Auburn offers SEC transfer wide receiver, current Tigers players offer their endorsement
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze was busy Monday as the transfer portal officially opened its doors for business.
Between the days leading up to Monday and Monday itself, the Tigers saw six players enter the transfer portal — three of which were wide receivers. And considering Auburn has a pair of 2024 5-star wide receivers committed in Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, those departures — who saw limited use in 2023 — didn’t come as a surprise.
However, Freeze proved that he’d still like to add some experience to his wide receiver corps as Vanderbilt wide receiver and transfer portal entrant Will Sheppard announced that he’d been offered by Auburn Monday afternoon.
Sheppard spent the last four seasons at Vanderbilt and was successful in each of them.
Sheppard will end his career as the Commodores’ seventh-leading receiver of all time with 2,067 career receiving yards and really broke out during his junior season when he tallied more than 770 yards and hauled in nine touchdowns. In 2023, Sheppard recorded 684 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 47 receptions.
With those numbers, Sheppard would’ve been Auburn’s leading receiver by nearly 300 yards both seasons.
That said, it doesn’t come as a surprise that members of Auburn’s current roster would be more-than-thrilled with the addition of Sheppard, should he make his way to The Plains.
Auburn running back Damari Alston reposted Sheppard’s announcement with the comment, “1of1.”
Auburn Jack linebacker Elijah McAllister, who previously played with Sheppard at Vanderbilt, also seemed to have issued his endorsement in posting “Mr. Go up & Get it” shortly after Sheppard announced his offer.
Before Auburn’s visit to Vanderbilt early last month, Freeze was sure to issue his respect for Sheppard, despite the struggles of the Commodores’ offense.
“That receiver is special,” Freeze said of Sheppard.
Out of high school, Sheppard was rated a 3-star prospect. Now as a a 6-foot-3, 200-pound transfer, Sheppard is rated a 4-star and the seventh-best wide receiver currently in the transfer portal.
