Hugh Freeze hopes to replace trio of Auburn OL starters in transfer portal

Per AL.com’s Ainslie Lee, Hugh Freeze is hoping to replace three of his departing senior Auburn football offensive linemen (Gunner Britton, Avery Jones, Kam Stutts) via the transfer portal during the December 4-January 2 cycle.

“With Gunner Britton, Avery Jones and Kam Stutts — three starting offensive linemen from 2023 — departing due to being out of eligibility, the Tigers will certainly need to add to their offensive line room,” Lee prefaced before saying, “And the portal is where they hope to do a lot of that. As of (December 7), Auburn has reportedly extended offers to at least six transfer offensive linemen.”

Indiana’s Matthew Bedford (RS senior), San Jose State’s Fernando Carmona Jr. (sophomore), Shorter’s Alan Herron (sophomore), North Dakota’s Easton Kilty (junior), Memphis’s Makylan Pounders (RS sophomore), and Southern Miss’s Gerquan Scott (RS junior) have all been offered thus far by Freeze’s staff.

Auburn football offensive line underwhelmed in pass coverage

Auburn ran the ball well in 2023, with the Tigers’ leading rusher, Jarquez Hunter, averaging 5.9 yards per carry on 146 touches. Of the running backs who regularly had his number called, only Brian Battie (4.5 YPC) averaged under five yards per attempt.

This is to say, the offensive line Freeze built on the fly was largely effective, but where it faltered was protecting the quarterback. AU was in the top 35 for lines that gave up the most sacks in 2023.

Freeze and OL coach Jake Thornton’s biggest focus should be on finding guys capable of keeping a pocket long enough to allow whoever the Tigers find in the transfer portal — if they even find one and don’t just rely on Payton Thorne and/or Walker White to hold it down under center — to make more plays than what the QB position has produced the past two seasons.

Find the right fits in the offensive trenches early on, and Auburn can then spend its resources on the defensive holes in need of filling.