Auburn football: Team needs and transfer portal wishlist
By Josh Yourish
Offensive line
One of Hugh Freeze’s first tasks of the offseason was to get Payton Thorne some protection for 2024. He immediately offered a few of the top offensive linemen in the country, including Gerquan Scott, Easton Kilty, and Alan Herron.
Both of Auburn’s starting offensive guards from 2023 have run out of eligibility, Gunner Britton and Kam Stutts. There is a chance that standout left tackle Dillon Wade departs early for the NFL draft. Freeze’s proactive behavior would indicate that he feels Wade is likely to test the NFL waters, or that his team needs a lot of help even with Wade as the incumbent left tackle.
Gerquan Scott. Scouting Report. . 2385. Pick Analysis. Offensive guard. . player
Scott primarily played left guard at Southern Miss, so he would be a great replacement for either Britton or Stutts on the left or right interior. In his 2,543 snaps over multiple seasons at Southern Miss, he only allowed eight sacks. Thorne was sacked 28 times this year and Stutts and Britton allowed eight of those.
The addition of Scott would sure up the interior of the offensive line and ensure that Thorne is not dealing with those same issues this year.
Even if Dillon Wade stays at Auburn for another year, the Tigers should add a transfer tackle. Wade’s counterpart, Izavion Miller allowed a team-high 18 pressures and three sacks at right tackle in 2023. He received a PFF pass-blocking grade of 47.5.
Kilty played at left tackle in 2023, but the year prior was North Dakota’s right guard, so he’ll provide some much-needed versatility, depth, and competition at right or left tackle.
Alan Herron is the most highly sought-after DII transfer of this cycle. Herron is originally from Jamaica and has taken a much different path through college football, spending his first two years at Shorter University in Georgia.
Herron very quickly was offered by Auburn, Clemson, Louisville, Miami, Penn State, and others once he entered the transfer portal.
