Auburn football: Spring transfer portal updates

The Auburn football program was expected to be pretty active in the transfer portal during head coach Hugh Freeze’s first year on the Plains, but the spring transfer portal window started off quieter than anticipated.

The Tigers are in need of more depth at multiple positions, but have done well to bring in an edge transfer (Jalen McLeod out of Appalachian State) and are still pushing to get players for a number of position groups. The most recent Auburn player to hit the portal was Landen King, a tight-end turned wide receiver, and the WR group seems to be one that the staff is adamant to grow through the portal.

However, the biggest goal in the eyes of many fans has been accomplished as the Tigers have finally taken a quarterback from the transfer portal. Earlier this week, the staff focused on graduate quarterback transfer Payton Thorne from Michigan State and earned his commitment.  With TJ Finley in the portal, Thorne will arrive on the Plains to compete with Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner.

Shortly after Thorne’s decision to transfer to Auburn football, the Tigers picked up another former Big 10 commitment from former Ohio State wide receiver Caleb Burton, who was the #10 wide receiver prospect in the recruiting class of 2022. He will join fellow transfer Nick Mardner in a room whose most veteran players are Ja’Varrius Johnson and Koy Moore.

Auburn football is not finished yet and is expecting to host several more transfers before all is said and done, including former North Texas wide receiver Jyaire Shorter. Other players the Tigers continue to push for include former Colorado wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig, former James Madison edge Isaac Ukwu, former Tulsa OT Jaden Muskrat, and JUCO OT Markel Bell.