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Auburn wants to win games by running the ball to set up the run. Succeeding with an old-school approach starts with the offensive line-last season when healthy Nick Brahms was a stalwart for the Tigers as their center. However, too often, the line battled injuries and inconsistency. Brahms enters the list at number seven because he knows the offense and is battle-tested in the Southeastern Conference. Head coach Bryan Harsin can't afford another stressful season in his second year. Auburn has to win. Victories become easier when an experienced center anchors the offensive line.

A good center is always vital. It matters even more for Auburn since Bo Nix left the Plains to become a QB for the Oregon Ducks. Brahms returns for a sixth season. He redshirted as a four-star prospect out of Navarre, Florida, in 2017 and became the starter the following season. Brahms missed the Birmingham Bowl with a knee injury that required surgery. He also was a limited participant in spring football, which allowed Jalil Irvin to get valuable reps at center. Brahms was the fourth senior to proclaim his return to Auburn for a super-senior campaign. He capitalized on the NCAA's extra year of eligibility because of the COVID-19 pandemic. - Birmingham News

(DS#999 C) rSr/2023

C Nick Brahms, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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07/08/22 - Zion Puckett, rSr/2024, Auburn, 5-11, 213 (DS#53 SS) + More +

The back end of Auburn's defense has undergone some changes since the end of last season. Gone is safety mainstay Smoke Monday, as well as All-America cornerback Roger McCreary. So, too, are on-and-off starters Bydarrius Knighten and Ladarius Tennison-as well as former defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who oversaw the Tigers' safeties. A key returning piece to the secondary, though, is junior safety Zion Puckett, who enters the 2022 season with some lofty expectations. Originally a four-star prospect in Auburn's 2019 class, Puckett is one of the few blue-chip prospects from that group - along with Owen Pappoe, Keiondre Jones, Derick Hall, Jaylin Simpson, Colby Wooden and Ja'Varrius Johnson - who has remained on the Plains.

Puckett's journey to this point hasn't been without its setbacks; his first two seasons at Auburn were beset by injuries. He redshirted while appearing in four games as a true freshman and then served as a backup at nickel during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. As a junior, though, Puckett started to come into his own. He started nine of the 10 games he appeared in last season, slotting in at safety alongside the veteran Monday, and finished the season with 48 tackles. A career-high 10 of those came against eventual-national champion Georgia last October. While Puckett missed three games late in the season and was limited this spring while recovering from injury, Auburn has placed some high hopes on his shoulders heading into the fall, when he could be tasked with taking over as the quarterback of the Tigers' secondary now that Monday is gone. - Birmingham News

(DS#53 SS) rSr/2024

SS Zion Puckett, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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07/07/22 - John Samuel Shenker, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-3, 242 (DS#39 TE) + More +

Auburn lost two of its top-three receivers from last season following the departures of Kobe Hudson (dismissed before transferring to UCF) and Demetris Robertson (exhausted eligibility), and while the team returns second-leading receiver Shedrick Jackson for a super-senior season, arguably the most important target in the passing game is another super senior: tight end John Samuel Shenker. The sixth-year senior is coming off a record-setting season at the position for Auburn, as he set the program's single-season record for receptions (33) and receiving yards (413) by a tight end.

He became the first tight end in school history to record a 30-catch, 400-yard season, and his 2021 campaign was the most impactful by a tight end on the Plains since C.J. Uzomah in 2014 (Uzomah, who had 11 catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns that season was the last tight end to finish a season with double-digit receptions for Auburn). The one thing missing from Shenker's campaign was the end zone, as he did not score a touchdown in 2021, but the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder still managed to set the bar for tight ends at Auburn. After a New Year's Day announcement that he'd return for the free year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the pandemic, Shenker will try to raise that bar this season as the tight end position continues to evolve within Auburn's offense. - Birmingham News

(DS#39 TE) rSr/2023

TE John Samuel Shenker, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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06/20/22 - Marcus Bragg, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-4, 237 (DS#80 DE) + More +

Auburn football isn't done adding to its 2022 roster. Marcus Bragg announced his plans to attend the Plains after a visit on Sunday morning. The redshirt senior will have one year of eligibility remaining and bring a boost to Auburn's edge-rushing unit. Bragg is originally from Florida and committed to Mississippi Delta Community College out of high school. He recorded a pair of sacks in two years before spending the last three seasons at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers used the 6-foot-4, 260-pounder as a pass rusher.

Bragg earned the most playing time he'd had in his career in 2021. In 14 games, he tallied 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and 26 total tackles. He'll be Auburn's fourth scholarship edge player and expected to be a key rotational piece behind Derick Hall (a coach's All-SEC second-team selection) and Eku Leota (7.0 sacks). "I chose Auburn because it best fits my athletic abilities on the field," Bragg said to Auburn Live's Jeffrey Lee, who had the news first. "And I will be able to make a lot of plays because of the defensive scheme." - Birmingham News

(DS#80 DE) rSr/2023

DE Marcus Bragg, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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06/11/22 - Nick Brahms, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-3, 300 (DS#999 C) + More +

Player-led collectives have grown more common as some athletes worry about agents or other third parties taking a cut of their name, image and likeness deals. The most recent NIL trend swept through Alabama this past week with the formation of the Plains NIL Club. Roughly three-quarters of the Auburn football roster partnered together with YOKE, a licensing company, to offer fans a way to engage with Tigers' athletes throughout the season via an online membership.

Bailey O'Sullivan, one of YOKE's co-founders, told AL.com that "more than 75% of the team" has signed on. Set to open this July, multiple Auburn players announced their intent to join, including senior starting center Nick Brahms, sophomore running back Jarquez Hunter and freshman quarterback Holden Geriner. Junior linebacker Kameron Brown said O'Sullivan, an Auburn alum, met with Auburn players over the last few weeks and each Tiger offered each an opportunity to join. - Birmingham News

(DS#999 C) rSr/2023

C Nick Brahms, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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06/11/22 - Payton Thorne, rSr/2025, Auburn, 6-2, 207 (DS#27 QB) + More +

Everyone wants a piece of Payton Thorne right now. Businesses hoping to land a name, image and likeness agreement. Media outlets seeking interviews. Friends and family hoping to spend some time with him during the offseason. But Thorne, entering his second season as Michigan State's starting quarterback, vows nothing can take his mind off football. "I feel fortunate for a lot of reasons," he said last week. "I'm extremely blessed to be here and to be able to play for this university, play for Coach (Mel) Tucker, play for all of our assistant coaches as well. I feel like I have an amazing quarterback coach and offensive coordinator in Coach (Jay) Johnson. I love playing with my teammates. And I just love being a part of our program, because I feel like our program is really on the upswing right now." The Spartans held their final spring practice April 16. Now, MSU is in the middle of offseason workouts.

Starting for a program with as proud a history as Michigan State, he said, "is a dream come true." The challenge is turning his dreams into reality. That starts with making sure the offseason continues to hum along - and to end it on a high note by the time the team reconvenes for preseason camp in August. "For me, it's, 'How can I become the best I can be?' " Thorne said. "It always has been that: 'How can I maximize the most out of what God gave me? That's the focus. It's working hard, caring about what you're doing, caring about your teammates, and trying to do things the right way. So I'm extremely blessed and fortunate to be where I'm at." - Lansing State Journal

(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025

QB Payton Thorne, Auburn
News Source: Lansing State Journal
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06/08/22 - *Tank Bigsby, Jr/2023, Auburn, 6-0, 215 (DS#8 RB) + More +

In an offense that will see many changes from the 2021 season, the Auburn Tigers will be relying on running back Tank Bigsby to be the anchor. After leading the team in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns last season, it appears that Bigsby is poised for another great season. The folks at On3 also have high expectations for Bigsby, as they have ranked him as the no. 7 running back on their Impact 300 list. On3's Nikki Chavanelle explains that the Impact 300 list ranks the best players in college football entering the 2022 season, and factors in each player's NIL value. Here's why On3 is high on Bigsby heading into the 2022 season: Tank Bigsby broke 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career last season and will likely do it again for Auburn in 2022. On top of 1,099 rushing yards, he had 10 scores and 184 yards receiving. Bigsby's NIL value is $546,000 ahead of the 2022 season. - On3.com

(DS#8 RB) Jr/2023

RB *Tank Bigsby, Auburn
News Source: On3.com
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05/29/22 - Tony Fair, rSr/2022, Auburn, 6-1, 343 (DS#70 DT) + More +

The Philadelphia Stars started the week with one player with Alabama football roots on their roster. Now the USFL team has three. After adding former UAB offensive tackle Colby Ragland on Tuesday, the Stars announced the signing of defensive tackle Tony Fair on Friday. Fair played for UAB in the 2019 and 2020 seasons and played for Auburn as a graduate transfer in the 2021 campaign. Fair and Ragland joined former Alabama cornerback Bradley Sylve as the players from Alabama high schools and colleges on the Philadelphia roster. - Birmingham Post

(DS#70 DT) rSr/2022

DT Tony Fair, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham Post Herald
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05/29/22 - Payton Thorne, rSr/2025, Auburn, 6-2, 207 (DS#27 QB) + More +

Get used to Michigan State playing under the lights this fall. The Big Ten has started to announce kickoff times for select games in the upcoming 2022 season, including four for the Spartans and coach Mel Tucker, with two of those being played in prime time. The season begins on Sept. 2 as Michigan State hosts Western Michigan for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday of the Labor Day weekend. It's a spot on the schedule the Spartans have often occupied and they'll do so for the 10th time since 2011, with the game against the Broncos airing on ESPN. It will be the third time Michigan State has hosted Western Michigan in a Friday night opener, including in East Lansing in 2013 and in Kalamazoo in 2015.

Michigan State's Week 2 game at home against Akron will kick off at 4 p.m. on Sept. 10 and will be carried on the Big Ten Network. It is the third meeting all time between the schools and the first since 1914. The Spartans then head west on Sept. 17 to take on Washington in a game that will kick off at 7:30 p.m. and air nationally on ABC. It will be the second time Michigan State has played the Huskies in Seattle, the last in 1970, and precedes Washington's visit to Spartan Stadium in 2023. - Detroit News

(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025

QB Payton Thorne, Auburn
News Source: Detroit News
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05/27/22 - Morris Joseph Jr., rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-1, 280 (DS#88 DT) + More +

Morris Joseph, the former Memphis defensive lineman who is the latest roster addition for Auburn this summer. Joseph is Auburn's third transfer pickup since the end of spring practices and the eighth overall this offseason after committing to, and signing with, the program last week. "He wants to play at the highest level, so bringing a guy like that in to compete with our D-line that we have now is exactly what we needed," Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said this week before speaking at an alumni event in Columbus, Ga. "So, that just helps that group; you have to have depth at that group, and you also have to have that mentality. So, I think he's ready for that." The 6-foot-2, 275-pounder was a productive contributor for Memphis the last three seasons, playing in 33 games and totaling 118 tackles. Nineteen of those came behind the line of scrimmage, with 11.5 of them being sacks. He also has one forced fumble on his resume.

Joseph played in 10 games for Memphis last year, starting nine of them. He had 38 total tackles, with 4.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks. His most productive season, though, was the year prior, when he had a career-best 53 tackles, with 11.5 for a loss and eight sacks in 11 games. His impact at the line of scrimmage was evident when Auburn's coaches flipped on his film and targeted him in the transfer portal, but the program's desire to add Joseph to the roster was fortified during his visit to campus earlier this month. "Just being around him, he's got goals - the things that he felt he needed to work on was right on par with what we felt," Harsin said. "He gets to come here for a season and compete. He wants to be the very best. I enjoyed being around him; his family is great. The visit went well, and I just think his attitude and mentality - he has played and has had success." - Birmingham News

(DS#88 DT) rSr/2023

DT Morris Joseph Jr., Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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05/26/22 - *Tank Bigsby, Jr/2023, Auburn, 6-0, 215 (DS#8 RB) + More +

Auburn's marquee nonconference matchup for the 2022 season is set for an afternoon kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn will host Penn State on Sept. 17 on the Plains for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS, the network announced Wednesday. The game will mark the first SEC on CBS broadcast of the season. The Penn State game is the first game on Auburn's 2022 schedule to have a set kickoff time and television network announced. The Tigers open the season Sept. 3 at home against Mercer and then host San Jose State in Week 2 before welcoming Penn State to Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The Nittany Lions' trip to the Plains will cap a home-and-home series between the two programs. Penn State hosted Auburn at Beaver Stadium last September in the Tigers' first-ever trip to University Park, Penn. The Nittany Lions won that matchup, 28-20, in their annual White Out game. This year's matchup will mark the fourth all-time between Auburn and Penn State, and it will be the first in the series played at Jordan-Hare Stadium. - Birmingham News

(DS#8 RB) Jr/2023

RB *Tank Bigsby, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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05/26/22 - Brandon Council, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-3, 302 (DS#53 OG) + More +

Auburn expects to have a full complement of players along the offensive and defensive lines healthy for summer workouts and ready to go when fall camp begins in August. Bryan Harsin on Tuesday evening, prior to an alumni event in Columbus, Ga., updated the status of offensive linemen Nick Brahms, Austin Troxell and Brandon Council, as well as defensive lineman Jeffrey M'ba after each missed various amounts of time this spring due to injury. "Those guys are back," Harsin said. "They'll be ready to go…. We'll get them back, and by August, they'll be full-go, barring any setbacks, and they'll be ready to play." That's promising news in the trenches for Auburn, especially along the offensive line, where the Tigers made do with a patchwork unit this spring with three returning starters limited.

Brahms and Troxell were both limited participants in spring practice, as Brahms worked his way back from a knee procedure he underwent in December and Troxell participated in a limited capacity due to an undisclosed injury. Neither participated in A-Day. "(Brahms and Troxell) actually practiced some, and they were non-contact, but they were getting a little physical, so they were getting a little bit of work in there," Harsin said. "And in the summer, you're not doing much contact, if any." Council, meanwhile, missed the duration of spring practices after undergoing an offseason procedure that sidelined him. That trio has a combined 84 career starts along the offensive line. Brahms is heading into his fifth season as the Tigers' starting center, while Council has been a fixture in the lineup the last two seasons when healthy, and Troxell emerged as the team's starting left tackle last season after years of battling injuries. - Birmingham News

(DS#53 OG) rSr/2023

OG Brandon Council, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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05/26/22 - Anders Carlson, rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-5, 219 (DS#7 K) + More +

Bryan Harsin is confident that Auburn will have starting kicker Anders Carlson available when the Tigers open their season Sept. 3 against Mercer. Carlson is coming off ACL surgery in mid-November after tearing the ligament in his knee during an onside kick attempt in the fourth quarter of Auburn's loss to Mississippi State last season. Auburn's season opener will take place nearly 10 months after Carlson's procedure. "As far as the work he's put in and the progress that he's made, I believe he'll be ready, and I think in his mind he'll be ready," Harsin said Tuesday while speaking to a couple of reporters, including AL.com, prior to an alumni association event in Columbus, Ga. "That's the one thing about Anders: I know he's a kicker, but he is the ultimate competitor, and you don't really see many kickers have that type of energy, but to come back from that and how he's done it and the focus that he's got to just getting himself healthy-there's no question in my mind that he'll be ready to go." While Harsin firmly believes Carlson will be cleared by the start of the season, the second-year coach added that he does not have a timeline for when Carlson will be cleared to practice and that any decision on his availability will ultimately be left in the hands of Auburn's medical staff.

Carlson is entering his sixth season at Auburn, and the 2022 campaign will be his fifth as the Tigers' starting kicker. He redshirted in 2017 while playing behind his brother, Anders Carlson, before taking over the starting job in 2018. In his four years as the Tigers' kicker, Carlson has connected on 67-of-93 field goal attempts (72.04 percent) across 47 games, with a career-long make of 53 yards. - Birmingham News

(DS#7 K) rSr/2023

K Anders Carlson, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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05/24/22 - Jarquez Hunter, Sr/2025, Auburn, 5-09, 204 (DS#17 RB) + More +

Auburn's second-year coach Bryan Harsin saw a recent photo of sophomore running back Jarquez Hunter working on his family's Mississippi farm with a weedwhacker between the end of the spring semester and the start of the early summer session. It was a promising, though not unexpected, sign of progress after Hunter spent the last two months sidelined following a knee procedure in March. "He's doing great," Harsin said Tuesday in Alexander City before participating in Bruce Pearl's Fore the Children Golf Classic. "...We expect a full recovery with him." The knee procedure - a scope procedure to clean up some damage - caused Hunter to miss the majority of spring practice, with Harsin placing a timeline of eight to 10 weeks on his return in late March.

The eight-week mark came last week, and Harsin said Tuesday that he expected Hunter to be ready to go when summer workouts begin. "There's no doubt with him," Harsin said. "First of all, he's a tough kid, phenomenally strong; that guy can push weight, so we'll get him back really quickly. And he's determined. I think the best thing we did was get that cleaned up. He probably could have played through it, but it was the best thing for him to make sure he's all 100 percent ready to go in the summer." Hunter is coming off a strong debut season in which he rushed for 593 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Some of his best work came early in the season, when he averaged 10.6 yards per carry against Auburn's early nonconference opponents. His production dipped during SEC play, when he averaged just 4.04 yards on 48 carries against superior competition. - Birmingham News

(DS#17 RB) Sr/2025 RB Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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05/21/22 - Morris Joseph Jr., rSr/2023, Auburn, 6-1, 280 (DS#88 DT) + More +

Auburn has bolstered its defensive line depth with an experienced piece from the transfer portal. Bryan Harsin's program picked up a commitment from Memphis defensive tackle transfer Morris Joseph Jr. on Wednesday night, giving Auburn a veteran addition to the interior of its defensive line for the 2022 season. A 6-foot-2, 275-pounder originally from Orange, Texas, Joseph spent the last three seasons at Memphis after starting his career at UTSA in 2017 and then spending a season at Iowa Western Community College in 2018. During his three seasons at Memphis, Joseph appeared in 33 games for the Tigers and racked up 118 tackles, with 19 for a loss and 11.5 sacks, as well as one forced fumble. Last season, Joseph appeared in 10 games for Memphis and made nine starts along the defensive line. He totaled 38 tackles, with 20 solo stops, 4.5 tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks. - Birmingham News

(DS#88 DT) rSr/2023

DT Morris Joseph Jr., Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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