Dec. 8, 2006

AUBURN - Six Auburn freshmen have been recognized by The Sporting News, with three selected to the Freshman All-America Teams, it was announced Friday. Linebacker Tray Blackmon earned second team honors while defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks and safety Aairon Savage have been selected to the third team.

Tight ends Tommy Trott and Gabe McKenzie and running back Ben Tate have earned honorable mention honors.

Blackmon, a LaGrange, Ga., native, posted 18 tackles in six games, which was third among the team's freshmen. He posted 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack while tying for the team lead with three fumble recoveries. In the fourth quarter of Auburn's 27-17 victory over Florida Oct. 14, he recovered a fumble deep inside Auburn's territory that led to a John Vaughn field goal.

Marks finished the regular season with 33 tackles and is second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss. The Mobile, Ala., native, has 3.5 sacks and is tied with Blackmon for the team lead with three fumble recoveries. He was recognized by the Southeastern Conference Thursday with a SEC All-Freshman Team selection and has also been recognized as a Rivals.com First-Team Freshman All-American.

Savage leads Auburn's freshmen with 48 tackles this season, which places him third overall on the Tigers. He has three tackles for loss and two sacks. The Albany, Ga., native, was selected as the SEC's Freshman of the Week on Oct. 30, two days after finishing with six tackles and an interception in Auburn's 23-17 victory at Ole Miss. Like Marks, Savage has also been recognized nationally in recent days, earning Rivals.com Second-Team Freshman All-American status. On Wednesday, he was also selected to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Trott, a Montgomery, Ala., native, was awarded honorable mention status after starting the final nine games of the regular season. He enters the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic with 10 receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns.

McKenzie, a Mobile, Ala., native, played in all 12 games for Auburn this season and led the team's tight ends with 12 receptions for 125 yards. He caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Brandon Cox in Auburn's 34-0 win over Mississippi State Sept. 9, marking his first career score.

Tate, meanwhile, ended the regular season with 369 yards rushing, which places him third on the team. Tate, a Newark, Md., native, carried the ball 50 times, averaging 7.4 yards per rush. He ran for 114 yards in Auburn's 38-7 win over Buffalo Sept. 23, then bettered that with 156 yards against Tulane in a 37-13 win Oct. 21.

The Tigers will meet Nebraska Jan. 1 in the 71st annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. The game kicks off at 10:40 a.m. CT at Cotton Bowl Stadium and will air live on FOX.