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Auburn football: 4 players who (probably) won’t be back in 2024

By Josh Yourish

Oct 21, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) carries against the Mississippi Rebels during the second quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 21, 2023; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) carries against the Mississippi Rebels during the second quarter at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /
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Things are starting to head in the right direction for Hugh Freeze at Auburn. In his first year, he has the Tigers bowl eligible, and their 48-10 win over Arkansas in Week 11 was his third-straight conference win.

There are a lot of positives to take into next season, but there are some players that Freeze likely won’t be taking into 2024. There isn’t a ton of NFL talent on this current Auburn roster, but a few guys could be headed to the transfer portal this offseason.

There is a group of defensive backs, D.J. James, Nehemiah Prichett, and Jaylin Simpson, who are out of eligibility after this season and are potential NFL draft picks, but the four players on this list all have years of college football left and still (probably) won’t be returning.

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Chris Russell Jr. (24) tackles Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Chris Russell Jr. (24) tackles Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Robby Ashford, sophomore

One of the biggest stories coming out of a great win for Auburn was the quarterback situation. Especially after Aaron Murray, who was calling the game, mentioned that there are “some things going on behind the scenes” with the Auburn QB room.

Ashford wasn’t great in 2022, his freshman season, but he got plenty of opportunities at quarterback, throwing for 1,613 yards and rushing for another 710. This season he’s only attempted 27 passes and has just 44 carries for 220 yards and five touchdowns. Lately, even his rushing workload has gone away.

Ashford’s job went to Payton Thorne, who Freeze brought in through the transfer portal, and Thorne has been good, completing 63.5% of his passes for 1,432 yards and 13 touchdowns. Even with three years at Michigan State before transferring down south, Thorne has eligibility remaining, so Ashford will almost certainly hit the portal himself this offseason.

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