The Auburn Observer

Justin and Dan open with a discussion of what they heard from Bruce Pearl on Monday at his Fore The Children charity golf event at Lake Martin before getting into some secondary chatter in football. Topics for this episode include:

* why Pearl is feeling good this offseason compared to previous ones

* how Auburn’s NIL game has stepped up after the Final Four run

* the Tigers’ impending addition of an international player up front

* the latest #TahaadWatch

* Dan’s curiosity about how the Tigers’ off-ball guards will click

* Justin’s observation about Auburn’s possible desire to play faster next season

* the second edition of Dan’s “top four” segment, featuring listener feedback

* Dan’s favorite four Auburn/Opelika restaurants that are now closed

* the guys’ favorite Auburn defensive backs from 2005 to present day

* a discussion about Auburn’s current secondary and why the vibes are strong

* Justin (and Dan) pick their four favorite Atlanta Braves of all-time

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In a free-wheeling offseason episode, Justin and Dan run through a laundry list of news and notes from the week in Auburn athletics before debuting a new segment. In this subscribers-only episode, they discuss (in no particular order):

* Tahaad Pettiford’s week at the NBA Draft Combine, starting with his strong Wednesday scrimmage…

Adam Cole of the Montgomery Advertiser makes his listener-requested return to the show to break down Auburn baseball’s recent surge ahead of the postseason with Justin and Dan. Topics include:

* why Butch Thompson’s team has made such a leap after a disappointing 2024

* how transfer Sam Dutton has transformed Auburn’s pitching staff

* where the Tigers could continue to improve on the mound heading into NCAAs

* Eric Guevara’s absolutely insane, SEC Player of the Week series at the plate

* Ike Irish’s stardom and impending first-round MLB Draft selection

* Auburn’s standout freshman class, led by five-tool phenom Bub Terrell

* why SEC baseball continues to cannibalize itself

* the Tigers’ strong chances of hosting a regional — and a super regional

* potential postseason opponents to know

* why whatever happens in Hoover could look different this year

* basketball: Tahaad Pettiford’s NBA Draft stock heading into the combine

* more basketball: Dylan Cardwell’s big weekend at the G League Elite Camp

* even more basketball: Chad Baker-Mazara getting cheered at graduation

* Adam’s Mount Rushmore of Steely Dan songs

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This show is all about schedules, specifically football ones. In this Observer subscriber-only episode, Justin and Dan discuss:

* the news of ESPN offering more money to the SEC for a ninth conference football game in the future

* how the growing College Football Playoff might slow down that process

* why Justin wishes things could go b…

It’s a basketball episode as Justin and Dan talk about the latest surrounding future, present and past Tigers on the hardwood. They open by discussing Louisville transfer James Scott after his recent visit to the Plains and how Auburn has become a true destination for big men wanting to take the next step in their careers.

Then they look at the consensus 2025 NBA Draft big board and see where the opinions are right now for both Tahaad Pettiford and Johni Broome. Justin breaks down the economics of Pettiford’s decision ahead of the Combine. Dan looks at potential situations that would make the most sense for Broome.

After they look at Miles Kelly and Dylan Cardwell’s invitations to the G League Elite Camp, the guys close with their thoughts on Jabari Smith’s situation with the Houston Rockets after their playoff exit and sing the praises of The Righteous Gemstones series finale.

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Justin and Dan start the show by looking back at the NFL Draft destinations for Auburn’s three picks from this past weekend. They discuss why the Rams pulled the trigger on Jarquez Hunter, how KeAndre Lambert-Smith fell into a good situation with the Chargers and what the prospects might be for Jalen McLeod with the Jaguars. After that, they look ahead to the 2026 draft class, led by a ton of Keldric Faulk hype.

Then the guys switch over to their state of the offense for 2025, headlined by Hugh Freeze tripling down on his style and his staff after a losing campaign. Justin makes a point about Jackson Arnold and where he could make a big impact for the Tigers in an area of need. Dan shares his thoughts on the running back situation and how this could be a step forward for the offensive line.

This episode also includes a surprising amount of discussion on musicals and some inadvertent slander of an Alabama literary legend. We know Harper Lee has shooters.

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Justin and Dan open the show by breaking down the recent trio of transfer portal pickups for Auburn football: Maryland linebacker Caleb Wheatland, returning Liberty defensive lineman Jay Hardy and Florida A&M defensive lineman James Ash. They look at the past production of the three additions and how they might become valuable depth pieces — or better — this fall.

The guys use that news to transition into an overall look at the Auburn football defense at this point in the offseason. They look back at the biggest problem that plagued that side of the ball in 2024 and how it could be fixed in 2025. Dan points out all the youth the Tigers had last year. Justin looks at how Auburn might be somewhat ahead of schedule on defense, judging by DJ Durkin’s past SEC stops.

The episode ends with a look at Auburn basketball’s addition of Elyjah Freeman and how unique his path to the Plains has been. The guys discuss Freeman’s strengths, where he fits in the best on the roster and how he affects the rest of the offseason plans under Bruce Pearl. They close with a discussion of the top TV offerings on the streaming service that will always be known as HBO Max.

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.auburnobserver.com/subscribe

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Justin and Dan open the show by discussing the big news of Chad Baker-Mazara’s decision to enter the transfer portal for his final season of eligibility. The guys discuss CBM’s legacy at Auburn and why his time with the Tigers was ultimately a success. They also look at the factors that weigh into this decision and how it affects the roster reloading process moving forward.

After a discussion of Tahaad Pettiford’s NBA Draft decision and where Keyshawn Hall best fits the current lineup, they turn their attention to the three new pickups Auburn added this week in the portal: Texas Tech guard Kevin Overton, Mississippi State big KeShawn Murphy and JUCO center Emeka Opurum.

The guys close the show with a free-wheeling breakdown of movies that somehow starts with Repo Man and ends with the 30 For 30 documentary series. Dan has an interesting pick for his favorite baseball film. Justin hypes one he hasn’t seen yet.

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Justin and Dan recap what they saw and heard from Auburn football during the new-look A-Day open practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium. They talk about the positives of the format and how the changes might be a good thing for everyone involved in the long run.

The guys then go position-by-position to recap what they learned during spring ball for the Tigers. How much did Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight benefit from practices? Is the wide receiver hype warranted? Where are the concerns on offense?

On defense, they look at a deep secondary room, a linebacker room that had some intriguing developments over the last few weeks, and the reloaded line of scrimmage. They finish by looking at the old and new faces on a special teams unit looking to take a step forward after a shaky 2024.

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Follow Dan (@dnpck) and Justin (@JFergusonAU) on Twitter.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.auburnobserver.com/subscribe

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Instead of a written Mailbag on this Friday, Justin pivots towards a mailbag version and enlists Dan to help him answer subscriber questions. Topics for this episode include…

* Priorities in the transfer portal for Auburn basketball

* Who the Tigers might go after in the frontcourt and at point guard

* Tahaad Pettiford’s NBA Draft decision

* The biggest differences at practice for both football and basketball

* Why Auburn’s best team ever not winning it all isn’t cause for doom and gloom

* Favorite restaurants from Justin’s NCAA run and Dan’s WNIT run

* The Nice Guys vs. The Other Guys

* The Masters champions dinner

* Springtime in Auburn

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