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Published Aug 31, 2020
Where Auburn's 9 transfers from last season landed
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Nathan King  •  AuburnSports
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Auburn's outgoing contributions to the NCAA transfer portal have now been fully resolved.

With running back JaTarvious Whitlow deciding on Western Illinois as his new destination Monday, per reports, every Tiger that left Gus Malzahn's program last season in search of another college football path found a new team.

Currently, seven of nine transfer players from last season's Auburn roster will be sporting new jerseys this fall — or whenever their respective teams decide to play their 2020 football seasons.

QB Joey Gatewood —> Kentucky

After losing the Tigers' starting QB battle to Bo Nix, the former top-75 prospect Gatewood entered the portal midseason before committing to Kentucky in December.

Nix and Gatewood could do battle inside Jordan-Hare Stadium again in the season opener between Auburn and Kentucky, if Gatewood's waiver for immediate eligibility is approved by the NCAA within the next few weeks.

WR Zach Farrar —> TCU

Farrar is now on the fifth program of his college career.

A 3-star commit to Oklahoma in 2016, the 6-foot-4 receiver redshirted his freshman season with the Sooners; spent 2017 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College; transferred to Youngstown State for the 2018 season; caught two touchdowns as a backup at Auburn last year; and will spend his final season at TCU after leaving Auburn this offseason.

QB Wil Appleton —> Benedict College  

After throwing for more than 6,500 yards and 60 touchdowns during his high-school career in Albertville, Ala., Appleton provided quality depth in the Tigers' quarterback room as a walk-on.

The son of Hank Appleton, who played defensive back at Auburn in the '80s, Wil elected to grad transfer in July to Benedict College, part of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

DB/WR Jashawn Sheffield —> Middle Tennessee

A 4-star prospect in Auburn's 2019 class, Sheffield saw the field once last season against Samford as a ball-carrier, notching 30 yards on two touches.

This offseason, he was arrested twice in Georgia before being dismissed from Malzahn's program. He now appears on Middle Tennessee's roster as a receiver.

WR Marquis McClain —> Southern University

McClain said last spring he considered a transfer during the 2018 season, but stuck it out after conversations with his family and the Tigers' coaching staff.

He wasn't able to crack Auburn's main receiver rotation last season, however, catching one pass in two game appearances. The former 3-star prospect entered the portal in December before committing to Southern this offseason.

RB JaTarvious Whitlow —> Western Illinois

After leading the Tigers in rushing two consecutive seasons, Whitlow left the program in February. He went nearly seven months before finding a new home at Western Illinois.

A quarterback in high school, Whitlow began his Auburn career practicing as a receiver before moving to tailback his redshirt freshman year. After 1,550 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in the SEC, he figures to be one of the more talented players on the FCS level next season.

LB Michael Harris —> Eastern Kentucky 

Rated as the No. 9 inside linebacker in the country in the 2018 class, Harris recorded only five tackles over the past two seasons before leaving the Tigers in December.

After committing to Eastern Kentucky, Harris was suspended from his new team in February following an arrest on charges of assaulting a police officer. Though head coach Walt Wells did not formally dismiss Harris, the linebacker does not appear on EKU's official roster.

OL Justin Osborne —> SMU

An athletic lineman expected to compete for an important backup role at either tackle or guard, Osborne left Auburn this offseason and transferred to SMU to be closer to his family.

“Just being closer to home, just makes me feel more comfortable,” Osborne told the Dallas Morning News earlier this month. “And it makes my family feel more comfortable, because we stick together through everything.”

DE Charles Moore —> Oregon State —> transfer portal

Moore, the No. 6 strongside defensive end in the 2019 class and a top-80 overall player, left Auburn early last season before transferring to Jones County Community College and eventually Oregon State by the end of the year.

However, Moore's name appeared in the transfer portal again in April.

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