Auburn Live Recruiting Show: Transfer portal window closes down, 2024 QB recruiting heats up

Auburn football recruiting podcast: Today’s episode of Auburn Live’s recruiting podcast features the AuburnLiveOn3 recruiting team of Jeffrey Lee, Keith Niebuhr and Cole Pinkston, plus message board insider/fan correspondent “Jhead”.

We discuss the group of transfers now enrolled at Auburn, what’s left for the Tigers in the portal when the window reopens in May and the latest on Class of 2024 quarterback recruiting.

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Meet Auburn’s transfer pickups … so far

With the addition Saturday of linebacker Austin Keys, Auburn now has landed 12 transfers from the portal this offseason. Here’s a closer look at these pickups:

NOTE: HERE ARE THE ON3 TRANSFER PORTAL PLAYER RANKINGS

NOTE: HERE ARE THE ON3 TRANSFER PORTAL TEAM RANKINGS

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–Austin Keys, LB, Ole Miss

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 77 LB

Seasons left: Keys has two years of eligibility. 

411: Keys started and played in 12 games at Ole Miss in 2022. He had 39 total tackles, including 14 solos, four quarterback hurries, 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

–Justin Rogers, DL, Kentucky

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 6 DL

Seasons left: Rogers has two years of eligibility. 

411: Rogers had 35 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and .5 sacks in 2022. He chose Auburn over LSU.

–Avery Jones, IOL-C, East Carolina

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 15 IOL

Seasons left: Jones has one year of eligibility remaining.

411: Jones started three seasons at East Carolina — the last two at center. He signed with North Carolina in the Class of 2018

–Brian Battie, RB, USF

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 3 RB

Seasons left: Battie has two years of eligibility. 

411: Battie, listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, was an NCAA consensus All-American as a freshman kick returner. He was a second-team All-AAC as a sophomore rushing for 1,186 yards.

–Nick Mardner, WR, Cincinnati

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 82 WR

Seasons left: Mardner has one year of eligibility.

411: Mardner spent the 2022 season at Cincinnati after having spent the prior seasons at Hawaii. He had 19 catches for 218 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. For his career, Mardner has 81 catches for 1,488 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was at Hawaii at the same time as Auburn’s new wide receivers coach Marcus Davis. 

–Lawrence Johnson, DL, Purdue

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 17 DL

Seasons left: Johnson has one year of eligibility.

411: Johnson started all 13 games for Purdue in 2022, totaling 28 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. In 37 career starts at Purdue, Johnson has 87 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

–DeMario Tolan, LB, LSU

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 17 LB

Seasons left: Tolan has three years of eligibility.

411: Tolan, an Orlando-area native who Auburn recruited hard out of high school, played in 12 games as a true freshman in 2022. He recorded nine total tackles (three solos) last season. Tolan had a career-high four tackles in a win over Ole Miss.

–Mosiah Nasili-Kite, DL, Maryland

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 15 DL

Seasons left: Nasili-Kite has one year of eligibility remaining.

411: In 2022, Nasili-Kite had 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. He recorded 81 total tackles and 9.0 sacks during his three seasons with the Terrapins. Nasili-Kite was a 2022 Phil Steele Preseason First Team All-Big Ten pick.

–Gunner Britton, OT, Western Kentucky

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 3 OT

Seasons left: Britton has one year of eligibility remaining.

411: Britton started every game at tackle for Western Kentucky in 2022. He played the first six games at right tackle before switching to left tackle the final six games. He was a second-team All-CUSA selection.

–Dillon Wade, OT, Tulsa

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 21 OT

Seasons left: Wade has two years of eligibility.

411: He was recruited to Tulsa and played there under Phillip Montgomery, who served as the head coach for the past eight seasons. Montgomery now is the offensive coordinator at Auburn. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound transfer prospect was the Golden Hurricanes’ starting left tackle in 2022. 

–Rivaldo Fairweather, TE, Florida International

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 5 TE

Seasons left: Fairweather will have two seasons to play at Auburn.

411: He had 28 catches for 426 yards and three touchdowns last season. Fairweather will leave FIU after recording 54 catches for 838 yards and five touchdowns.

–Elijah McAllister, Edge Vanderbilt 

On3 Transfer Portal Ranking: No. 75 LB

Seasons left: McAllister, who has one year of eligibility.

411: McAllister played four seasons at Vanderbilt, finishing with 65 total tackles, 38 solo tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception, three pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and one defensive touchdown.