, is headed to the Plains. Overton averaged nearly 8 points and 4 rebounds per game and shot 33 percent from 3-point range as a Red Raider last season. 

​That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Wednesday, April 16th, 2025

​- Bruce Pearl got a commitment from the JUCO ranks today for Auburn men's hoops. Emeka Opurum, a 7-footer from Butler Community College, averaged 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He was also named the KJCC Defensive Player of the Year. 

Opurum is now the Tigers' second JUCO transfer of this cycle, joining high-scoring guard Abdul Bashir out of Casper College in Wyoming. It also comes one day after Auburn landed former Mississippi State phenom KeShawn Murphy from the transfer portal. The Tigers played with two centers last year, so Murphy and Opurum playing together is by no means an impossibility. 

Auburn is now up to seven incoming players for the 2025-26 season, after losing most of its core from this past season. Aside from Opurum and Bashir out of the JUCO ranks, the Tigers have also added Murphy and Keyshawn Hall from the portal, and incoming freshman Kaden Magwood, Sebastian Williams-Adams and Simon Walker. 

In other news.....

- Offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal yesterday. Joiner ranked as the No. 508 overall player in the Class of 2023, the No. 46 interior offensive lineman and the No. 23 player in the state of Alabama, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He is a three-star prospect. 

Joiner worked his way into a starting spot. He saw action against Alabama A&M in the opener, then had his first start against Kentucky later in the season. He would go on to start each game in the remainder of the season. Joiner was then named to the SEC all-freshman team in 2024. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Monday, April 14th, 2025

A second safety is moving on from Hugh Freeze's program. 

​Redshirt sophomore C.J. Johnson told On3's Hayes Fawcett today that he plans to enter the transfer portal. Terrance Love made the same decision this past Saturday. The spring portal window opens on April 16th. Johnson had previously entered the portal during the winter window, but ultimately opted to return to the Plains for spring practice. Now he'll go back to looking for a new home. 

​Johnson did not see action in either of his two seasons with Auburn. He signed with the Tigers prior to the 2023 season, playing high school ball in Paetow High School in Katy, Texas. With Johnson and Love's departures, Auburn's safety room now consists of Kaleb Harris, Sylvester Smith, Jahquez Robinson, Taye Seymore, AnQuon Fegans, Eric Winters, Kensley Louidor-Faustin and A'mon Lane-Ganus.

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!  

Saturday, April 12th, 2025

​- Safety Terrance Love told On3 this afternoon that he plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens for the spring window on April 16th. 

The junior played two seasons with the Tigers, but never saw regular action. He played in 10 contests in 2024, recording just one tackle. During his freshman campaign in 2023, Love played in 11 games, recording six tackles and a pass breakup. 

The good news is that Auburn got a boost to its safety room this offseason, adding blue-chip prospects Eric Winters and AnQuon Fegans, as well as Georgia Tech transfer Taye Seymore. The Tigers will have chances to add more players from the portal starting on April 16th. 

- Auburn also got some bad news on the injury front. Freshman cornerback Devin Williams suffered a torn ACL in spring camp and is not expected to play in 2025, as reported by Auburn Undercover's Nathan King. This is the second straight offseason in which a young Auburn corner has sustained a serious knee injury and missed the season because of it. Last year, Tyler Scott hurt his knee in the spring and missed all of 2024. 

Despite this news, the Tigers still have major depth at cornerback with players like Kayin Lee, Jay Crawford, Raion Strader and fellow freshman Blake Woodby. Lee and Crawford are both returning starters from last year's team and each logged more than 500 snaps in 2024.  

Williams was a major recruit for Auburn in the class of 2025 and still has a promising future. According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, he was the No. 367 player overall and the No. 35 cornerback in the country for the Class of '25. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Wednesday, April 9th, 2025

A freshman is moving on from Auburn hoops. 

Forward Jahki Howard will enter the transfer portal after one season with Bruce Pearl's squad. A four-star recruit from Atlanta, Ga., Howard averaged just over four points in 9 minutes per game this season, shooting 41% from three-point range. As I write this, I've already seen more than a few unfriendly comments about him on Facebook. I'm in no position to judge, but I wish him the best in the future regardless. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Monday, April 7th, 2025

​Point guard Tahaad Pettiford turned in a dazzling freshman campaign with Bruce Pearl's troops this season. But now it looks like he wants to test the NBA Draft waters during this offseason. 

​Pettiford is the 39th overall draft prospect on ESPN's board, but he will maintain his college eligibility and could still return to the Plains next season. In fact, he hinted at that potential yesterday when he said "I hope to come back next year and run it back again." 

​Although he had just one start for Auburn this season, he still became the team's 3rd-leading scorer, amassing 11.6 points per game. He was also effective from 3-point range at 36.6% on the season and eclipsed Johni Broome during March Madness to lead the Tigers with 3 assists per game. As this season progressed, Pearl vehemently praised the 5-star point guard for his willingness to come off the bench early on. That team-first attitude paid big dividends as he came through in key moments of the season. 

​Pettiford scored 21 points early in the season in a victory over Houston, a team that will face Florida tonight for the national title. He broke the 20-point mark six times in a contest this season, including against Duke and twice in the NCAA Tournament in wins over Creighton and Michigan. 

Now we shall see if Pettiford can clinch a spot in the pros - or if he wants to don the orange and blue again for at least one more year. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Sunday, April 6th, 2025

Sadly, the Tigers came up on the short end of the stick yesterday in the first all-SEC shootout in Final Four history, losing to Florida 79-73 in the national semifinals in the Alamodome. That was undoubtedly a disappointing conclusion to an otherwise historic season.

Despite holding a 46-38 lead at intermission, Auburn could not sustain the momentum over the final 20 minutes, as the Gators (35-4) outscored the Tigers 41-27 and out-rebounded them by 10 over that span as well. Worse yet, Auburn committed 12 second-half turnovers (14 in total). Florida's Walter Clayton frustrated the Tigers, tallying 34 points on the day, 20 of which came in the second half. 

 Chad Baker-Mazara led Auburn with 18 points. But in my mind, the two main factors that shot us down were foul trouble and missed 3-pointers, especially down the stretch when they mattered most. While this season will certainly be viewed as a missed opportunity, it should also be regarded as one that will always be cherished. The Tigers went 32-6 on the year, clinching an SEC regular-season championship. They also spent eight weeks atop the AP poll, set a program record for victories and secured the program's second Final Four berth in history (the first coming in 2019). With Bruce Pearl in charge, the future is only brighter. 

In other news.....

- Some more fortunate news broke on the football front yesterday, as the Tigers gained a commitment from the Peach State for 2026. 

Parker Pritchett, a 3-star offensive lineman from Carver High School in Columbus (Ga.), pledged to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers via X. According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Pritchett is the No. 55 interior offensive lineman in the country. He joins a '26 class that now includes seven players, including Jemison (Ala.) product Hezekiah Harris, the nation's No. 11 edge rusher, and New Orleans' JaMichael Garrett, the No.8-ranked linebacker. Pritchett is the first offensive lineman commit to this class. 

Auburn is hoping to bounce back this fall after two straight lackluster seasons under Freeze. The Tigers went 6-7 in 2023 and lost to Maryland in the Music City Bowl. Last year, they went 5-7 and missed the postseason. However, the 2025 high school recruiting class is a strong one, ranked No. 6 in the country. It includes Malik Autry, the No. 4 defensive lineman nationally. The Tigers also added transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold (Oklahoma) as they aim to address what is most likely the biggest question mark in a string of needs. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Friday, April 4th, 2025

​Auburn punched its ticket to the Final Four for just the second time in program history with a 70-64 victory over Michigan State in the South Region Final this past Sunday. For the Spartans, it was head coach Tom Izzo's first loss in 11 NCAA Tournaments against SEC foes. 

A large factor in the outcome regarded Johni Broome's persistence. Although he went down with an elbow injury in the second half, he returned more than five minutes later, determined not to let that slow him down. He finished the game with 25 points and 14 rebounds, his 21st double-double of the season. 

After MSU grabbed a two-point lead early on, the Tigers responded with a 17-0 run, their second-longest run of the season (surpassed by an 18-0 run against Monmouth). 

Auburn will now focus on the Florida Gators, who will tangle with the Tigers tomorrow at 5:09 p.m. CT on CBS. Bruce Pearl's squad looks to rebound from a 90-81 defeat to Florida on Feb. 8th. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

March 2025

Saturday, March 29th, 2025

In a nutshell, top-seeded Auburn's 78-65 win over No. 5-seeded Michigan last night was nothing short of exhilarating. For much of the game, the Tigers and Wolverines were tossing the lead and momentum back and forth. It was especially enthralling knowing how rusty both teams were in the early going. The Tigers out-rebounded Michigan 29-17 in the first half, enabling them to stay in the thick of it despite 10 first-half turnovers and 32.4 percent shooting. By the end of the night, Auburn had a 48-33 advantage in boards. 

​However, it was a 34-8 run by Auburn in the second half ultimately put this one away, allowing the Tigers to advance to the Elite Eight to take on Michigan State in the South Regional final. The Spartans rallied from behind to beat Ole Miss yesterday. Tipoff between Auburn and Michigan State tomorrow is set for 4:05 p.m. CT on CBS.

​That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Saturday, March 22nd, 2025

Once again, I'm in super-blunt mode today, so I'm just going to keep this simple. 

​Auburn's 83-63 win over Alabama State on Thursday wasn't nearly as easy as the final score might suggest. Even head coach Bruce Pearl acknowledged the lack of effort, focus and energy - save for Miles Kelly, at least. He was the catalyst for the Tiger offense in this one. Kelly posted 23 points on the day, including seven 3-pointers, the latter of which tied Bryce Brown's single-game record in treys against Kansas in 2019 during Auburn's Final Four run. 

​However, it takes more than one player to win a game, and if the Tigers want to advance to the Sweet 16, the whole team will have to pitch in and do its part against 9th-seeded Creighton tonight. Tipoff is set for 6:10 p.m. CT on TBS and truTV (note the simulcast on both networks). 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Wednesday, March 19th, 2025

Yes, I'm still alive. 

But today's post will only focus on a small bit of news on the basketball front. Auburn will take on Alabama State tomorrow in its first round of the NCAA Tournament. Tipoff is set for 1:50 p.m. CT on CBS. 

Yesterday, Alabama State edged past St. Francis in a thrilling 70-68 decision on a game-winning layup with seven-tenths of a second remaining. Man, they don't call it March Madness for nothing, do they? 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Friday, March 7th. 2025

Auburn football's 2025 season will now kick off a day sooner than originally scheduled. 

The Tigers will take on Baylor on Friday, Aug. 29th in Waco, Texas instead of the previously-scheduled date of Saturday, Aug. 30th. Auburn struggled in 2024 under second-year head coach Hugh Freeze, going just 5-7 overall and 2-6 in the SEC, but there seems to be considerable intrigue surrounding the '25 campaign. Hopefully, this newly-scheduled season opener will draw even more national attention. 

​Pressure is mounting for Freeze to return the Tigers to a winning program in the conference, and that task will start in Waco a night earlier than first slated. One element of excitement centers around Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold, who is now on the Plains following a roller-coaster tenure with the Sooners. His transfer to Auburn has been met with great anticipation, and he could get a quick jump into being the starter if everything goes according to plan this offseason. 

In other news.....

- The men's basketball team was clearly ill-prepared in its 83-72 upset loss at Texas A&M in College Station this past Tuesday night. Auburn will look to bounce back when it hosts Alabama in Neville Arena on Saturday in its regular-season finale. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

​That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Saturday, March 1st, 2025

The top-ranked Tigers have clinched the SEC regular-season crown following a 94-78 whipping at 17th-ranked Kentucky in Rupp Arena this afternoon. The outright title was confirmed following Tennessee's buzzer-beating win over Alabama. Auburn hadn't won on the hardwood floor in Lexington since 1988 when they notched a thrilling 53-52 decision on a John Caylor trey with nine seconds left. 

This time around, however, Bruce Pearl's troops didn't need anything close to such heroics. Miles Kelly led the Tigers with 30 points, including nine 3-pointers. The defense was equally impressive, forcing 18 Wildcat turnovers and holding UK to four 3-pointers in 17 tries. Auburn only trailed in the contest for 19 seconds. 

The only downer in all of this centered around ABC's telecast of the game. The broadcast went out with just over 12 minutes left in the game and didn't return until the game's closing minutes. According to one article I came across, a generator in Rupp Arena caught on fire. When the broadcast finally resumed, it took place on ESPNEWS. Regardless of the circumstances, countless Auburn fans were not pleased. 

Hopefully, all viewers will have a much more pleasant experience when the Tigers return to action this coming Tuesday night in another road match, this time at Texas A&M in College Station. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

​February 2025

Thursday, February 27th, 2025

​Auburn men's hoops has set a home-and-home series with Arizona starting in 2025-26, the schools announced today. 

​The first match is set for Dec. 6th, 2025, in Tucson. The return game will be held in Auburn on a to-be-determined date early in the 2026-27 campaign. Arizona joins a tough 2025-26 non-conference slate for the Tigers, who face Houston in Birmingham, Purdue in Indianapolis, and has also committed to play in the Players Era Men's Championship in Las Vegas. The Players Era field includes Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and St. John's, among others. 

​Auburn and Arizona have met just twice before in men's basketball, with the Tigers winning both contests. Auburn won 73-63 in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament in Long Beach, Calif.. and 73-57 as part of the 2018 Maui Invitational. 

​The Tigers are 26-2 overall and 14-1 in the SEC after a 106-76 thumping of Ole Miss last night. Auburn will travel to Lexington to face Kentucky on Saturday at noon CT in a game televised by ABC. Meanwhile, Arizona is ranked 22nd in the nation, and is 19-9 overall and 13-4 in its first year as a member of the Big 12. The Wildcats have made four Final Four appearances, winning a national championship in 1997. 

In other news.....

- As noted above, Auburn drubbed Ole Miss 106-76 in Neville Arena last night in a game in which the Tigers never trailed. Johni Broome, true to form, led the Tigers with 24 points and nine rebounds, adding four assists and two blocked shots. The defense forced 10 Ole Miss turnovers. Not a bad way to wrap up a three-game home stretch. Now, as noted above as well, the Tigers will travel to the Bluegrass State to take on Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday at noon CT on ABC.

​That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Sunday, February 23rd, 2025

When Auburn last faced Georgia five weeks ago in Athens, the Tigers were without Johni Broome due to an ankle injury. 

This time around in Neville Arena, things were quite the contrary. Broome scored a career-high 31 points (19 of which came in the second half) to go with 14 rebounds and four assists to guide the home-standing Tigers to an 82-70 win over the Bulldogs. That was Broome's 17th double-double of the season. With just two weeks left in the regular season, Bruce Pearl's squad now enjoys a two-game lead in the conference as it strives for its fifth straight SEC title in the past eight seasons. 

​Denver Jones tallied 17 points, Miles Kelly added 11 points (as well as eight rebounds), Chad Baker-Mazara posted 11 points and Tahaad Pettiford added five assists. The Tiger defense forced 13 Georgia turnovers. Auburn's offense largely sputtered in the first half, but turned things around after the break, shooting 59.3 percent in the second half.

The Tigers wrap up their three-game homestand this coming Wednesday when they host Ole Miss at 6 p.m. CT in Neville Arena. The game will be televised by ESPN2. Fair warning: The Rebels were stunned by Vanderbilt yesterday. That makes me shudder. The Tigers had better be at the top of their game for this one, to say the least. 

​That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Thursday, February 20th, 2025

I'm pretty exhausted today after such a late game last night, so I'm going to keep this pretty blunt. 

Top-ranked Auburn was lackluster at points last night, but it ultimately pulled away from Arkansas for a 67-60 win last night in Neville Arena. The Tigers outrebounded the Razorbacks 42-29. Johni Broome led the offense with 16 points and 13 rebounds to mark his 16th double-double of the season. Chad Baker-Mazara tallied 15 points and Chaney Johnson posted 14. The game got pretty tight down the stretch, but Auburn closed the match out on a 10-2 run to secure the final margin. 

The Tigers will look to complete a season series sweep on Saturday when they host the Georgia Bulldogs. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

​Sunday, February 9th, 2025

Top-ranked Auburn didn't play as such a team yesterday and ultimately fell to the sixth-ranked Florida Gators 90-81 in Neville Arena yesterday. The loss was the Tigers' first conference setback this season and its first defeat in more than two months. It halted the Tigers' 14-game winning streak. 

Miles Kelly led Auburn with 22 points, while Johni Broome turned in a double-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and a team-high six assists. Tahaad Pettiford registered 14 points and Chaney Johnson tallied 13. But Florida had five players score in double figures, led by Walter Clayton Jr. who had 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds. 

The Tigers got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 10-point lead, but the Gators rose up and put Auburn into a 48-38 hole at the break. News didn't get much better in the second half as the deficit climbed to 21 when Florida's Urban Klavzar nailed two treys in 13 seconds. By the final buzzer, the Gators had drained 13 three-pointers. 

Auburn (21-2, 9-1 SEC) will look to get back on the winning track with a road match at Vanderbilt in Nashville on Tuesday night, Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Thursday, February 6th, 2025

Omar Mabson, an in-state running back, signed with the Tigers yesterday during the final signing period for the 2025 cycle. Mabson is a three-star product from Auburn High. 

​The 5-foot-9, 200-pounder committed to Hugh Freeze's program on January 27th. According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Mabson stands as the No. 823 player overall, the No. 65 running back and the No. 32 player in Alabama. 

Mabson reportedly has great vision in between the tackles. He has superb big-play ability, but consistently rips off chunk plays even when there's very little running room. He picked the Tigers over Alabama, North Carolina and Vanderbilt. He is planning to enroll on the Plains in May. 

Mabson was expected to be a target for the Tigers in the Class of 2026. When he re-classified, however, the program did not hesitate to make him a priority for '25. He finished this past season with 29 touchdowns for Auburn High. 

In other news.....

- Auburn men's hoops walloped Oklahoma 98-70 on Tuesday night in Neville Arena. Johni Broome shone brightly once again, amassing 15 points, a team-high six assists, five rebounds, three blocks and three steals. 

The defense was equally supplicating, as the Tigers blocked 11 shots in total. Auburn led 44-34 at intermission and, for the most part, refused to let up in the second half. The Tigers now stand at 21-1 overall (9-0 SEC). The Sooners fell to 16-6 overall (3-6 SEC). 

Auburn begins the second half of conference action on Saturday when it hosts sixth-ranked Florida in Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN.

​That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Tuesday, February 4th, 2025

- First off, let me remind you that the men's basketball team hosts Oklahoma tonight in Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

- Now we can move on to some football news. This morning, Auburn finalized two dates on its 2025 football schedule. The Tigers' annual Homecoming contest will be played on Sept. 13th against South Alabama. Secondly, its Military Appreciation Game will be held on Nov. 1st against Kentucky. 

​Last year, the Homecoming match came against New Mexico, while the Military Appreciation Game came against Louisiana-Monroe. Unsurprisingly, Auburn won both games in dominating fashion. The Tigers are hoping to reverse their fortunes in 2025. Over the past two seasons, Auburn has gone just 5-11 in SEC play under head coach Hugh Freeze. The team went 5-7 overall in 2024, missing a bowl game for the second time in three years. 

Despite the less-than-stellar on-field results, Auburn has been hot on the recruiting front, attracting a strong transfer portal class to the Plains this offseason. The class is headlined by former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, who struggled for the Sooners last season but is a former 5-star prospect. Auburn's 2025 class currently ranks No. 4 in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

January 2025

Monday, January 27th, 2025

​Auburn football continues to roll on the recruiting front. 

​Omar Mabson, a 5-foot-9, 200-pound running back from Auburn High, pledged to play for the Tigers today, re-classifying from the Class of 2026 to the Class of 2025. According to 247Sports, he stands as a 3-star prospect, the BNo. 37 player from Alabama and the No. 86 running back.  

​During his recruitment, Mabson received 24 scholarship offers from other programs. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt were among the other schools that showed interest. 

In other news......

- The men's basketball team takes a trip to the Bayou on Wednesday night to meet LSU. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

​That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Sunday, January 26th, 2025

Make no mistake about it. Top-ranked Auburn's 53-51 win over sixth-ranked Tennessee in Neville Arena last night was nothing short of exhilarating. 

​Miles Kelly canned a trey from the corner with 30 seconds left and the Tigers ended the contest on a 6-0 run for the final margin. Perhaps more significantly, Johni Broome, who had missed the past two games with an ankle injury, returned to lead the Tigers with 16 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots in 33 minutes of play. 

With 12.7 seconds remaining, the Vols called timeout. Zakei Zeigler tried a go-ahead corner 3-pointer of his own with 5 seconds left, but missed. Broome snagged the rebound to clinch a heart-stopping victory. It was even more satisfying on a day when Vanderbilt shocked Kentucky and Texas A&M let a 22-point second-half lead vanish against Texas and lose in the final seconds by a score of 70-69. 

Personally, this struck me as a surprisingly low-scoring game for men's college hoops. One key stat may explain why. In the first half, Auburn and Tennessee combined to miss 20 of 21 trey attempts. The Vols had 12 turnovers, while the Tigers had 11. 

Auburn (18-1, 6-0 SEC) returns to the road this coming week beginning with a trip to LSU in Baton Rouge on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!  

Friday, January 24th, 2025

​Auburn men's hoops will head to a loaded non-conference tournament next season - and also the two seasons after that. 

​Bruce Pearl's team is locked in through 2027 for the Player's Era Men's Championship in Las Vegas, the program announced this afternoon. The Tigers were originally set to play in the 2025 Battle 4 Atlantis but backed out this week. 

Auburn is the 17th squad in a gauntlet of an event next season, joining Alabama, Creighton, Houston, Notre Dame, Oregon, Rutgers, San Diego State, Texas A&M, Baylor, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan, St. Joseph's, St. John's and Syracuse. 

The inaugural event took place this past November, with the eye-catching element being that each team is given "at least $1 million" in NIL funding, with more at stake for winning the tournament. The Players Era Festival dished out a total of $9 million to its participating programs in last year's tournament. Due to such a large number of teams, games are split up into group play. 

​The dates for 2025 have yet to be set. Last year's event ended on Nov. 30th, the night of the Iron Bowl. 

In other news......

- Speaking of Auburn men's hoops, the Tigers will host Tennessee tomorrow night in Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Saturday, January 18th, 2025

I'm in "super blunt mode" tonight. Auburn jumped out to a 17-point first-half lead against Georgia in Athens, then cooled down considerably, then started cruising again for most of the second half.....and then had to hang on for dear life as the final seconds counted down. 

In fact, the Tigers were dealt two false alarms before finally being able to celebrate a nail-biting 70-68 victory over the Bulldogs and maintain their No. 1 ranking. Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly led the Auburn offense with 13 points apiece. Once again, Johni Broome did not play as he is still nursing a sprained ankle. But the Tigers still did enough things right to avert a major upset. 

Now, Bruce Pearl's troops have a week to recuperate and prepare for a home tilt with Tennessee next Saturday in Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on ESPN. And given the winter storm that is expected to inundate much of the South in the next few days, this week-long gap between contests is for the best in my mind. Especially when you consider that the Vols were shocked by Vanderbilt today. But the good news is that UT has a home game with Mississippi State set for this coming Tuesday, so they will hopefully vent their frustrations on the Bulldogs before they focus on the Orange and Blue. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Monday, January 13th, 2025

Mark your calendars for Auburn's annual A-Day football game, folks. 

News broke yesterday that the yearly spring game has been set for April 12th in Jordan-Hare Stadium, concluding the team's spring practices. Although the full spring schedule has yet to be released, the Tigers gave themselves 40 days last year to complete the 15 spring practices that were held, with a week off for spring break mixed in. Last year's spring sessions began on Feb. 27th. 

Head coach Hugh Freeze and his troops are anxious to reverse the program's fortunes after a 5-7 campaign in 2024. The Tigers hope that their roster has been significantly updated, with a top-10 recruiting class and a transfer haul - including projected starting QB Jackson Arnold - ranked in the top 5 by 247Sports. 

Auburn kicks off the 2025 season on Aug. 30th at Baylor, with three of the first five games taking place on the road before getting four SEC home contests after the second week of October. 

In other news.....

- Auburn men's hoops returns to Neville Arena tomorrow night to host Mississippi State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Sunday, January 12th, 2025

Johni Broome had a scary injury in the early going of Auburn's 66-63 win at South Carolina yesterday. Fortunately, he appears to have avoided a large setback.

According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Broome was diagnosed with a non-surgical ankle sprain following an MRI this morning. Broome, who went 3-of-11 against the Gamecocks, has no timetable for his return at the present time, but his not requiring surgery is certainly an encouraging sign. 

​The Tigers are 3-0 in the SEC and Broome is a major reason why, as he leads the team in minutes played, points per game (17.9), rebounding (10.7), assists (3.3) and blocks (2.7). Auburn's schedule only gets tougher from here on out. The Tigers started the league slate with three unranked opponents but that changes this week.

Auburn will host Mississippi State on Tuesday before a road trip to Georgia next Saturday. After that, the Tigers will face Tennessee on Saturday, Jan. 25th and then enter February with contests against three teams that are currently ranked. 

Here's hoping that Broome will be back on the court before those high-stakes matches begin. Auburn will host 14th-ranked Mississippi State in Neville Arena this Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

​

Saturday, January 11th, 2025

The Tigers got a pledge for 2026 today from a former Florida State commit. 

​Devin Carter, a 4-star prospect and top-30 recruit nationally out of Douglasville (Ga.) County, announced his commitment to Auburn during the Navy All-American Bowl. He chose the Tigers over Alabama, LSU and Ohio State. 

​According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Carter stands as the No. 4 wide receiver and No. 29 overall recruit in the Class of '26. He also has strong ties to the Florida State program. His father, Dexter, was a running back there in the mid-to-late 1990s, and was the 'Noles running backs coach from 2007-10. The younger Carter eventually pledged to FSU in April of 2023. 

However, he re-opened his recruitment in January of 2024, leading to his decision to come to the Plains. He becomes the sixth known recruit to pledge to Auburn's 2026 class, joining fellow wideout Denairius Gray and top-10 edge rusher Hezekiah Harris.  

In other news......

​- The men's basketball team squeaked by South Carolina in Columbia this afternoon 66-63 to improve to 15-1 overall, 3-0 in the conference. More significantly, however, Johni Broome sustained what appeared to be a sprained left ankle. Head coach Bruce Pearl said Broome will be further evaluated tonight when the team returns home. That could be a costly blow to the Tiger offense. 

In the meantime, Auburn must get ready for a home match with 14th-ranked Mississippi State on this coming Tuesday night in Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on the SEC Network.

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Wednesday, January 8th, 2025

The football program signed its fourth quarterback of this offseason with in-state product Tanner Bailey set to join the team. 

A former Class of 2022 recruit out of Gordo, Bailey previously signed with South Carolina only to retire from football in January of 2024. He later moved back home and enrolled as a student at Auburn. After graduating in December, he will pursue a second degree and return to the field. 

In two seasons with the Gamecocks, Bailey appeared in one game for South Carolina. His addition adds depth to an already rich quarterback room well ahead of spring practice. Things look quite different in that regard from a season ago, with 5-star Deuce Knight signing in the 2025 recruiting class, Jackson Arnold transferring from Oklahoma and Ashton Daniels coming in from Stanford. 

In other news........

- The men's basketball team held off a late comeback attempt by the Texas Longhorns to clinch an 87-82 win in Austin last night. The Tigers will return to the road on Saturday when they take on South Carolina in Columbia. Tipoff is scheduled for noon CT on the SEC Network. 

That's all for today. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Tuesday, January 7th, 2025

A familiar face is returning to Auburn football's coaching staff. 

​Roc Bellantoni has reportedly been hired as the Tigers' new edge coach. He was previously on staff under embattled head coach Bryan Harsin in 2021 and '22. He originally served as a defensive analyst in '21 before being promoted to edge linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Bellantoni returns to the Plains after two seasons at Florida Atlantic. To be perfectly honest, the circumstances surrounding his departure from there are more than I feel like getting into right now. 

In other news.....

- Don't forget that Auburn men's basketball plays at Texas in Austin tonight at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. As I write this, tipoff is less than two hours away. 

​That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Saturday, January 4th, 2025

​Auburn men's basketball kicked off conference play in solid fashion with an 84-68 win over Missouri today in Neville Arena. But that wasn't all. Head coach Bruce Pearl celebrated the milestone of tying Joel Eaves (1949-63) for the most victories in program history with 213. 

Missouri took a 7-6 lead in the early going, but the homestanding Tigers took control from then on and never let up. 

Johni Broome, one of five Tigers in double figures, tallied 24 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots. Chaney Johnson and Chad Baker-Mazara scored 13 apiece, and Denver Jones and Tahaad Pettiford each scored 10. Plus, Baker-Mazara went 5-for-5 from the foul line to boost his free-throw streak to 44. 

Auburn (13-1 overall, 1-0 SEC) goes on the road to face Texas in Austin this coming Tuesday night at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN2. 

Wednesday, January 1st, 2025

Happy New Year, Auburn fans! 

My first post of 2025 focuses on some good news for Auburn's offensive line. Offensive guard Jeremiah Wright announced today via Instagram that he will return for one more season on the Plains next fall. 

Wright signed with the Tigers as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2020. The 2025 campaign will mark his fifth season with the team. His time at Auburn has been filled with highs and lows. He has missed time due to a torn ACL and has also flipped between offense and defense a few times. However, he finally found his calling at offensive guard - the spot he held down in 2024. He took over at right guard in 2023 and has progressed nicely since then. Getting him back was a critical recruiting job for the Auburn coaching staff this offseason. 

In other news......

- Auburn men's basketball returns to action on Saturday afternoon for its SEC opener against Missouri in Neville Arena. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on the SEC Network. 

That's all for now. Until next time, may the Lord be with you, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!