Tag: Big Cat Weekend

Elite in-state edge rusher Zion Grady to attend Big Cat Weekend

It will be his fourth trip to the Plains this year.

[autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag] is one of the top players in the 2025 recruiting class and thankfully for Auburn, he is from Troy.

The four-star edge rusher has already visited Auburn three times this year and is set to make his return for Big Cat Weekend, according to On3’s Jeffrey Lee.

He is the No. 15 overall player and No. 2 edge rusher in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also the No. 3 player from Alabama in the 2025 recruiting class.

Grady is coming off a dominant sophomore season for Charles Henderson High School. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder made 106 tackles, 35.0 tackles for loss, 19.0 sacks, forced three fumbles and blocked three kicks.

Secondary coach [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag] and defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] are leading the push for Grady. While Roberts would be his position coach, Etheridge is not only from Troy but actually played at Charles Henderson High School before coming to Auburn, exactly what Auburn is trying to convince Grady to do.

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Auburn target Jaylen Heyward decommits from Georgia

The four-star safety is back on the market and Auburn is looking to take advantage.

Four-star safety [autotag]Jaylen Heyward[/autotag] committed to the Georgia Bulldogs on Jan. 13 but on Tuesday he decided to back off his pledge and Auburn is hoping to take advantage.

They never stopped recruiting the Rockledge, Florida product, getting him on campus for a visit back in March and they are a school he is “strongly considering.”

The 6-foot, 180-pounder told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports that he is also considering UCF, USC, Michigan, Miami, UCF, Clemson and that Georgia is also still a factor.

Heyward is the No. 79 overall player and No. 5 safety in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 10 player from Florida.

Auburn’s dynamic duo of [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag] and [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] are leading the charge for the Tigers.

They have already shown they are a potent combination on the recruiting trail, already landing four-star cornerbacks A’Mon Lane, Jayden Lewis and Jalyn Crawford as well as three-star safety Kensley Faustin in the 2024 cycle.

With him expected to be back on campus for Big Cat Weekend, the Tigers will be looking to try and separate from the pack for Heyward and pull off yet another impressive flip.

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Local four-star wide receiver Malcolm Simmons projected to Auburn

The local product is set to attend Big Cat Weekend.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Auburn are emphasizing keeping in-state players home and one of their top targets is four-star wide receiver [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag].

The Alexander City product has taken several trips to Auburn and included the Tigers in his top seven schools on June 15. They are battling Arkansas, UCF, Coastal Carolina, West Virginia, Indiana and Liberty for the impressive athlete.

While his recruitment is far from over, Auburn is started to separate itself from the pack and is now the favorite to land Simmons. Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports has cast a crystal ball in favor of Auburn.

Simmons is the No. 365 overall player and No. 28 athlete in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 19 player from Alabama.

He hasn’t set a specific commitment date yet but has stated he’d like to commit before the start of his senior season. He is slated to return to Auburn on July 29 for Big Cat Weekend.

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Elite offensive lineman DeAndre Carter to attend Big Cat Weekend

One of the top linemen in the country is making his return to Auburn.

One of the top offensive linemen in the country is set to be back in Auburn for the annual Big Cat Weekend.

Four-star prospect [autotag]DeAndre Carter[/autotag] is a major Auburn target and according to a report from Auburn Undercover’s Christain Clemente, he will be returning to the Plains for Big Cat Weekend, which is set to start on Saturday, July 29.

Carter made his first trip to Auburn back in June and left impressed. He tweeted that he “truly loved” his official visit and that he was looking forward to watching Auburn play this season.

Getting Carter back on campus for Big Cat is massive, he is from Santa Anna, California and it shows that Auburn is a true player in his recruitment. While he is listed as an interior lineman, Auburn and offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] is recruiting him as someone who could play guard or tackle.

He is the No. 90 overall player and No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 13 player from California.

The 6-foot-4, 340-pounder has also visited Michigan State and Texas during June and is slated to return to Texas for an official visit during the season.

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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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Adrian Posse has always had a soft spot for Auburn Football

Despite being from Florida, Auburn’s latest QB commitment has always been a fan of the program.

Big Cat Weekend is off to a great start for Auburn Football and head coach Bryan Harsin.

Auburn recently landed the commitment of a four-star quarterback from the 2024 recruiting cycle in [autotag]Adrian Posse[/autotag]. Posse, despite growing up in South Florida, says that he has always been an Auburn football fan.

In an interview with Auburn Undercover, Posse was asked about his decision to commit to Auburn. The Miami native’s response should sit well with Auburn fans.

“I’ve always liked Auburn growing up,” Posse said. “I always liked when they beat up on Alabama.”

The interest between Auburn and Posse began to grow during an Elite Camp on campus earlier this summer. Following the camp, Posse took an unofficial visit to Auburn. While at camp, Auburn’s coaches told Posse that he looked like “a real quarterback.”

“They said I have great accuracy, great touch on the ball, my deep balls were really nice,” Posse said.

In 247Sports’ composite rankings, Posse is a four-star rated quarterback with an overall grade of .9271. He is currently rated as the No. 13 quarterback of the class, and the No. 34 prospect from the state of Florida. He is the second commitment that Auburn received on Saturday, joining [autotag]A’Mon Lane[/autotag], a four-star cornerback from Moody, who is also a part of the 2024 cycle.

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A’Mon Lane credits grandmother for his interest in Auburn Football

A’mon Lane, a four-star CB from Moody, says that committing to Auburn is a dream come true.

The first commitment of Big Cat Weekend has always had a strong attachment to Auburn football, all thanks to his grandmother.

[autotag]A’Mon Lane[/autotag], a class of 2024 four-star CB from Moody High School shared his history of being an Auburn fan with Auburn Undercover, which included a special moment with his grandmother during the infamous “Kick Six” game against Alabama in 2013.

“When I was little I didn’t get the chance to go to an Auburn game, but I remember when they had the Kick Six on Alabama and that was crazy,” Lane said in an interview with Auburn Undercover. “Me and my grandma were going crazy and we were the only two Auburn fans in my family at that time, so it was pretty special.”

The bond between Lane and his grandmother goes back to his days as a young child, when his grandmother taught him the game of football. So, when he received an offer from Auburn, his grandmother’s favorite college football team, it held a more special meaning.

“It’s like a dream come true,” Lane said. “My grandma, she taught me football, so I grew up an Auburn fan so this is really a dream come true.”

Lane is currently the No. 11 ranked prospect from the state of Alabama for the 2024 cycle, and the No. 26 CB in the nation. Lane recently transferred to Moody High School from perennial power, Thompson. He followed former UAB and Georgia linebacker, Jake Ganus, who took over the Blue Devil program after spending six seasons as an assistant coach at Thompson.

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