Auburn transfer tight end a ‘tremendous win’ for new school

Auburn football tight end Landen King was deemed a “tremendous win” for Utah head coach Freddie Whittingham and his staff following the former Tiger’s commitment announcement on May 10. 247Sports’ Steve Bartle believes King has “big playmaking potential in the passing game” and can continue to make the tight end position a strength for the Utes.

“This is a tremendous win for Freddie Whittingham and his tight end room at Utah, which has become a position of strength for the Utes,” Bartle wrote. “King has big playmaking potential in the passing game, while also having the goals of developing into a more well-rounded tight end while at Utah.”

King had plenty of hype heading into the 2022 Auburn football season but ultimately failed to deliver on those lofty expectations, finishing with a single reception, albeit an impressive one, in AU’s Week 3 41-12 blowout loss to Penn State. The Humble, Texas product had originally entered the transfer portal back in October in the week leading up to Bryan Harsin’s firing, but King stayed after Auburn hired Hugh Freeze as its next head coach. Having appeared in the 2023 A-Day spring game, King was a candidate to have a bigger role in 2023 with the right development — but perhaps King himself didn’t see that bigger role coming and instead bet on himself in the transfer portal.

Auburn football tight end transfer expected to start

King’s departure makes sense when you think of it through the lens of him not getting the playing time he feels entitled to after struggling through two years of the Harsin era on the Plains. It’s very likely FIU transfer Rivaldo Fairweather is due for a major role in the offense.

In that case, King having joined a conference in the Pac-12 with fewer defensive juggernauts than the SEC and a program with one of the most proven quarterbacks in the country, Cameron Rising, makes sense from many angles.