​​Lyle's Corner

​May 2020

Wednesday, May 27th, 2020

​Auburn football's latest commitment hails from the Lone Star State. 

Jaeden Roberts, a four-star offensive lineman from North Shore High School in Houston, Tex., gave his pledge to Gus Malzahn's Tigers today. The 6-feet-5, 340-pound Roberts ranks as the No. 8 offensive guard in the nation and a top 150 overall prospect nationally in the 2021 recruiting cycle in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Auburn edged out Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, LSU and Oklahoma State for the offensive lineman. Roberts is a teammate of another recent Tiger commitment: quarterback Dematrius Davis. 

​With Roberts' pledge in the bag, the Tigers now have nine commitments in the Class of 2021. His decision also helped Auburn's recruiting class jump four spots from No. 24 to No. 20. It should be noted that prior to playing for North Shore, Roberts played for St. Thomas Aquinas High in Overland Park, Kansas. 

​That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

​​Tuesday, May 26th, 2020

​Ordinarily, kickoff times for the upcoming college football season begin to leak out by this time of year. 

However, while it continues to look increasingly promising that the season will kick off on time in the fall, the television networks and college conferences are putting hold on deciding when games will kick off during the season. This afternoon, the following statement was issued "on behalf of the Football Bowl Subdivision Conferences, along with CBS Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and their affiliated networks":

"Collectively, the conferences and television networks have agreed to an extension for determining college football's early season game times beyond the standard June 1st deadline. These kickoff times and network designations will be announced at a later date as we all continue to prepare for the college football season." Given that statement, we may not know when the first kickoffs of the 2020 season will be set in the coming days and weeks. Normally, the first three weeks of the schedule are released prior to the schedule being set two weeks in advance once the season gets underway. 

While the waiting process may prove to be difficult, I would like to think that we'll all be handsomely rewarded once the season commences. In my mind, football is the single most captivating sport ever created (and the only one that truly endears me, to tell you the truth). 

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

​Saturday, May 23rd, 2020

​Auburn football has another "C. Newton" heading its way - but he's a younger one. Caylin Newton, the little brother of former Tiger legend Cam Newton, announced yesterday that he will transfer to the Plains as a graduate transfer from Howard. He will have two seasons of immediate eligibility. 

​Caylin was voted the MEAC's preseason player of the year for 2019. Last September, news came out that Caylin planned to redshirt and preserve a year of eligibility and then transfer for 2020. On Oct. 1st, 2019, he decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal. 

The 2019 campaign was Ron Prince's first as Howard's head coach. Reportedly, Prince drew many players away with his "radio-active, yelling coaching style." Prince was subsequently placed on administrative leave in November and eventually resigned on Dec. 6th, 2019 following the university's investigation. 

In 2018, Caylin Newton passed for 2,629 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also rushed for 504 yards and four TDs. He was named the MEAC's offensive player of the year that season. In 25 games at Howard, he threw for 5,876 yards, 41 scores and 32 interceptions while rushing 380 yards and 17 TDs. He is especially noteworthy for contributing 140 passing yards and three touchdowns in Howard's historic upset of UNLV. Howard entered the contest as 45-point underdogs. 

I'll wind up this post with some meaningless comments about the aforementioned Ron Prince. He previously served as head coach at Kansas State from 2006-08. Remember when Auburn hosted K-State to open the 2007 season? Man, the Wildcats gave us all we could handle that night! We clearly had struggles on offense that remained apparent as the season went on (especially with an inexperienced offensive line that only had one returning starter). Fortunately, we pulled out a 23-13 win thanks to two late fourth-quarter touchdowns. The first came on a 3-yard TD toss from Brandon Cox to Gabe McKenzie. The second came on Antonio Coleman's 34-yard fumble return after we knocked the ball loose from Wildcat QB Josh Freeman. It was far from pretty, but we did it. 

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Wednesday, May 20th, 2020

​Bad news broke for Auburn football today. Redshirt freshman receiver Jashawn Sheffield has been suspended indefinitely following two arrests in just 11 days. The news was first reported by Tom Green of AL.com. 

​Earlier this month, Sheffield was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. That was followed by another arrest for suspicion of DUI in the state of Georgia. Both charges are misdemeanors, and both resulted in him spending two days in jail.  

Sheffield saw the field in just one game last season, which came against Samford. In that game, he had two carries for 30 yards. He signed with the Tigers out of Brunswick, Ga., where he played for Frederica Academy and finished his high school career as a 2019 Under Armour All-American. Sheffield was a four-star recruit in Auburn's 2019 recruiting class. Interestingly, he was moved to defense for bowl preparations last season and has been expected to vie for playing time at the cornerback spot when the Tigers return to the field this fall. 

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Tuesday, May 19th, 2020

After a couple of quiet days on the recruiting front, Auburn football got its second commitment for 2022 today. Brian Dilworth, a 6-0, 175-pound cornerback from Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep, told 247Sports that he has verbally pledged to Gus Malzahn's Tigers. 

​"They just made it feel like home," Dilworth stated. "I talked to (AU defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff) a couple of times and I just felt that connection. We talk about more than just sports. He's all about life lessons and stuff like that. That just made me feel comfortable." During Dilworth's sophomore season, the Lions won the Class 3A state title. He posted 27 tackles and a team-best three interceptions. 

"He had a heck of a season," Chaminade-Madonna Prep head coach Damon Jones said. "He had two interceptions against Miami Central and another big breakup. That was huge. He's just a baller. You know he can play on both sides of the ball, but defense is his thing." Dilworth got early scholarship offers from Miami (FL), Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Pitt and Syracuse. He further noted that Gus Malzahn was excited when he informed him of his decision over the phone. 

​"He welcomed me in and was just glad that I'm committed to the school and stuff like that," Dilworth said. "He's proud that I'm an Auburn Tiger." The Tigers have enjoyed considerable success recruiting Chaminade-Madonna Prep players in recent years. In the last cycle, Auburn beat Florida and others for three-star wide receiver Elijah Canyon. Before that, the Tigers got a pledge from four-star athlete Shaun Shivers. "I'm looking forward to getting up there with them," Dilworth noted. "Elijah told me about the school, he says that's a good place." 

Dilworth, who also plays varsity volleyball as a setter and outside hitter, openly admitted that this time last year, playing football for an SEC program was likely at the bottom of his ambition list. "It's crazy," he said. "It's a big step for me because I started out at (Hollywood Hills) where we went 1-8. I'm at Chaminade now where we just won a state championship and now I'm going to a big school that plays in big games." 

Dilworth joins Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star cornerback Andre Stewart as early 2022 pledges for the Tigers. Although Dilworth is currently unranked by 247Sports, he should receive a grade tomorrow when the rankings are updated. 

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Sunday, May 17th, 2020

Today, Gus Malzahn's Tigers got their fourth commitment since Friday, as Dematrius Davis, one of the country's top dual-threat quarterbacks for the 2021 recruiting class, pledged to Auburn. The Houston, Texas native led his North Shore High School team to a state title as a junior in 2019. 

​Davis had previously been committed to Virginia Tech and also had LSU and Texas A&M in his final four. While he admitted that he wasn't an Auburn fan growing up, he was fond of Cam Newton during Auburn's journey to the national title in 2010. According to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Davis is the No. 6 dual-threat QB in the Class of 2021 and the No. 20 overall recruit from the state of Texas. 

​For Auburn, this is its eighth commitment for 2021. Prior to Davis's pledge, the Tigers' class ranked No. 28 nationally and No. 6 in the SEC, per 247Sports. Oh, yeah, one other thing. Did I mention that North Shore won its state title on - of all plays - a Hail Mary TD pass by Davis as time expired? 

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Saturday, May 16th, 2020

Well, it looks like Auburn football hit a triple play on the recruiting front yesterday. I was done for the day after writing about Tar'varish Dawson's pledge to the Tigers. In a matter of hours, two more followed suit. I'll cover them today. You'll especially be interested to know that they're both Floridians, and they're also teammates. 

​- The first came from Caleb Johnson, a four-star offensive lineman from Trinity Catholic in Ocala, Fla. "I would like to thank my friends and family for supporting me through this process and helping me be the best man I can be. I would also like to thank all the coaches who have recruited me over the years and helped me grow as a player. At some point in this process, you need to make a decision that you believe is the best for you. That is why I will be committing to Auburn University for football. WAR D--- EAGLE!" Johnson wrote on his social media account. 

​The 6-feet-7, 295-pound Johnson ranks as the No. 29 offensive tackle in America and the No. 53 overall prospect from the state of Florida for the 2021 recruiting cycle according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. 

- But it didn't stop there. An hour after Johnson gave his pledge, his teammate Garner Langlo did the same. The 6-feet-7, 270-pound Langlo is rated as a three-star prospect and the No. 58 offensive tackle in the country for the 2021 recruiting cycle in the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He picked Auburn over scholarship offers from Duke, Appalachian State and Baylor, among others. 

"I am thrilled to announce my commitment to play football at Auburn University!" Langlo wrote on social media. "I thank GOD for this blessing and I also thank my family, my coaches and my teammates for helping me become the young man and player I am today. I am so very thankful for the amazing opportunities that so many college programs and coaches have extended to me. I sincerely thank them all for recruiting me. Having said all of the above, all I have to say now is...WAR D--- EAGLE!!!" 

With Johnson and Langlo on board, the Tigers now have seven commitments for 2021. Man, when things go right in the recruiting department, they go right, don't they? Whew! That was a busy Friday!

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

​

​​Friday, May 15th, 2020

Gus Malzahn's football program has pocketed its fifth commitment for 2021, this one from the Sunshine State. 

Tar'varish Dawson, a 4-star athlete who currently attends Lehigh Acres High in Lehigh, Fla., verbally pledged to Auburn this morning over Miami (FL), Louisville, South Carolina and others. The 5-feet-10, 170-pound Dawson ranks as the No. 21 athlete in the country in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He could play receiver or cornerback for the Tigers - perhaps even both. 

​Above all else, Dawson's most crucial trait is his speed. He has clocked a time of 10.58 seconds in the 100-meter dash, making him one of Florida's swiftest players. "(Auburn) said they'd love to see me play on both sides," he told Auburn Undercover. "I love that. That's my favorite thing. I love playing on both sides." During his time at Lehigh High, Dawson's been all over the field. Last season, he lined up at cornerback, safety, wide receiver, running back and even quarterback. In 2018, he placed fourth at the Class 3A state track and field meet after clocking in at 10.71 seconds in the 100-meter dash. 

Now, he's off to the Plains, where the roster includes another Floridian in Anthony Schwartz, a receiver who is arguably the fastest player in college football. Auburn offensive coordinator Chad Morris was Dawson's primary recruiter. Sources indicate that Dawson told the coaching staff yesterday he was headed to Auburn. 

Although Dawson has yet to visit Auburn, that doesn't appear to be a problem. He planned to visit in April, but that was put on hold as campus visits were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "It's a must," he emphasized. "I have to go up there. I like Auburn. It's a big school and they have great players that came from that school. They've had a lot of success. They always have a chance to go to the playoffs, so I like that a lot." 

The Tigers began today at No. 50 in the 247Sports recruiting team rankings, but Dawson's pledge helped them jump to No. 46. Auburn is currently trending with multiple targets. 

In other news......

- On this day 17 years ago, a legendary voice of Auburn athletics was silenced all too soon and all too suddenly. Jim Fyffe, the voice of Tiger football and men's basketball since 1981, died from a brain aneurysm at only 57. May his energetic exclamation of "TOUCHDOWN, AUBURN!" and saying "Hello" to a basketball player's hometown after a slam dunk forever reverberate in our ears, hearts, souls and minds. God Bless You, Jim! You are forever loved and missed!

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Monday, May 11th, 2020

It's late in the evening as I type this. Fortunately, it's a fairly brief story. 

​The football team's defensive line depth may soon take a hit as freshman Reece Mullins has reportedly entered the NCAA transfer portal. The news was first reported by 247Sports. While Mullins served as a walk-on at Auburn, he did see the field in his first season when the Tigers hosted Kent State. 

Auburn signed Mullins out of Marietta, Ga., where he was defensive player of the year under head coach Tab Griffin at Pope High, according to his Auburn bio page. Mullins also has family ties to the NFL as his great-uncles played for the New York Jets and New York Giants. Despite this news, Mullins could still return to the Plains at some point down the road. Entering the transfer portal does not prevent a player from returning to his team. It merely allows other programs to contact players regarding a possible transfer. So don't give up hope!

One last closing note: Happy 31st Birthday, Cam Newton! 

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Friday, May 8th, 2020

The Auburn men's basketball program got some more good news yesterday, this time by means of a new commitment. Dylan Cardwell, a 3-star center from McEachern High in Powder Springs, Ga., pledged to the Tigers' Class of 2020, picking Auburn over UConn, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and others, giving a boost to an already Top 10 class in the national rankings. 

​Cardwell, at 6-10 and 220 pounds, stands as the number 150 player in the country according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He is currently teammates with Auburn 5-star point guard signee Sharife Cooper. While Cardwell has plenty of game, he was ruled ineligible as a senior after transferring to McEachern, so college teams didn't get a chance to see him play that season. 

One person who has seen plenty of him is McEachern head coach Mike Thompson. Having closely followed the Tigers the last few seasons and seeing the mark that Austin Wiley left on the team, Thompson is confident that Cardwell can do the same things in Pearl's system when he sets foot on the court. "With Austin, you really had two different teams," Thompson said. "The one team when Austin was in the game and a completely different team when he wasn't. I think Dylan would kind of bring the same kind of thing to them. He's a guy you can put on the low block and just use him there.

​"But I just think he has a little more ability than Austin at stepping out and shooting. That might keep him on the floor in more situations. I don't know that - I just see that. He can block shots and change some shots. And he can get off the floor and jump, get a lot of rebounds. He's a pretty complete dude." With Cardwell on board, Auburn moves to No. 8 in the team recruiting rankings for the Class of '20. He is the Tigers' fifth commitment of the class, joining Cooper, 4-star forward JT Thor, 3-star forward Chris Moore and 3-star guard Justin Powell. 

​That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE! 

Thursday, May 7th, 2020

In a time when the world is yearning for good news, Auburn basketball got just that today. 

The Tigers will face off with Memphis as part of the 10-team Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta later this year. The event will feature five SEC squads with games on Nov. 27th and Dec. 12th. Auburn's tangle with Memphis is slated for Dec. 12th. 

​"We are very excited about playing in State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Hawks," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "What a great opportunity for our student-athletes to compete against a top program in Memphis. We have so many great fans and alumni in Atlanta, and I'm challenging them to sell the place out. Congratulations to Chris Williams and the VII Group for putting on what promises to be a great event. We are also pleased with the event's support of the Mike Slive Foundation for prostate cancer research." 

This will be only the second time that Auburn and Memphis have met in basketball. The first contest took place on Jan. 2nd, 1953, with Auburn clinching a 78-64 win in Memphis. Last season, Memphis posted a 21-10 slate, going 10-8 in American Athletic Conference matches. Meanwhile, Auburn went 25-6, with a 12-6 mark in the SEC regular season. Unfortunately, Pearl's troops, the defending SEC champs, never got the chance to defend their crown, as the scheduled tournament in Nashville was canceled before they could set foot on the court.  

In addition to Auburn's showdown with Memphis, other matchups include Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech, Alabama vs. Clemson, Mississippi State vs. Dayton and LSU vs. South Florida. All of this definitely sounds exciting, but only one big question remains: Will the COVID-19 pandemic die down in time for these games to take place? Only God will have the answer. 

That's all for now. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!

Tuesday, May 5th, 2020

Let's take another Auburn football trip down memory lane. 

Today, we go back to October 11th, 2003. The Tigers traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas to take on the 7th-ranked Razorbacks. Auburn was 3-2 entering the contest, while the Hogs were undefeated at 4-0, having surpassed Tennessee at the aforementioned ranking. The Tigers had upset the Vols 28-21 at Jordan-Hare Stadium the week before. Could they make it two straight victories over Top 10 teams?

This game had an early start, which most people, including myself, are not very fond of. You always get that feeling that your team will be poorly prepared for a morning kick, home or away. Well, on this day, more than 74,000 fans at Reynolds Razorback Stadium were treated to a hard-fought defensive tussle. 

Auburn got the ball first, and got off to a roaring start when Carnell Williams rambled 44 yards on the first snap of the day. The drive would reach the Arkansas 16 before the turnover bug struck. On third-and-15 from the 21, a pressured Jason Campbell threw a wobbler that was intercepted by Tony Bua at the Razorback 6. Arkansas made its own effective drive to the Tigers' 18, but were met with their own disappointment when Chris Balseiro missed a 35-yard field goal try wide left. 

With 29 seconds left in the half, though, the Tigers finally broke the ice when Williams scampered off right tackle for a 6-yard TD run. It was set up by a personal foul on the Razorbacks' Tom Crowder, who hit punt returner Tre Smith out of bounds. The penalty started that drive at the Hogs' 41. The Tigers took a 7-0 advantage into intermission. 

The defensive standoff continued well into the second half until Arkansas got on the board with a 25-yard field goal from Balseiro. With 2:14 left in the third period, Auburn's lead was cut to 7-3.  

When the Tigers got the ball back, they carved out their longest drive of the day, going 62 yards in 14 plays and eating up 7:24 of the clock. The series was capped by a 34-yard John Vaughn field goal to increase Auburn's lead to 10-3 with 9:50 left to play. Now, at this point, I must point out two plays in particular that I fully believe were the difference in the final outcome. 

Matt Jones was Arkansas' talented quarterback. If you remember this kid, you know that he had a knack for running the QB draw. In fact, I'd say he was definitely a much better runner than a passer. Well, he certainly let that show on the Razorbacks' ensuing series. He scampered 78 yards for the tying score - or so we thought. Arkansas receiver George Wilson was called for holding. A great play by a great player was wasted.  

The Hogs did manage to brush off that misfortune and drive deep into Tiger territory, but then the second key play unfolded. Jones again tried to do damage himself, but here came Auburn linebacker Travis Williams right into his face. He knocked the ball loose. Junior Rosegreen recovered for the Tigers at the 9. Relief for Auburn, heartbreak for Arkansas. I can still hear the late Rod Bramblett (who was in his first season as our voice, I might add) shouting, "Fumble! Fumble! Fumble! Auburn's got it!" 

Auburn couldn't get a first down to run out the clock, so the Hogs got one last shot, starting a drive at the Tigers' 47. But Auburn's tenacious defense would have none of it. On fourth-and-8 from the 35 with 2:30 remaining, linebacker Karlos Dansby sacked Jones, ending any hopes the Hogs had. It was Dansby's lone sack of the day, but it was a pivotal one. 

The final stat sheet showed that defense was the name of the game in this one. The Razorbacks outgained the Tigers in total offense, 341-278. The teams went a combined 9-for-30 in third-down conversions, and 2-for-6 on fourth down. Offensively, Carnell Williams stole the show, rushing for 150 yards (124 of which came in the first half) on 35 carries. Defensively, Auburn limited QB Matt Jones to 59 yards on 12 carries, and running back Cedric Cobbs to 78 yards on 16 touches. 

Auburn's 2003 season may not have been a fairy tale by any standard, as they finished 8-5. But on that sunny day in Hog Nation, the Tigers showed amazing grit and determination in pulling off a thrilling upset. It was even more satisfying when you consider that the Razorbacks had made Auburn's life miserable in the previous two meetings, blowing them out by a combined score of 80-34 (42-17 in 2001, and 38-17 in '02).

That's all for today. Until next time, God Bless, and WAR EAGLE!