Ranking Auburn’s 2023 transfers by PFF grade

Burton did not record stats last season as a wide receiver at Ohio State.

Tolan appeared in six games last season for the LSU Tigers, and registered 74 total snaps and made 10 total tackles.

Muskrat logged the most snaps for the Tulsa offense for Philip Montgomery last season (848). He allowed three sacks and 27 total pressures in 2022.

Johnson played in 451 snaps over 14 games for Purdue, and created six QB pressures.

Fairweather is expected to be one of Auburn’s top receiving targets this season due to his 6-5, 245-pound frame. Last season at FIU, he caught 28 of the 48 passes thrown his way for 426 yards.

Auburn needs depth in the pass rush, and Hugh Freeze went to his old stomping grounds to find help. Sings has made 48 total tackles in 26 games at Liberty in three seasons. Last season, he played in 11 games and created seven QB pressures.

Nasili-Kite has recorded 80 tackles and 14.5 sacks over the last three seasons at Maryland. His 2021 campaign was his strongest, where he made 37 tackles with seven sacks.

Keys is projected to be one of Auburn’s starting linebackers in 2022. What exactly is Auburn getting? Keys played in 402 snaps last season, and made 39 total tackles. He also made two sacks and had 10 total pressures.

Mardner is another tall target for whoever wins the quarterback battle. Mardner stands 6-6, and reeled in 19 of 34 targeted passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns.

Jones is one of several lineman that have the potential to start this season at Auburn. He played in 12 games at East Carolina, recording 852 snaps at center. What is important to note about his snap counts, is that he allowed just one sack and 12 total pressures in 852 opportunities for a 98.3 efficiency rate.

Nixon could make his way into the JACK linebacker picture. He graded 66.6 overall, but his strongsuit is rushing the passer, which he graded at 78.0. He made 82 tackles last season, and created 21 total pressures which included two sacks.

While we are on the topic of pass rush, lets discuss what Elijah McAllister can bring to the table.  In 258 snaps at Vanderbilt last season, McAllister created seven total pressures. McAllister comes to Auburn in hopes of getting more chances to create havoc.

Wade joins Muskrat as offensive linemen who previously played for Philip Montgomery at Tulsa. Wade was not far behind Muskrat in snap totals last season by logging 818, and was Tulsa’s top-graded offensive lineman by allowing just five sacks and 14 hurries for an efficency rate of 96.3.

Another player that looks to create more opportunities in Auburn is Justin Rogers. Rogers logged 450 snaps last season, but was far from the top of the list. He made 21 tackles in 2022 with 11 pressures.

Shorter provides another tall target for quarterbacks to pass to. Last season at North Texas, he hauled in 23 passes for 625 yards and a team-leading 11 touchdowns.

Could Thorne be the answer to Auburn’s quarterback woes? Thorne brings two full years of experience to Auburn, with one of those seasons ending with an 11-2 record and a Peach Bowl victory.

Shane Hooks is the “steal” of the transfer portal when you consider that he was the leading receiver at Jackson State last season. Sure, he elected to enter the transfer portal, but he did not transfer to Colorado to be with his old head coach. That’s an important win for Hugh Freeze.

Britton logged the most snaps of any transfer last season by recording 1,039. He was one of four lineman from Western Kentucky to log over 1,000 snaps last season. Out of those snaps, he allowed just 13 pressures for a 99.0 efficiency rate. It is too early to call, but you can almost lock in that Britton will be a starter on the Tigers’ offensive line this season.

McLeod is another answer to Auburn’s need for an edge rusher. He made 41 tackles last season, with most of those being considered a “hurry.” He made six sacks, created 23 hurries, and 37 total pressures.

Battie is the highest-graded transfer coming in to the program after being one of the most valuable players for South Florida. He rushed for 1,185 yards and scored eight times as a running back. He accounted for 33 returns with an additional 659 yards as well. Expect his versatility to be just as beneficial at Auburn as it was at USF.