Auburn Football

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze believes his teams with the Tigers and Ole Miss should have beaten Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide a few more times than they did.

"Nick is incredible, but I should have four wins against him," he told ESPN's Marty Smith on the Marty & McGee show. "... I may not have phrased that exactly (right), I don't want everybody... but we easily could have beat him a few more times."

Hugh Freeze: “Nick (Saban) is incredible, but I should have four wins against him.”#MartyandMcGee Talkin’ Season: Tonight at 8pm ET on @SECNetwork. pic.twitter.com/NoSpoG70Bn

— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) August 12, 2024

Freeze referenced two games in particular he believed his teams should have won over Alabama.

The first was at Ole Miss in 2016, when the Rebels jumped out to a 24-3 lead in the second quarter. Alabama rallied, however, ultimately winning a 48-43 shootout.

The second was even more egregious. This past season, Auburn had Alabama on the ropes until Jalen Milroe threw a touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond on 4th-and-goal from the 31-yard-line, with just 32 seconds remaining, to seal a 27-24 win.

Freeze was asked in particular how that played impacted him:

We gotta coach better. If you're not accountable through the week in little things, it will show up on third down, it'll show up on fourth down. So, some of that fault is the culture, some of it is coaching. Maybe we didn't coach it good enough. Not winning that game sucked. It stunk. It was disappointing, hard. But at the same time, I didn't think our roster was as good as theirs and it gave me even more confidence that Auburn can return to one of the top programs in the country pretty fast because we went toe-to-toe with them and should have won the game, truthfully. So it was a mixed bag of, this is awful, but man, we can play with them.

Freeze, 54, is 89-50 in his 11 years of head coaching at Arkansas State (2011), Ole Miss (2012-16), Liberty (2019-22) and Auburn (2023). His teams have appeared in nine bowl games, winning six.

His coaching stints have been highly controversial for issues off the field. In particular, Ole Miss was sanctioned by the NCAA in 2019 for recruiting violations under Freeze and punished with a two-year postseason ban, reduced scholarships, three years of probation and 33 vacated wins between 2010-16.

He resigned from the school in 2017 after it was discovered he made a number of calls to an escort service on his university-issued cell phone during his coaching tenure.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office arrested a man in connection with the shooting of Auburn running back Brian Battie and four others.

Darryl Bernard Brookins was taken into custody and charged with murder and attempted murder and as a felon in possession of a firearm.

Sarasota police reported to the scene of a shooting at 3:30 a.m. ET on Saturday. Battie's brother, Tommie, was pronounced dead at the scene, and Battie was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said on Monday that Battie remained on a ventilator and had suffered a setback the previous night.

The senior is entering his second season with the Tigers. He transferred to the program after spending three years at USF. In 13 games with Auburn in 2023, he ran for 227 yards and one touchdown while averaging 23 yards on his 28 kick returns.

Auburn running back Brian Battie remains on a ventilator following a shooting Saturday in Sarasota, Florida.

Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze posted on X that Battie suffered a setback Sunday night:

Auburn family. Please continue to pray for Brian Battie. There was a set back last night and he’s still on a ventilator. #AUSTRONG

— Hugh Freeze (@CoachHughFreeze) May 20, 2024

Doug Fernandes of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Battie and his brother, Tommie, were shot Saturday morning at around 3:30 a.m. ET. Tommie was pronounced dead at the scene and Brian was transported to the hospital in critical condition.

Three others were hospitalized with injuries from the shooting.

Battie transferred to Auburn ahead of the 2023 season after spending three years at USF. In 13 appearances with the Tigers, he ran for 227 yards and one touchdown on 51 carries. He was their primary return man on kicks as well, totaling 645 yards on 28 returns.

Auburn running back Brian Battie was injured in a shooting on Saturday morning, a school spokesperson confirmed to Rivals' Brian Stultz.

"We are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information," the spokesperson said.

According to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office (h/t ABC 7), Battie's brother, Tommie L. Battie IV, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting.

The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. Saturday in Battie's hometown of Sarasota, Florida, and sent four victims, including Battie, to the hospital.

Battie, a junior, transferred to Auburn from South Florida ahead of the 2023 season and was primarily a kick returner, recording 645 yards on 29 attempts last year and finishing fifth in the SEC in kick return average. He also had 227 rushing yards and a touchdown on 51 carries.

His best season in the backfield came with South Florida in 2022 when he collected 1,186 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.

In 2021, Battie had 650 kick return yards and three kick returns for touchdowns. His outstanding play as a return man in 2021 earned him All-American honors.

HEIGHT: 6'-

WEIGHT: 190

HAND: 8⅜"

ARM: 31⅝"

WINGSPAN: 75"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.36

3-CONE: 7.09

SHUTTLE: 4.26

VERTICAL: 42"

BROAD: 11'3"

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POSITIVES

— Extremely long limbs. Able to use his arms in press and when playing the ball downfield.

— Great top-end speed. Fluid and twitchy athlete who is able to get up to top speed quickly. Has great recovery quickness when out of phase.

— Does a very good job of playing the quarterback's eyes and getting a jump on the ball in air.

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NEGATIVES

— Plays with a high pad level at times. Jumps into breaks and can get stuck in mud at times.

— Can be too handsy at times, especially when out of position.

— Throws body around but is inconsistent with wrapping up. A bit light in the weight, can bounce off ball-carriers at times.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 9 G, 22 TOT, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 3 PD

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NOTES

— Born Feb. 11, 2001

— 44 career starts

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— Senior Bowl invite

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OVERALL

Pritchett is a long-limbed cornerback who plays mostly out of press coverage but has also shown scheme versatility. He's an explosive athlete who posted a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the combine. At the Senior Bowl, Pritchett had a solid week of practice, showing off his speed and ball skills.

While playing in coverage, Pritchett does a great job in press, where he shows off his quick feet and lateral movement skills. He does a very good job of using his long arms to disrupt receivers from working downfield. Although he likes to play with a physical style, he can be too handsy, grabbing and holding on when out of position.

While carrying receivers downfield, Pritchett shows off his explosive speed and recovery speed to keep up when out of position. With the ball in the air, he does a very good job of getting his head around and playing the ball.

When playing the run, Pritchett has shown to be a willing defender. He does a good job of identifying the run and coming up to quickly close ground. Pritchett uses his quickness to beat blocks in the open field and uses his hands well to take on blockers. While he lacks the ideal strength to control blocks, he uses his length well to keep distance.

When tackling, Pritchett flies around and throws his body into ball-carriers. Although he's a physical player, he doesn't wrap up, and he often bounces off bigger running backs.

Ultimately, Pritchett's length and speed are some of his defining traits. He's a high-level developmental player who has the potential to work his way into more playing time as his NFL career develops. He will need to work on his technique, but he has loads of upside.

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GRADE: 6.3 (High-Level Developmental Prospect — 5th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 135

POSITION RANK: CB16

PRO COMPARISON: Darius Rush

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Cory Giddings

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Auburn University will have a new apparel sponsor for its sports teams next year.

The school announced on Tuesday that it has formed a partnership with Nike, which will replace Under Armour as Auburn's apparel sponsor starting in July 2025.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.
July 2025.#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/j0Rr7Zqq9n

— Auburn Tigers (@AuburnTigers) April 9, 2024

Jason Caldwell of 247Sports reported that the deal between Auburn and Nike "is expected to be for 10 years and monetarily it puts the Tigers among the top programs in the country that will be wearing Nike gear." Some of Auburn's most prominent alums like Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley and Tim Cook reportedly "all played a part in helping push this deal over the top."

The switch to Nike will mark an end to Auburn's 18-year partnership with Under Armour.

"We are excited to enter this new partnership with Nike, a brand that consistently champions athletes and sports around the world. We are appreciative of their strong support throughout this process," Auburn athletic director John Cohen said in a press release. "We believe that our 10-year agreement, beginning in July 2025, will continue to elevate Auburn and best serve our student-athletes and our university moving forward."

Cohen continued: "We are also grateful to [Under Armour founder and executive chairman] Kevin Plank and Under Armour for their 18 years of valued partnership in growing the Auburn brand and serving our student-athletes, coaches, and fans. We look forward to the opportunity to celebrate this relationship throughout the final year ahead."

Auburn's contract with Under Armour began in 2006 and will continue to run through June 2025. Per Richard Silva of the Montgomery Advertiser, the school entered an exclusive negotiating period at the start of September that allowed it to speak with other apparel brands.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 286

HAND: 9⅝"

ARM: 32"

WINGSPAN: 78¼"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.06

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 29.5"

BROAD: 8'7"

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POSITIVES

— Quick to react to the snap and has solid initial quickness. Helps him get penetration when shooting gaps, especially when combined with his solid rip and arm-over moves.

— Takes on blocks with physicality and good pad level against the run. Occasionally resets the line of scrimmage with his power/strength at the point of attack.

— Has the strength to shed when he does land his hands and get some extension. Is also slippery to help escape.

— Decent agility as the looper in line games.

— Good motor as a pass-rusher.

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NEGATIVES

— Undersized with short arms.

— Lack of arm length limits how much extension he can get on blocks. Ends up chest-to-chest with the offensive lineman more often than not.

— Plays with a narrow base, which can cause him to get kicked out of his gap against down blocks and double-teams.

— Not gap-disciplined. Will leave his gap early to try to make plays, opening up rushing lanes versus zone runs.

— Doesn't offer much as a pass-rusher. Bull rush is occasionally effective, and hasn't shown any finesse moves he can win with in the NFL.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 40 TOT, 7 SK, 11 TFL, 1 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR

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NOTES

— 3-star recruit in the 2019 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

— Spent first two seasons at Kansas before transferring to Auburn ahead of the 2021 campaign

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OVERALL

Marcus Harris is a gap-shooting defensive tackle who can get penetration as a run defender with his get-off and a couple of moves to catch offensive linemen leaning. He also shows some quickness and change-of-direction skills to beat guards across their faces when slanting, and he's shown some strength to occasionally reset the line of scrimmage.

However, Harris is undersized with short arms, and he posted only slightly above-average athletic-testing numbers at the NFL combine with a 5.91 RAS out of 10. That's going to be a tough combination for him to overcome, and it suggests his college success may not translate to the NFL. He also doesn't offer much as a pass-rusher.

The Auburn product is still worthy of a late-round pick, though. He'd be best playing for a team that needs a penetrating 3-technique who can come off the bench or start in a pinch and make a few disruptive plays.

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GRADE: 5.7 (Backup/Draftable — 6th-7th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 1208

POSITION RANK: DL21

PRO COMPARISON: Treyvon Hester

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Alabama flipped a big commitment from rival Auburn on Saturday, landing defensive lineman prospect Antonio Coleman out of the Class of 2025, per On3 Sports' Hayes Fawcett.

Coleman is considered to be a 4-star prospect by 247Sports composite. He is listed as the No. 122 player nationally, the No. 15 defensive lineman prospect and the No. 11 player in the state of Alabama.

Hailing from Saraland, Alabama, Coleman had the choice to play for either of the powerhouses in his state. Ultimately, he will suit up for the Crimson Tide.

Coleman, who held offers from Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State and others, is the third 4-star commitment as well as the third overall commitment for the Tide for the Class of 2025. While still early, Alabama currently has the No. 38 ranked recruiting class for the Class of 2025 according to 247Sports.

The commitment from Coleman is a big win following a month of uncertainty following Nick Saban's retirement. After the legendary head coach stepped down, the Tide lost a handful of commitments, six of which were from the Class of 2025.

Now entering the Kalen DeBoer era, Alabama is looking to stay on a winning path without Saban at the helm. DeBoer found success at Washington, but he has big shoes to fill in Tuscaloosa.

Flipping a commitment from his new rival is certainly a good start to his tenure.

Former Auburn and San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Terry Beasley, a College Football Hall of Famer, died on Wednesday after what authorities were describing as a potential suicide, according to the Associated Press. He was 73.

"We got a call at 5:20 (Wednesday) afternoon and officers found Mr. Beasley with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," Moody Police chief Reece Smith said.

Beasley reportedly suffered a number of concussions and head injuries during his career and was one of the plaintiffs in the head trauma lawsuit against the NFL that was eventually settled in 2016. Per the AP, Beasley said he suffered from "memory loss, headaches, anxiety and sleeplessness" due to the injuries he suffered playing football.

At Auburn, he was an All-America selection in both 1970 and 1971 and accumulated 2,640 yards from scrimmage and 30 touchdowns across three seasons.

"Pat Sullivan was the leader, the quarterback, the Heisman Trophy winner, but the guy who made that whole passing game go was Beasley," former Auburn athletic director and sports information director David Housel said in the school's statement. "He is an Auburn legend. He is the standard by which all other Auburn receivers will be measured. Auburn's had some good ones, but they've never had one like the Mechanical Man."

College Football Hall of Famer.
2x All-American.
Record setter.
Terry Terrific.

The Auburn 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝 was "way ahead of his time" and his no. 88 hangs forever in football history. RIP Terry Beasley 🦅

📝 https://t.co/UZFNeZuw23 pic.twitter.com/DxzqrDNWu7

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) February 1, 2024

R.I.P. #88, keep flying high. Love you and War Damn Eagle. pic.twitter.com/GUU2hn3kwY

— Bo Jackson (@BoJackson) February 1, 2024

Will never forget Terry Beasley coming to speak to the team while I was at Auburn. Impossible not immediately gain the upmost respect.
A true Auburn man.
A true Auburn legend.
Thoughts & prayers with his family 🙏🏼

War Eagle forever...
Rest easy 88

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) February 1, 2024

"He was a phenomenal player," Beasley's former teammate, Terry Henley, added. "He could play the game today. In the offenses they run today, he would be so explosive."

Beasley was then a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers in 1972 but injuries limited him to three seasons. In total, he caught 38 passes for 570 yards and three touchdowns in his NFL career.

But his impact at Auburn was immense.

"Words do not describe his importance to Auburn," sports radio personality Paul Finebaum told Mark Heim of AL.com on Thursday. "I think if you look at the Mount Rushmore of Auburn football players, he is on there. I know you are like, 'Wow, you have Cam Newton, Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan,' but he would be next. He was that important."