Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford is reported to have entered the transfer portal after a season as the Tigers’ backup quarterback.
The news was first reported by Nubyjas Wilborn on X.
Although Ashford ran for 710 yards during his 2022 campaign, completing just 49.2% and 51.9% of his passes over the last two seasons seemed to not blend well with Freeze’s RPO offense –
causing a slow reduction in playing time over the course of the season and the ultimate move to his third collegiate program.
With Ashford not yet a graduate from Auburn and also as a two-time transfer, he won't be immediately eligible at his next school without a waiver, unless he moves down to the FCS level according to the current NCAA protocol.
However, this past Wednesday in West Virginia a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order against the NCAA granting immediate eligibility to college athletes who are currently forced to sit out of game competition under the NCAA’s multi-time transfer rule. The temporary restraining order is in effect for the next 14 days.
It’s unknown if Ashford, or other athletes, will attempt to take advantage of this recent development, but it could potentially be a reason the move to the portal is happening now for Auburn’s former quarterback.
Ashford, a native of Hoover, Alabama, transferred to Auburn prior to the 2022 season following a two year stint at Oregon in which he didn’t see any game action. Despite losing the starting job to T.J. Finley, Ashford became the Tigers’ primary starter at quarterback midway through the season and thrived under interim head coach Cadillac Williams’ run-heavy offense in the final four games of the season.
In a near comeback performance at Mississippi State, Williams’ first game leading Auburn, Ashford ran for 108 yards – the first Auburn quarterback to run for over a 100 yards in a game since Nick Marshall in 2014.
Ashford was able to add a 20-yard touchdown pass to another memorable rushing performance, totaling 121 yards on the ground with two touchdowns in his first Iron Bowl – making him the first Auburn player to rush for two touchdowns against Alabama since his coach, Williams, did so in 2003.
The success at the end of season in the ground game wasn’t met with a similar performance through the air with Ashford failing to eclipse over 100 yards passing against Auburn’s final three SEC opponents.
With Freeze’s new RPO style offense coming to the Plains, Auburn’s 2022 offensive player of the year didn’t seem to be the answer in the offseason quarterback battle – causing the new head coach to look to the transfer portal for answers.
When Ashford wasn’t named Auburn’s starting quarterback for the second straight fall camp, Freeze was certain that it wouldn’t mean the former four-star recruit wouldn’t see the field.
“Robby will always have a package,” Freeze said following the announcement of Payton Thorne as Auburn’s starting quarterback. “If he handles all of this the right way, he will always have a package because he has an element to us that’s just a little different."
Freeze continued to praise Ashford for his athleticism.
“I believe with all my heart Robby Ashford gives us an absolute better chance to win the game if he accepts this news and continues to work and develops himself, because he might be the most freakish athlete I’ve ever had at quarterback,” Freeze said.
Freeze stayed true to his word as Auburn tried to find its offensive identity over the first few games of the 2023 season. In the season opener against UMass, Ashford ran for three touchdowns, all in red zone packages, becoming the first Tiger quarterback to do so since Cam Newton did against Arkansas in 2010.
The electric start however wasn’t a sign of success to come. As Auburn settled around Thorne as the primary quarterback, Ashford saw his play count decrease towards the conclusion of the season.
In the final five games of the season, Ashford had two rush attempts in each performance against Mississippi State, Arkansas and Alabama and didn’t see the field in Auburn’s games against Vanderbilt and New Mexico State.
Ashford’s singular pass attempt in his final five games of the season was an interception in the closing moments of a blowout win at Arkansas.
With Ashford’s departure, the quarterback room at Auburn includes returning starter, Thorne, alongside Holden Geriner and Hank Brown. Four-star commit Walker White will also join the Tigers in the spring following his expected signing with the program during the early signing period this coming Wednesday.
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Patrick is a sophomore from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
