auburn recruiting – Page 8 – Syndication Server

Alvin Henderson’s pledge to Auburn among top commitments of the week

Henderson’s decision to come “home” has boosted Auburn’s stock in this year’s recruiting rankings.

Auburn football received a pleasant surprise last week.

After missing out on four-star running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] in April to Penn State, Auburn found a way to reel him back in and flip his commitment. Henderson became Auburn’s fifth 2025 commitment of June last Friday, and arguably the most notable.

On3 dropped their selections for last week’s top commitments from across the country, and included Henderson’s pledge to Auburn on the list. Henderson’s flip from Penn State to Auburn was one that On3’s Collin Ginnan saw happening.

Alvin Henderson committed to Penn State on April 11 despite Auburn being a longtime favorite in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. On Friday, the Tigers flipped Henderson back to the home-state team.

Henderson shared his reasoning for the swap, saying that he feels Auburn is “home.”

“Auburn is home,” Henderson told On3 in a recent interview. “I really appreciate Penn State and I love it up there and their coaches, but Auburn is home. It always has been.”

Henderson’s commitment bumped Auburn to No. 4 in 247Sports’ 2025 recruiting rankings, which is a six-spot increase from their No. 10 ranking to begin the month of June. Henderson joined four-star OT [autotag]Broderick Shull[/autotag], four-star safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag], and four-star CB [autotag]Donovan Starr[/autotag] by committing to Auburn this month.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Auburn continues trending upward for 2026 LB Shadarius Toodle

Toodle will announce his commitment next month, and Auburn appears to be the frontrunner according to one recruiting expert.

Auburn football has been on an upward trend for 2026 linebacker [autotag]Shadarius Toodle[/autotag] since his visit to campus in February. Now that is commitment date is on deck, Auburn appears to be the program to beat for his signature.

Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live has submitted a prediction in favor of Auburn landing the four-star linebacker from Mobile ahead of Toodle’s July 4 commitment date.

Toodle has racked up several impressive offers since January, and released his top 10 programs earlier this month. In addition to Auburn, Toodle is considering LSU, Texas A&M, and Michigan among others. He told On3’s Chad Simmons that he is looking to find a program with coaches who excel at both communication and development.

Auburn has two commitments for its 2026 class currently: three-star OL [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag] and three-star wide receiver [autotag]Denarius Gray[/autotag]. If Toodle pledges to Auburn, he would slide into the top spot of Auburn’s top-10 class. It also helps matters that Auburn is also the favorite to land Gulf Shores product JaMichael Garrett, a fellow four-star linebacker from the 2026 class.

Auburn has increased its chance to land Toodle by 54% in a week’s time according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. Auburn now stands at 95.4%, up from 40.9% on June 16. Toodle is the No. 3 overall recruit from Alabama for the 2026 cycle, and is the No. 4 overall linebacker according to On3.

1 new auburn prediction for Shadarius Toodle (🏈)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6’2 210 – 2026
Position – LB
Confidence – 6
Site – On3
✍️ – @JLeeAULive

— Auburn Crystal Ball (@AU_CrystalBall) June 22, 2024

Auburn flips 2025 RB Alvin Henderson from Penn State

The four-star RB has changed course after choosing Penn State over Auburn in April.

After choosing Penn State over Auburn in April, class of 2025 running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] is changing course.

Henderson, a four-star running back from Elba, shared Friday that he has backed off his pledge to Penn State in favor of committing to a home-state school. This flip comes days after recruiting experts from 247Sports and On3 submitted predictions favoring Henderson switching to Auburn.

Auburn appeared to be the frontrunner to land Henderson in April before a last-minute visit to Happy Valley changed his mind. Penn State sold him the idea of being the next great running back. However, a few unofficial visits to Auburn post-commitment forced him to make a decision that best suited him.

“Deep down and truly I know where home is and I knew where home was from the beginning,” Henderson told Auburn Undercover following his switch to Auburn.

Auburn has made giant steps forward this month by landing five commitments for its 2025 class and jumping six spots in recruiting rankings. Henderson’s pledge has improved Auburn’s 2025 recruiting ranking to No. 4 in 247Sports’ 2025 rankings, up from No. 10 at the beginning of the month.

Henderson is a top-20 running back for the 2025 class, he is also seen as a top-20 recruit from Alabama. Rivals ranks Henderson at No. 3 in both position and state rankings.

BREAKING: 4-star RB Alvin Henderson has FLIPPED his commitment from Penn State to Auburn.

"Deep down and truly I know where home is and I knew where home was from the beginning."

MORE: https://t.co/iVxjZZNWGZ pic.twitter.com/2ETnQ7aBmi

— Christian Clemente (@CClemente247) June 21, 2024

Herbert Scroggins’ recent visit to Auburn was ‘momentum-changing’

Auburn gained ground last weekend in the recruitment of the three-star EDGE.

Auburn football has had a busy summer in terms of recruiting, and their hard work has paid off as several targets have pledged to Auburn following their official visits.

The next recruit that could follow the trend is [autotag]Herbert Scroggins[/autotag], a three-star EDGE from Savannah, Georgia. Scroggins was one of 12 recruits that were on campus last weekend for an official visit, joining USC commits [autotag]Daune Morris[/autotag] and [autotag]Julian Lewis[/autotag] and four-star EDGE [autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag]. Before his visit, Scroggins had a pair of ACC schools at the top of his list. Now, he is strongly leaning towards Auburn.

The visit was considered “momentum-changing” for both Auburn and Scroggins says Chad Simmons of On3, as the Tigers have now emerged as the favorite. Simmons says that the race for Scroggins will be interesting ahead of his commitment date next week.

Auburn hosted Herbert Scroggins, and there was buzz around the Tigers heading into the visit and even more coming out. North Carolina was viewed as a competitor, along with Miami and Georgia Tech, but Auburn did a great job with the Peach State defender over the weekend. He is expected to make a decision by the end of the month.

On3 has given Auburn a 98.7% chance to sign Scroggins, and the Tigers have received two crystal balls from 247Sports in favor of Scroggins. During last weekend’s visit, Scroggins said that he wants to find a solid balance between academics and football. Auburn may have just that.

“You can get a good degree here and still play football,” Scroggins said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “I’ve been touring all the ACC schools, I’m a big academic guy, so I’ve been going to Miami, Georgia Tech, North Carolina looking for a good way to football and get a good education. When I went to the engineering center here and saw everything, that clicked.”

Scroggins is a three-star EDGE from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia. He is Georgia’s No. 37 overall 2025 recruit according to On3 and is the No. 34 overall EDGE for the class. Scroggins is scheduled to visit Miami this weekend, and will make a decision regarding his future college program in the early stages of next week.

Cam Coleman ranked as the No. 2 freshman receiver by Pro Football Focus

PFF lists Auburn’s top 2024 signee as the SEC’s top incoming wide receiver.

Auburn five-star freshman phenom [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] received yet another preseason accolade this week, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as the second-best incoming freshman wide receiver in the country.

Coleman’s spot at the top of the list was blocked by fellow five-star wideout Jeremiah Smith, who is set to take over the Big Ten with Ohio State this season. That said, Auburn’s newest weapon ranks as the highest SEC pass catcher on the list. Alabama‘s Ryan Williams (3), Tennessee‘s Mike Matthews (6), and Texas‘ Ryan Wingo (8), make up the remaining SEC receivers in the top 10.

An Alabama native, Coleman is coming off an illustrious high school career in which he racked up 92 receptions, 1,914 yards, and 24 touchdowns as a junior and senior. A finalist for Alabama’s Mr. Football, the 6-3 big-body receiver led Central-Phenix City to the AHSAA Class 7A State Title as a senior. 18 of his 24 touchdowns came in that state title winning season, including a 73-yard catch and run score in the championship game.

While the freshman isn’t likely to come close to the 18 touchdowns he scored as a high school senior in his initial season on the Plains, he should provide plenty of fireworks, and possibly some new-life for quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], who had an up-and-down 2023.

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Former Auburn outfielder announces transfer to SEC rival

One of Auburn’s top hitters from the 2024 season is moving on to another SEC program.

Eight members of Auburn baseball’s 2024 roster have entered the transfer portal since the Tigers’ season concluded last month, with the most notable departure being outfielder [autotag]Chris Stanfield[/autotag].

Stanfield entered the transfer portal on June 3 after spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Auburn. Tuesday, he revealed his next chapter will take him to Baton Rouge, as he will transfer to SEC rival LSU.

Stanfield is the fourth former Tiger to find a new home out of the transfer portal this season, joining pitcher [autotag]Zach Crotchfelt[/autotag] (Texas Tech), infielder [autotag]Gavin Miller [/autotag](Houston), and infielder [autotag]Ty Mauldin[/autotag] (UAB). Pitchers [autotag]Cam Keshock[/autotag] and [autotag]Trevor Horne[/autotag], as well as outfielders [autotag]Kaleb Freeman[/autotag] and [autotag]Alex Wade[/autotag] remain in the transfer portal as of the timimg of this post.

Although the transfer portal claimed eight players from its 2024 roster, Auburn and head coach Butch Thompson have nearly made up for the losses by adding seven players to the 2025 roster from the transfer portal. Notable additions include former LSU pitcher Samuel Dutton and former Samford catcher Lucas Steele. Ex-Creighton pitcher Mason Koch and former ECU outfielder Bristol Carter are Auburn’s most recent acquisitions after announcing their commitments this week.

Stanfield departs Auburn after hitting .278 with 97 hits, seven home runs, and 47 RBI with 18 stolen bases in two seasons on the Plains. In 2024, Stanfield finished fourth on the team in hits (53), tied for second in stolen bases (9), and fifth in RBI (25).

thank you God for your many blessings!

i am very excited to announce that i will be transferring to Louisiana State University to further my athletic & academic career! Geaux Tigers! 💜 #AllGod pic.twitter.com/19IQrdUX90

— chris stanfield (@_chrisstanfield) June 18, 2024

Auburn projected to land a 2025 three-star EDGE

Auburn’s chances of grabbing Herbert Scroggins’ commitment are great ahead of his commitment date.

The busiest recruiting weekend of the summer to date has just concluded for Auburn football, and now many of Auburn’s top targets have difficult decisions to make.

One of those visitors was [autotag]Herbert Scroggins[/autotag], a three-star EDGE from Savannah, Georgia. Scroggins plans to announce his commitment on June 24 or 25 and will take one more visit before announcing his plans. Where does Auburn stand in Scroggins’ recruitment leading to the important date? Two recruiting experts at 247Sports are confident in the Tigers’ chances to secure his signature.

Anna Adams and Christian Clemente of 247Sports have submitted “crystal ball predictions” in favor of Auburn to land Scroggins with medium confidence. Both predictions come after Scroggins took an official visit to the Plains over the weekend.

Academics are important for Scroggins, and he is looking to find a school that offers a solid balance of academic prestige and athletic success. Over the weekend, he visited Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering and came away impressed.

In a football sense, Scroggins’ relationship with EDGE coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag] has Auburn trending upward.

“I have an amazing relationship with Coach Aldridge, I love him,” Scroggins said. “Just the coaching staff in general, but Coach Aldridge is a great guy, he knows what he’s talking about and he’s going to recruit the heck out of you. He said I’m that guy, he really wants me and he knows that I fit well in this defense. He said I’m his No. 1 priority.”

Scroggins is set to visit Miami this weekend, and plans to announce his commitment within a week. Miami, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina are the schools to beat for the nation’s No. 36 EDGE from the 2025 cycle.

2026 LB Shadarius Toodle includes Auburn in top 10 ahead of July commitment date

Auburn will look to keep the top-10 LB from Mobile within the state borders.

Auburn football has built a solid 2025 recruiting class to this point in the cycle, and is looking to do the same with its 2026 haul.

Auburn is in good standing to land one of the top linebackers of the 2026 class as four-star LB [autotag]Shadarius Toodle[/autotag] includes the Tigers in his top-10 schools list. Several schools joining Auburn in the race for Toodle’s signature are LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, and Texas A&M.

“These schools made my top 10 because of how they kept in contact with me,” Toodle said in an interview with On3. “Relationships are important to me and when I go on these visits, my interaction with coaches is something I look for.”

The Mobile native has racked up several notable offers this calendar year from USC, Florida, and Tennessee. Auburn extended an offer to Toodle on Jan. 31, and Toodle visited Auburn for “Junior Day” in February. According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, Auburn is the team to beat with a 40.9% chance to land his commitment. LSU and Ohio State are next in line.

Toodle is a top-10 linebacker from the 2026 recruiting cycle, and ranks as high as No. 2 in Alabama rankings. According to On3’s Chad Simmons, Toodle will announce his commitment on July 4.

Thanks 🙏🏾 @AuburnFootball pic.twitter.com/q2p1iPC5ng

— Shadarius Toodle (@D1Shadarius4) June 15, 2024

Four-star safety Eric Winters commits to Auburn

Alabama’s No. 5 overall recruit from the 2025 recruiting cycle commits to Auburn on his official visit.

Auburn target [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag] is one of 12 recruits on campus for official visits this weekend. Speculation of a commitment to Auburn began to rise as soon as he stepped on campus, as recruiting analysts from multiple outlets projected Auburn to land Winters before the weekend ended.

Turns out, speculations were true as Winters announced his commitment to [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Tigers on Saturday afternoon.

Winters, a four-star safety from Enterprise, Alabama, says that his relationship with Freeze led to his pledge to Auburn.

“(Freeze) is a big part of why I committed to Auburn,” Winters said after announcing his commitment to Auburn. “He loves his players, he is a family guy and we built a great relationship. Coach Freeze is doing big things at Auburn and he made me feel like a priority and made me feel comfortable.”

Auburn has always been near the top of the list for Winters, but they needed to make a giant stride this weekend in order to create separation between themselves, Georgia, and Miami. Between Freeze and the “home” atmosphere of Auburn University, the chose became simple for Winters.

Now, he wants several of the state’s top recruits to join him on the Plains.

“I am already working guys. It starts with my teammate [autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag]. I am going after [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag], [autotag]Julian Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]KJ Lacey[/autotag] and some others,” Winters said. “Coach Freeze has this group of defensive players in Alabama he wants called the Super 7. Guys like [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], [autotag]Naeem Offord[/autotag], and Zion are guys that haven’t committed yet. I will be on all of those guys.”

Winters is the No. 5 recruit from Alabama for the 2025 cycle, and is the fourth top-10 player from Alabama to pledge to Auburn. The 6-2, 200-pound safety ranks No. 5 overall at his position, and is the No. 53 overall recruit for the cycle. By landing Winters, Auburn now ranks No. 6 in 247Sports’ class of 2025 recruiting rankings.

BREAKING: Four-Star Safety Eric Winters has Committed to Auburn, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 205 S from Enterprise, AL chose the Tigers over Georgia, Miami, & Tennessee

“Why not Auburn?”https://t.co/005dvh4QTn pic.twitter.com/jwbYVbelIA

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 15, 2024

Two weeks after official visit, five-star WR Caleb Cunningham still lists Auburn as his top school

Cunningham has two more visits lined up this summer. Will Auburn end the cycle with his signature?

Five-star wide receiver [autotag]Caleb Cunningham[/autotag] told Auburn coaches that the Tigers stand “No. 1” after his official visit earlier this month.

Two weeks removed from the visit, and the statement remains true.

Grace Raynor of The Athletic caught up with Cunningham this week to grab an update of his recruitment. Auburn remains at the top of Cunningham’s list as school “1A”, but another program to watch out for is the Florida Gators. The Gators are Auburn’s top competitor for Cunningham following a recent visit to Gainesville.

“(Florida) was telling me that I’m a great fit for them,” Cunningham said in a recent interview with The Athletic. “And then of course getting to spend time with (quarterback) DJ Lagway. He’s recruiting me hard. They definitely want me on that team.”

Auburn fits the mold for what Cunningham is looking for. He tells Raynor that he wants to develop surrounded by great players. Auburn football has worked wonders in a year’s time by landing talented wide receivers including [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] recently, and adding Cunningham to next season’s roster will only progress the Tigers to a future position within the College Football Playoff.

In addition to the talented that would surround Cunningham should he sign with Auburn, he enjoys the vibe surrounding Auburn’s program and campus.

“Just the culture and how they treat me like family. It’s great people and I want to be around great people. It’s just a vibe here. It’s just great being here,” Cunningham said following his visit to Auburn on June 2. “I told them I don’t want to leave.”

Cunningham is a 6-2, 180-pound wide receiver from Choctaw County High School in Ackerman, Mississippi. He is the top recruit from Mississippi according to all four major recruiting outlets, and ranks as high as the No. 2 overall wide receiver from the 2025 cycle. He is currently visiting Tennessee, and will wrap up his official visit tour next week when he stops by Tuscaloosa to check out Alabama.