Just so we’re clear, every single player that has ever stepped foot inside an Auburn football training facility–whether they got time on the field or not or whether their official status is as a walk-on or on scholarship–is an elite athlete worthy of praise and celebration.
That said, not every single player on the Tigers or any other program in the United States will get their chance to shine in 2021.
Some players who thought a move away from the Plains will find that their gambles worked out. Opportunity is tough to earn on a program as prestigious as Auburn football, and sometimes moves to lesser teams proves to be more beneficial in the long run.
On the flip side, sometimes the grass isn’t greener. That would seem obvious to anyone who has ever set foot in the city of Auburn, but we’re talking college football here. Some players only have one shot to prove they are NFL material before pursuing a different livelihood.
In that limited window, proving yourself could mean making millions of dollars and traveling to the biggest cities in the United States and even the rest of the world with the NFL going global with games having been played in Mexico City and London in the last decade.
That’s a life-changing experience that can be the result of one of the most profound life-changing decisions a collegiate athlete can make: finding a new team fit, school, and home.
Here are 3 transfers from the Auburn football program we feel will shine in 2021…and 3 that won’t:
Former Auburn football QB Malik Willis
Malik Willis really wasn’t doing much with the Tigers during his two years in orange and blue, taking a backseat to Jarrett Stidham before transferring after the 2018 season.
He found an ideal situation for him at Liberty, though, where he has become a threat through the air and on the ground. In 2020, he threw for 20 TDs and ran for an additional 14.
With The First Pick’s Tommy Jaggi believes Willis has the chance to morph into the potential #1 overall NFL Draft pick in 2022.
So yes, FWE can’t help but feel like Willis will continue to have Tiger fans thinking ‘what if’…
Former Auburn football DL Daquan Newkirk
Now with the Florida Gators, the Orlando native Daquan Newkirk could have his best ball in store with the Gators in his senior season.
Taking advantage of the immediate in-conference transfer rules in 2021, Newkirk was one of the first defections after the coaching change this past January. Following Wesley McGriff to UF could lead to a breakout season for the ever-improving Newkirk on a Florida defense that was far from sturdy in 2020.
Former Auburn football QB Chayil Garnett
It looked like Chayil Garnett could end up at UCF with Gus Malzahn, but he ended up going the HBCU route in his decision to join Tennessee State.
Now in the FCS, Garnett should parlay his SEC experience (even if it was just practice reps and A-Day) into a successful second act in Division I’s lower subdivision.
Former Auburn football QB Joey Gatewood
Now onto his third program, Joey Gatewood is still searching for the opportunity to start for a brand name school in college football. Did he find it with his first Group of Five school, UCF of the AAC?
It’s doubtful. Dillon Gabriel is firmly entrenched as the starter with Mackenzie Milton now at Florids State. Barring another unfortunate injury to a Knights QB, Gatewood is likely to ride the pine at the Bounce House in 2021.
Former Auburn football CB Kamal Hadden
Kamal Hadden was never fully a Tiger before he ditched his stripes for some Rocky Top Orange this past spring. The Independence Community College transfer participated in spring practices but opted to transfer to Tennessee before ever suiting up in a game.
The Volunteers are deep in the secondary, and Hadden may find that his opportunities are still scarce playing for first-year UT head coach Josh Heupel instead of first-year AU HC Bryan Harsin.
Former Auburn football S Chris Thompson Jr.
Chris Thompson Jr. had his finest showing of his Auburn career in the Citrus Bowl against Northwestern this past January, where he recorded his only two career solo tackles.
The 3-star S has a chance to do damage in the City of Angels with the USC Trojans, but the way The Orange County Register’s Adam Grosbard described the addition has me questioning it:
"…Thompson’s addition allows the Trojans some more depth at the position entering the summer. USC previously added Texas safety transfer Xavion Alford in December. Alford, a four-star recruit out of Shadow Creek High in Pearland, Texas, who also has four years of eligibility remaining, participated in the Trojans’ spring practices."
It sounds like Thompson was added as jnsurance moreso than what he can do as a starter in the Trojans secondary.