A pair of first-time Auburn football starters, North Texas transfer Larry Nixon III and sophomore kicker Alex McPherson, are set to be the best at their respective positions predicts Saturday Down South’s Glenn Sattell.
Sattell predicted Nixon III will be the SEC’s best tackler in the heart of Auburn’s defense during the 2023 season.
“The senior transfer linebacker from North Texas isn’t getting much buzz, but this guy has proven he can play,” Sattell wrote. “In 45 games with the Mean Green, Nixon piled up 246 tackles, including 11.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks. He recorded 106 tackles last season alone, 2nd in Conference USA.”
As for McPherson, the Saturday Down South writer believes that the Fort Payne product will more than fill the void Anders Carlson left behind by ascending to the top of the SEC total pole for placekickers.
“Now that the Anders Carlson era is over at Auburn, it is imperative that McPherson step up and fill the void,” Sattell prefaced before predicting, “He will. Nearly perfect in limited action as a freshman last season, McPherson successfully booted 6 of 7 field-goal attempts and made good on all 9 PAT attempts. He will quickly develop into the SEC’s top placekicker, as early as next season.”
Negative prediction could hold Auburn football back against top SEC programs
Sattell wasn’t all smiles and sunshine when discussing the 2023 Auburn football season’s prospects — the Saturday Down South issued a prediction that the offensive line would suffer familiar follies as the Tigers’ weakest link across the team, though only temporarily.
“It won’t be by season’s end, but initially, Auburn’s rebuilt offensive line will be the team’s weak link,” Sattell wrote. “It will take time for the new faces (transfers) to jell, and that will hold back the Tigers in the early part of the season. But strides will be made, and by the end of the year, this will be a group to be reckoned with.”
AU is overhauling at least three of the five positions along the OL, so being shaky by the time the Tigers are clashing with LSU in Baton Rouge Week 4 and Georgia Week 5 isn’t terribly difficult to imagine.