auburn recruiting – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Four-star LB Elijah Melendez announces commitment to Auburn ahead of New Mexico game

Melendez pledges to Auburn after backing off his commitment to Miami in August.

Two weeks after backing off his pledge to Miami, four-star linebacker [autotag]Elijah Melendez[/autotag] has found a new home.

Melendez, a four-star linebacker from Osceola High School (Fla.), announced Saturday that he has committed to Auburn. The news comes hours before the Tigers’ homecoming contest with New Mexico at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Melendez broke down his commitment with Chad Simmons of On3. He shares that Auburn fans’ love of their university played a role in his decision to commit to Hugh Freeze’s program.

“It’s amazing because the fans don’t just love Auburn football,” Melendez said in an interview with On3. “They love Auburn. They love everything about the school and the football team. It feels like the fans appreciate everything about Auburn. The atmosphere is amazing.”

Melendez also tells Simmons that he believes that Auburn is a great cultural fit for him, citing the city of Auburn and the coaching styles and personality traits of the men that will one day lead him.

“Auburn has a real deal college town and is an SEC program,” Melendez said. “They are on the come up. ([autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag]) is all about energy, passion and playing hard. ([autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]) is all about faith, believing in yourself and believing in things. It’s where I fit in.”

Melendez is a four-star rated linebacker according to On3, Rivals, and ESPN. He is the No. 4 overall linebacker from the 2025 cycle according to ESPN and Rivals, and ranks as high as No. 20 among 2025 Florida recruits.

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Four-star RB Ousmane Kromah expected to visit Auburn this weekend

One of Auburn’s top targets is expected to visit the Plains for Auburn’s game with New Mexico on Saturday night.

Another weekend of football on the Plains is set to commence, and with it comes another star-studded list of visiting recruits. Among this weekend’s expected visitors is a priority running back target from the 2025 cycle, four-star [autotag]Ousmane Kromah[/autotag].

According to Keegan Pope of On3, Kromah is set to visit Auburn this weekend after originally planning to check out South Carolina for their game with LSU. Steve Wiltfong of On3 reported that Kromah could visit Auburn instead of South Carolina, Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live later confirmed that Kromah is expected to visit the Plains for Saturday’s game.

Kromah’s decision to visit Auburn instead of South Carolina is important as he is closing in on a decision date. The Leesburg, Georgia native told On3 recently that he plans to announce his commitment in late September or early October. This weekend’s visit will be his fourth since the summer months began. He has already taken in one game this season, Auburn’s 73-3 win over Alabama A&M to kick off the 2024 season.

Kromah is the No. 4 running back for the 2025 cycle according to On3’s Industry Rankings and ranks as high as No. 10 among Georgia recruits for the class. Auburn is in a great position to seal the deal for Kromah as they currently have a 92.3% chance to land him according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. If Kromah commits to Auburn, he will be paired with another fellow running back, [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag], giving Auburn stability at the position for a few seasons.

Report: Deuce Knight to visit Auburn for second-straight weekend

Four-star Notre Dame pledge will be on Auburn’s campus this weekend to watch the Tigers battle Cal.

Auburn football will get another chance to sway Notre Dame commit [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] this weekend.

According to a report from Steve Wiltfong of On3, Knight is returning to Auburn this weekend to watch the Tigers face California at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Knight was a part of a star-studded visitor list for Auburn’s season opener against Alabama A&M last weekend that included four-star linebacker [autotag]Elijah Melendez[/autotag], four-star running back [autotag]Ousmane Kromah[/autotag], and Alabama’s top 2025 recruit, [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag].

According to Wiltfong, Knight has built relationships with Hugh Freeze and the director of recruiting Kenyatta Watson has led to the upward trend. Also, the possibility of playing quarterback in the SEC intrigues Knight.

Although still committed to Notre Dame, Knight has remained a high priority for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers. Rumors began circulating about a possible flip since Big Cat Weekend in July, an event Knight attended. The Lucedale, Mississippi native has a 91.1% forecast from On3 to flip to Auburn while Steve Robertson and Tom Loy of 247Sports have submitted flip predictions in favor of Auburn.

Knight is a top-10 quarterback according to all major recruiting outlets for the 2025 class and ranks as high as No. 2 in the state of Mississippi.

Auburn receives expert prediction to land four-star RB Ousmane Kromah

Kromah was one of many high-profile targets to visit Auburn over the weekend. Has Auburn officially closed the deal?

Auburn football convincingly won its season opener over the weekend. Not only was it a successful weekend on the gridiron, but the Tigers also notched a win on the recruiting trail.

Several key targets were on hand to watch Auburn dismantle Alabama A&M on Saturday, including four-star running back [autotag]Ousmane Kromah[/autotag]. Kromah, a native of Leesburg, Georgia, told Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live that his visit went better than he expected.

The experience, just being around all the people, was way better than the last time I was here … 100 percent,” Kromah said. “It just made me like Auburn way more.”

Following Kromah’s visit, On3’s Chad Simmons and Steve Wiltfong logged predictions that favored Auburn to land the four-star back. Wiltfong says that Auburn appears to be the frontrunner despite Kromah’s upcoming visits to Georgia and South Carolina. Simmons says that he personally likes Auburn’s chances to add Kromah to their 2025 haul even more than he did in June when Auburn flipped four-star running back Alvin Henderson from Penn State.

Following the predictions from Wiltfong and Simmons, Auburn now has a 90.1% chance to sign Kromah, with Florida State, Tennessee, and Georgia next in line. Kromah is considered a top-10 running back by every major recruiting outlet and ranks as high as No. 75 nationally according to Rivals.

Georgia Tech WR commit Sam Turner schedules official visit to Auburn

Auburn is looking to snag the three-star receiver away from an up-and-coming ACC program. Can the Tigers get it done?

Auburn football will have the opportunity to flip one of the nation’s top signal callers this weekend when Notre Dame pledge [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] pays a visit to campus. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and staff will have another chance to sway a talented receiver at the end of September.

[autotag]Sam Turner[/autotag], a three-star wide receiver from Southwest DeKalb High School (Ga.), has scheduled an official visit to Auburn for the weekend of Sept. 27-29, the same weekend the Tigers host Oklahoma at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Turner has been a Georgia Tech pledge since June, but Auburn feels confident in their chances to sign him to their 2025 signing class.

Last month, Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live submitted a flip prediction in favor of Auburn landing Turner. As it stands, Auburn has an 87.5% chance to flip Turner according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. Turner shares that Auburn’s priority of faith and Freeze’s development of wide receivers is intriguing to Turner.

“What stands out about him is his faith,” Turner said of wide receivers coach Marcus Davis. “He leads on faith. That’s big for me and my family. That’s what he preached today and the culture. Just the tradition and trying to build on that. He said Coach (Hugh) Freeze has produced a lot of receivers like Van Jefferson and DK Metcalf and Laquon Treadwell, Elijah Moore. It’s a place of development for receivers and I believe that.”

Turner is a three-star rated wide receiver by 247Sports, On3, and ESPN while Rivals rates him as a four-star. According to On3’s Industry Ratings, Turner is the No. 74 wide receiver from the 2025 class and the No. 51 recruit from Georgia.

Four star DL Nate Marshall flips commitment from Michigan to Auburn

Auburn snags the nation’s No. 12 defensive lineman for their 2025 haul.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has done it again.

In what has become a common theme with his recruiting strategy, Freeze has flipped another talented recruit away from a national power. On Friday, four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Nate Marshall[/autotag] announced that he has swapped his pledge to Auburn after spending the last four months as a Michigan commit.

Marshall’s commitment comes days after four recruiting experts from 247Sports and three others from On3 projected the flip. During a visit to the Plains in June, Marshall told Auburn Undercover that the Tigers were Michigan’s greatest competitor in his recruitment.

“Every time I come to Auburn, it feels like home,” Marshall said. “Now I really have just got to make that choice (between Auburn and Michigan) — those are really the last ones.”

Marshall is a four-star defensive lineman according to all major recruiting outlets. He is the top defensive lineman for the 2025 class according to Rivals and ranks as high as No. 29 overall for the cycle. With Marshall’s commitment, Auburn ranks No. 5 in both 247Sports and On3’s 2025 recruiting rankings.

Auburn commits, targets clutter Prep Redzone’s top 2026 recruit rankings

Auburn has dominated the in-state recruiting game recently, and looks to continue its streak in 2026.

Auburn football has dominated the in-state recruiting scene lately and is in a prime position to continue the trend in 2026.

Prep Redzone recently updated their 2026 recruiting rankings for Alabama, and the list is cluttered with Auburn commits and prospects. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Tigers claim two top-five recruits in the updated rankings and are in the running to land two more.

Auburn linebacker commit [autotag]Shadarius Toodle[/autotag] checks in at No. 5, one spot below fellow Auburn pledge [autotag]Hezekiah Harris[/autotag], an EDGE from Huntsville. Prep Redzone’s Cooper Morreale says that Harris, the state’s No. 1 defensive lineman, will play a key role in Mae Jemison High School’s defensive success this season.

Hezekiah Harris is a fantastic defensive lineman out of Mae Jemison that has been one of the top 5 prospects in our 2026 Rankings for a while now. Harris possesses a rare combination of size, athleticism, and exceptional pass-rushing skills that have made him an outstanding player on Mae Jemison’s defensive front. Harris is a constant threat to opposing quarterbacks with how well he rushes the passer. Every snap Harris rushes the passer he can consistently overwhelm and beat offensive linemen to generate pressure and take down the quarterback. Harris is also terrific against the run- he uses his size to eat up space, can easily shed blocks, and frequently takes down the ball carrier at or behind the line of scrimmage. With how well he’s played the last few years, Harris has become a highly recruited prospect and recently committed to Auburn earlier this summer. Be sure to watch out for Harris this fall, he and this Mae Jemison defense have the potential to be one of the top units in the state.

Auburn is also pursuing No. 3 [autotag]Cederian Morgan[/autotag] (WR, Alexander City) and No. 1 [autotag]Anthony Jones[/autotag] (LB, Mobile). Morgan is projected to sign with Auburn’s 2026 class while Alabama remains Auburn’s biggest threat to sign Jones. Morreale says that Jones is undoubtedly the best prospect the state has to offer from the 2026 class.

Anthony Jones is the #1 prospect in our 2026 Rankings and rightfully so, he’s been phenomenal for Saint Paul’s Episcopal’s defense over the last two years. Jones is a fantastic linebacker prospect that plays with a ton of athleticism, aggression, and physicality. Jones can do everything that his coaches ask of him- he’s a terrific pass rusher, can set the edge, attack the run, and is always around the ball impacting plays. It’s seriously impressive watching Jones’ effort on the field, he doesn’t give up on plays, has great pursuit, and consistently finds ways to disrupt offenses throughout all four quarters. Jones had himself a huge sophomore season last fall- he ended the year with 102 total tackles (10 for loss), 10 sacks, and 5 pass breakups on the season. With how well he’s played the last two years Jones has been highly recruited- he has picked up offers from Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky, and more! Keep an eye on Jones this fall, he’s a heck of a talent and the number-one player in our 2026 class for a reason!

Four-star linebacker commit [autotag]Jamichael Garrett[/autotag] is another notable name within Prep Redzone’s rankings by checking in at No. 12.

Auburn becomes favorite to land 2026 wide receiver Cederian Morgan

Auburn is trending upward for the top in-state recruit from the 2026 class.

Auburn won the sweepstakes for four-star wide receiver and Alexander City native [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] during the 2024 recruiting cycle. Now, the Tigers are working towards landing one of Simmons’ former teammates and are in a great position to do so.

Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live has submitted a prediction for Auburn to land [autotag]Cederian Morgan[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver from Benjamin Russell High School in nearby Alexander City. Pinkston’s prediction is made with 60% confidence.

Morgan most recently visited Auburn during Big Cat Weekend last month, and is expected to pay a visit to the Plains for an upcoming game says Pinkston. During his time at Big Cat Weekend, Morgan told On3 that Auburn is high on his list due to his relationship with former high school teammate, Simmons.

“It’s very important (Simmons is at Auburn),” Morgan said in a recent interview with On3. “I want to go somewhere where I know the people. We’re cool and locked in, but with Malcolm we’ve always bonded. It would be like another home, basically.”

With Pinkston’s prediction, Auburn now has a 93.8% chance to sign Morgan to its 2026 recruiting class. Outside of Auburn… Alabama, Clemson, and Florida remain in the hunt. Morgan is the No. 2 wide receiver nationally and the No. 1 recruit from Alabama for the 2026 cycle according to 247Sports.

Four-star QB Deuce Knight locks in visit to Auburn

The saga involving Auburn and Notre Dame QB commit Deuce Knight continues.

The saga involving Auburn football and 2025 QB [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag] continues.

Knight, a four-star quarterback from George County High School in Lucedale, Mississippi, has been locked in with Notre Dame since Sept. 18, 2023, but Auburn has remained persistent in its pursuit of the talented signal caller. So much so that several recruiting experts have submitted predictions for the Tigers to flip Knight from Notre Dame.

The speculation of said flip has grown even more this week. According to Steve Wiltfong of On3, Knight has scheduled a visit to the Plains for the Tigers’ season opener against Alabama A&M on Aug. 31.

Wiltfong shares that Knight is interested in playing for an SEC program, which has caused Auburn and a home-state school, Ole Miss, to remain in the picture. Knight’s relationships with head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and director of recruiting research and strategy [autotag]Kenyatta Watson[/autotag] have grown over the past year, and he has gotten to know Auburn’s talented freshmen receivers on a more personal level. Those aspects of his recruitment have led to the speculation that Knight could end his recruitment as a member of Auburn’s 2025 signing class.

Knight is a four-star rated quarterback by every major recruiting outlet and ranks as high as No. 2 at his position nationally. At the time of this post, Auburn has a 74.6% chance to flip Knight from his pledge to Notre Dame according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

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.