Tag: ashley williams

Flipping season: Four impactful commitments Auburn hopes to earn

There is just over a week until the early signing period begins, and Hugh Freeze is working to sway these four players from their current commitments.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has been given the tall task to boost the Tigers’ stock in recruiting ahead of the early signing period that begins Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Auburn currently ranks No. 57 in 247Sports’ 2023 rankings. The Tigers were as high as No. 32 before the recent de-commits from three-star defensive linemen [autotag]Jamarrion Harkless[/autotag] and [autotag]Ashley Williams[/autotag].

Since taking over as Auburn’s head coach on Nov. 28, Freeze has hit the recruiting trail hard, along with his assistant coaches. Among those being pursued by Freeze are two teammates from Carver High School in Montgomery, James Smith and Qua Russaw. The pair remain uncommitted but spent plenty of time on campus during the season. Zac Etheridge has kept them close, but Freeze will need to close.

There are four targets, however, that are committed elsewhere but have a great chance to be flipped. Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports says that Auburn is working on flipping four players, including two that are current SEC pledges.

[autotag]Tony Mitchell[/autotag], a five-star safety from power Thompson High School in Alabaster, visited Auburn three times during the season and is expected to visit the Plains again this upcoming weekend. The Alabama commit tells Auburn Undercover that he loves Hugh Freeze’s energy. (Subscription required).

Another SEC commit that Auburn is trying to pursue is four-star quarterback [autotag]Marcel Reed[/autotag]. Reed, who had not appeared on Auburn’s radar until this week, will be in town for an official visit. Auburn joins [autotag]Texas A&M[/autotag] as programs trying to lure the Nashville product away from Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss.

Two others that will be in town this weekend will be Michigan State commit [autotag]Colton Hood[/autotag], and Miami commit [autotag]Connor Lew[/autotag]. Despite being committed elsewhere, Auburn has remained heavy in their pursuit.

Three-star EDGE rusher decommits from Auburn

The 2023 prospect cites recent changes in the coaching staff as the reason for re-opening his recruitment.

Auburn has suffered another de-commitment this week from the 2023 recruiting class.

[autotag]Ashley Williams[/autotag], a three-star EDGE rusher from Zachary, Louisiana, announced Thursday that he is no longer committed to Auburn, and will re-open his recruitment. He cited that recent changes within the staff led to his decision.

“I would like to thank all the coaches and staff at Auburn that recruited me and believed in my talent,” Williams said in a tweet. “However, after recent staff changes and conversations with my family, I have decided to recommit from Auburn and reevaluate other opportunities.”

Williams flipped from Nebraska to Auburn in August after a heavy pursuit by Bryan Harsin.

“Auburn is one of the only schools that’s still talking to me after my commitment,” he said. “That means a lot. Auburn is still in my heart.”

Williams has not paid a visit to a college campus since taking his official visit to Auburn in September. This calendar year, Williams has visited Florida State, Nebraska, and Minnesota.

Both On3 and 247Sports feel that Auburn still has a great shot at landing Williams despite his recent change of heart. On3’s recruiting prediction machine gives Auburn a 79.8% chance to sign Williams, while four writers at 247Sports have forecasted Williams to sign with Auburn. At the time of this post, Auburn has three 2023 commits that play defensive line… [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], [autotag]Wilky Denaud[/autotag], and [autotag]Brenton Williams[/autotag].

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Auburn makes top 6 for elite EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.

Auburn is looking to build a great class at EDGE, this would be a massive step in doing that.

Auburn is looking to build an elite defensive line class in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

They already have commitments from four-star edge rushers [autotag]Ashley Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Wilky Denuad[/autotag] and are a finalist for a third.

Four-star edge rusher [autotag]Rueben Bain Jr.[/autotag] announced his top six schools Wednesday and will be deciding between Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, FSU, Louisville, and Miami.

The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Bain is from Miami, Florida, and is one of the best recruits in the country.

He is ranked as the No. 89 overall player and No. 10 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 13 player from Florida.

He primarily plays edge and is being recruited by Auburn to play edge but has a chance to keep growing and could be forced to move inside. Either way, he looks like someone who will excel at pressuring the quarterback.

He was incredibly disruptive as a junior, making 60 tackles, 48.5 of which were for a loss and 29.5 were sacks.

While Bain has made multiple trips to Auburn, it will be quite a steal for the Tigers to land him. Not only is he from Miami but his older brother is a graduate assistant for the Hurricanes and his uncle was a four-year starter at defensive back for them in the 1980s.

However, has made multiple trips to Auburn and the Tigers have a shot.

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Auburn commit Ashley Williams: ‘Auburn is home for me’

The four-star edge rusher is one of Auburn’s most important recruits.

Ashley Williams is one of Auburn’s most important commits in the 2023 class and he showed why last week.

The four-star edge rusher played on national television Thursday and rose to the occasion. According to On3’s Sam Spiegelman, he finished with multiple quarterback pressures and showed why he is on the rise.

“Williams flew around the edge and collapsed the pocket on multiple occasions, and was equally as impactful in pursuit to the sideline to cut off rushing lanes.

Williams’ high motor was on display and was a key part of Zachary’s second-half shutout on defense. The Auburn commit is able to outmaneuver opposing linemen and breeze around them, and he’s really just beginning to scratch the surface.”

Williams also spoke with Spiegelman about his commitment to Auburn and confirmed his pledge to the Tigers.

“Really, since I first committed, I haven’t spoken to any other coaches,” Williams said. “Auburn is home for me. The relationships with Coach Roc (Bellantoni) and Coach (Bryan) Harsin and the other members of the defensive staff … The atmosphere over there, I love it over there. I can play there early, and that’s good.”

Auburn is already thin at the edge position and with Derick Hall, Eku Leota and Marcus Bragg expected to move on after the season, the Tigers have to land multiple edge players in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

That starts with Williams who is the No. 347 overall player and No. 37 edge rusher in the 247Sports Composite ranking. The Zachary, Louisianna, native is also the No. 18 player from Louisiana.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Williams does not currently have any visits scheduled but is planning to return to Auburn once his football season ends.

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Auburn extends offer to top ranked JUCO offensive tackle

Auburn extended an offer to four-star offensive tackle Isaiah Jatta, who played with Keionte Scott last season.

Auburn signed an elite junior college class last season. The Tigers landed the No. 1 overall player (Jeffrey M’ba), the No. 1 cornerback (Keionte Scott), and the No. 1 safety (Marquise Gilbert).

The Tigers are once again going after the best talent in the junior college ranks, on Friday they extended an offer to four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Isaiah Jatta[/autotag].

The San Diego, California native is ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in junior college in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 3 overall player.

While the 6-foot-6, 310-pound Jatta is committed to SEC rival South Carolina, he is a former teammate of Scott’s, both attended Snow College last season.

[autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] has acknowledged that the coaching staff is not afraid to keep recruiting players who are committed elsewhere. They already successfully flipped four-star edge [autotag]Ashley Williams[/autotag] from Nebraska, and doing so with Jetta would be massive for the class.

Another thing the Tigers may have going for them is that Jatta could come in and immediately compete for a starting spot. Four of the Tiger’s offensive tackles are seniors and could potentially move on after the 2022 season.

Auburn is looking to sign multiple offensive tackles in the 2023 signing class and is expected to pursue high school recruits, JUCO players, and transfers. The Tigers currently have a commitment from four-star interior offensive lineman [autotag]Bradyn Joiner[/autotag] but are still looking for their first tackle.

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Nebraska de-commit Ashley Williams lands with Auburn

The recruiting class of 2023 sees a recruit change their destination from Lincoln, Nebraska to the state of Alabama.

Ashley Williams, a 4-star EDGE in the class of 2023, committed to the Auburn Tigers on Wednesday, just days after de-committing from Nebraska and attending Auburn’s Big Cat event for recruits.

The rising high school senior’s pledge to the Huskers lasted just 21 days, after committing on July 10. One day after attending the Big Cat event, the Tigers wooed Williams, the No. 347-ranked recruit and No. 40-ranked EDGE according to On3, in the 2023 class into a de-commitment to the Huskers.

Despite his lean frame at 215 pounds, Williams racked up 14 sacks and 89 tackles in his junior year with Zachary (LA) High School, winning the 5A state championship in the process.

As far as why exactly Williams de-committed, he cited building a rapport with Auburn’s edge coach Roc Bellantoni.

“What stood out with Coach Roc was when he told me that if I go to Auburn, I would have to be on my A game because they are gonna need me first thing my freshman year,” Williams said in an interview with On3.

Another speculation into Williams’ de-commitment is playing time, with the Tigers losing three of their premiere edge rushers after the upcoming season, and only holding six players in their list of 2023 recruits to date.

On the other hand, Nebraska still boasts two 3-star EDGE commits in their 2023 recruiting class: Maverick Noonan from Elkhorn South High School in Omaha and Dylan Rodgers out of Cypress Woods (TX) High School.

The Cornhuskers’ 2023 recruiting class stands at 13 currently, headlined by 4-star wideout Omarion Miller and 4-star defensive lineman Riley Van Poppel.

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Auburn flips 4-star edge Ashley Williams from Nebraska

This is the first of several flips Auburn is looking to pull off.

[autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] has preached that Auburn will not give up on recruits when they commit elsewhere and that as the Tigers win games he envisions Auburn pulling off several flips.

Well, they pulled off their first flip on Wednesday, landing four-star edge [autotag]Ashley Williams[/autotag] who was originally committed to Nebraska.

The Zachary, Louisiana native is the latest top recruit that the Tigers have been able to land out of Louisiana. He is ranked as the No. 350 overall player and No. 37 edge rusher in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is the No. 18 player from Louisiana.

Williams is Auburn’s second edge rusher in the 2023 class, joining four-star [autotag]Wilky Denaud[/autotag], who committed to the Tigers on Saturday. The Tigers now have six commits, with all of them being four-star proepects.

Williams attended Auburn’s Big Cat event this past weekend and made it clear that Auburn was a major factor in his recruitment despite his commitment to Nebraska.

“Auburn is one of the only schools that’s still talking to me after my commitment,” he said. “That means a lot. Auburn is still in my heart.”

With both Denaud and Williams in the class, Auburn has two edge rushers that will have a chance to compete for playing time as true freshmen next season. Derick Hall and Marcus Bragg will be gone after this season and Eku Leota likely will as well. Expect Auburn to try to add at least one more edge in the class but they can now afford to go after some of the top edge rushers in the class.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Williams is coming off a dominant junior season for Zachary high school. He made 89 tackles, 22.0 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks, and forced two fumbles as he helped lead them to a 5A state championship.

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Can Auburn flip one of Georgia’s top recruits before December?

Four-star OT Bo Hughley has been a Georgia commit since last year. But, after a successful weekend on the Plains, could Auburn make him change his mind?

Auburn Football has roped in five commits for the 2023 cycle, with all of them being rated as four-star prospects by 247Sports.

Although the Auburn coaching staff is off to a quality start in their recruiting efforts, they are still looking for that one headlining commitment that could make the dominoes fall.

Auburn may have that guy within their reach, but they will need to fight off one of their main rivals in order to bring him to the Plains.

[autotag]Bo Hughley[/autotag], a four-star offensive tackle from Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Georgia, has been committed to Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs since last September. However, it appears that Auburn is making an 11th hour push to bring Hughley across state lines ahead of the December signing period.

Since Hughley’s commitment to Georgia, Auburn has remained in constant contact with him. Hughley even attended Big Cat Weekend. The mutual interest between Hughley and Auburn appears to continue growing. So much so, that Auburn Live’s Keith Niebuhr has predicted that Hughley will flip to Auburn.

However, On3’s Director of Recruiting, Chad Simmons, believes that a flip is not imminent, but says that anything is possible between now and December.

“Nothing is going to be official for the top-10 offensive tackle until December,” Simmons said. “This can change at any time, but based on two sources very close to this, I am hearing a flip or any type of change is not imminent for Hughley.”

In addition to Hughley, Auburn fans also need to keep an eye on four-star EDGE [autotag]Ashley Williams[/autotag]. Williams, the No. 20 prospect from Louisiana for the 2023 cycle, decommitted from Nebraska Sunday following Big Cat Weekend.

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Potential Auburn target decommits from Nebraska, gets Tigers Crystal Ball

Auburn could soon have an edge rusher join the 2023 class.

Auburn could see another four-star commitment for the 2023 class.

After edge rusher Ashley Williams out of Louisiana left Auburn’s “Big Cat” recruiting event over the weekend impressed, he announced on Sunday that we would be de-committing from the Cornhuskers. What’s more, 247Sports gave him a Crystal Ball to the Auburn Tigers shortly after.

Williams would be a significant get for the Tigers. Thus far, [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s 2023 recruiting class has been notably weak, with a current ranking of 69 on 247Sports. Auburn doesn’t have an edge rusher among those recruits, so Williams would bolster the class and allow the team to fill a hole it hadn’t been able to do so at this point.

Even with the addition of Williams, though, Auburn would still have a bit of a way to go to land a sizable 2023 class. The 2024 class has been looking up during Big Cat weekend, however, as Auburn landed two four-star recruits in quarterback Adrian Posse and cornerback A’Mon Lane. Bryan Harsin’s uncertain future may be a contributor to the weak class, but he will have his first opportunity to secure his position as head coach in early September when the Tigers host the Mercer Bears to kick off their season.

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2023 4-Star EDGE Decommits From Nebraska

A 2023 four-star EDGE has decommitted from Nebraska.

2023 four-star edge rusher Ashley Williams has decommitted from Nebraska. Williams announced his decision on Twitter.

“I would like to thank the University of Nebraska, Coach Scott Frost, and Coach Mickey Joseph for your time and effort during the recruitment process,” Williams wrote. “In light of recent events and lapse in communication, my family and I think it’s best that I decommit and refocus at this time. I want to express my gratitude for every opportunity and give a special shout out to Nebraska fans and Coach Joseph for his relentless efforts.”

Williams visited Auburn on July 30. The Tigers now appear to be the favorite to land Williams.

247 Sports Composite ranks Williams as the 37th-best edge rusher in the 2023 class.

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