This week in the battles of the tough SEC schedule, Auburn and Texas A&M face off for the 15th time in history. Texas A&M holds the current win streak of one and has the lead on wins in the series with eight. The two teams have alternated wins since 2021, can Auburn continue that trend? The most interesting factor in this game outside of being played at Jordan-Hare Stadium at night is that Texas A&M faces an old rival in Texas the following week. Coach Mike Elko was asked about his team’s focus and gave an interesting response when he said, “Our focus is single-handedly on Texas…I mean Auburn…” Hugh Freeze and company should be playing this on the hour to motivate their team. With big rivalry games looming for both teams, the key players will be discussed for this game and how they will effect the keys for Auburn to win the game. Then the recruiting roundup will wrap up the Auburn vs. Texas A&M preview.
Auburn Key Players
Offensively the Auburn Tigers will need to rely heavily on their run game if they want to be close in this game. This means Jarquez Hunter will need to have a significant role in the offense(as usual) and help to take over the game. Hunter crossed the 1,000-yard rushing mark last week against ULM and has five rushing touchdowns to add to his 1,015 rushing yards. He also has 17 catches for 132 yards and one receiving touchdown. For him to fully maximize his impact, Jarquez will need to get involved in the passing game this week. Last week was the Cam Coleman breakout game that Auburn fans have been waiting for. Coleman had 8 receptions, 100 yards and three touchdowns against the ULM Warhawks and this week he will need to be involved heavily in the offensive game plan. This leaves the final key player for the Auburn Tiger offense which is quarterback Payton Thorne. If Auburn is going to win the football game, Payton Thorne is going to have to play a flawless game. In the last five games, Thorne has done a halfway decent job of protecting the ball with only one interception in that stretch of games.
Defensively the Auburn Tigers will rely on some frequent flyers to this section in linebacker Demarcus Riddick, linebacker Eugene Asante, and defensive lineman Keldric Faulk. Texas A&M has versatile weapons in the run game that will call for pressure and discipline from the Auburn defense. Demarcus Riddick has been a huge addition to the defense this year and the intensity he brings will be needed to stop the run. Eugene Asante can be a heat-seeking missile which is what the Tigers will need to have from him with the mobility of the Aggies quarterback. Finally, Keldric Faulk has been a menace, leading the team with seven sacks this year. Faulk will need to continue to get pressure against Texas A&M to keep Auburn in the game.
Texas A&M Key Players
The key players on offense for the Aggies have created a stout run game which has become even more dynamic since they changed quarterbacks. Freshman quarterback Marcel Reed is currently third on the team in rushing yards with 375 and six rushing touchdowns. He also has 1,129 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns and two interceptions. The offense runs through him making him a key player. Le’Veon Moss is out for the season, so the running game is run through Amari Daniels who has 500 yards and seven touchdowns.
The key defensive players for Texas A&M are junior defensive lineman Nic Scourton, sophomore linebacker Taurean York, and junior defensive back Will Lee III. Nic Scourton is a menace on the defensive line and a highly touted defensive line prospect for the NFL and we see why with his play on the field. Scourton leads the Aggies with five sacks and is top ten on the team in tackles with 31. He will be in the Auburn backfield if the Tigers do not prepare for a way to stop him. York leads the team in tackles for Texas A&M with 55. He has 1.5 sacks, two pass deflections and one interception to truly show how versatile he is. He will be all over the field for Texas A&M and will cause problems for Auburn. Finally Will Lee III leads the team in pass deflections with nine and he pairs that with just one interception. Lee is also top five on the team in tackles with 33. The Aggies defense has plenty of versatility as well, but these three will be key to watch on Saturday night.
Keys for an Auburn Victory
The keys for Auburn to win the game are parallel. Offensively, Auburn will need to establish the run and protect the ball to win the game. This will cause Auburn to rely heavily on the offensive line because they are going to have to keep Nic Scourton and crew out of the backfield. Payton Thorne will have to play a perfect game and not be rushed in his decision-making if the line breaks. On the defensive side of the ball, Auburn is going to have to get pressure on Texas A&M to stop the run. They have a three-headed monster for a run game and if it gets going it will be hard to stop. However, if Auburn can stop the run they give themselves the opportunity to force a freshman quarterback into making freshman mistakes in Jordan-Hare Stadium at night. Auburn can swing the momentum in its favor by doing so, they just have to execute.
Recruiting Roundup
This is the final home game of the season for the Auburn Tigers, and they have a stout visitor list of recruits with Early Signing Day looming. Auburn recently lost a commitment from 3 star offensive lineman Spencer Dowland who looks like he is visiting Mississippi State this weekend. The list of visitors for Auburn this week includes the following:
5 star defensive lineman Justus Terry(2025)
4 star corner back Donovan Starr(2025)(Potentially)
3 star wide receiver Sam Turner(2025)
3 star offensive linemen Kail Ellis(2025)
3 star defensive lineman Darrion Smith(2025)
3 star linebacker Bryce Deas(2025)
5 star defensive end DE Kamhariyan Johnson(2026)
3 star EDGE Jamarion Matthews(2026)
3 star EDGE KJ Green(2027)
ATH Roman Hall(2027)
Hugh Freeze needs a win in JHS this weekend to help solidify the recruiting trails with the way this season has gone. This list will be very important for that to happen.
