AUBURN — The spring transfer portal window has officially closed.
However, that doesn't mean a team like Auburn football can't shore up. The portal is simply not accepting new entries. If a player is already in the portal, they can spend as much time as they like finding a new program to play for next season, as long as they have time to enroll for the fall semester.
The Tigers missed the spring slot with just six departures, but the most notable departure was redshirt freshman cornerback Colton Hood. He was lined up as the No. 3 cornerback in depth behind starters Cain Lee and Keonte Scott. Jay Fair, a 2023 receiver and Auburn's receiving leader, is also leaving. Hood landed in Colorado with his older brother, three-star recruit Brandon Hood, and Fair ultimately attended the University of Southern California.
With several holes to fill and seven open scholarship spots remaining, here are some positions of need that the Tigers could target in the coming weeks.
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linebacker
Perhaps not the most obvious need in the world – Auburn already has veterans Eugene Asante, Austin Keys, Dorian Mausi Jr. and Robert Woodyard Jr., along with freshmen DeMarcus Riddick and DJ Barber. is on the roster in addition to – but adding another linebacker made sense after fifth-year senior Wesley Steiner hit the portal in April.
The Tigers rotated four players at lineback last season and hope to do the same in 2024. Asante, Keyes and Mausi appear to have secured three of those spots. At best, Portal LB could provide competition for the No. 4 spot with guys like Woodyard, Riddick, and Barber, and at worst, he could give Auburn additional depth.
wide receiver
Since coach Hugh Freeze took over in November 2022, the receiver personnel has been almost completely revamped. There is only one player at the position who predates Freeze, junior Camden Brown, and Caleb Barton III is the only other receiver who was on last season's roster who is ready. Planned to return in 2024.
Auburn lost Fair and Coy Moore in the spring portal after adding KeAndre Lambert-Smith, a Penn State transfer who led the Nittany Lions with 673 receiving yards on 53 receptions in 2023. , has registered nine scholarship recipients. The team typically enrolls about 10 scholarship recipients. With four freshmen (Bryce Cain, Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson) and a convertible quarterback (Sam Jackson V) set to join the Tigers, another veteran option at receiver will help the Tigers. It might work fine.
cornerback
From cornerbacks Jay Crawford and J.C. Hart to safeties Terrence Love and Caleb Harris, Auburn has no shortage of quality talent in its secondary. Other options include Antonio Kite, a transfer from Alabama, and former junior college standout Champ Anthony.
But losing Hood hurt.
Kite could step up to a primary reserve role next to Lee and Scott, but the Tigers would likely benefit from bringing in at least one more cornerback. The staff seems to agree, as cornerback Javion Cole, who committed to San Jose State, is scheduled to take an official visit to Auburn from May 7-9. Announced in a social media post Thursday.
Richard Silva is the Auburn Athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or at X (formerly Twitter name @rich_silva18).
