Taking a look at potential offensive additions for Auburn football via the transfer portal

AUBURN — For the first time since 2012, Auburn football won less than six games in a season.

The blame can't be solely placed on the offense, but the Tigers ranked 10th in the SEC in total yards per game in 2022 and were dead last in passing yards. They also averaged just 24.75 points per game, better only than Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Kentucky.

Luckily for new coach Hugh Freeze, the transfer portal exists, and it gives him an opportunity to quickly inject some talent into the roster. Freeze said during his introductory news conference he believes the core of a team is built through traditional recruiting and holes can be filled with transfers. But in his first offseason on the Plains, he may need to rely on the portal a bit more than he'd like.

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Here's a breakdown of how many offensive players Freeze should look to add in the transfer portal at each position, and a brief mention of potential targets.

Quarterbacks (1)

With Zach Calzada leaving Auburn, the Tigers are left with three quarterbacks on the roster who saw the field last season − Robby Ashford, TJ Finley and Holden Geriner. If Freeze is comfortable with Ashford as the starter, he should still look to add a depth piece via the portal. If he's looking for someone to make an immediate impact, however, he could kick the tires on a player like Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders.

Auburn has one quarterback commitment in the Class of 2023: Miami Central High School's Keyone Jenkins. Jenkins announced his intentions to join the Tigers a little more than a week before Freeze was hired, but it's unclear whether or not the new coaching staff will honor his commitment. No matter which way that goes, though, Auburn should look to add someone with college experience.

Running backs (1)

Considering the number of holes Auburn has, getting a premier running back to transfer in shouldn't be near the top of Freeze's to-do list. Even when Tank Bigsby likely declares for the NFL draft, the Tigers will still have Jarquez Hunter, Damari Alston and Sean Jackson on the roster. Jeremiah Cobb, a four-star running back from Montgomery Catholic and the top prospect in Auburn's 2023 recruiting class, is also set to become a Tiger.

With that said, the coaching staff did send out an offer to Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson on Saturday. Johnson rushed for nearly 500 yards as a junior for the Bulldogs last season, so he'd command significant touches but also would allow Cobb to have an opportunity to grow behind the scenes in his freshman season.

Wide receivers/tight ends (3)

Auburn is primed to return the majority of its production from the 2022 receiving game, but John Samuel Shenker's career with the Tigers is over and reserves like Ze'Vian Capers and Dazalin Worsham have hit the portal. Adding a few pass-catching transfers would be beneficial, and Auburn already has offered players like Rara Thomas from Mississippi State and Rivaldo Fairweather from FIU.

Fairweather, who caught 28 passes for 426 yards with three touchdowns for the Panthers last season, is listed at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds. He could hope to explode as a senior and boost his draft stock in Freeze's offense, similar to what Evan Engram did at Ole Miss in 2016.

Offensive linemen (4)

The Tigers graduated many of the offensive linemen who saw significant time last season, and only a couple of players return to the team in a position to vie for a starting spot. Freeze should look to stock up here and take some big swings at guys like Javion Cohen from Alabama and Ajani Cornelius from Rhode Island.

Cohen, who originally committed to Auburn in June 2019 before flipping to Alabama six months later, has started 25 games at left guard for the Crimson Tide over the last two seasons. After Cohen announced he was entering the portal, Auburn's Jeremiah Wright began lobbying for the 6-5, 295-pound lineman to come to the Plains.

Richard Silva is the Auburn beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: A look at potential transfer-portal additions