(Photo Credit: John Reed/USA TODAY Sports)
Key Players Returning:
QB Bo Nix, RB/KR Tank Bigsby, OC Nick Brahms, OG Brandon Council, OG Tashawn Manning, OT Brodarious Hamm, OT Austin Troxell, DE Colby Wooden, LB Derick Hall, LB Zakoby McClain, LB Owen Pappoe, CB Roger McCreary, CB Nehemiah Pritchett, FS Smoke Monday, PK Anders Carlson, PT Oscar Chapman, and PT Aidan Marshall.
Key Players Departing:
WR Anthony Schwartz, WR Eli Stove, WR Seth Williams, DE Big Kat Bryant, DT Daquan Newkirk, NB Christian Tutt, BS Jordyn Peters, and BS Jamien Sherwood.
Top 10 Recruits:
Blue Chip Recruits: WR Demetris Robertson (Georgia transfer).
4 Star Recruits: LB Dylan Brooks (Roanoke, Alabama), DL Lee Hunter (Eight Mile, Alabama), S Ahmari Harvey (Tallahassee, Florida), QB Dematrius Davis (Houston, Texas), DL Marquis Robinson (Milton, Florida), and ATH Tar’Varish Dawson (Lehigh Acres, Florida).
3 Star Recruits: WR Hal Presley (Arlington, Texas), CB Dreshun Miller (West Virginia transfer), and DL Tobechi Okoli (Kansas City, Missouri).
2020 Results:
G01 #23 KENTUCKY W 29-13
G02 at #4 Georgia L 6-27
G03 ARKANSAS W 30-28
G04 at South Carolina L 22-30
G05 at Ole Miss W 35-28
G06 LSU W 48-11
G07 TENNESSEE W 30-17
G08 at #1 Alabama L 13-42
G09 #5 TEXAS A&M L 20-31
G10 at Mississippi State W 24-10
BOWL vs. Northwestern L 19-35
Team Info:
2020 Overall: 6-5 (3rd in SEC West)
Home: 4-1
Away: 2-3
Neutral: 0-1
SEC: 6-4
Non-SEC: 0-1
Head Coach: Barry Harsin
Auburn: 0-0
Career: 76-24
Bowls: 3-2
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Bo Nix (214-357, 2415 yards, 59.9%, 6.8 avg., 12 TD, 7 INT)
Rushing: Tank Bigsby (138 car., 834 yards, 6.0 avg., 5 TD)
Receiving: Tank Bigsby (11 rec., 84 yards, 7.6 avg., 0 TD)
TD’s Scored: Bo Nix (7)
Sacks: Derick Hall/Owen Pappoe (4)
Tackles: Zakoby McClain (113)
Interceptions: Roger McCreary (3)
Pass Deflections: Nehemiah Pritchett (10)
Tackles For Loss: Colby Wooden (9)
Forced Fumbles: 4 Tied (1)
Kick Returns: Tank Bigsby (13 ret., 306 yards, 23.5 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: None
Kicking: Anders Carlson (20-22 fg/fga., 91%, 24-25 xp/xpa., 84 pts.)
Punting: Oscar Chapman (28 punts, 1148 yards, 41.0 avg., 8 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters:
QB: 10 Bo Nix (JR)
RB: 4 Tank Bigsby (SO)
WR: 11 Shedrick Jackson (SR)
WR: 00 Demetris Robertson (RS SO)
WR: 6 Ja’Varrius Johnson (RS SO)
TE: 47 John Samuel Shenker (RS SR)
LT: 68 Austin Troxell (RS SR)
LG: 71 Brandon Council (GR/TR)
OC: 52 Nick Brahms (RS SR)
RG: 58 Keiondre Jones (RS SO)
RT: 59 Brodarious Hamm (RS SR)
KR: 1 Donovan Kaufman (SO/TR)
PK: 26 Anders Carlson (RS SR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 25 Colby Wooden (RS SO)
NT: 90 Tony Fair (GR/TR)
DE: 50 Marcus Harris (RS SO/TR)
LB: 29 Derick Hall (JR)
LB: 00 Owen Pappoe (JR)
LB: 9 Zakoby McClain (SR)
LB: 31 Chandler Wooten (RS SR)
CB: 23 Roger McCreary (SR)
CB: 18 Nehemiah Pritchett (JR)
FS: 21 Smoke Monday (SR)
SS: 19 Bydarrius Knighten (GR/TR)
PR: 6 Ja’Varrius Johnson (RS SO)
PT: 91 Oscar Chapman (SO)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: B
Running Backs: B
Wide Receivers: C
Offensive Line: C
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: B
Secondary: B
Special Teams
Kick Returns: B
Punt Returns: C
Kickers: A
Punters: B
Schedule:
09/04 AKRON ZIPS | Auburn won (42-0) the only prior meeting between schools in 1988.
09/11 ALABAMA STATE HORNETS | Auburn won (63-9) the only prior meeting between schools in 2018.
09/18 at Penn State Nittany Lions | The series is tied 1-1. The Tigers won (13-9) the last meeting between schools in 2003.
09/25 GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS | First meeting between schools.
10/02 at LSU Tigers | Auburn trails the series 23-31-1. The Tigers are 3-7 since 2011, and their last series loss (20-23) was in 2019.
10/09 GEORGIA BULLDOGS | Auburn trails the series 56-61-8. The Tigers are 2-9 since 2011, and their last series win (40-17) was in 2017.
10/16 at Arkansas Razorbacks | Auburn leads the series 18-11-1. The Tigers are 7-3 since 2011, and their last series loss (46-54 OT) was in 2015.
10/30 OLE MISS REBELS | Auburn leads the series 34-11. The Tigers are 8-2 since 2011, and their last series loss (19-27) was in 2015.
11/06 at Texas A&M Aggies | Auburn trails the series 5-6. The Tigers are 5-4 since renewing the series in 2012, and their last series win (28-20) was in 2019.
11/13 MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS | Auburn leads the series 62-29-3. The Tigers are 6-4 since 2011, and their last series loss (9-23) was in 2018.
11/20 at South Carolina Gamecocks | Auburn leads the series 10-2-1. Last season’s 22-30 loss was the first meeting between schools since 2014.
11/27 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE | Auburn trails the series 37-47-1. The Tigers are 3-7 since 2011, and their last series win (48-45) was in 2019.
Predictions:
Home: 4-3
Away: 1-4
Neutral: 0-0
SEC: 2-6
Non-SEC: 3-1
Overall: 5-7 (7th in SEC West)
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