Couple of Auburn football walk-ons awarded scholarships as fall camp begins
AUBURN — A couple of Auburn football walk-ons are walk-ons no more.
As the Tigers opened fall camp with the first of many preseason practices Thursday, coach Hugh Freeze announced running back Justin Jones and safety Griffin Speaks had both been awarded scholarships. Jones has been at Auburn for the last two seasons after spending 2020 and 2021 at UAB, and Speaks transferred to the Plains from Baylor ahead of the 2023 campaign.
Speaks, who is the son of former Auburn player Tim Speaks, was with the Bears from 2019-22. He appeared in every game last season and totaled five tackles across 47 defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He also saw 160 reps on special teams.
Jones has been a fixture on special teams, appearing in that facet of the game in all 13 contests last season.
"That's well-deserved," Freeze said of Jones and Speaks being put on scholarship. "They've earned it. Excited that we could do that for them, too."
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Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: Pair of walk-ons put on scholarship ahead of season
