This phrase might feel like déjà vu for Auburn — the Tigers have landed a former Oregon Duck from the transfer portal.
For the second time in the last two days and the third time in under a month, a former Oregon player announced his decision to transfer to Auburn on Monday evening.
This time, it’s quarterback Robby Ashford who makes the Plains his new home. Ashord is a former 4-star recruit, the No. 12 dual-threat QB and No. 12 overall recruit out of Alabama in the 2020 class. He originally committed to Ole Miss, but the firing of Matt Luke resulted in him decommitting and signing with the Ducks.
Ashford enters the Plains as a redshirt freshman with four years of eligibility remaining. He did not see the field in a COVID-shortened 2020 season and he redshirted in 2021.
Ashford is a multi-sport athlete in baseball and football, however, it is reported that he is taking a year to focus on football at Auburn before returning to the diamond, Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live reports.
Hailing from Hoover, Alabama, and playing for Hoover High School, Ashford follows the trend of former Ducks who originate from the state of Alabama returning home in 2022.
On Sunday afternoon, cornerback D.J. James, native of Mobile, Alabama, announced he was returning home to Auburn. This came after defensive tackle Jayson Jones, from Calera, Alabama, decided to make the transition to Auburn.
The Tigers also welcome in a new QB from the portal for the second time in the month of January. First, it was Zach Calzada, who left Texas A&M for Auburn on Jan. 6.
The Auburn QB room has no shortage. Going into the spring, the team already consisted of four QBs: transfer Zach Calzada, T.J. Finley (who started Auburn’s last three games of last season), redshirt Freshman Demetrius Davis and newcomer Holden Geriner.
The QBs all have multiple years of eligibility remaining. Calzada started 10 games last season for the Aggies after Haynes King went down with an injury and saw minimal playing time in 2020, leaving him three years of eligibility left.
Clearly, Harsin and his staff were not satisfied with what they had at the position. Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams was formerly the prize to be won in the transfer portal, but with USC and Williams’ former coach Lincoln Riley seeming to be at the frontrunners to land him, Harsin continued the search to add to the depth chart before the Jan. 19 spring enrollee deadline.
Ashford brings plenty to the table for new Auburn offensive coordinator Austin Davis. The 6-foot-4, 219-pound passer draws comparisons to former Tiger QB Joey Gatewood according to 247Sports. He offers a dual-threat skillset, along with the ability to improvise and make spur-of-the-moment decisions that can open up the RPO game.
Ashford is a solid addition for an offense trying to rebuild its identity following the departure of three-year starter, Bo Nix, who finds himself swapping homes with Ashford and going to Eugene to play for Oregon.
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