Auburn (3-5, 1-4 SEC) had another tough week on and off the football field. The Tigers losing streak reach four games after Saturday’s 41-27 loss against Arkansas.

Bryan Harsin’s tenure remains in flux, with a 9-11 record as the Tigers’ head coach. Harsin’s strategy on how to deal with redshirting came into question when a report surfaced that he denied non-medical redshirts to players.

College football is changing swiftly with the advent of the transfer portal and Name, Image, and Likeness sweeping across the landscape.

Read More Auburn Football: Auburn opens as 2-score road underdog against Mississippi State

Double-digit loss to Arkansas leaves Auburn feeling deflated

Talty: New Auburn AD must deliver right football coach. It’s not Bryan Harsin

Auburn had four players: Tar’Varish Dawson, Landen King, A.D. Diamond, and Zykeivous Walker declared their intention to enter the portal. Each player gave statements via social media by thanking fans and wishing their former teammates the best in their future endeavors.

Defensive lineman Colby Wooden had seven solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack in the loss at home against Arkansas. Here’s how he addressed the question about players leaving the program with five games on the schedule.

“I don’t think it has an impact on us,” Wooden said. “But it kind of — everybody has their reason, and I respect that. But you know, no winning team has that in the middle of a season with players entering the portal. We’ve got to get better. Just get better from the ground up. Just get better. I know I keep saying it.”

Tight end John Samuel Shenker is one of three permanent captains this season for the Tigers. He had two catches for 24 yards against Arkansas. He also addressed the players saying their goodbyes.

“I didn’t feel like it was a distraction at all,” Shenker said. “The guys that left, whatever they need and being selfish and things like that. The guys I was talking to, it didn’t affect them at all. They were in the game plan, so that wasn’t an issue for us from the offensive side, at least. I saw no real problem with that.”

Robby Ashford joined the Tigers before spring football after transferring from Oregon. He led the Tigers in rushing with 87 yards and threw for 285 while completing nearly 73% of his passes. Even the incompletions were mostly throwaways when he didn’t see an open receiver or a running lane.

Is shutting it down while on a losing team selfish? Or is it self-preservation? Lines between selfishness and self-preservation get blurred based on who benefits or loses.

“I mean, we just go out there, and at the end of the day, you have to respect people’s decisions because I’m a transfer portal person as well,” Ashford said. “So you got to respect those guys’ decisions, just you got to go out there, and like I said, respect their decisions because this might not be it for everybody. And maybe they can find a different home that will fit them better.

Ashford seemed to be able to understand both sides as he chose to depart Oregon for the Plains.

“We go out there with the guys we have and we go out there and work, and it’s no hate to any of the guys that enter the portal,” Ashford said. It’s all love to them, because it’s a business decision. And like I said, I had to make one when I was at Oregon, and I came here. So I definitely understand where they’re coming from, but at the end of the day, I feel like it didn’t impact the team. I feel like it was just we got to go out there with the guys we have, and that’s we’re gonna continue to do.”

Ashford and the Tigers have another opportunity to get it right when the team travels to Starkville for a night game next Saturday at Mississippi State.