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The Auburn Tigers will be down a defensive back in an already thin secondary this Saturday following the dismissal of sophomore Antonio Kite.
Hugh Freeze removed the defender from the roster after he reportedly missed multiple practices in his first season on the Plains.
Kite transferred from instate rival Alabama this past offseason and was expected to make an immediate impact in the Tigers’ defensive backfield.
His role became even more crucial when starting corners Tyler Scott and Keionte Scott suffered injuries early in the year, forcing Kite into the lineup.
He appeared in all eight games with Auburn this season, but his usage began to slip following the emergence of freshman Jay Crawford. Crawford leapt Kite on the depth chart, recording 12 tackles and an interception over his last four games.
It seems Antonio Kite was unhappy with being demoted. Reports claim that he missed a number of Auburn football practices in his new reserve role.
Sophomore cornerback Antonio Kite, who transferred from Alabama in December, has been kicked off the team for missing practice on multiple occasions…
[He] has played just five defensive snaps since the Tigers’ loss against Arkansas on Sept. 21. He’s been listed as Jay Crawford’s backup since the true freshman was promoted into the starting lineup against Oklahoma on Sept. 28.
Kite was a four-star prospect before signing with Alabama out of high school. He left the Crimson Tide to join Auburn a year later. It seems like he’ll be searching for his third team in as many seasons next offseason!
With Kite gone, Auburn will be extremely thin at cornerback over the remainder of the college football season. The Tigers have the tall task of stopping Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia this Saturday, who beat them last year as a New Mexico State Aggie.
They’ll then have to finish the year with back-to-back matchups against Texas A&M and Alabama. Nothing’s been easy for Hugh Freeze this season!