Aubserver Mailbag 148: What should Auburn prioritize in the transfer portal?

This week: The QB market, offensive coordinators, WR classes, bowl season, basketball's winning streak and Christmas music

HC Hugh Freeze (Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers)

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Now, to the matter at hand: This week’s mailbag tackles a lot of questions about the transfer portal and what the Tigers might do in a very crucial offseason for roster-building and management. We’ll also talk bowl games as well as some questions for Auburn basketball — along with our annual lightning round on Christmas music.

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What would be your positions of priority to look into the transfer portal this off-season for AU?

Dan

Can you power rank these 4 positions in order of transfer portal need for auburn? OL, DL/Edge, QB, WR

Ric

1. Defensive Line/Edge Rusher: Defensive line was a thin position group in 2023, and we know there are going to be several departures before finding out anything official on Marcus Harris or the veteran nose tackles. Auburn should push hard in the portal for game-changers to add to the potential of a guy like Keldric Faulk and some of the younger up-and-comers. Even if Jalen McLeod returns, the Tigers could also use more help in getting after the quarterback. Both of these position groups have talented freshmen coming in the fold, but all the departures make it more pressing to go after experience as replacements this offseason.

2. Wide Receiver: Simply put, Auburn desperately needs to upgrade here this offseason in order to maximize what it wants to do in a Freeze offense. The Tigers can only bring back three receivers with double-digit catches from this season and will lose at least three players at the position. While Auburn is trying to load up on elite wide receiver talent in the high-school ranks, it could really benefit from grabbing an established name or two in the portal — preferably from the Power 5 ranks, as the smaller-school transfers didn’t work out as well in 2023.

3. Offensive Line: This won’t be a full-scale rebuild like it was last season, and Auburn could bring back as many as four offensive linemen who played in at least eight games this season. This is a spot where the Tigers can buy toward the top of the market, so to speak, and add one or two starter-quality players who can compete for jobs early. You definitely don’t want to go into the season with just five first-choice linemen. If Auburn can do that with this 2024 portal class while adding more high-school talent to develop for the future, this position group could have some real stability for the first time in a long time.

4. Quarterback: I’m putting this at No. 4 not because I think Auburn shouldn’t look at their options here, but because it’s only one spot compared to the multiple additions you could get at the other three positions. I see the appeal in giving Payton Thorne a full offseason in this system and upgrading the talent around him. But I also think Auburn could benefit from going the Ole Miss route and adding a transfer quarterback who can legitimately challenge an incumbent starter if he decides to stay. Needless to say, I’m very intrigued by Auburn’s strategy at quarterback this offseason, and I wonder how serious the Tigers’ reported interest is in guys who are already going into the portal.

Ric didn’t mention defensive backs in his question, but I think that’s another spot where the Tigers could use a boost through the transfer portal. There’s just so much experience leaving, and I don’t know if Auburn wants to simply turn it all over to the younger guys in 2024. If Auburn can get a veteran defensive back or two who looks ready for SEC ball, that would be a very smart investment.

Other position groups will most likely depend on who stays and who goes. I think Auburn is in a good spot at running back, inside linebacker and tight end, but that could change with departures.

In the grand scheme of things, I don’t see Auburn getting quite as many transfers in 2024 as it did in 2023. However, this is still going to be a pretty big offseason roster overhaul, because there are a ton of moving parts and a real push to show marked improvement next season.

1. At QB, some guys that have entered the portal or that have rumors for them to eventually enter are Will Howard, Grayson McCall, KJ Jefferson, Michael Pratt, Cam Ward, and Riley Leonard.. If Auburn were to go after a QB in the portal, which of those guys do you think would be the best fit for Auburn’s system?

2. Do you think a change at OC should be made going into next year, or do you think it’d be more important to have some continuity at that spot for the offense for the first time in several seasons? 

James