The winter transfer portal window was fruitful for Auburn football.

The Tigers still might not be done, but as Hugh Freeze and the staff put the final touches on Auburn’s pre-spring changes, Auburn’s portal class ranks No. 6 in On3’s transfer portal team rankings.

The class currently includes 15 players, filling a wide range of holes left on Auburn’s roster following the 2024 season.

Here’s how the Tigers addressed five of their biggest positions of need:

Quarterback

Players out (4): Payton Thorne, Hank Brown, Holden Geriner, Walker White

Players in (4): Jackson Arnold, Ashton Daniels, Deuce Knight, Tanner Bailey

What to know

Quarterback was priority No. 1 for Freeze in the portal after losing all four scholarship quarterbacks from the 2024 team.

The first order of business was finding a ready-made starter, something Auburn hopes it found in Arnold, who transferred from Oklahoma. He started for the Sooners in 2024, but had an up-and-down year after being rated a five-star recruit out of high school.

Auburn built around Arnold by adding Daniels (a former Stanford starter that can compete for the job), incoming freshman Deuce Knight and Tanner Bailey, who initially retired from football in January 2024 after spending time at South Carolina, but is coming out of retirement to walk on at Auburn.

The Tigers aren’t technically at the four-scholarship quarterback mark Freeze wanted to hit, but bringing in a quarterback with Southeastern Conference experience like Bailey helps round out the room.

Offensive tackle

Players out (2): Percy Lewis, Ronan Chambers

Players in (3): Xavier Chaplin, Mason Murphy, Broderick Shull

What to know

Auburn wasn’t lacking in numbers on the offensive line, but it was missing a true bookend left tackle. Lewis was supposed to be that in 2024, but his play was inconsistent, eventually causing him to be benched for Dillon Wade, who started the season at left guard.

Chaplin and Murphy both bring Power Four starting experience at tackle and Chaplin is coming off a 2024 season where he allowed just two sacks and 12 pressures at Virginia Tech, according to Pro Football Focus.

Chaplin will likely fill that spot at left tackle for Auburn, and Murphy, a USC transfer, could compete at right tackle with Izavion Miller.

Specialists

Players out (2): Oscar Chapman, Gabe Russo

Players in (3): Hudson Kaak, Connor Gibbs, John Alan McGuire

What to know

Grouping punter and kicker together here, Auburn addressed both spots in the winter portal window, adding Kaak, a former Oklahoma State punter and Gibbs, a former Southern Miss kicker.

Kaak replaces Chapman, who was Auburn’s starting punter since 2021. Gibbs’ addition is interesting, given Auburn already has three kickers that played in 2024.

The question is surrounding Alex McPherson’s health, who only played in one game in 2024. Towns McGough was Auburn’s starting placekicker going into the season, but was benched for Ian Vachon after going 5-for-12 on his field goals.

Gibbs is coming off a season where he went 10-for-13 on field goals, with a long of 59.

Inside linebacker

Players out (6): Dorian Mausi Jr., Eugene Asante, Austin Keys, Fa’Najae Gotay, Laquan Robinson

Players in (4): Xavier Atkins, Jakaleb Faulk, Elijah Melendez, Bryce Deas

What to know

Inside linebacker is a spot where Auburn might still add players during the spring portal window after only adding one so far in the winter.

Atkins was that lone addition, coming to Auburn after spending one season at LSU. While Atkins is seen as a promising player with elite speed, he doesn’t replace the experience Auburn lost with its departures at linebacker.

Auburn also added three freshmen who may see the field early, but it wouldn’t be a shock if the Tigers tried to add some experience to the room in the spring.

Tight end

Players out (3): Rivaldo Fairweather, Luke Deal, Micah Riley

Players in (3): Preston Howard, Hollis Davidson, Ryan Ghea

What to know

The departures of Fairweather and Deal meant Auburn lost its top two contributors at tight end in 2024: One vertical threat and one blocking tight end.

Howard’s transfer from Maryland brings a receiving tight end with Power Four experience to the room, taking some pressure off sixth-year senior Brandon Frazier.

Auburn targeted a couple different blocking tight ends in the portal too but haven’t yet landed any. That could be another position to watch during the spring portal window.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m