On Monday, December 2, live from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, ESPN’s Pete Thamel revealed that Auburn football has just one team to beat for their top transfer portal quarterback target, former Oklahoma State signal-caller Spencer Sanders.
The team in question? None other than public enemy No. 1 Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels, who are also in the market for a QB after losing Luke Altmeyer to the transfer portal by way of the Illinois Fighting Illini.
Thamel updated Sanders’ mindset, revealing that it’ll either be Ole Miss or Auburn football that lands a strong-armed play-caller with 9,553 yards and 67 touchdowns over his four-year career with the Cowboys in Stillwater, Oklahoma (h/t 247Sports):
"“Spencer Sanders, the former Oklahoma State quarterback, former Big 12 Player of the Year, looks like he may end up in the SEC West. Both Auburn and Ole Miss have expressed interest.”"
Spencer Sanders interest could upset Auburn football incumbent QB Robby Ashford
Robby Ashford, the man who brought stability to the quarterback position after T.J. Finley’s rough start to the 2022 season — one that followed an uneven final three games as a starter in 2021 — ended the 2022 calendar year with a message on his personal Twitter account.
Ashford let it be known that he wants 2023 to be the year he stops being disrespected:
2023 y’all gonna stop disrespecting me believe that. War Eagle🦅
— Robby Ashford (@robby_ashford) December 31, 2022
The Hoover product has seen Tiger fans get excited about the prospect of adding NC State’s Devin Leary, who ended up with Kentucky, or Grayson McCall, who recently withdrew his name from the transfer portal to return to Coastal Carolina.
While Ashford has pledged support for Hugh Freeze, it is far from a guarantee that the new Auburn football coaching staff won’t still hit the portal and look for someone who they can mold in their vision from the jump.
Ashford could ultimately be slighted by a Spencer Sanders addition, but it’s not something Freeze should shy away from. Competition is good, and depth is essential at quarterback — particularly in the SEC.