Upon Hugh Freeze’s initial arrival at Auburn, he faced the necessity of extensively utilizing the transfer portal to bolster the football roster, which had been overlooked by the previous coach for two seasons. In the previous offseason, Freeze and the Tigers embraced over 20 new additions.
In contrast, the current season saw a reduced reliance on the transfer portal. With a combination of retained players and recruits from high school, Freeze and Auburn’s coaching staff found themselves requiring less involvement in the portal. Nonetheless, they did make a few strategic moves during the initial portal window.
Regarding the offensive side of the football, Auburn experienced the departure of six players to the transfer portal while bringing in four new additions. Now, let’s examine the statistical implications of Auburn’s movements in the transfer portal on the offensive aspect of the team:
Auburn experienced losses in the transfer portal, including:
1. QB Robby Ashford:
– 2023 stats: 14-for-27 passing, 145 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 46 carries, 217 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns
– Career stats: 137-for-277 passing, 1,758 passing yards, 9 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 199 carries, 927 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns
2. WR Ja’Varrius Johnson:
– 2023 stats: 19 receptions, 347 yards, 3 touchdowns
The offensive players lost by Auburn in the transfer portal include:
3. WR Omari Kelly:
– 2023 stats: 2 receptions, 45 yards
– Career stats: 3 receptions, 56 yards
4. WR Jyaire Shorter:
– 2023 stats: 1 reception, 10 yards
– Career stats: 59 receptions, 1,330 yards, 20 touchdowns
5. TE Tyler Fromm:
– 2023 stats: 3 receptions, 21 yards
– Career stats: 14 receptions, 165 yards, 1 touchdown
Auburn gained Georgia State WR Robert Lewis, who had the following stats in 2023:
– 2023 stats: 70 receptions, 877 yards, 7 touchdowns
Auburn gained the following players through the transfer portal:
1. Georgia State WR Robert Lewis:
– Career stats: 102 receptions, 1,323 yards, 14 touchdowns
– 2023 stats: 70 receptions, 877 yards, 7 touchdowns
2. Cal QB Sam Jackson V (Note: Transitioning to wide receiver at Auburn):
– Career stats (as a QB): 57-for-102 passing, 681 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 41 carries, 138 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns
– 2023 stats (as a QB): 51-for-96 passing, 556 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, 26 carries, 59 rushing yards, 1 touchdown
3. Maryland TE Rico Walker:
– Career stats: 4 receptions, 27 yards
– 2023 stats: 4 receptions, 27 yards
4. Mississippi State OL Percy Lewis:
– 2023 stats: 7 starts, 12 game appearances
With the additions and subtractions on the offensive side of the football for Auburn, considering the 2023 season stats, the team is gaining:
– 411 passing yards
– 3 passing touchdowns
– 49 receptions
– 481 receiving yards
– 4 receiving touchdowns
– 7 starts along the offensive line
On the other hand, Auburn is losing:
– 188 rushing yards
– 4 rushing touchdowns
