Tracking the transfers

AUBURN | The transfer portal has been hopping in recent days with several more Auburn players jumping in bringing the total to 10 since the end of last season.

The Tigers have also benefitted from the portal bringing in two transfers in Northwestern rush end Eku Leota and West Virginia cornerback Dreshun Miller.

The deadline for players to enter the portal is July 1. That will to move to May 1 for athletes in fall and winter sports in subsequent years.

Below is a look at the transfer by position and the impact each has had on the depth chart. This list could grow in the coming day so stay tuned for updates to this feature.

QUARTERBACK

Transfers (2): Cord Sandberg (EKU), Chayil Garnett

Returning (3): Jr. Bo Nix, Sr. Grant Loy, TFr. Dematrius Davis

Incoming (0)

Impact: Low

The Skinny: The quarterback position is still in good hands with Nix, a two-year returning starter. He’s got a veteran backup in Loy and a talented early enrollee in Davis behind him. The position is strong as long as Nix stays healthy, which he’s done for his first two seasons of SEC football.

RUNNING BACK

Transfers (2): DJ Williams (FSU), Mark-Antony Richards (UCF)

Returning (3): So. Tank Bigsby, Sr. Shaun Shivers, Sr. Devan Barrett

Incoming (1): TFr. Jarquez Hunter

Impact: Medium

The Skinny: The depth at running back took a big hit with the loss of Williams and Richards. Both would have battled Shivers for the backup position behind Bigsby and had the potential to develop into solid to good SEC starters. Auburn’s offense will likely be built around Bigsby this season. He’s a special talent. Shivers has worked hard to become a quality backup and is a good fit in a Bryan Harsin/Mike Bobo power offense. Quality SEC teams usually need more than two dependable running backs and it’s unclear what Barrett and/or Hunter will be able contribute this season, although nobody is counting them out. Hunter enrolls this summer.

WIDE RECEIVER

Transfers (0):

Returning (8): Sr. Shedrick Jackson, Sr. Caylin Newton, So. Ze’Vian Capers, So. Kobe Hudson, So. Elijah Canion, So. Ja’Varrius Johnson, So. Malcolm Johnson Jr., RFr. J.J. Evans

Incoming (2): TFr. Hal Presley, TFr. Tar’varish Dawson

Impact: None

The Skinny: This position was impacted by the loss of AU’s three top receivers from last year to the NFL Draft. The inexperience and process of learning a new offense certainly showed during the spring game.

TIGHT END

Transfers (0):

Returning (5): Sr. John Samuel Shenker, So. Luke Deal, So. Tyler Fromm, So. Brandon Frazier, TFr. Landen King

Incoming (0):

Impact: None

The Skinny: The tight end position is as deep and talented as it’s been in nearly a decade and should be a focus of the Harsin/Bobo offense.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Transfers (1): Kamaar Bell (FAU)

Returning (15): Sr. Nick Brahms, Sr. Tashawn Manning, Sr. Brodarious Hamm, Sr. Alec Jackson, Sr. Austin Troxell, Sr. Brandon Council, Sr. Brenden Coffey, Sr. Prince Michael Sammons, Jr. Jalil Irvin, Jr. Kameron Stutts, Jr. Kilian Zierer, So. Keiondre Jones, So. Tate Johnson, RFr. Avery Jernigan, TFr. Garner Langlo

Incoming (1): TFr. Colby Smith

Impact: Low

The Skinny: Bell played in one game as a redshirt freshman last season and wasn’t in line for significant playing time this fall. With no additional attrition, Auburn will head into fall camp with 16 offensive linemen, which is more than enough. The run blocking is certainly ahead of the pass protection in this group but there’s plenty of competition and potential to get better within a new offense and new offensive line coach.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Transfers (3): Daquan Newkirk (UF), Jaren Handy, Jay Hardy

Returning (10): Sr. Tyrone Truesdell, Sr. Marquis Burks, Jr. Caleb Johnson, Jr. Dre Butler, So. Colby Wooden, So. Zeke Walker, So. J.J. Pegues, So. Jeremiah Wright (injured), RFr. Daniel Foster-Allen, TFr. Lee Hunter

Incoming (3): TFr. Marquis Robinson, TFr. Ian Matthews, TFr. Tobechi Okoli

Impact: Low

The Skinny: Sure, Newkirk was a starter last year, but he was a senior and wasn’t scheduled to return until granted an additional year of eligibility due to the pandemic. He had just 3.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks in 10 games. As for the latest defections, Handy had three tackles in seven games last year and Hardy played in one game. Neither were poised for significant snaps in 2021. Truesdell and Wooden are returning starters and having a total of 13 defensive tackles and ends is more than enough to completely fill out a depth chart. Burks finished spring with the first-team, Pegues made the one from tight end the final two weeks of spring and Hunter showed he has the potential to earn a spot in the playing rotation this fall.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKER AND EDGE

Transfers (1): Big Kat Bryant (UCF)

Returning (6): Sr. T.D. Moultry, Sr. Chandler Wooten, Jr. Derick Hall, So. Romello Height, So. Cam Riley, RFr. Nick Curtis

Incoming (3): Jr. Eku Leota, RFr. Joko Willis, TFr. Dylan Brooks

Impact: Low

The Skinny: Similar to Newkirk, Bryant was a senior last season and not particularly productive playing the Buck position. Hall could be poised for a breakout year. Leota, Willis and Brooks will bring a lot of speed and athleticism to the position and should contribute immediately. Wooten and Riley can both play inside linebacker too. There’s a lot of versatility built into AU’s front six so the depth is even better than it looks on paper.

INSIDE LINEBACKER

Transfers (0):

Returning (5): Sr. Zakoby McClain, Jr. Owen Pappoe, So. Wesley Steiner, So. Desmond Tisdol, So. Kameron Brown

Incoming (0):

Impact: None

The Skinny: McClain and Pappoe give Auburn one of the best pair of linebackers in the SEC. Steiner had a good spring and is on track to be a future starter.

CORNERBACK AND NICKEL

Transfers (0):

Returning (7): Sr. Roger McCreary, Sr. Marco Domio, Sr. Malcolm Askew, Jr. Nehemiah Pritchett, So. Jaylin Simpson, So. Kamal Hadden, So. Eric Reed Jr.

Incoming (2): Jr. Dreshun Miller, TFr. Armani Diamond

Impact: None

The Skinny: There’s also a lot of versatility built into the defensive backfield and a number of players can work at at least two positions. McCreary and Simpson are the projected starters at cornerback and Pritchett at nickel. Pritchett can also play corner after starting 10 game there last season. Although listed at safety, both Ladarius Tennison and Zion Puckett can play nickel. Miler will push for immediate playing time and potentially a starting position when he arrives this summer.

SAFETY

Transfers (1): Chris Thompson Jr.

Returning (4): Sr. Smoke Monday, So. Ladarius Tennison, So. Zion Puckett, TFr. Ahmari Harvey

Incoming (2): TFr. Cayden Bridges, TFr. Juwon Gaston

Impact: Medium

The Skinny: Monday and Tennison were the starters during the spring and Thompson was working with the backups along with a couple of walk-ons. Harvey and Puckett were both injured but are expected back this summer. Auburn is pursuing a transfer safety to bolster the position.