Auburn football pushing hard for second Oregon transfer with AU ties

With the early national signing period over, Auburn football’s first-year head coach Bryan Harsin and his staff are hitting the NCAA transfer portal hard in order to round out the recruiting class of 2022. With 18 recruits currently signed to the roster, the Tigers still have a ways to go before finishing up this cycle.

In addition to the 18 signees, Auburn football has also secured the commitment of Oregon defensive lineman transfer Jayson Jones. A 4-star recruit out of high school, Jones committed to the Ducks in 2020 but will return to his native Alabama after two years in Eugene.

However, Harsin and the staff aren’t finished recruiting from the same program that just took former starting quarterback Bo Nix. Next up on the list is Alabama native DJ James.

James was contacted by the Tigers soon after entering the transfer portal, and has spoken to several members of the coaching staff, per Auburn Live:

"“I’ve talked to Coach (Zac) Etheridge, the DC (Derek Mason), the head coach (Bryan Harsin) and Coach (Darren) Uscher,” James said. “I’ve talked to all of them. They tell me there is an opportunity for me.”"

In addition to proximity to home, there is another enticing factor about playing for the Tigers in the eyes of James, and that’s reuniting with former Oregon teammate and newly-minted Auburn Tiger Jayson Jones. The pair of Alabama natives were close friends at Oregon and are interested in reuniting to continue their collegiate careers.

With two years of eligibility remaining, James would be an excellent addition to Auburn football’s defense after recording 46 tackles, two interceptions, and four pass breakups in 2021. The DB has officially scheduled a visit to the Plains on January 5, during the time when mid-year transfers eligible to enroll in the spring semester are allowed to visit despite the recruiting dead period until January 13.