Former Tiger Antonio Kite commits to Ole Miss

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception

Former Auburn Tiger cornerback Antonio Kite committed to the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday. A former four-star prospect who spent his freshman campaign playing with Alabama, Kite played sparingly during his one season on the Plains.

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. His lone interception as a Tiger came early in the season in a blowout victory over New Mexico. Unfortunately Kite’s season spiraled from there, as his playing time was cut significantly once SEC play started. The sophomore was ultimately dismissed from the team mid-season for “violating team rules” effectively ending his Tiger career before it had the chance to take off.

Unlikely to earn enough trust to get out of head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag]’s ‘dog house’, Kite entered the transfer portal and will now play for his third SEC team in as many collegiate seasons. Kite’s move makes sense for both himself and the Tigers, as Auburn’s top two cornerback spots are currently held by stars [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag]. Many of the high-ranked prospects in Auburn’s No. 6 ranked 2025 recruiting class are likely to challenge for large amounts of playing time in the defensive backfield, making Kite’s path towards significant playing time even more murky.

Along with the aforementioned Lee and Crawford, freshman [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag], and [autotag]Donovan Starr[/autotag], along with Georgia Tech transfer safety [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag] are all in the mix to receive plenty of playing time at the defensive back positions in 2025.

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Four-star Shamar Arnoux flips from Auburn to Florida State

The Georgia native was ranked as the No. 53 prospect from the Peach State according to 247Sports.

Auburn football may be in the midst of one of its best National Signing Days in program history, but the Tigers did miss out on inking a major recruit this morning. Four-star cornerback [autotag]Shamar Arnoux[/autotag], who committed to Auburn last month, flipped his commitment to Florida State on Wednesday.

A consensus top-60 cornerback in the 2025 cycle, Arnoux committed to join Auburn after committing from USC earlier this year. The Carrollton, Georgia native was ranked as the No. 53 prospect from the Peach State according to 247 Sports.

While the loss of Arnoux certainly stings for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his staff, Auburn’s 2025 class is still expected to finish among the best in the SEC, and the country, once National Signing Day comes to an end. The Tigers currently have five other defensive backs committed to join the Plains next season. Safeties [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] and [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag] are officially on board, as both signed their letters of intent early on Wednesday morning.

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As for Florida State, Arnoux marks the third defensive back to pledge his commitment to the Seminoles. The four-star recruit joins fellow four-star Zae Thomas and three-star safety Max Redmon as prospects set to play in Tallahassee next season.

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Five 2025 Auburn commits to play in AHSAA Super 7 this week in Birmingham

Auburn will be represented in Birmingham this week by Thompson’s Jared Smith, Parker’s Jourdin Crawford, and several others.

Early signing day is this week, and several Auburn commits will play one final high school football game before embarking to the Plains to begin the next chapter of their football careers.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association’s football state championships, otherwise known as the “Super 7,” will take place this week at Protective Stadium in midtown Birmingham. The event begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT when Thompson High School faces Central High School of Phenix City for the 7A state championship and will wrap up Friday night when Parker High School battles Saraland High School for the 6A title.

Both “headlining games” will be filled with Auburn commits and targets. Three Thompson players, EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], and punter [autotag]John Alan McGuire[/autotag], will look to win its third state championship in four opportunities Wednesday night when it battles Central (Phenix City) for the 7A championship.

The most entertaining game for Auburn recruiting interest will be Friday’s 6A championship between Saraland and Parker. A pair of Auburn defensive line commits, Saraland’s [autotag]Antonio Coleman[/autotag] and Parker’s [autotag]Jourdin Crawford[/autotag] will battle it out for the right to claim a state championship.

Several other recruits of interest will be competing for state championships this week in Birmingham. Here is a look at this week’s Super 7 schedule:

Wednesday

  • 7A: Thompson vs. Central (Phenix City), 7 p.m. CT
    • Thompson: Anquon Fegans, Jared Smith, John Alan McGuire (2025 commits)

Thursday

  • 3A: Houston Academy vs. Mars Hill Bible, 11 a.m. CT
  • 1A: Wadley vs. Maplesville, 3 p.m. CT
    • Wadley: Jaquez Wilkes (2026 target)
  • 5A: Moody vs. Catholic (Montgomery), 7 p.m. CT

Friday

  • 4A: Cherokee County vs. Jackson, 11 a.m. CT
  • 2A: Reeltown vs. Tuscaloosa Academy, 3 p.m. CT
  • 6A: Parker vs. Saraland, 7 p.m. CT
    • Parker: Jourdin Crawford (2025 commit), Na’eem Offord (2025 target)
    • Saraland: Antonio Coleman (2025 commit)

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Alabama reportedly pushing for top Auburn commit after Iron Bowl win

Alabama is reportedly pushing for an Auburn commit after defeating the Tigers last Saturday.

When it comes to the Iron Bowl, the impacts of the result extend well beyond the field of play, and one area that you certainly see that is in recruiting.

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers consistently battle for many of the top prospects in-state every year, and 2024 is certainly no different.

When taking a look at this year’s in-state class as well, there are numerous prospects that rank among the nation’s best at their respective positions, a group that features a few Alabama and Auburn commits.

One of these names is quickly becoming one to watch as well in Anquon Fegans, an Auburn commit whom Alabama is reportedly pushing hard for just ahead of the Early Signing Period according to On3 recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong.

Attending in-state power Thompson High School in Alabama, Fegans ranks as the nation’s No. 58 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, as well as the No. 6 overall safety. A four-star prospect, Fegans is also the No. 3 player in the state of Alabama.

An Auburn commit, Fegans has also been committed to the Tigers since July of 2024, and is currently ranked as Auburn’s fourth highest-ranked commit in their No. 5 ranked 2025 class.

With the Early Signing Period set to begin Wednesday, could Alabama be in store for a potential flip of one of the nation’s premier safeties?

Auburn named a ‘summer recruiting winner’ by ESPN

Hugh Freeze’s recruiting efforts were top notch over the summer as several notable recruits announced their pledge to Auburn.

As school returns to session, many are reflecting on summer memories. For Auburn football, their summer was one for the history books.

Auburn football landed several notable recruits for their 2025 class such as running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag], safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag]. The Tigers also got a head start on its 2026 recruiting efforts by landing four players, which caused Auburn to surge to No. 1 in 247Sports rankings.

The biggest takeaway of all from Auburn’s recent recruiting efforts is their knack for landing in-state talent. To this point in the cycle, Auburn holds commitments from eight of Alabama’s top 10 recruits from the 2025 cycle and is working towards a clean sweep by continuing to recruit [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag] (No. 1) and [autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag] (No. 6) with full force.

Auburn’s recent success in recruiting has earned them a spot at the “winners” table according to ESPN’s Eli Lederman.

Lederman recapped the busy summer of recruiting by placing programs in a winners and losers category when it comes to summer recruiting. One Big Ten recruiting staffer says that the likelihood of Auburn keeping its strong class hangs in its 2024 record.

“I could see them continuing to charge on and sign a top-five class,” a Big Ten recruiting staffer said. “I could also see them going 7-5 and that class crumbling pretty fast.”

Lederman also posed a question regarding Auburn’s 2025 class.. will it rise? Lederman breaks down several ways that Auburn could make the most of the current cycle.

The Tigers are the favorites for Deuce Knight if the Notre Dame pledge pulls his commitment. Ditto for Ohio State cornerback pledge Na’eem Offord, the top cornerback in the 2025 class out of Birmingham, Alabama. The Tigers remain a long shot for four-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola (No. 51 in the ESPN 300), and should be well positioned for four-star linebacker Tyler Lockhart, No. 132 in the ESPN 300.

Auburn football’s 2025 class ranks No. 5 in 247Sports as the calendar turns toward the final portion of August.

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Three Auburn commits listed on MaxPreps All-American Preseason Team

Safety Anquon Fegans, running back Alvin Henderson and safety/wide receiver Derick Smith made the cut.

As back-to-school advertisements air on television, the high school football season, specifically at schools below the Mason-Dixon line, is ready to begin.

With the start of “Friday Night Lights”, MaxPreps released its All-American Preseason High School Football Team. Three high-profile Auburn Tiger commits, safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] (First Team), running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] (Second Team), and safety/wide receiver [autotag]Derick Smith[/autotag] (Second Team) made the cut.

Fegans, who committed to Auburn last month, received the nod on the first team after MaxPreps named his to the All-American team as a junior. The No. 5 safety in the 2025 class is looking to build on a fantastic junior season in which he picked off opposing quarterbacks 5 times while racking up 50 tackles. Health permitting, the Alabaster, AL native should make an impact on the Plains as soon as he lands on campus next summer.

Four-star running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] is the only “full time” offensive Auburn commit to receive Preseason All-American honors. A consensus top 20 back in the 2025 class, Henderson originally chose Penn State before flipping his commitment to Auburn in June. Like Fegans, Henderson has an equal chance to make an immediate impact as a Tiger next season with current Auburn running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] entering his senior season in 2024.

Four-star athlete Derick Smith joins Henderson on the All-American Second Team just two weeks after flipping his commitment from rival Alabama to the Tigers. The talented two-way star will likely line up as a wide receiver once he makes his way to the Plains next summer but will continue to receive reps on both sides of the ball during his senior season at Southside High School in Selma, Alabama.

Besides the trio of highly-ranked Auburn commits, a few other Tiger targets received spots on MaxPreps Preseason Teams. 2025 recruits [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag], [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag], as well as 2026 linebacker [autotag]Tyler Atkinson[/autotag] were also featured on the All-American teams.

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4-star LSU safety target commits to Auburn

LSU lost a four-star safety target to Auburn on Monday.

One of LSU’s top remaining targets came off the board Monday evening when four-star safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] committed to Auburn. Fegans is fresh off a visit to LSU, but it wasn’t enough to sway the Alabama native out of his home state,

All four major recruiting services consider Fegans a top 10 safety in the class with ESPN placing him No. 2 at his position. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he’s the No. 57 overall recruit in 2025. That makes him the second highest-ranked recruit in Auburn’s class.

Hugh Freeze and Auburn have been on a recruiting heater. Earlier in the day, Auburn received a commitment from ATH Derrick Smith, the top-ranked recruit in Auburn’s class.

Auburn’s class now sits at No. 6 overall in the On3 Industry Rankings while LSU hangs tight at No. 3.

As far as safeties go, LSU will keep its attention on five-star [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag]. LSU’s chasing the No. 1 overall class title and landing Williams would certainly put the Tigers in that discussion.

Fegans pledge to Auburn was no surprise with the On3 Prediction Machine giving the Tigers a 92.3% chance of entering the day. LSU was considered a long shot, but Brian Kelly and staff were in the mix.

LSU also remains involved with three-star safety [autotag]CJ Jimcoily[/autotag] out of Tennessee, though Stanford is a contender there.

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Four-star safety Anquon Fegans commits to Auburn

Fegans is now the third consensus top five recruit from the state of Alabama to commit to Auburn. 

2025 four-star safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] commited to the Auburn Tigers on Monday night.

A consensus top five safety in the class, the Alabaster, Alabama native is now the third consensus top five recruit from the state to commit to Auburn.

Those three recruits, along with the abundance of others headed to the Plains in 2025, have given Hugh Freeze and his staff a top five recruiting class next season. Auburn also currently holds a consensus top three 2026 recruiting class. Those rankings, combined with the feeling surrounding the Tigers, was a key factor in Fegans decision.

When speaking about Auburn’s recruiting upswing, the highly-touted safety spoke about the importance of momentum.

“I can feel [the momentum] when I come here… you can see it. It’s very important because you can be apart of something special that’s getting better.”

Fegens, who was once verbally committed to USC, chose the Tigers over rivals Alabama, LSU, and Georgia, among plenty of other highly regarded college football programs. In his high school career at Thompson, Auburn’s newest recruit has accumulated 18 interceptions, 176 tackles, and five tackles for a loss over 41 games.

With Auburn’s current secondary being one of the most unproven units on the roster, Fegans could display his elite ball hawking skills as soon as next season.

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Four-Star ATH Derick Smith flips from Alabama to Auburn

Smith had been committed to the Crimson Tide since March of this year

2025 four-star athlete [autotag]Derick Smith[/autotag] flipped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn on Monday. A consensus top 50 recruit in the 2025 class, Smith had been committed to the Crimson Tide since March of this year. His decision to change his commitment comes just a day after the conclusion of ‘Big Cat Weekend’.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound athlete has spent time at both wide receiver and free safety during his high school career at Southside in Selma, AL. While most of his highlights have come on offense, Auburn’s current roster makeup seemingly has bigger needs on the defensive side of the ball. Whether Smith ends up playing receiver, safety, or both, on the Plains remains to be seen.

Auburn’s consensus top 10 2025 recruiting class continues to make strides towards the top 5 following a very successful ‘Big Cat Weekend’ from Hugh Freeze and his staff. The commitment of Smith gives the Tigers another incoming top 100 recruit to add to the roster in 2025.

That class could gain another star recruit as soon as Monday afternoon as four-star safety target [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] is set to announce his commitment soon. If Fegans were to join Smith on the Plains, it may push Smith towards playing more receiver right away.

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Former Auburn 2025 commit joins long list of Big Cat Weekend visitors

Auburn will get another chance to land a solid 2025 linebacker during the most important recruiting weekend of the year.

This weekend, Auburn will roll out the red carpet for its most crucial targets for Big Cat Weekend.

This weekend, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his staff will host several notable recruits. Among those names are those who have already committed and those who are pledged elsewhere. There will also be a special case for one recruit: trying to win him back.

[autotag]Tyler Lockhart[/autotag], a four-star linebacker from Winona, Mississippi, is scheduled to return to the Plains this weekend after backing off his pledge to Auburn last month.

Lockhart has not joined another recruiting class since de-committing from Auburn, but it is heavily speculated that he is heading to Mississippi State to join his brother, 2024 signee TJ Lockhart. On3 has given the Bulldogs a 93.7% chance to land Lockhart while three 247Sports recruiting experts have given Mississippi State a crystal ball in favor of Lockhart.

Lockhart becomes the next target for Auburn to sway this weekend. Four-star safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] and four-star EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], both from Thompson High School in Alabaster, will announce their commitments shortly after Big Cat Weekend. Could Lockhart join them by reaffirming his pledge?

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