Auburn Football Preview: Tight Ends, Talent and Experience

With so many questions going into the Auburn Tigers 2024 season, tight end is a position Auburn has some certainty around.

Auburn Tigers tight end Rivaldo Fairweather was the leading receiver a year ago. / John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Tight end is a position that Auburn knows what it has coming into the 2024 season. And what it has is a proven ball catcher and several other experienced players.

Tight Ends (2023 Stats)

Rivaldo Fairweather, Sr., Returning Starter (38 Rec., 394 yards, 6 TD)
Luke Deal, Sr., Returning Backup (0 Rec.)
Brandon Frazier, Sr., Returning Backup (7 Rec., 73 yards, 2 TD)
Micah Riley, So., Returning Backup (2 Rec. 40 yards, 1 TD)
Rico Walker, So., Transfer from Maryland (4 Rec., 27 yards)

Departures:
Tyler Fromm transferred to Georgia Southern

Strength: Talented starter, experienced backups
Weakness: Production behind Fairweather

Rivaldo Fairweather returns for his senior season as one of the more talented tight ends in the SEC. He had 394 receiving yards last season, a modest number in 13 games of modern football, but it was enough to lead the team in 2023. His 38 receptions and six touchdowns were also tops on the team.

Fairweather’s hands, catch radius, and overall skills as a receiver make him a likely candidate to play on Sundays in 2025, and at 6-4, 252 he proved to be a formidable blocker in his first season playing in the SEC as he transferred to Auburn from Florida International.

His primary role was mostly as a receiver split out wide, and as an H-back in the running game and play-action. He lined up some with his hand on the ground in a traditional tight end role, but that role figures to be handled mostly by a committee of other tight ends.

There’s plenty of experience returning to that spot as Luke Deal and Brandon Frazier are two of very few players who played for Gus Malzahn and are still on campus. Deal didn’t catch a pass last season, but he has 14 receptions for 110 yards in 52 career games going back to 2019 while used primarily as a run blocker.

Frazier, who has played in 41 games going back to 2020, has similar career receiving numbers; 11-105 with 2 TDs. Half of his career receiving production came at LSU last season as he had three grabs for 52 yards and a score.

While less experienced but perhaps more talented overall, Micah Riley and Rico Walker will also be battling for snaps this season. Riley’s a returning sophomore who earned playing time as a freshman, while Walker transferred from Maryland in the off season.

Auburn had one of the top rushing offenses in the league last season, and to do so again it’ll need production in run blocking from Deal, Frazier and Riley, as well as Walker if he earns his way into the rotation.

The pass game is in all likelihood to improve from 2023 to 2024 with Payton Thorne returning at QB and a major upgrade to the receiving corps. Fairweather will be counted on to be a big part of that.