Early signing day has come and gone, and Auburn football still only has one offensive lineman signed to the recruiting class of 2022 in Eston Harris Jr. Despite an extremely successful day that saw the Tigers make leaps and bounds in the recruiting ranks, the OL room is still badly in. need of attention.
Nine offensive linemen will return to the Plains next season in Tate Johnson, Brenden Coffey, Kameron Stutts, Keiondre Jones, Jalil Irvin, Avery Jernigan, Kilian Zierer, Colby Smith, and Garner Langlo. The number of returners could grow if the Tigers’ five senior offensive linemen decide to utilize their extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19.
With Harris as the only signee, we can expect head coach Bryan Harsin, wide receivers coach Eric Kiesau, and the rest of the staff to be hitting the NCAA transfer portal hard for other options. Here are three offensive linemen from the portal that Auburn football should consider adding to the ranks.
Auburn football OL transfer portal target #1: Hunter Nourzad
Hunter Nourzad entered the transfer portal in late November as a grad transfer with two years of eligibility left. Though the tackle opted out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic, he earned Second-Team All-Ivy League honors as a sophomore in 2019 and started his final 20 games at Cornell.
He played both tackle positions for Cornell but also has experience at center. He’s picked up offers from a long list of programs that includes Penn State, Northwestern, Illinois, Purdue, and Syracuse. Although the Tigers haven’t yet offered Nourzad, he would be a great addition to the offensive line.
Auburn football OL transfer portal target #2: Olusegun Oluwatimi
Olusegun Oluwatimi is one of many Virginia players to enter the transfer portal during this offseason. The second-team All-American center was named as one of three finalists to win the Rimington Trophy, the award for the best center in college football.
According to Augusta Free Press, the OL put up impressive stats during his three-year career with the Cavaliers:
"Oluwatimi, who started all 12 games for UVA in 2021 and 32 straight since the 2019 season, graded out at 79.4 by Pro Football Focus, allowing three sacks and a total of 20 QB pressures on a team-high 910 offensive line snaps in 2021."
Oluwatimi is primarily considering Clemson, Michigan, and a return to Virginia, per 247Sports, and he took an official visit to both Clemson and Ann Arbor. However, there is plenty of time for Auburn football to make a move due to the center’s intention to participate in the Cavaliers’ bowl game, The Fenway Bowl vs. SMU.
Should senior center Nick Brahms–who will miss out on the Birmingham Bowl due to knee surgery–choose not to return to the Plains for another year, Oluwatimi would be a perfect replacement and addition to the offensive line.
Auburn football OL transfer portal target #3: Mason Brooks
One of the most highly sought-after offensive linemen in the transfer portal, Mason Brooks has one year of eligibility left and a big decision to make about where he will use it. Brooks was originally a 2-star prospect out of high school but enters the portal with significantly more interest as a two-time first-team all-Conference USA selection
Though Western Kentucky’s 2021 offensive coordinator Zach Kittley–who was once under consideration for the Auburn OC job–has officially taken the position at Texas Tech, Brooks insists he is open to all options but he does have priorities in mind, per 247 Sports:
"“First, it has to be a good fit,” Brooks said. “Initially when I went in, I was thinking I wanted to go somewhere closer to home. As my brain has kind of expanded, I think about competition in terms of who I’m playing. I’m thinking about meshing with the coaching staff, o-line coach and strength coach as well as the room. But also, what does the room look like? Can I come in and help right away or is the room really clustered? It’s finding somewhere where I can make an impact and somewhere that can make an impact on me.”"
Auburn football has reached out to the offensive tackle, who has heard from a long list of Power 5 schools including Iowa State, Baylor, South Carolina, Illinois, among others. Brooks wants the opportunity to make an impact, which he could get immediately on the Plains.