Auburn transfer portal target commits to Texas A&M
Auburn target Federiko Federiko committed to Texas A&M earlier this week, giving Aggies first-year head coach Bucky McMillan an early victory over Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers. Pearl and his staff had zeroed in on the 6-foot-11 big man before McMillan secured his commitment.
After starting nearly 80% of the games he played in as a Pitt Panther from 2022-2024, Federiko occupied a key bench role for the Texas Tech Red Raiders last season. The junior averaged 19 minutes per game over 35 contests, averaging 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds over the course of a loaded BIG 12 schedule.
Although Federiko doesn't bring much of an offensive game, the Helsinki, Finland native has averaged over a block per contest during his three-year collegiate career. His ability to protect the rim was likely what made Federiko an inticing prospect in the portal for the Tigers, especially considering the Bruce Pearl's squad is set to lose the shot-blocking duo Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell.
Federiko now heads to College Station where head coach Bucky McMillan may opt to use him in a role similar to that of former Samford big man Achor Achor. With Achor as the best scoring and shot blocking option for McMillan's Bulldogs two seasons ago, Samford claimed a Southern Conference Championship before narrowly missing out on an NCAA Tournament upset of Kansas in the Round of 64.
Auburn will now set its sites on another front court option in the portal to pair with freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams and transfers KeShawn Murphy (Mississippi State) and Emeka Opurum (Butler Community College). UCF combo forward Keyshawn Hall is also a candidate to join the front court rotation after Chad Baker-Mazara left the Plains on a big jet plane to California.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter@TheRealBHauch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
12 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Lunden Esterline, Asterisk Talley win Junior PGA titles; Charlie Woods backs up to T-9
While the U.S. Ryder Cup picture is still unclear, the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team is nearly set. Lunden Esterline, a 2027 Auburn commit from Andover, Kansas, won the Junior PGA Championship by six shots on Friday afternoon and, in turn, earned an automatic Junior Ryder Cup berth. Esterline, who fired a second-round 62 to take control, closed in even-par 71 at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex's Ackerman-Allen Course to finish the 72-hole tournament at 19 under. 'I'm still trying to comprehend the whole thing, but it feels amazing,' Esterline said. 'It means a ton. It gives me a lot of confidence going into bigger tournaments after this that I can do it, and I proved to myself this week that I'm just as good as anybody else out there.' Behind Esterline were 2026 Vanderbilt commit Tyler Mawhinney and 2027 recruit Guiseppe Puebla in a share of second. Mawhinney double-bogeyed the par-3 17th hole before capping his closing 69 with birdie. Puebla fired the round of the day by three shots, a 64. Because Mawhinney, who earlier this year teamed with Will Hartman to win the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, qualified for the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team via points (along with top-ranked Miles Russell), Puebla received the automatic berth afforded to the runner-up. Esterline, Puebla, Mawhinney and Russell will be joined by U.S. Junior Amateur winner Hamilton Coleman and a captain's pick to be named Tuesday in competing in the two-day Junior Ryder Cup, which is scheduled for Sept. 23-25 at Nassau Country Club and Bethpage Black (singles only). Ayden Fynaut of Fresno, California, nearly had a solo second before doubling the par-4 18th hole. He tied for fourth at 12 under with China's Zenghao Hou, who played his final five holes in 4 over. As for Charlie Woods, he began Friday in the final threesome alongside Esterline, but after back-to-back 66s, he shot 74 to slip to 9 under and T-9. He was 12 under for the tournament until going bogey-double at Nos. 14 and 15. Woods likely will not receive the captain's pick for the Junior Ryder Cup. That pick should be extended to 2026 Vanderbilt commit Luke Colton, who is the second highest-ranked junior in the World Amateur Golf Ranking at No. 24, behind only Russell (16th) and ahead of Tyler Watts (40th), who is not eligible for the pick because he skipped the Junior PGA to play this week's Western Amateur. Colton, fresh off making the semifinals at the U.S. Junior, declined to the play the Western in favor of chasing a Junior Ryder Cup spot. Asterisk Talley took the girls division, birdieing two of her last three holes to help offset three bogeys in her last five. Talley earned the one-shot win over Zoe Cusack, who closed her final round bogey-double.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Texas A&M senior kicker named to Lou Groza Award watch list
One of Texas A&M's most significant issues under former head coach Jimbo Fisher was the program's lack of special teams success, mainly due to Fisher's choice never to hire a special teams coach. After his dismissal, second-year head coach Mike Elko brought in veteran Patrick Dougherty, who, during his first season at the helm, led the Aggies to a top-35 finish in yards per punt (43.9), field goal percentage (83.3), and field goals (20). Outside of star punter Tyler White, the return of senior kicker Randy Bond was critical for this unit to continue its successful run, as the veteran finished the 2024 season with his highest career field goal percentage (83.3%), finishing 20-24, a perfect 46-46 on extra points, including 7-9 from 40-49-yards, while making a 55-yard field goal. On Friday, it was revealed that Bond was named to the 2025 Lou Groza Award preseason watch list. Unsurprisingly, Bond is considered one of the most dependable kickers in the country and could be the reason Texas A&M escapes a road game or two this season. Bond has continued to improve in every aspect of his kicking game, and, with one more solid season, he has a chance to make an NFL roster this time next year. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty. This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Texas A&M kicker Randy Bond named to Lou Groza Award watch list
USA Today
13 hours ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M senior kicker named to Lou Groza Award watch list
One of Texas A&M's most significant issues under former head coach Jimbo Fisher was the program's lack of special teams success, mainly due to Fisher's choice never to hire a special teams coach. After his dismissal, second-year head coach Mike Elko brought in veteran Patrick Dougherty, who, during his first season at the helm, led the Aggies to a top-35 finish in yards per punt (43.9), field goal percentage (83.3), and field goals (20). Outside of star punter Tyler White, the return of senior kicker Randy Bond was critical for this unit to continue its successful run, as the veteran finished the 2024 season with his highest career field goal percentage (83.3%), finishing 20-24, a perfect 46-46 on extra points, including 7-9 from 40-49-yards, while making a 55-yard field goal. On Friday, it was revealed that Bond was named to the 2025 Lou Groza Award preseason watch list. Unsurprisingly, Bond is considered one of the most dependable kickers in the country and could be the reason Texas A&M escapes a road game or two this season. Bond has continued to improve in every aspect of his kicking game, and, with one more solid season, he has a chance to make an NFL roster this time next year. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
