Auburn Morning Rush: Cannella heads north, Baseball breaks records
Good morning, Tiger fans. It is time for the Friday edition of the Auburn Morning Rush.
Thursday was a busy day for Auburn Athletics, as Bryan Harsin, Tank Bigsby, John Samuel Shenker, and Derick Hall all took the podium at SEC Media Days. Because of that, there were several stories surrounding Auburn Athletics that got swept under the rug. No worries, though. Auburn Wire has put all those stories together for your viewing pleasure.
Auburn Baseball had a successful week in the Major League Baseball draft. But, how successful was it? We break down all of the program records that were set this week.
A former tight end is finally getting his shot to prove himself at the professional level after a successful season in the USFL. Who is he, and where is he going?
The Basketball Tournament is heating up, and Auburn’s alumni squad, “Team War Ready” is set to take the court this Sunday.
Finally, a new NIL deal involving a key piece to Auburn Men’s Basketball’s starting five may have fans drinking a new soda.
All of that is coming up in today’s Auburn Morning Rush:
Auburn Baseball sets new program records after MLB Draft
Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser
Auburn Baseball was well represented in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft, as eight Tigers were selected by eight different organizations.
According to Auburn Athletics, eight drafted players is the second-most in program history. Here’s a look at program records that were broken this week:
Four selections through the first five rounds of the MLB Draft is the highest in program history
Eight players selected through 20 rounds is the most in program history.
Auburn had the third-most players selected from the SEC, behind only Arkansas and Tennessee.
They were tied for the fifth-most draft picks in the country.
Sal Cannella finally gets a shot in the NFL
Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser
[autotag]Sal Cannella[/autotag] had hopes of continuing his football career following his two-year stint at Auburn. Through hard work and patience, he now has a shot to prove his worth in the NFL.
Bill Huber of SI.com reports that the former Auburn tight end has signed a deal with the Green Bay Packers to round out their 90-man roster.
After going undrafted in 2020 and failing to earn a roster spot with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears as a Free Agent, Cannella found solid ground in the USFL as a member of the New Orleans Breakers. During the 2022 season, Cannella made the All-USFL team by reeling in 34 passes for 368 yards and two touchdowns, a stat line that possibly revamped his career.
Cannella transferred into Auburn following one season at Scottsdale CC in Arizona. In three seasons on the Plains, Cannella played in 19 games, catching 25 passes for 330 yards and five touchdowns.
Team War Ready hits the court this weekend
Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn fans get to see their favorite former Men’s Basketball players in action this weekend, as Team War Ready begins their run in The Basketball Tournament, a “high stakes” tournament with a $50 Million payout to the winner.
Several members of the team include [autotag]Mustapha Heron[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Dunbar[/autotag], [autotag]TJ Dunans[/autotag], and [autotag]Frankie Sullivan[/autotag].
First up for Team War Ready, is a match with Woco Showtime, a team comprised of mostly Wofford College alumni, on Sunday. Tipoff from Charleston Coliseum in West Virginia is set for 1 p.m. CDT, and can be viewed on ESPN3.
Zep Jasper signs NIL deal with soda company
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
It appears that Auburn Basketball fans will have a new favorite soda thanks to [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag].
Jasper announced his new NIL deal with [autotag]Jarritos[/autotag], a soda company that features many fruit flavors that uses all-natural ingredients.
The details of the deal have not been revealed, but we do get to see an interesting promotional video courtesy of Jasper, at least:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgPR6OWL_pZ/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=
