Georgia quickly becoming favorite for key Auburn target

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs could snag the state of Alabama’s No. 8 recruit from the 2024 cycle.

Auburn football has been on an upward trend in the recruiting world since Hugh Freeze took over. Auburn climbed out of the depths of the low-60s prior to Freeze’s arrival and ended with a top-20 2023 haul.

Auburn is off to a great start in its pursuit of in-state talent. Three of Alabama’s top 25 recruits are committed to Auburn. Despite the early success recruiting Alabama talent, Auburn is losing momentum for a key recruit in it’s backyard.

[autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], a four-star linebacker from Booker T. Washington High School in nearby Tuskegee, included Auburn in his top-five in April, joining Clemson, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Georgia.

After welcoming Phillips for an official visit last weekend, Georgia has gained momentum in his recruitment and has become the favorite to earn his signature.

In a recent episode of “The College Football Recruiting Show” from 247Sports, 247Sports Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong shared Georgia is trending upward for several defensive recruits, including Phillips.

“There’s a couple of other guys on defense that Georgia is trending up for. I’m close to firing one in for Top247 linebacker Joseph Phillips out of Alabama. Phillips is another top target on the board for Georgia at the position.”

The claim has caught on: Georgia has gained three crystal ball predictions for Phillips, including one from Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente, who originally gave Auburn a crystal ball for Phillips.

Auburn is still high on the list according to On3, who has given Phillips a 76.3% chance to commit to Auburn.

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