Auburn wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. re-enters transfer portal

The post-spring transfer portal opened Saturday, and a wide receiver with starting experience for Auburn chose to enter it.

Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. re-entered the transfer portal Saturday, according to multiple reports. Dawson is the second Auburn player to depart the program since the end of spring practices a week ago, joining defensive end Jeffrey M’ba, who announced his plans to transfer Thursday. Dawson previously spent time in the portal in late October, just before Bryan Harsin was fired, but returned to the program a week after Hugh Freeze was named head coach.

What we learned about each position on Auburn’s defense, special teams this spring

What we learned about each position on Auburn’s offense this spring

The 5-foot-10, 159-pounder opened last season as Auburn’s starting slot receiver after edging out Ja’Varrius Johnson for the starting role. He started the first two games of the year and appeared in four total before falling out of the rotation at wide receiver and opting to transfer in late October, less than a week before Harsin was fired. He withdrew from the portal on December 5, after the Tigers’ season ended and shortly after Freeze took over as head coach.

A former four-star athlete out of Florida, Dawson caught two passes for 30 yards last season before announcing his plans to transfer.

Dawson was competing for a role in Auburn’s wide receiver corps this spring and showed a penchant for stretching the field with some explosive plays, even as Auburn’s passing offense was slower to progress than other aspects of the offense. On A-Day, Dawson was responsible for the longest play of the scrimmage, hauling in a 39-yard reception on a seam route from Robby Ashford that set up a field goal in the second quarter.

“Chick’s had a great spring, too,” Ashford said after A-Day. “So, that’s just nothing new to see him do that.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.