Auburn Football

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 179

HAND: 9⅞"

ARM: 32⅜"

WINGSPAN: 76⅝"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.45

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 39.5"

BROAD: 11'1"

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POSITIVES

— Versatile defensive back who can play all over the secondary. Can play as a deep safety and over the slot as well.

— Opportunistic player who has the ball skills to capitalize on errant throws. Does a very good job of identifying and attacking the ball in the air.

— Good athlete with smooth backpedal and hips to flip and run. Puts himself in good positions and bursts out of breaks. Takes good angles and drives on the ball.

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NEGATIVES

— Long strider who can take time to get to top speed, allowing more explosive and twitchy athletes to get on his toes and create separation downfield.

— Lacks a blow when tackling bigger running backs. Willing tackler but often takes the brunt of the tackle since he's undersized.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 36 TOT, 1.5 TFL, 4 INT, 1 TD, 3 PD, 1 FR

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NOTES

— Born March 17, 2001

— 44 career starts

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

— 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl Invite

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OVERALL

Jaylin Simpson is a long-limbed athlete with a lean frame that has the room to add weight. The versatile defender is best in zone coverage, where he can see routes develop in front of him, or in the slot, where he can use his quick feet to transition forward. A highly experienced player, Simpson was able to play in four games as a true freshman.

Simpson aligned in multiple positions in the defensive backfield at Auburn, but he looks most comfortable as a deep defender. He reads the quarterback's eyes and is able to get a good jump on the ball as routes develop in front of him. He's able to cover a lot of ground, and he shows great timing when swiping through at the catch point.

Simpson is an opportunistic player who does a very good job of identifying and attacking the ball in the air. He's a long strider who carries receivers deep but can struggle with more explosive players who get to top speed more quickly.

When tackling and defending the run, Simpson's lack of ideal weight and strength show up at times. He's a physical and willing tackler who does a good job of quickly reacting to the run and coming downhill to close the space. When he gets there, he generally does a great job of getting underneath ball-carriers and wrestling them to the ground.

However, there are times where Simpson struggles to take on blockers. Although he shows good physicality and aggressiveness, his lack of strength can lead to him getting pushed around at times.

Ultimately, Simpson is a high-level athlete who is more than capable of turning the ball over, as he showed with his seven career interceptions at Auburn. He has the skill set to play safety in the NFL, but he will need to continue to fill out his frame and add strength. His versatility is his biggest asset, which should lead him to being a middle-round selection.

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GRADE: 6.8 (Potential Role Player/Contributor — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 100

POSITION RANK: S7

PRO COMPARISON: Cordale Flott

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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.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 175

HAND: 8⅜"

ARM: 31"

WINGSPAN: 72⅜"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.42

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL:

BROAD:

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POSITIVES

— Fluid athlete who has loose hips, very good body control and plays with low pad level.

— Has quick feet in press coverage, which allows him to keep his leverage and stay square. Does a very good job of using his length to keep leverage and control receivers.

— Explosive athlete who has the top-end speed to run with receivers and good burst to recover downfield when out of position.

— Very good ball skills to track the ball in the air with great timing on pass breakups. Plays through the catch point and does a very good job of separating the receiver from the ball.

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NEGATIVES

— Light in the pants. Physical but lacks the desired strength when taking on blocks and battling for position downfield.

— Can be an ankle-biter at times. Doesn't want to tackle ball-carriers up top, especially the bigger, more physical runners.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 38 TOT, 3.5 TFL, 2 INT, 10 PD

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NOTES

— Born March 5, 2001

— 24 career starts

— 2022 second-team All-SEC (Coaches, AP)

— Transferred from Oregon ahead of 2022 season

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

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OVERALL

D.J. James is an experienced cornerback who had significant playing time at both the University of Oregon and Auburn University. He played in 32 games at Oregon and tallied 70 tackles and two interceptions. He's a long-limbed athlete who has the frame to continue to add plenty of weight.

At Auburn, James was able to showcase his coverage skills in both man and zone schemes. While playing man, he often opted to play press since his quick feet and fluid hips allow him to keep his leverage and get in phase as he works down the field. He uses his length well to control receivers off the line of scrimmage, as well as when shooting his hand through the catch point to break up passes.

When in zone coverage, he has good vision to identify routes and uses his burst to quickly close in on threats coming into his areas. He shows good top-end speed to match receivers and shows very good closing speed when out of position.

As a run defender, James isn't afraid to get in the mix. Though he is thin and lacks the ideal strength for his size, he does a great job of triggering to support the run. Often opting to use his speed to beat blocks, he can get pushed around by linemen and bigger blockers. When tackling, he often dives at ball-carriers and becomes an ankle-biter with bigger running backs, though he does a good job of getting them on the ground.

James is an intriguing prospect who has the desired length and speed to play the position in the NFL. He will need to continue to work on filling out his frame and increasing his functional strength, but he has the skills to build on. James is a high-level developmental prospect who has the potential to be a contributor early in his NFL career.

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GRADE: 6.9 (Potential Role Player/Contributor — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 91

POSITION RANK: CB11

PRO COMPARISON: Marco Wilson

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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.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Auburn Tigers' season ended without a bowl win, as they fell 31-13 to the Maryland Terrapins in the Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Saturday.

Auburn did not qualify for a bowl game last season after going 5-7, but they lost each of their previous three bowl games, meaning it is now in the midst of a four-game losing streak in bowls and a five-year drought in terms of bowl wins.

In fact, the Tigers have won just a single bowl game over the past eight seasons, that being the 2018 Music City Bowl.

With the Tigers struggling to end their seasons on a high note despite being a high-profile SEC program, college football fans took aim at head coach Hugh Freeze's team on X, formerly known as Twitter:

Auburn is never a good bowl team. At least that’s what it feels like. We put it all into the Iron Bowl and then it feels like the bowl game means nothing every time lol pic.twitter.com/oQgwCOd0TD

— Young Harleezy 🕺🏾 (@WOWNowThatsMe) December 30, 2023

Auburn when their bowl game opponent is a middle of the pack Big 10 team pic.twitter.com/bFdsAZ5Z8a

— Michael Wester II (@mikewazowski_13) December 30, 2023

https://twitter.com/griffingulledge/status/1741188645946585172

Maryland beating Auburn’s eyes in just goes to prove what I’ve always said.

Auburn’s goal every year is to win the Iron Bowl. That’s it

— MattBeGreat (@mattbegreatyt) December 30, 2023

https://twitter.com/LisaSimpson24/status/1741183429582954562

Anyone who watched Auburn in the Iron Bowl and the week before against New Mexico State, knew they spent all their energy against ‘Bama. A good division III school could beat them today. https://t.co/LUA3a8I1No

— Steve Holley (@BySteveHolley) December 30, 2023

Death, taxes, and Auburn losing bowl games.

— Drunk Principal (drunk/principal)...blue checkmark (@DrunkPrincipal) December 30, 2023

Auburn not showing up to a bowl game.

There’s a surprise.

— Schrodinger’s Pilot (@docmcbride) December 30, 2023

Is this another year where Auburn gets whipped in a Bowl Game and the narrative is that Auburn wasn’t interested in playing in the game? Maybe the Tigers should get used to playing meaningless bowls. Been a while.

— Stan Fecklessmen (@newzjunkey) December 30, 2023

Auburn must have opted out of this bowl game

— Alejandro Escobar (@DanaosSr) December 30, 2023

As is often the case with non-playoff bowls, both Auburn and Maryland dealt with some significant absences due to opt-outs.

Most of the Tigers' opt-outs came on the defensive side, as defensive tackle Marcus Harris and cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett and DJ James all opted out, while safety Jaylin Simpson also sat, possibly due to a hamstring injury, per AL.com's Matt Cohen.

Maryland's biggest absence was starting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who opted out in anticipation of the NFL draft. With Tagovailoa out, Billy Edwards Jr. and Cameron Edge both saw time at quarterback, and they performed well.

Edwards went 6-of-20 for 126 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, while also rushing for 50 yards and a score. Edge went 4-of-6 for 82 yards with one touchdown and one pick.

The same can't be said for Auburn's regular starting quarterback in Payton Thorne, who finished 13-of-27 for 84 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Auburn stumbled out of the gates Saturday, trailing 21-0 after the first quarter and entering halftime down 24-7.

Maryland essentially put the game away early in the third quarter when Glendon Miller intercepted Thorne and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown, extending the Terps' lead to 31-7.

While bowl games have been the Tigers' kryptonite in recent years, Maryland has come to play in bowl games under head coach Mike Locksley.

The Terrapins have now played in and won bowl games in three straight seasons, and by finishing 8-5 on the season, Maryland has posted a winning record in three consecutive campaigns for the first time since 2001 to 2003.

As for Auburn, the loss dropped it to 6-7, giving the Tigers three losing seasons in a row for the first time since 1975 to 1977.

Texas A&M commit and five-star prospect wide receiver Cameron Coleman announced on Friday he would be changing his commitment to Auburn.

"100% committed," Coleman wrote in a social media post declaring the change, which also read "Merry Flipmas."

Coleman is ESPN's No. 1 ranked wide receiver of the 2024 class and the No. 6 prospect overall, per Tom VanHaaren.

He had originally announced his commitment to Texas A&M in July.

100% Committed #AGTG🙏🏾 #WarEagle@Hayesfawcett3 @CoachHughFreeze pic.twitter.com/ufUci59LaF

— Cameron Coleman (@CamColeman12) December 1, 2023

Coleman's decision follows the firing of Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher and the departure of offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino for Arkansas.

The wide receiver caught 56 passes for 1,229 yards and 17 touchdowns during his senior season in Phenix City, Alabama.

He was the only Texas A&M wide receiver recruit ranked in the ESPN's top 300, per VanHaaren.

Coleman's departure marks another major blow for the Aggies' wide receiving corps after losing four-star wide receiver Drelon Miller announced his decommitment on X in October.

Four-star offensive tackle Weston Davis also decommitted from the program in October in favor of joining LSU.

The Aggies broke records by buying out Fisher for over $76 million, then announcing the hiring of former Duke head coach Mike Elko two weeks later, in an attempt to stop the exodus.

That apparently wasn't enough to retain Coleman, who visited schools including Colorado, Alabama, Florida and Florida State in the fall following his commitment to Texas A&M, according to On3's Keegan Pope.

"After I committed, my recruitment slowed down, but picked up at the same time," Coleman told On3's Chad Simmons in September. "Before I committed, Clemson, Georgia and some others were coming heavy. They really slowed it down. But schools like Auburn, Colorado, Florida, Penn State and Florida State picked it up."

Auburn, which will be heading into the program's second season under head coach Hugh Freeze, won out. After a slow start to Auburn's season which saw the program suffer four straight SEC losses, Freeze led the 6-6 Tigers to a bowl game for the first time since the 2021 season.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze isn't going to forget his team's 27-24 loss to Alabama on Saturday that gave the Crimson Tide their 50th Iron Bowl victory.

The Tigers took a 24-20 lead over the Crimson Tide into the fourth quarter but failed to score a touchdown in the final frame as they fell to Alabama.

"This is gonna stick with us for a while," Freeze told reporters after the game.

Nick Saban's Crimson Tide won Saturday's game in dramatic fashion as quarterback Jalen Milroe found wide receiver Isaiah Bond for a 31-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal at the Auburn 31 with just 32 seconds remaining in the game.

"Believe it or not, we work on that," Saban told reporters after the game. "It was just a great throw by Jalen, and a great catch by Isaiah. We work on it, but you're throwing it up for grabs really. We came down with it."

TOUCHDOWN ALABAMA ON 4TH AND A MILE!

UNREAL! pic.twitter.com/rX5XPRsuzV

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 26, 2023

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne was then picked off by Alabama defensive back Terrion Arnold, sealing the victory for the Crimson Tide.

"The craziest, most unbelievable final 40 seconds of football that maybe you'll ever see, unless you've been to The Iron Bowl before."

Alabama wins the 88th installment of the rivalry. pic.twitter.com/7toq4ryIeZ

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 26, 2023

Alabama hasn't lost the Iron Bowl since 2019 and has won eight of the last 10 matchups.

With Saturday's loss, Auburn finishes the 2023 season with a 6-6 record. It was the program's first year with Freeze at the helm.

Prior to joining the Tigers, Freeze spent four years at Liberty and also coached Ole Miss and Arkansas State.

The 2023 season was only a slight improvement from 2022 for Auburn as the Tigers went 5-7 under Bryan Harsin. The team hasn't had a winning season since 2020 under Gus Malzahn.

Alabama will now prepare for a huge SEC championship game matchup against Georgia on Dec. 2. The Crimson Tide last won the conference title during the 2021 season with a win over the Bulldogs.

Former Michigan State signal-caller Payton Thorne has won Auburn's starting quarterback job over Robby Ashford, according to ESPN's Chris Low.

Thorne, who transferred from Michigan State after the 2022 season, will start the team's season opener on Sept. 2 against UMass.

Thorne's "leadership and efficiency throwing the ball were big factors in his winning the job at Auburn," sources told Low.

The 22-year-old was a two-year starter at Michigan State, where he put together his best season in 2021 when he completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 3,232 yards and 27 touchdowns against 10 interceptions in 13 games, in addition to rushing for 181 yards and four scores.

The Spartans finished the 2021 campaign with an 11-2 record and a win in the Peach Bowl.

During the 2022 season, Thorne completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 2,679 yards and 19 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 12 games. He also rushed for 42 yards and one score.

Coupled with Thorne's decline in performance, the Spartans finished 2022 with a 5-7 record and missed out on a bowl game for the second time in three seasons.

Ashford, meanwhile, transferred to Auburn from Oregon ahead of the 2022 season and he served as the Tigers' starting quarterback for much of the year. He was largely ineffective in the passing game, completing 49.2 percent of his passes for 1,613 yards and seven touchdowns against seven interceptions in 12 games.

Although Ashford was solid on the ground, rushing for 710 yards and seven scores, Auburn finished the 2022 campaign with a 5-7 record as the Tigers largely struggled to move the ball down the field with their aerial attack.

Thorne will be Auburn's fourth quarterback since 2021, joining Ashford, Bo Nix, who is now at Oregon, and TJ Finley, who is now at Texas State. If he struggles in the role to open the season, it's possible the Tigers could turn back to Ashford during the 2023 campaign.

Five-star wide receiver Perry Thompson, who is ranked as the 14th overall prospect on 247Sports' list of class of 2024 football players, has switched his commitment from Alabama to Auburn.

Thompson spoke with Hayes Fawcett of On3 about the move and also confirmed the news on Instagram.

"Honestly just the family feeling and the legacy I can leave behind," Thompson said. "Yeah, I could go to 'Bama, but why not be that change in a program's history."

The 6'3", 202-pound Thompson also expressed his love for the coaching staff, which is now led by Hugh Freeze and features wide receivers coach Marcus Davis.

"Love the coaching staff and the energy everyone brings," Thompsons said. "I'm really close to Freeze and coach Davis. We've built a pretty strong relationship. They see me as an AJ Brown type in their offense. A lot of one on one matchups and just getting the ball in my hands to make plays."

Thompson is a three-sport star at Foley High School in Alabama, where he also plays basketball and runs track. Per 247Sports, he posted 87 catches for 1,059 yards and nine receiving touchdowns in 11 games last season.

Thompson initially committed to Alabama in June 2022 before making the switch 13 months later. His move is nothing short of a massive win for Auburn, which simultaneously takes a huge recruit from its arch rival and lands another elite player to the 2024 class. That group now ranks 17th overall, per 247Sports.

Auburn also benefitted from another big flip of late when 5-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick decommitted from Georgia to the Tigers.

Ultimately, this has been an interesting and fruitful start to the Freeze era in Auburn. Freeze, whose previous head coaching stops include Ole Miss and Liberty, will look to begin his Tiger tenure off on a positive note when his team hosts UMass on Sept. 2.

HEIGHT: 6'0"

WEIGHT: 210

HAND: 9 1/2"

ARM: 32"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.56

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: 32 1/2"

BROAD: 9'11"

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POSITIVES

— Tough, physical runner. Fearless between the tackles.

— Great balance and strength.

— Very good stop/start explosiveness. Can stop his feet and burst in a different direction effectively.

— Above-average flexibility. Can weave behind the line and through the second level well.

— Reliable hands out of the backfield as a checkdown option.

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NEGATIVES

— Wildly inconsistent vision. Brings too many TFL upon himself.

— Erratic and at times uncoordinated runner. Loses his footing and momentum too often.

— Below-average pass protector.

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2022 STATISTICS

— 12 GM, 179 ATT, 970 YDS (5.4 AVG), 10 TD; 30 REC, 180 YDS, 0 TD

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NOTES

— DOB: August 30, 2001

— 4-star recruit in 2020, per 247Sports' composite ratings

— Three-year starter

— 2020 SEC Freshman of the Year

— Minor hip injury in 2020

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OVERALL

Tank Bigsby is a physical, explosive runner who needs to find consistency in order to realize his potential as an NFL starter.

Bigsby lives up to the "Tank" nickname. At a hair under 6'0" and 210 pounds, he is a violent downhill runner when he wants to be. He has a thick frame, especially in his lower body, and absorbs contact well. When paired with his aggressive rushing style, ample acceleration and good balance, Bigsby is tough to bring down once he gets a head of steam.

Bigsby is also good in space for a back his size. He shows good flexibility and fluidity when it comes to changing rushing lanes, as well as managing the second level. More impressively, he has wicked explosion in tight spaces. His ability to stop on a dime and explode out in another direction is devastating for a player his size.

Where Bigsby struggles is consistency. He is an erratic, uncontrolled runner. His vision runs hot and cold, vacillating between relentless downhill running and overzealous cutbacks and bounces. Additionally, Bigsby's cuts and movements can be too wild at times, leaving him to lose all of his momentum or outright forcing him to stumble. As a result of the two issues, Bigsby often runs himself into unnecessary tackles for loss and is prone to putting the offense behind the sticks.

On passing downs, Bigsby is a mixed bag. He struggles in pass protection. He clearly has the size and strength for it, but his willingness and discipline are not reliable. As a receiver, Bigsby offers a high-ceiling, low-floor profile. He has great hands out of the backfield and the physicality to squeeze out good yardage underneath, but he's no threat to align as a receiver or run vertical routes.

Bigsby has the tools to be an effective NFL back. His size, physicality and explosiveness are all traits you see in starting running backs across the league. However, his inconsistencies as a runner and limited passing-down skills may hurt his ability to earn a full-time role, at least early on in his career.

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GRADE: 6.8 (Potential Role Player/Round 4)

OVERALL RANK: 108

POSITION RANK: RB9

PRO COMPARISON: Chuba Hubbard

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 273

HAND: 10⅜"

ARM: 33¾"

WINGSPAN: TBD

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40-YARD DASH: 4.79

3-CONE: 4.52

SHUTTLE: 7.49

VERTICAL: TBD

BROAD: 9'7"

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POSITIVES

– Good get-off when penetrating; accelerates off the ball well.

– Impressive block recognition to put himself in a good position to stay in his gap.

– Quick and agile to change the angle on offensive linemen and make them miss when slanting. He moves well for a defensive lineman.

– At the point of attack, he has decent upper-body strength to get extension and hold ground against base blocks from offensive tackles. If he gets more consistent with his hand placement, this will help him shed and get off blocks more frequently.

– Solid arm-over to escape blocks against the run.

– Can make tackles with offensive linemen hanging on him.

– Has a decent hand-swipe move as a pass-rusher.

– Could develop a push-pull move with his strength and limber hips to clear his lower half.

– Can be effective in line games, is athletic enough to take an efficient path to the quarterback as the looper and is physical as the pick player to tie up offensive linemen.

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NEGATIVES

– When playing gap control, he stands out of his stance, stops his feet on contact and has wide hand placement. Also makes it difficult for him to fight back against pressure if slanting puts him out of position.

– Lack of knee bend/leverage becomes an issue against double-teams and combo blocks from a tackle and tight end; he also tries to take on both blockers instead of defeating the man he's lined up across from.

– Likes to take risks using the olé technique to get off blocks, causing him to leave his gap assignment and create a rushing lane. Needs to learn when to pick his spots and take calculated risks.

– Struggles to break down and avoid getting too far up the field when penetrating.

– Lack of leverage and leg drive hurt his ability to collapse the pocket with a bull rush, especially against guards.

– Doesn't have a good go-to pass-rush move that he can win with and seems to lack a plan when rushing.

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NOTES

– DOB: December 21, 2000

– A 4-star recruit in the 2019 class, No. 345 overall, No. 22 WDE, per 247Sports' composite rankings

– No major injuries

– 36 career starts

– Career stats (four seasons): 153 total tackles (93 solo), 29.5 TFL, 14 sacks, 6 PD, 3 FF

– 2022 Honors: Third-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele), Auburn Defensive Lineman of the Year

– 2021 Honors: Honorable Mention All-SEC (PFF)

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OVERALL

Colby Wooden has an interesting draft profile. He has a good combination of strength and athleticism that will show up on tape as a run defender but doesn't seem to translate to his pass rush.

When his hands are right, he's strong at the point of attack and can get extension against offensive linemen to help disengage from blocks and make tackles near the line of scrimmage. He's even better when slanting, where he can use his quickness and agility to make blockers miss.

However, Wooden's pass-rush skills leave something to be desired. While he's shown flashes of winning with a hand swipe or push-pull, neither of those moves is consistent enough for him to hang his hat on at the next level. Teams are either going to have to be patient and work with him in that regard or get him moving on line games to be able to impact the quarterback in the passing game.

Schematically, the Auburn product is a bit of a tweener where he's a little light to play as a 4i-technique in odd fronts and isn't a good enough pass-rusher to line up outside the tackle in even fronts. His best option is likely to play in the former scheme and bulk up.

Overall, Wooden is a solid, middle-round defensive lineman whose versatility could be intriguing to some teams. He could be a good player as the fourth or fifth guy on the depth chart who mixes into the rotation.

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GRADE: 6.9 (Potential Role Player)

OVERALL RANK: 91

POSITION RANK: DL11

PRO COMPARISON: Tyrone Crawford

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Written by B/R NFL Draft Scout Matt Holder