Tag: Ben Aigamaua

Auburn’s use of tight ends sparks four-star Emaree Winston’s interest in Auburn

The Texas commit came away from last weekend’s visit with nothing but good things to say about his time in Auburn.

[autotag]Emaree Winston[/autotag], a 2025 four-star tight end, visited Auburn last week and left with a good impression.

The Texas commit, who hadn’t visited the Plains since middle school, explained his re-kindled relationship with the Auburn staff, including tight ends coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag], in an interview with Auburn Undercover.

“We had never talked. Now we talk every day. I wake up and I get a Bible verse every morning. My mom loves that, I love it,” Winston said. “That means a lot because at the end of the day God comes first, and he’s putting that first.”

The Calhoun, Georgia native originally made his decision to commit to Texas because of the way the Longhorns used tight ends in the passing game. While Winston originally didn’t see that same kind of tight end development when looking at Auburn, his opinion changed last season with the emergence of [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag]. It also helps that his hometown is much closer to Auburn than Austin, Texas.

“When I first made my decision, it was towards the development of the tight ends. A couple of years ago they didn’t really use them,” Winston said of Auburn’s use of tight ends. “and (Auburn is) two hours from my house.”

With Winston already verbally committed to an SEC rival, it may be tough for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn staff to flip him in time for signing day later this year. However, it does seem like the four-star is more open to weighing his options than he was prior to his visit.

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Four-star Texas commit Emaree Winston schedules official visit to Auburn

Summer recruiting efforts continue to heat up this week as a four-star SEC pledge plans to visit the Plains this weekend.

Summer recruiting efforts continue to heat up this week as a four-star SEC commit plans to visit the Plains.

[autotag]Emaree Winston[/autotag], a 2025 four-star tight end from Calhoun, Georgia, has scheduled an official visit to Auburn. According to Jeffrey Lee of On3, the Texas commit will begin his visit on Friday, May 31, lasting until Sunday.

The news of Winston’s visit comes as a surprise, as he has never visited Auburn to this point in his recruitment. Auburn tight ends coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] has pursued Winston heavily, translating into a summer visit.

Winston committed to Texas last December, choosing the Longhorns over UCF and Ohio State. He opened up to On3’s Chad Simmons about his Texas commitment, saying that the Longhorns checked all the boxes.

“Texas has what I am looking for. Since I was a little kid, I wanted to play in the SEC. As a tight end, I want to be used in the offense and Texas is a great fit for that. Austin is a place I can grow and start the next chapter in my life. I have great relationships with Coach Jeff Banks and Coach Tashard Choice, too. As my recruitment progressed, things just led me to Texas. I have known for a little while that is where I wanted to be.”

Based on Winston’s reasoning for choosing Texas, it is easy to say that Auburn can present a competitive pitch to Winston this weekend. Auburn tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] finished last season as Auburn’s leading receiver by hauling in 38 catches for 394 yards and six touchdowns. Auburn is also a founding member of the SEC. It will be interesting to see how this weekend’s visit unfolds for the nation’s No. 12 tight end from the 2025 class.

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Auburn ‘showing a lot of love’ to 4-star tight end AJ Ia

Auburn is recruiting four-star tight end AJ Ia, who happens to play his high school ball with four-star quarterback target TJ Lateef.

[autotag]AJ Ia[/autotag] is one of the top tight ends in the 2025 recruiting cycle and teams all across the country are pursuing the four-star prospect. The Auburn Tigers are one of those teams and they have the attention of the Orange, California native.

“Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee, Brigham Young, Penn State have all been coming out and showing a lot of love recently,” Ia told 247Sports. “They’ve all told me I’m high on their list. It means a lot because obviously those are some schools that are long distance from here but they have told me they like my talent.”

Ia is the No. 306 overall player and No. 15 tight end in the 247Sports composite ranking. The 6-foot-5, 215-pounder is also the No. 28 player from California.

He isn’t Auburn’s only target out of Orange Lutheran High School, his quarterback is four-star [autotag]TJ Lateef[/autotag], who recently included Auburn in his top seven schools. The two connected on 21 passes for 273 yards and four touchdowns in six games as juniors.

Auburn and tight end coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] has already landed one tight end in the 2025 cycle in Ryan Ghea but the Tigers are looking to sign two to help replenish the depth at the position. Ia has the ability to help in the blocking game as well as run routes, making him exactly the kind of player Auburn is looking for.

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Four-star ATH Cameron Sparks: Auburn is ‘definitely up there’

Auburn is in the mix for four-star athlete Cameron Sparks, who had another good visit to the Plains.

Four-star athlete [autotag]Cameron Sparks[/autotag] made his return to Auburn on Saturday and the Tigers made quite an impression on him.

“It’s been great being here all day. Getting around campus and talking to coaches,” Sparks told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “Just how family-oriented it is. They’re real big on faith here and culture. I love it.”

Listed as an athlete, Auburn is recruiting him to play tight end and [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] has a specific role in mind for the 6-foot-3, 210-pounder.

“It wouldn’t be a traditional tight end,” Sparks said. “I’d be spread out all over the field, kind of how they do Rivaldo (Fairweather) right now. I’d be single receiver, slot receiver, sometimes winged up. Just all over the field.”

Sparks is the No. 40 overall player and No. 1 athlete in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Chattanooga native is also the No. 2 player from Tennessee.

The visit has Auburn in a good place with Sparks, who admitted Auburn is “definitely up there.”

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Auburn Tigers make three-star TE’s Hollis Davidson’s top seven

The Auburn Tigers have made the cut for tight end Hollis Davidson, who is down to seven schools.

The Auburn Tigers are looking to sign multiple tight ends in the 2025 recruiting class and one of their targets is [autotag]Hollis Davidson[/autotag]. The interest is mutual as the three-star prospect included Auburn in his top seven schools on Friday.

The Tigers are battling Miami, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Florida, and Cincinnati for him. Auburn and tight ends coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] offered him a scholarship on Oct. 21, 2023, and have been pursuing him ever since.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Aigamaua stopped by McIntosh High School on Thursday to visit Davidson. It was their first time getting to see him since he visited the Plains for the Iton Bowl last season.

Davidson is the No. 365 overall player and No. 20 tight end in the 247Sports composite ranking. The Peachtree City native is also the No. 40 player from Georgia.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder caught 30 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Auburn has already landed one tight end in the 2025 recruiting cycle in three-star [autotag]Ryan Ghea[/autotag], who is also from Georgia. The Tigers have not signed a highs chool tight end since [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag] in 2022 and are looking to add some much needed youth to the room.

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Auburn offers 4-star tight end Nick Townsend

Auburn is looking for a second tight end to pair with Ryan Ghea in the 2025 recruiting class.

Auburn’s tight end coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] has already landed three-star tight end [autotag]Ryan Ghea[/autotag] in the 2025 recruiting cycle but he is not done.

The Tigers are trying to add some youth to the room after not signing a high school prospect in either of the past two classes and are looking to land multiple tight ends.

A new target emerged Friday night when he extended an offer to four-star prospect [autotag]Nick Townsend[/autotag]. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is from Houston, Texas, and has over 20 offers already, including ones from Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama and more.

Townsend is the No. 140 overall player and No. 4 athlete in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 25 player from Texas.

Playing on both sides of the ball, Townsend had a great junior season for Dekaney High School. On offense, he caught 18 passes for 431 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for two touchdowns on six carries. He was just as impressive on defense, making 76 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and recovering three fumbles.

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Auburn lands Maryland TE transfer Rico Walker

Auburn has landed Maryland tight end Rico Walker.

Auburn has addressed a key need in the tight end room with the addition of [autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag], who announced his commitment to the Tigers Monday on social media.

Walker spent one season at Maryland before entering the transfer portal. He appeared in eight games, catching four passes for 28 yards.

Walker’s father Ricardo played defensive line an Auburn in 1990’s but Auburn was never a serious contender for Walker as a high school recruit under the previous staff.

A great athlete at 6-foot-4 and 248 pounds, Walker has three seasons of eligibility left and is a developmental project for tight ends coach [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag].

With [autotag]Ricardo Fairweather[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] both out of eligibility after the 2024 season, Walker gives the Tigers another promising young player to go with [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag].

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Maryland transfer TE Rico Walker nearing decision after Auburn visit

Decision time is approaching for Auburn transfer tight end target Rico Walker.

[autotag]Rico Walker[/autotag]’s time in the transfer portal could be coming to a close.

The former Maryland Terrapin visited Auburn on Thursday and after his upcoming visit to USF, it will be decision time, he told On3’s Cole Pinkston. He also revealed what stands out about Auburn.

“Facility for sure,” Walker said. “Coach (Hugh) Freeze, and of course Coach B ([autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag]). They’re good, honest people. I can tell they’re family-oriented too.”

An Auburn legacy, Auburn recruited Walker in the 2023 recruiting cycle but he ultimately signed with Maryland. He appeared in eight games, catching four catches for 27 yards and will have three seasons of eligibility at his next stop.

His youth plus his ability to be a hybrid tight end, serving as both a blocker and pass catcher, make him a perfect fit for Auburn. The Tigers have not signed a high school tight end since [autotag]Micah Riley[/autotag] in 2022 and will likely lose [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag] and [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] after this season.

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Maryland TE transfer Rico Walker to officially visit Auburn

Auburn is set to host transfer tight end Rico Walker on an official visit.

Auburn is looking to add a young tight end out of the transfer portal and a new target has emerged in [autotag] Rico Walker[/autotag]. He played in eight games as a freshman for Maryland before deciding to enter the portal and picking up an offer from Auburn.

With three more seasons of eligibility, he has the youth that [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] is trying to add to a room full of veterans. That interest is mutual as Walker will officially visit Auburn on Jan. 3, according to On3’s Jeffrey Lee.

Auburn recruited Walker out of high school and was a finalist for the Hickory, North Carolina product before he committed to North Carolina but ultimately signed with the Terrapins. His father, Ricardo, played defensive tackle for Auburn in the 1990s.

The 6-foot-4, 248-pounder was a four-star prospect coming out of high school and was recruited as both a tight end and edge rusher before ultimately settling on the offensive side of the ball for the Terrapins. He caught four passes for 27 yards.

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Auburn offers three-star tight end committed to Arizona State

Auburn is shaking up its tight end board agead of the early signing period.

After missing out on Roger Saleapaga last week, Auburn is shaking up its tight end board.

On Monday, [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] extended an offer to [autotag]Jayden Fortier[/autotag], who has been committed to Arizona State since June 30.

A three-star prospect, he is from Tualatin, Oregon and is one of Auburn’s last remaining tight ends in the 2024 cycle. It will be important for Auburn to get him to the Plains for a visit as they try to pry him away from Kenny Dillingham and the Sun Devils.

He is the No. 731 overall player and No. 37 tight end in the 247Sports composite ranking. He is also the No. 4 player from Oregon.

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