Latest news with #AuburnUndercover
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn lands ex-Tulane CB Rayshawn Pleasant. Why did he choose the Tigers?
Auburn lands ex-Tulane CB Rayshawn Pleasant. Why did he choose the Tigers? Pleasant logged 35 tackles last season while posting 449 kick return yards at Tulane. Auburn football lost a series of defensive backs to the transfer portal after spring practice, and has found a way to replenish the unit's depth by adding a talented, experienced transfer cornerback. Rayshawn Pleasant, formerly of Tulane, announced Wednesday that he is transferring to Auburn. He visited campus on Monday, according to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, and made his commitment two days later. Shared the three key reasons why he chose Auburn over USC in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover. "Just because of the opportunity they have, the winning," Pleasant said. "The opportunity it is to play in the SEC. Being in a great city, great college town. Being around some great coaches who just care about you more than football." Auburn's addition of Pleasant is quite impactful. Hugh Freeze lost two depth pieces at cornerback, JC Hart and Tyler Scott, to the transfer portal, and made up for the deficit by adding a two-year player in Pleasant, who started 12 games for the Green Wave last season. He notched 35 tackles last season at Tulane with one interception... that he returned for a touchdown. According to PFF, he finished the season with a 65.1 overall grade, with his strong suit being coverage, where he graded 69.9. He missed nine tackles all season, and receivers caught 19-of-37 passes when covered by Pleasant. Not only does he pair well with fellow Auburn corners Kayin Lee, Jay Crawford, and Raion Strader, but Pleasant is also a threat in the kick return game. He returned 13 kicks for a 34.5-yard return average with two touchdowns last season at Tulane. The potential of pairing him with Jeremiah Cobb, who returned 19 kicks for a 23.4-yard average last season, will be lethal to opposing kick coverage. Pleasant is the fourth player to join Auburn's roster from the spring transfer portal window, joining fellow defensive athletes James Ash (Florida A&M), Caleb Wheatland (Maryland), and Jay Hardy (Liberty). Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn to host JUCO center Emeka Opurum for visit
Auburn needs to fill the voids left behind by several playmakers from its Final Four squad, and one of the top junior college athletes could be a potential suitor to hold down the center position. According to Nathan King of Auburn Undercover, Auburn will host Butler Community College center Emeka Opurum for a visit beginning Monday. Opurum, a 7-0 center originally from Nigeria, is a prime candidate to fill the space left behind by outgoing senior Dylan Cardwell. Advertisement As a freshman at Butler during the 2024-25 season, Opurum averaged 22 minutes per game while starting 25 of 33 games played. During his time on the floor, he scored 9.4 points, hauled in 8.1 rebounds, and blocked 2.6 shots per game. Opurum was also a sharpshooter by connecting on 67% of his shots from the field. He recorded 10 games of double-digit rebounds and 13 games of double-digit point totals. His best game of the season came against Cowley College on March 5, when he scored 18 points and hauled in 19 rebounds. He followed up his strong performance three days later against Pratt College when he scored 20 points and secured seven rebounds. Auburn will look to replace over half its roster due to the graduation of key stars, including Dylan Cardwell, Johni Broome, and Denver Jones, and the transfer of Jahki Howard. Auburn has earned the commitment of former UCF forward Keyshawn Hall, but is looking to add several more solid athletes like Opurum to fuel their dreams of returning to the Final Four next season. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__ This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn welcomes JUCO center Emeka Opurum for visit
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
JUCO center Emeka Opurum breaks down decision to sign with Auburn
It took a quick visit to Auburn for Emeka Opurum to see what the hype is about. Opurum announced his commitment to Auburn on Wednesday, one day after wrapping up his official visit. The 7-0 center from Butler Community College said in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover that the friendly vibes around campus played a major role in his decision to sign with the program. "I like the people and the environment. They're really friendly. When I got here, everyone was waving at me," Opurum said of his visit in an interview with Auburn Undercover. "It's a good place and I really think it's a good fit for me." Auburn needed to find athletes who could match the production of Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome in the frontcourt, and Bruce Pearl felt that Opurum was a great match. He scored 9.4 points per game while shooting 67% from the field. His 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game were a factor in him winning the KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year award as a true freshman last season. Pearl believes that Opurum has the tools and the desire to develop into a great player over the next three seasons, which could elevate him to the success that several Auburn big men have experienced under Pearl's guidance. 'I am really proud of the track record we've had of developing big men in the line of Johni Broome, Dylan Cardwell, Walker Kessler and Austin Wiley,' Pearl said following Opurum's commitment. 'Emeka has great upside. He is a legit seven-footer. He has a great wingspan, great timing defensively, and has the ability to move his feet. Emeka has three years of eligibility and a great desire to work on his game and body. He is an outstanding student and athlete. We've had great success with guys with a Nigerian background in Chuma Okeke, Isaac Okoro, and Babatunde 'Stretch' Akingbola.' Opurum echoed Pearl's thoughts by saying that he can grow in Auburn's system, as well as his faith. "I really think Auburn is a place I can fit because my playing style. Having great coaches that have a good track record can help me develop as a person, both on the court and outside of the court," Opurum said. "They're also really into faith. I'm a firm believer in God. God comes first in everything. I had to pray and ask Him for help in my decisions and thinking. God always comes first for me." Opurum is the fourth transfer Auburn has inked this cycle, joining former Mississippi State forward KeShawn Murphy, former UCF forward Keyshawn Hall, and fellow JUCO product Abdul Bashir. Pearl and his staff will continue to search the transfer portal as they look to fill the void left behind by 55% of its Final Four roster. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter@TaylorJones__
USA Today
14-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn to host JUCO center Emeka Opurum for visit
Auburn to host JUCO center Emeka Opurum for visit Could Auburn fill the void at center with the KJCCC Defensive Player of the Year? Auburn needs to fill the voids left behind by several playmakers from its Final Four squad, and one of the top junior college athletes could be a potential suitor to hold down the center position. According to Nathan King of Auburn Undercover, Auburn will host Butler Community College center Emeka Opurum for a visit beginning Monday. Opurum, a 7-0 center originally from Nigeria, is a prime candidate to fill the space left behind by outgoing senior Dylan Cardwell. As a freshman at Butler during the 2024-25 season, Opurum averaged 22 minutes per game while starting 25 of 33 games played. During his time on the floor, he scored 9.4 points, hauled in 8.1 rebounds, and blocked 2.6 shots per game. Opurum was also a sharpshooter by connecting on 67% of his shots from the field. He recorded 10 games of double-digit rebounds and 13 games of double-digit point totals. His best game of the season came against Cowley College on March 5, when he scored 18 points and hauled in 19 rebounds. He followed up his strong performance three days later against Pratt College when he scored 20 points and secured seven rebounds. Auburn will look to replace over half its roster due to the graduation of key stars, including Dylan Cardwell, Johni Broome, and Denver Jones, and the transfer of Jahki Howard. Auburn has earned the commitment of former UCF forward Keyshawn Hall, but is looking to add several more solid athletes like Opurum to fuel their dreams of returning to the Final Four next season. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
USA Today
13-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Auburn safety Terrance Love reportedly entering transfer portal
Auburn safety Terrance Love reportedly entering transfer portal Terrance Love, a former four-star safety, is reportedly Auburn's first transfer portal addition ahead of the spring window. Auburn football's spring practice session has come to a close, which means that the final window of the transfer portal is about to open before summer workouts begin. According to a report by Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, junior safety Terrance Love is expected to be Auburn's first entry into the spring transfer portal window, which opens on April 16. Love is set to depart after spending two seasons on the Plains. Love signed with Auburn as part of Hugh Freeze's first signing class in 2023 but committed to Auburn in April of 2022 while Bryan Harsin was still the head coach of the Auburn Tigers. He signed with Auburn as a four-star safety from power Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Georgia. He was the No. 32 safety from the 2023 cycle and the No. 34 overall recruit from Georgia. In two seasons at Auburn, Love saw action in 21 total games, where he registered seven tackles with a pass breakup. His snap count dropped significantly from his freshman year in 2023 to his sophomore season in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus, falling from 68 snaps as a freshman to 34 snaps as a sophomore. He participated in a season-high 13 snaps in Auburn's season-opening win over Alabama A&M last season, and played in 11 in Auburn's win over ULM in November. Love is the first player to depart for the transfer portal this spring and is the 19th player from the 2024 roster to leave via the transfer portal. Auburn will return several key players to its safety room in 2025 such as Kaleb Harris and Sylvester Smith. Anquon Fegans and Eric Winters join the group from high school recruiting and Taye Seymore has been added from the transfer portal. The spring transfer portal window opens on April 16 and closes April 25. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
