The Auburn Tigers are losing wide receiver Sam Jackson V to the transfer portal, their 18th player to announce their intention to leave the program this offseason.
A four-star player from the 2021 recruiting class, Jackson committed to TCU as a quarterback. In January 2023, he transferred to Cal before transferring to Auburn in December 2023. Jackson caught two passes for 63 yards in 2024.
In 2023, he appeared in five games for the Golden Bears as a quarterback, passing for 556 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions with 59 rushing yards and a TD.
As a sophomore at Naperville Central in 2018, Jackson caught 50 passes for 847 yards and 14 TDs. So he had experience at the position before making the change ahead of the 2024 season.
Part of the appeal of Auburn for Jackson was playing with his former high school teammate Payton Thorne, the Tigers’ starting quarterback for the last two seasons.
Auburn finished 13th in the SEC this season with a 2-6 record in conference play. The Tigers did enjoy an upset win over then-No. 15 Texas A&M in their penultimate game.
Including Jackson, Auburn football has three quarterbacks, three wide receivers, two offensive tackles and two tight ends who will be transferring out this offseason. Entering his third year as the Tigers’ head coach, Hugh Freeze has an 11-14 record.
