auburn recruiting – Syndication Server

‘This is a good day for us.’ Hugh Freeze recaps 2025 Early Signing Day

Freeze is excited for his 2025 recruiting haul to get to campus so he can continue to build a successful program.

Auburn football remains in “rebuild mode” after a 5-7 season in 2024.

However, after the success of the 2025 recruiting cycle, this chapter in Auburn’s football history appears to be nearing its end.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff secured the No. 6 recruiting class for the 2025 cycle on Wednesday when it signed 25 recruits. Freeze shared his thoughts on the class following the busy day, declaring Auburn’s 2025 class to be a sign of great things to come.

“I’m really excited; this is a good day for us,” Freeze said Wednesday. “Today is one of those days where the first emotion you probably feel is relief and excitement is the next one. It looks like we’ll finish with another Top 10 class, one of the tops in the SEC; I’ve been very clear since my arrival that I thought it would take three Top 10 classes in a row to get to where it’s apples to apples. Let’s get these guys here and continue to change our roster.”

Freeze and the staff took a step forward on Wednesday by signing the No. 6 class, two spots higher than the 2024 haul which included key players such as [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag]. Freeze is pleased with the players he signed but understands that development is the next step toward success.

“Now, it’s our job to develop and create a culture with those young men,” Freeze said. “Our vision here is very clear and I think today is a sign that good players see it, their families see it and it’s a validation that we’re on the right track.”

The Auburn Tigers added 25 players to its 2025 roster on Wednesday, headlined by five-star EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], five-star DL [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], and five-star QB [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. For a full rundown of Auburn’s 2025 signees, click here.

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Why three-star DL Darrion Smith flipped to sign with Auburn over Tennessee

Smith joins high school teammates Bryce Deas and Blake Woodby by signing with Auburn.

Opening day of the early signing period is flipping to the afternoon hours, and Auburn has already taken a prized recruit away from an SEC rival.

Hayes Fawcett of On3 reports that Auburn has officially flipped [autotag]Darrion Smith[/autotag], a three-star defensive lineman from Baltimore, Maryland, from Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers.

How did Auburn pull off the flip? They can credit their performance against Texas A&M as a major factor.

Smith took his official visit to Auburn during the weekend of Nov. 23 for the Texas A&M game and came away impressed with Auburn’s 43-41, double-overtime win over the Aggies. He broke down his visit with Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live.

“It was definitely amazing,” Smith said of his official visit to Auburn in November. “It was one of the best college visits I have had. The game, I don’t even know what type of words to put it in. It was a thriller. It was definitely the craziest game I have been to so far.”

It helped matters that he is teammates with two fellow 2025 Auburn commits: [autotag]Bryce Deas[/autotag] and [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag]. Deas was the first St. Francis prospect to commit to Auburn, doing so in June. Woodby followed suit by committing to Auburn during Big Cat Weekend in July.

The trio has officially signed with Auburn, becoming part of one of the nation’s top classes for the 2025 cycle.

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Brotherly love: Auburn inks brothers Derick, Erick Smith to 2025 class

The pair from Selma will bring plenty of talent to Auburn’s receiver room.

When receiving gifts, it is always better to get them in pairs.

Auburn secured two gifts on Wednesday in the form of brothers Derick and Erick Smith, as the pair from Selma signed with Hugh Freeze’s program.

[autotag]Derick Smith[/autotag] committed to Auburn’s program after a successful stay at Big Cat Weekend, joining the Tigers’ 2025 haul in July after previously pledging to Alabama. The four-star receiver is the No. 5 receiver from the 2025 cycle and is the No. 9 player from Alabama.

[autotag]Erick Smith[/autotag] brings quite a presence to Auburn’s receiver room as well by standing at 6-6 and weighing 190 pounds. He did not receive as much attention from recruiting sites as he is only tabbed a three-star. However, he made an impact this season at Southside by recording 116 receiving yards per game and is sure to be a force in Auburn’s receiving game over the next several seasons.

Derick and Erick are two of three wide receiver commits who are expected to sign with Auburn this week. At the time of this post, three-star wide receiver commit Sam Turner has not signed.

Five-star quarterback Deuce Knight signs with Auburn over Ole Miss

Auburn signs the five-star QB from Mississippi despite late flip attempt by Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels.

Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels worked tirelessly to flip Auburn commit [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] in the days leading up to the early signing period. However, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will get the last laugh at the end of the day.

Knight, a five-star quarterback from Lucedale, Mississippi, flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Auburn in October. On Wednesday, he honored his commitment to the Tigers by signing during the first day of the early signing period, spurning Kiffin and his home-state Ole Miss Rebels.

Knight visited Ole Miss several times after committing to Auburn, most recently for the Rebels’ win over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl last Saturday. Talks of a possible flip began with David Johnson of 247Sports submitting a “crystal ball” prediction for Knight to flip to Ole Miss in November. However, Auburn never waivered and ultimately ended up with Knight in their 2025 recruiting haul.

Knight had a spectacular senior season at George County High School, where he passed for 2,082 yards and 24 touchdowns, throwing just five interceptions. On the ground, Knight added 450 yards and nine touchdowns to his overall total. In 26 total games as a high school quarterback, Knight completed 57% (324-of-560) passes for 5,618 yards and 50 touchdowns while adding 1,282 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground.

Knight is a 6-4, 206-pound quarterback from Lucedale, Mississippi, and is the No. 4 quarterback from the 2025 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. He will compete alongside [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], and a possible transfer quarterback for the role of QB1 next fall for the Tigers.

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Auburn football lands five-star DL Malik Autry. Why he signed with the Tigers

Auburn fights off Ohio State and Florida to sign the five-star DL from Opelika. Why did Autry elect to stay home?

Auburn football has secured one of its important commitments as [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag] has officially signed with the Tigers.

Autry, a five-star defensive lineman from nearby Opelika, signed with Auburn on Wednesday morning, choosing [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s program over schools such as Ohio State and Florida, who made a late push to snag Autry away from Auburn.

How did Auburn beat out the Buckeyes and Gators? Last week, Autry publicly shut down his recruitment, citing that his time at Opelika High School prepared him for the situation he will endure at Auburn.

“Going to all the other schools made me realize what I really wanted,” Autry said in an interview with Auburn Undercover ($). “My high school, my sophomore year we went 5-5, my junior year we went 4-6 and this past year we went 9-3 with a second round exit but just to see our team turnaround really shows me that — I had opportunities to go play for Central-Phenix City and IMG and all those big-time programs — but to stick it out and fight with your brothers and fight for a place you really love does mean more than just joining something that’s already established. That’s kind of been my mindset and helped me narrow down my decision and let me know that Auburn was home.”

Autry joins a long list of recruits that have officially signed with Auburn for the 2025 cycle including five-star EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and four-star safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag]. He is a 6-5, 320-pound defensive lineman from Opelika, Alabama, and is the No. 5 defensive lineman in the nation according to 247Sports composite rankings.

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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)

Five-star DL Malik Autry shuts down recruitment

Malik Autry is one of Auburn’s top commits for the 2025 cycle. How strong is his commitment to Hugh Freeze and the Tigers?

The drama surrounding college football recruiting is about to heat up ahead of the early signing period, which begins next week.

How many of Auburn’s 27 commits will fulfill their pledges? How many more will join? Those questions will fill every Auburn fan’s mind until the period ends on Friday, Dec. 6. However, one of Auburn’s top commits has chosen to ease the minds of Auburn fans and coaches by shutting down his recruitment and will with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s program next week.

[autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], a five-star defensive lineman from nearby Opelika High School, announced Monday that he is shutting down his recruitment and will sign with Auburn next Wednesday. When asked about his decision to focus solely on Auburn, he reflected on his time as an Opelika Bulldog and compared it to the progression of Auburn’s current state.

Autry’s shutdown is a great sign for what’s to come for Auburn ahead of early signing day. Several 247Sports recruiting analysts recently forecasted a flip to Ole Miss by top commits [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag]. However, forecasts from several sites including Steve Wiltfong of On3 suggest that Alabama’s top recruit for the 2025 cycle, [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag], could flip to Auburn from Ohio State.

Recruiting will be a hot topic over the next week, so having Autry’s firm commitment is a sigh of relief for Auburn fans everywhere.

Five-star CB Na’eem Offord plans surprise visit to the Plains

Will Auburn close the deal and flip the top in-state recruit from his pledge to Ohio State?

The Early Signing Period is less than two weeks away, and Auburn has been given the opportunity to win over one of the top recruits in the nation.

[autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag], Alabama’s top recruit from the 2025 recruiting cycle, is paying a visit to the Plains for Auburn’s game with No. 14 Texas A&M on Saturday, giving [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] another opportunity to flip Offord from his pledge to Ohio State.

According to a report from Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, Offord’s visit surprises Auburn’s coaching staff as his name was not originally on the visitors list for Saturday’s game. Saturday will also mark the fourth time the five-star CB from Birmingham has visited Auburn this season.

Offord joins four-star RB and Georgia pledge [autotag]Ousmane Kromah[/autotag] and three-star RB [autotag]Zion Johnson[/autotag] as 2025 recruits who are taking unofficial visits to Auburn this weekend while five 2025 recruits, including five-star DL Justus Terry, are on official visits according to Auburn Undercover.

Offord is the No. 11 recruit from the 2025 cycle according to 247Sports, and is the No. 2 cornerback in addition to being the No. 1 recruit from Alabama. Auburn holds a “flip” prediction from 247Sports national recruiting analyst Tom Loy. Will Auburn close the deal this weekend?

Five-star DL Justus Terry set to take official visit to Auburn

Auburn will make one final push this weekend to land one of the nation’s top defensive linemen in the 2025 cycle.

Auburn football will host Texas A&M on Saturday for what will be a critical game for a postseason bid. It will also be a crucial weekend for recruiting as one of the nation’s top defensive linemen will be on campus to take his official visit.

[autotag]Justus Terry[/autotag], a five-star defensive lineman from Manchester, Georgia, will take his official visit to Auburn as the beginning of the early signing period inches closer.

Terry’s recruitment has been a whirlwind to this point. He committed to his home state program, Georgia, in January 2023 before backing off in favor of flipping to USC in March. However, his commitment to the Trojans lasted three months as he announced his de-commitment from Lincoln Riley’s program on June 19.

Since then, Terry has officially visited Texas and Alabama according to 247Sports, with Auburn next on his docket. Before de-committing from USC, Terry took official visits to Florida State and Georgia.

Auburn wants to add to its impressive defensive line haul for 2025. The Tigers have already landed the commitments of four-star linemen [autotag]Nathaniel Marshall[/autotag], [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], [autotag]Antonio Coleman[/autotag], and [autotag]Jourdin Crawford[/autotag], and landing Terry would be the icing on the cake.

However, Auburn coaches must put on a near-perfect performance to sway Terry to the Plains. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Georgia a 95.8% chance to win back Terry’s commitment, while five 247Sports writers have logged “crystal ball predictions” for Georgia to land Terry.

Terry is a 6-4 275-pound defensive lineman who has earned five-star status from every major recruiting outlet. He is the nation’s No. 2 defensive lineman and ranks as high as the No. 2 overall recruit from Georgia for the 2025 cycle according to Rivals and 247Sports.

Auburn becomes frontrunner to land four-star DL Joseph Mbatchou

Mbatchou will visit the Plains this weekend for Auburn’s game with Vanderbilt. Can Hugh Freeze and staff close the deal?

Auburn football is hosting one of the top defensive linemen from the 2025 class this weekend, which could ultimately close the deal.

[autotag]Joseph Mbatchou[/autotag], a four-star defensive lineman from Loganville, Georgia, is set to visit the Plains for Auburn’s game with Vanderbilt on Saturday, marking the third time he has taken in an Auburn game this season.

This visit could be crucial says On3’s VP of recruiting Steve Wiltfong, who, along with On3 recruiting expert Chad Simmons, has logged a prediction for Auburn to add Mbatchou to its highly-rated 2025 signing class ahead of his visit.

Wiltfong says that Auburn’s director of recruiting [autotag]Kenyatta Watson[/autotag] and defensive line coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag] have played a large role in Mbatchou’s recruitment, which has allowed Auburn to stay ahead of Texas and USC in the race for his signature.

Following the submitted predictions from Wiltfong and Simmons, Auburn now has a 92.7% chance to sign Mbatchou according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. Mbatchou is the No. 31 defensive lineman from the 2025 recruiting class according to On3’s industry ranking and is the No. 38 overall recruit from Georgia for the 2025 cycle.