Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] performed many recruiting wonders in a short time.
In a three-week span, Freeze improved Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class from one of the lowest in the SEC to a top-20 haul. He did so by convincing several talented prospects to flip their decision to Auburn from other programs.
One of the most important “flips” of the period was that of [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], the state’s No. 12 recruit who committed to Florida State over Auburn in July. Faulk elected to sign with Auburn on Dec. 21, the beginning of the early signing period, and instantly became the top recruit of Auburn’s 2023 class.
On January 12, Faulk was honored by the Alabama Sportswriters Association as the Class 2A Lineman of the Year after recording 89 tackles for Highland Home in 2022. In an interview with Ben Thomas of AL.com, Faulk shared his reasoning for committing to Florida State in July as opposed to the in-state program.
“Auburn was really my No. 1 school for two or three years in a row, but there were certain coaching changes that just didn’t fit me personnel-wise,” Faulk said.
When Freeze was hired on Nov. 28, 2022, one of his first priorities was winning over Faulk. He did so by calling Faulk in for a visit in an effort to get to know him better. Faulk says that the connection he built with Freeze and staff made it seem as if he’s known them “for a couple of years.”
“(Freeze) just told me if I was destined to be an Auburn man, I need to be an Auburn man, but if I’m not just to let him know,” Faulk said. “He’s a real straightforward dude, and he wanted me to be straightforward with him.”
What will Faulk’s role be for Auburn? He says that he could be used in several different ways depending on the situation.
“They are going to try me at end and at the jack position,” Faulk said. “They are going to play me at both. I think I can play either. On third or fourth-down situations, it could go either way. I think I can go in at D tackle or D end or the jack position. I can play anywhere they want me to play.”
Faulk is one of eight four-star signees that has joined Auburn’s roster from the 2023 recruiting cycle, which includes [autotag]Sylvester Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag].
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