Where Auburn football’s roster stands at the end of December transfer portal window

Few teams have been more active in the transfer portal than Auburn during the December window.

The Tigers have added 14 transfers so far and their class ranks eighth in On3’s team transfer portal rankings. It’s highlighted by high profile signees such as former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold and former Georgia Tech standout wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr.

The December transfer portal window officially closed Saturday night, meaning that undergraduate players can no longer enter the portal. However, there are a few exceptions.

Players playing in their teams’ bowl games will have a 5-day window after the game to enter the portal. Additionally, whenever a head coach departs his school, every player on the team has a 30-day window to enter the portal. Graduates can also enter the portal at any time.

It’s also important to mention that while the window to enter the portal is closed, players can sign with new schools all the way until the semester begins to be enrolled for spring practice.

One last thing to note: Dec. 28 is only the deadline to submit the necessary paperwork to enter the portal. It can sometimes take up to 48 hours for that paperwork to be processed which would officially enter a player into the portal, meaning players could still officially be entered into the portal on Sunday or Monday.

With all of that out of the way, here’s where Auburn stands at the end of the December window.

Outgoing transfers

QB Holden Geriner
QB Hank Brown
QB Walker White
WR Camden Brown
WR Caleb Burton III
WR Sam Jackson V
TE Micah Riley
OL EJ Harris
OL Percy Lewis
DL TJ Lindsey
DL Gage Keys
DL Darron Reed Jr.
LB Laquan Robinson
CB Antonio Kite
CB Keionte Scott
S Caleb Wooden
S C.J. Johnson
P Gabe Russo

Incoming transfers

Quarterback

Players in (3): Jackson Arnold, Ashton Daniels, Deuce Knight

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

What to know

Auburn lost all four of its scholarship quarterbacks in 2024, meaning it will start completely from scratch next season. Arnold seems to be the expected starter in 2025, but Daniels also adds starting experience coming from Stanford.

What tips the competition in Arnold’s favor is the fact that Daniels won’t arrive until the summer, meaning he won’t be with the team in spring practice.

Hugh Freeze has also made it known that he wants Auburn to carry four scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, meaning it would have to add one more, likely in the spring portal window.

Running back

Players in (2): Durell Robinson, Alvin Henderson

Players out (1): Jarquez Hunter

Returning players (2): Damari Alston, Jeremiah Cobb

What to know

Losing Hunter certainly hurts, but Auburn will have a quality rotation at running back in 2025. Both Alston and Cobb got carries behind Hunter last season and Robinson is coming off a 731-yard, eight-touchdown season at UConn.

Henderson, an incoming freshman, could also play a role. He broke the AHSAA all-time career rushing record in high school and was rated as a four-star prospect.

Wide receiver

Players in (5): Horatio Fields, Eric Singleton Jr., Derick Smith, Sam Turner, Erick Smith

Players out (5): KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Robert Lewis, Camden Brown, Caleb Burton III, Sam Jackson V

Returning players (4): Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson, Bryce Cain

What to know

While Auburn’s receiver room underwent a lot of turnover during the offseason, it held onto the young “Freeze Four” core of Coleman, Simmons, Thompson and Cain.

It would make sense for Auburn to lean on those players more as sophomores this season, but the Tigers also added veteran receivers like Fields and Singleton in the portal. Both players will likely be major contributors right away, especially Singleton, who was the top-ranked receiver in the portal.

With his experience and past production at Georgia Tech, Singleton is expected to make an impact similar to Lambert-Smith’s last season.

Tight end

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

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

Returning players (2): Brandon Frazier, Rico Walker

What to know

Arguably the most important news Auburn got at tight end was that Frazier could return for a sixth season after using a medical redshirt in 2024.

He’ll likely be the main player Auburn leans on here, along with Howard, a Maryland transfer. It wouldn’t be a major shock if Auburn pursued another tight end transfer during the spring portal window either.

Offensive line

Players in (6): Xavier Chaplin, Mason Murphy, Broderick Shull, Tai Buster, Kail Ellis, Jacobe Ward

Players out (3): Percy Lewis, Ronan Chambers, EJ Harris

Returning players (13): Dillon Wade, Izavion Miller*, Jeremiah Wright, Jaden Muskrat, Tate Johnson, Connor Lew, Bradyn Joiner, Tyler Johnson, Dylan Senda, Clay Wedin, Seth Wilfred, DeAndre Carter, Favour Edwin

What to know

Miller gets a star by his name as he was initially out of eligibility, but will now likely have the option to come back with the extra year granted by the NCAA to seniors who played at the JUCO level.

If he does return, Auburn will have an uber-experienced offensive line with returners such as Miller, Wright, Wade and Lew, combined with experienced transfers such as Murphy and Chaplin.

With Auburn’s current numbers on the offensive line, the bigger question will be about who makes the starting lineup. Murphy and Chaplin both started at their previous schools, but if Miller returns, Auburn will return all five offensive line starters from last season.

Interior defensive line

Players in (5): Dallas Walker IV, Malik Autry, Jourdin Crawford, Antonio Coleman, Darrion Smith

Players out (6): Isaiah Raikes, Philip Blidi, Jayson Jones, Trill Carter, Gage Keys, TJ Lindsey

Returning players (2): Quientrail Jamison-Travis, Malik Blocton

What to know

If there’s any position where Auburn will still look to add players, it’s on the interior defensive line. Walker is the only transfer the Tigers have signed so far after losing three key contributors.

The freshman class on the interior is promising, but it’s hard to say in December how much of an early impact each of them will make.

Defensive end

Players in (1): Jared Smith

Players out (2): Zykeivous Walker, Darron Reed Jr.

Returning players (2): Keldric Faulk, Amaris Williams

What to know

Not much movement at defensive end, as Auburn returns arguably the best player on its defense in Faulk. Smith, a five-star recruit, is a promising prospect, but could play either the down lineman end position behind Faulk or at BUCK linebacker.

Retaining Williams was also a big win for Auburn after he initially planned to enter the transfer portal. With him still in the fold, Auburn has a solid rotation at defensive end with some exciting young talent.

BUCK linebacker

Players out (1): Jalen McLeod

Returning players (3): Keyron Crawford, Jamonta Waller, Joe Phillips

What to know

Not much movement at the BUCK spot yet as Auburn missed on a couple of its early transfer targets. Don’t be surprised, though, if the Tigers still look to bring in an experienced replacement for McLeod

Crawford also seems more than capable of taking the starting role after seeing significant playing time in 2024. Waller and Phillips will also likely see increased roles in 2025, along with the aforementioned possibility of Smith playing at BUCK.

Middle linebacker

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

Players out (5): Eugene Asante, Dorian Mausi, Austin Keys, Fa’Najae Gotay, Laquan Robinson

Returning players (3): Robert Woodyard Jr., Demarcus Riddick, DJ Barber

What to know

Middle linebacker is another position where Auburn may still look to add experience. It added one transfer — Atkins — who played just one season at LSU and wasn’t a starter.

Riddick’s development going into his sophomore season will be important, but Auburn could still use some experience around him after losing three seniors who played significant snaps.

Cornerback

Players in (4): Raion Strader, Donovan Starr, Blake Woodby, Devin Williams

Players out (2): Keionte Scott, Antonio Kite

Returning players (6): Kayin Lee, Champ Anthony, JC Hart, Tyler Scott, Jay Crawford, Kensley Louidor-Faustin

What to know

Auburn is currently pretty loaded at corner, returning its two starters from last season and adding Strader, a former All-MAC corner at Miami (OH).

The Tigers also return players like Anthony and Scott, who missed either most or all of the 2024 season due to injuries. How Auburn manages all the players in that room will be worth watching going into next season, but it has no shortage of options.

Safety

Players in (3): Taye Seymore, Anquon Fegans, Eric Winters

Players out (3): Jerrin Thompson, Caleb Wooden, C.J. Johnson

Returning players (5): Jahquez Robinson, Terrance Love, Sylvester Smith, Kaleb Harris, Amon Lane-Ganus

What to know

Auburn’s outlook at safety is positive going into 2025, especially given the emergence of young players such as Smith and Harris in 2024.

Seymore is the lone transfer addition, and he may be more of an experienced depth piece as Smith and Harris seem to be the likely starters next season.

Kicker/Punter

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

Players out (2): P Oscar Chapman, P Gabe Russo

Returning players (3): K Alex McPherson, K Ian Vachon, K Towns McGough

What to know

Auburn added transfers at both punter and kicker during the December window. Kaak, a former Oklahoma State punter, fills the hole left by Chapman, who is out of eligibility.

The more interesting situation is at kicker, where Auburn added Gibbs from Southern Miss despite already having three kickers. That raises the question of McPherson’s future as he only appeared in one game during the 2024 season due to a gastrointestinal illness.

With McPherson’s health still a question and potential concern, Gibbs’ addition makes sense given Auburn’s kicking struggles last season.

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