An analysis of the names and the most recent information Auburn is actively seeking from the transfer portal.
Auburn has gone to the transfer portal for three so far, already signing former Georgia State wide receiver Robert Lewis, former Kansas defensive lineman Gage Keys and former Duke linebacker Dorian Mausi. It hasn’t been as eventful as 2023 and has some fans have wanted, but for good reason with spots limited on Auburn’s roster and the staff only having a few select spots on the roster to fill.
With most of the attention in December to closing out the 2024 high school recruiting class in what turned out to be the No. 7 class in the country, Hugh Freeze and his staff will now turn more of their attention to the transfer portal. Names are still filtering in and players have until Jan. 3 to enter the portal, with that weekend also opening up the visit window again for teams to bring transfer visitors to campus before the spring semester starts.
Looking at Auburn’s current roster, the staff appears set to try and add an interior offensive lineman, potentially an offensive tackle, another defensive lineman and one or two pieces to the secondary. Another wide receiver could be in the cards, too. There are some names out there that are known Auburn targets, with more sure to pop up.
Between opt-outs and outgoing transfers, Auburn will have 15 fewer scholarship players available against Maryland than it did in the regular-season finale against Alabama.
The Tigers have primarily been impacted by a trio of opt-outs on defense, as starting cornerbacks D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett, and starting defensive lineman Marcus Harris have declared for the NFL draft and won’t play in Saturday’s Music City Bowl against Maryland (1 p.m. CST, ABC). The portal hasn’t been a massive detriment for Hugh Freeze’s team thus far, though Auburn’s leading receiver, Ja’Varrius Johnson, has transferred out, leaving the Tigers with just seven scholarship receivers for the game.
