Hugh Freeze’s Auburn football program has its top transfer portal quarterback target in mind according to BREAKING NEWS : Auburn expected to transfer this…….The Auburn Villager’s Chris Mendoza: Wazzu’s Cameron Ward, who may require a seven-figure NIL payday to sign on the dotted line for anyone.

“The two names most linked to Auburn are Washington State transfer quarterback Cameron Ward and Duke transfer quarterback Riley Leonard,” Mendoza wrote. “Leonard entered the portal with a no-contact tag, meaning he has likely already made a decision and is rumored to be heading to Notre Dame. Ward currently sits as the No. 3 quarterback in the transfer portal but has not officially announced any offers or a timeline for his decision. In 2023, Ward was fifth in the nation in passing yards (3,735), threw 25 touchdown passes and ran for eight more touchdowns.”

Riley Leonard landing with Notre Dame is a formality, and he was seemingly never a true option for Freeze and Co. despite how alluring the homecoming angle was. Ward, however, has kept his recruitment wide open, and quite tight-lipped.

Auburn football likely to lose

Robby Ashford

and Holden Geriner from QB room

As Mendoza notes, Auburn is likely to lose Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner to the transfer portal; which wouldn’t be the first time an analyst has projected the pair to find a new home elsewhere.

“A lot of things will go into the quarterback decision,” Mendzoa prefaced before saying, “Robby Ashford and Holden Geriner could make their names at another school should they decide Auburn is not working for them.

“Freeze has had high praise for Ashford and Geriner, but the two saw limited to no time toward the end of the season as Payton Thorne ended the quarterback debate. Should Ashford and Geriner both leave, Auburn will at least need a solid backup to Thorne that would challenge the Michigan State transfer for the starting position.”

Ashford was rumored to have had behind-the-scenes issues midseason, while Geriner has simply not seen any action in two years on the Plains. Both were Bryan Harsin QBs, and both likely want to part from a program that’s run by someone who didn’t recruit them.