The spring transfer portal period is in full swing, and Hugh Freeze hasn’t hidden the fact that he’d like to address a handful of positions for Auburn this offseason.

The Tigers have already seen two players — wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson Jr. and defensive end Jeffrey M’ba — enter the portal since the end of spring practices, the program has yet to make any additions since the portal opened Saturday. It’s still early, of course, and as Auburn showed in the first transfer window, the program is willing to be aggressive in filling some holes on the roster with portal additions as it heads into Year 1 under Freeze.

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The Tigers were one of the biggest winners of the initial transfer window, adding a dozen players to the fold before the start of spring. As the Tigers assess their needs and their options in the post-spring window, let’s take a look back at the program’s first transfer haul and where each player stands after their first spring on the Plains:

Dillon Wade, offensive lineman

A transfer from Tulsa, where he played under new Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, Wade slotted right in at left tackle this spring. He was there with the first-team offense from Day 1 and should have that position locked down as the Tigers’ offseason makeover of the offensive line takes shape.

The 6-foot-4, 296-pounder has 16 games of starting experience from his time at Tulsa, including every game last season at left tackle. The familiarity with Montgomery’s system is a plus, and his footwork and technique with his hands on the left side of the line impressed throughout spring.

“You come to practice, you’re going to notice him,” defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett said. “He’s one of the guys that is very consistent, he’s been a huge addition to us. As a D-line coach, man, I’m happy he’s on our team.”

Avery Jones, offensive lineman

Auburn’s revolving door at center from last season — when the Tigers lost Nick Brahms in fall camp, then saw Tate Johnson go down with injury a month into the season before Brandon Council shifted to the role — appears to be over. Jones, a transfer from Eastern Carolina, quickly settled into the top spot at center on Auburn’s new-look offensive line. A former four-star recruit who started his career at North Carolina, Jones brings ample experience to the position. He started 32 games during his three seasons at ECU and was the Pirates’ starting center each of the last two seasons.

“He’s taken a lot of snaps,” Montgomery said. “He’s not being surprised by a lot of the different looks that we’re getting from our defense right now which has been great. A guy that can handle those duties, can make a lot of calls…. His veteran presence in there has been really significant and will continue to be that way.”

Gunner Britton, offensive lineman

Completing the trifecta of offensive line pickups for Auburn in the first transfer period is Britton, a transfer from Western Kentucky who has emerged as the first-team option at right tackle. The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder was with the first-team offense throughout spring practice, bookending the line with more valuable outside experience. He started 18 games at WKU, including all 14 for the Hilltoppers last fall, and is a proven quality pass-protector.

“He’s seen a lot of good and a lot of bad in college football, and he can kind of bring an element to that room that we need and a leadership mentality, but also just physically speaking, he walks through the door, and you know he plays offensive tackle,” offensive line coach Jake Thornton said. “He’s tall and long and has got some ability with that. So, really looking forward to him in that way.”

Nick Mardner, wide receiver

Auburn prioritized bringing more length to its group of pass-catchers this offseason, and it did just that with Mardner, the 6-foot-6 transfer out of Cincinnati. Mardner brings some extraordinary catch radius to Auburn’s passing game, plus he has prior experience with wide receivers coach Marcus Davis, having played for him at Hawaii in 2021. Incidentally, that was also Mardner’s best season to date, catching 46 passes for 913 yards and five touchdowns—all career highs.

Mardner was usually seen with the first-team offense at outside receiver. Whether he starts there come fall remains to be seen, as fellow outside receiver Camden Brown was limited this spring due to an ankle injury and could emerge as the top option for that role. Still, expect Mardner to be in the rotation and bring some welcome length to the passing game.

“That boy’s up to something this year,” Brown said. “Yeah, I like him. He’s a good dude for sure.”

Rivaldo Fairweather, tight end

Speaking of adding size to the passing game, Auburn went out and got a big-bodied and physical receiving threat at tight end during the first transfer window in the former of Fairweather, a transfer from Florida International. The 6-foot-4 Fairweather is a bit of a late-bloomer when it comes to football (he didn’t start playing until his junior year of high school), but he has shown tremendous upside and was a fixture with the first-team offense this spring. He was also lauded as Auburn’s most consistent receiving option throughout spring and is the type of tight end who could stretch the field vertically for Auburn’s offense.

“He is running by folks out there,” tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua said. “To see that, he’s going to be a mismatch problem. In the passing game he’s got really good hands…. Even in the run game, he’s a little bit over 250 weight-wise, and that helps in the run game being able to block those defensive ends that we’ve got to block on Saturdays. Again, like we said earlier, just have to hone in on the techniques and make sure we’re in our insteps, and we’ll be successful in that part of it. That will make him a complete tight end and get ready for whatever he wants to do in the future.”

Brian Battie, running back

Adding Battie, a transfer from South Florida, helped Auburn on two fronts this offseason. It added experienced depth and a different dimension to the running back room, and it provided the Tigers with an elite option in the return game. The 5-foot-7 Battie was a consensus All-American as a kick returner two seasons ago, and as a running back he was one of the most explosive runners in the country last fall. Battie had 1,186 rushing yards for the Bulls in 2022 while averaging 6.74 yards per carry, which was 21st among all FBS players and 12th among Group of 5 runners. He was also 12th nationally and sixth among Group of 5 players in runs of 20-plus yards last year, with 13 of them.

While Battie should be Auburn’s top option in the return game, he has the makings of a dynamic playmaker in space when he has the ball in his hands. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of role he can carve out in the offense while competing with Jarquez Hunter and Damari Alston for touches at running back.

“He’s dynamic, explosive, a one-cut runner,” running backs coach Cadillac Williams said. “Like I said before, I know he’s a smaller guy, but you don’t see clean licks on him. He understands leverage, angles. (He’s a) tough kid, will stick his face in the fan, pass block. Look, I am excited about Brian.”

Justin Rogers, defensive tackle

One of four SEC transfer pickups for Auburn on the defensive side, Rogers spent the spring working at both nose and defensive tackle. He’s a more natural fit at nose, but the 6-foot-3, 340-pounder was working to become more comfortable at defensive tackle, as Auburn often lined him up alongside the 6-foot-6, 339-pound Jayson Jones — making for a behemoth of a tandem on the interior of the line that could make it difficult for teams to run up the middle against.

Whether Rogers sees more time at nose or at tackle remains to be seen but given his prior SEC experience and production in the league (he was a four-year starter at Kentucky and has 60 tackles to his name), Rogers will be a key piece of Auburn’s defensive line puzzle this fall.

“He’s a handful,” Freeze said. “He’s going to be somebody that, lord willing, stays healthy and we depend upon to be a factor in the middle. He requires a double-team. I think he will. Been really pleased with how he works. He loves the game. He loves to practice. He’s got a joy about him that’s fun to be around. So, I’ve been really, really pleased with him.”

Mosiah Nasili-Kite, defensive lineman

A transfer from Maryland, Nasili-Kite was singled out as probably the most improved player from the start of spring practice to its conclusion on A-Day. That’s good news for Auburn’s depth along the defensive line, as the 6-foot-2, 288-pounder is another addition who brings Power 5 experience to the room. Despite being one of the smaller players along the defensive line for Auburn, Nasili-Kite was “disruptive” throughout spring and provides from versatility up front; he lined up at both defensive end and defensive tackle this spring and should firmly be in the two-deep for Garrett’s defensive line rotation.

“He’s very twitchy,” Garrett said. “He’s not the biggest, but that kid has some power and strength — and he moves well. So it’s just putting him in position to use his ability and to do what he does well. He has quickness and he’s strong. So, we want to have him on the move, want to have him doing different things to highlight his strengths.”

Lawrence Johnson, defensive lineman

Like Rogers, Johnson repped at both nose and defensive tackle during his first spring with Auburn. The 6-foot-2, 299-pound Purdue transfer brings more Power 5 experience to the line, as he was a three-year starter for the Boilermakers who appeared in 46 games during his career. With the top spots pretty firmly decided up front for Auburn, Johnson should serve as a quality rotation piece this fall.

“He’ll be able to help us out,” Garrett said. “He’s given us some good reps in practice and (he’s) constantly improving. It’s just, you know, with him, just learning a new scheme like everybody else. Everybody is on the same page with the scheme. So, he’s learning a new scheme just like all the other guys. We’re counting him on to be there for us in the fall to help that rotation.”

Elijah McAllister, edge

Another transfer with SEC experience, McAllister was typically with the first-team defense at the Jack linebacker spot throughout the spring (though highly touted freshman Keldric Faulk received some first-team reps on A-Day). Yet Freeze hasn’t sugarcoated that Jack remains a position of need for Auburn, which he believes is still “deficient in true pass-rushers.” McAllister, a two-time captain at Vanderbilt, brings value in his experience in the league, but his career production doesn’t necessarily reflect that, with just 2.5 career sacks — and none since 2019. While McAllister is expected to be part of the rotation at Jack regardless, it’ll be interesting to see whether Auburn can add another true edge rusher in the second portal window and how that could impact McAllister’s role.

“Elijah has given us great reps,” Freeze said. “He’s a heck of a teammate and leader, and (he) understands the game and is decent at it, but you sure would like to have a Derick Hall, you know?… Somebody like that. We’ve got to get some more of those guys.”

Austin Keys, linebacker

After starting his career at Ole Miss, Keys transferred to Auburn this spring and quickly positioned himself for a starting role at inside linebacker. The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder has the prototypical build of a Mike linebacker in Ron Roberts’ system, and he was routinely in the first rotation at linebacker paired up with returning contributor Cam Riley. With 23 games of experience in the SEC on his resume, Keys knows what it takes to play the position in this league and was lauded for his consistency throughout spring. While Auburn plans to have a more even distribution of snaps at its two linebacker spots this season, Keys is in line for a major role in the middle of the defense.

“Austin Keys has been everything I thought he’d be,” linebackers coach Josh Aldridge said. “He’s got to clean some detail stuff up. But I think we definitely did not miss on him by any means.”

DeMario Tolan, linebacker

A former four-star recruit who nearly signed with Auburn out of high school a year ago, Tolan transferred to the Plains after spending his first season with LSU, where he appeared in 12 games, mostly on special teams. The 6-foot-1, 203-pounder brings a ton of athleticism and speed to the linebacker room, but it’s still going to be a process for him as he competes for reps at the position this season (he was often the fifth linebacker this spring, behind Keys, Riley, Wesley Steiner and Robert Woodyard Jr.). Patience will be key, but Auburn is confident the payoff will be worth it with Tolan, as the coaching staff views him as a “vital piece” to the puzzle.

“I think a lot of people forget — sometimes you take a transfer, and you think you’re getting this seasoned veteran or whatever,” Aldridge said. “But you forget that the kid was only in one semester of college. Just because he played every game as a true freshman at LSU, he’s still a young guy. And I’m not down on DeMario by any means. He’s doing great. We’ve just gotta keep bringing him along. He’ll have a role for us, for sure.”

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