Bert Auburn announced this afternoon that he's entering the portal as a graduate transfer.
After setting a school and Big 12 record with 19 consecutive field goals in 2023, when he was a first-team All-Big 12 performer while making 29 of 35 attempts, Auburn struggled in 2024. He was 16-for-25 on field goals in 15 games, including a combined 8-for-14 against Kentucky, Texas A&M, Georgia (SEC Championship), Clemson (CFP First Round) and Arizona State (Peach Bowl).
Auburn's 1-for-3 performance in the Peach Bowl led to Steve Sarkisian opening the kicking competition. Will Stone kicked in place of Auburn in the Cotton Bowl loss to Ohio State, going 2-for-2 on extra points (Stone didn't attempt a field goal against the Buckeyes).
When he was asked about the placekicking competition following Monday's practice, Sarkisian said: "We haven't done enough yet. I think we'll start to really ramp it up here on Wednesday. We've done some, but now we've got to really start to ramp this thing up to get a real gauge on what it looks like."