Auburn’s tight end room suffered a key loss on Saturday, when veteran Brandon Frazier went down with a broken foot.
Hugh Freeze confirmed the news Monday, saying that Frazier was having surgery to get a pin in his foot and will miss “an extended period of time.”
Micah Riley was the first player to immediately step up in his absence, catching a touchdown on Saturday. Riley could see a bigger role in the passing game, but another player could contribute at tight end to Auburn’s run blocking.
Freeze said during his weekly Tiger Talk radio show Monday that backup offensive lineman Jaden Muskrat is cross-training at tight end for some of Auburn’s goal line sets.
Freeze said that Auburn often times uses four tight ends in those sets, and with Frazier out, someone needed to fill that hole.
Starting tight end Rivaldo Fairweather praised Muskrat’s versatility when speaking to reporters Tuesday, chuckling when asked about his ability catch passes.
“I don’t really know. We’ll see. I just know he’s going to go down there and make a block for us,” Fairweather said.
Fairweather wasn’t the only player to express confidence in Muskrat either.
“I feel like he’s going to be able to get the job done for us, get extra push on the line,” Auburn offensive guard Bradyn Joiner said. “He might not talk about it a lot, but he knows the game and what he’s doing.”
Muskrat transferred to Auburn from Tulsa prior to the 2023 season. He played in every game for Auburn during 2023, starting once against Cal.
He’s yet to make a start for Auburn this season, and his only snaps came in Auburn’s Week 1 win over Alabama A&M.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m
