AUBURN — Justin Jones was barely paying attention to coach Hugh Freeze.

Auburn football had just finished up a team run, and Jones was gassed. More focused on controlling his breathing than listening to Freeze's speech, Jones' ears only perked up when he heard his name.

Freeze broke the news that Jones, a fifth-year running back who's been a walk-on with the Tigers for the past two years, was being put on scholarship.

"It caught me off guard, honestly," Jones said Friday at the Woltosz Football Performance Center. "I was not expecting it to happen the way it did. I thought he'd maybe give a scholarship probably towards the end of camp or the middle of camp, but he got me good this time. It's a really good feeling, and it's a blessing. I thank God every day that I was able to get it."

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Jones wasn't the only former walk-on to be put on scholarship ahead of Freeze's second season. Safety Griffin Speaks, who transferred to Auburn from Baylor ahead of the 2023 season, was also put on the 85-man unit. Speaks 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.

The team was notified of Speaks being placed on scholarship after the same team run as Jones, but Speaks had already heard the news. Freeze let it slip in a meeting the day before.

"It's all the Lord's plan, nothing but the Lord," Speaks said. "... I'm just no doubt a product of my community and a product of my family. ... I've always wanted to play here. I've always wanted to wear the Orange and Blue."

Jones, who is set to graduate Saturday, began his collegiate career with two seasons at UAB after attending Bessemer High School, a little over 100 miles away from Auburn. Speaks is a bit of a hometown hero, as he attended Auburn High School before going to Waco, Texas, and then coming back home.

"Definitely a dream," Speaks said. "... Me and my dad had a very emotional phone call. It was some screaming and it was really cool getting to tell my family, community and everybody that's gotten me here. I would not be here without any of them, so it was definitely cool. But it's just right back to work. Nothing's changed."

Jones added: "It's been a dream come true. I've been an Auburn fan since I came out. It just seems so unreal. Even when I'm here now, it still doesn't feel as real as it seems. When I first got here and I met all these cool guys (like) coach Cadillac Williams and I got to be around all these superstar people, I was in shock. Like, 'Oh my gosh, I cannot believe these are my teammates (and) these are my coaches.' It was just an amazing experience."

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's Justin Jones, Griffin Speaks on getting scholarships