Tag: blake woodby

Auburn signee named Navy All-American Bowl Player of the Year

One of Auburn’s top 2025 picks has earned a prestigious accolade.

One of Auburn football’s top 2025 signees has earned a valuable accolade.

During last week’s Navy All-American Bowl festivities, four-star running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] was named Player of the Year ahead of Saturday’s high school all-star game in San Antonio, Texas.

Henderson earned the honor after a spectacular 2024 season that saw him rush for 3,620 yards and 61 touchdowns. He rushed for over 100 yards in 13 of Elba High School’s 14 games this season and averaged 258.6 yards per game on the ground. He was one of two Elba players to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in 2024, joining quarterback Cayden Adkins.

Henderson ended his high school career with several individual state records. He holds the AHSAA record in points scored in a game (60), points scored in a season (408), and most touchdowns in a season (69) to name a few.

Auburn flipped Henderson from Penn State last June, and he officially signed with Auburn during early signing day last December. He is the No. 12 running back of the 2025 class and is the No. 9 recruit from Alabama.

He joins several key players such as five-star EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], four-star QB [autotag]Deuce Knight[/autotag], and four-star cornerback [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag] in Auburn’s 2025 recruiting haul, which ranks No. 6 in the nation by 247Sports.

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Five-star EDGE Jared Smith explains his decision to sign with Auburn

Despite a late push from fellow SEC programs, Auburn landed the nation’s No. 2 EDGE during the early signing period. Smith breaks down why signing with Auburn was the right move.

Auburn football landed the nation’s No. 2 EDGE rusher in [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] as part of its 2025 signing class, but it almost did not happen.

In a recent interview with On3’s Chad Simmons at the Under Armour All-America game in DeLand, Florida, Smith said that late pushes from South Carolina and Ole Miss left him with a very challenging decision. He ultimately decided to sign with Auburn in the early stages of the winter signing period on Dec. 4.

What led to his decision to sign with Auburn? He says the opportunity to have a successful future with great teammates and bright-minded coaches was too good to pass up.

“The coaches. Seeing the vision. Seeing the players that were already committed. That’s a huge factor, who I’m going to be playing with,” Smith said.

Several other Auburn signees have mentioned “the vision” when sharing their reasoning for signing with Auburn. Smith broke down what “the vision” means to him.

“You see the transfer portal. Just bringing in guys that can play automatically,” Smith said. “(Wide receiver) Cam Coleman is going to be a stud next year. All of these freshmen are going to come in to play (like) Anquon Fegans, another guy to be on the watch. That guy is a player. Us coming in and bringing that back, Auburn’s going to be great.”

Smith is Auburn’s top signee of the 2025 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports by ranking No. 25 overall and being the second-best EDGE prospect in the nation. Smith joins fellow Auburn signees [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag] and [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag] by competing at the Under Armour All-American Game this week.

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Blake Woodby named team captain for Under Armour All-American game

The four-star signee will lead ‘Team Unstoppable’ onto the field on January 2.

2025 Auburn signee [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag] has been named a team captain ahead of this year’s Under Armour All-American game. One of the top recruits in Auburn’s class, Woodby is likely to earn immidate snaps in the Tigers defensive backfield next fall.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Woodby was one of three recruits from St. Frances Academy to commit to the Tigers. He was widely considered one of the top defensive backs in the entire 2025 cycle, as well as a top 5 prospect from the state of Maryland. A team captain for his high school squad since 2022, Woodby will take on a familiar role when he leads ‘Team Unstoppable’ onto the field on January 2.

Auburn target and eventual Oregon signee [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag] is set to captain Team Unstoppable with Woodby, while 2025 signees [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag], [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag], [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] join Woodby as future Tigers on the Team Unstoppable roster. The latter could very well play plenty of snaps alongside Woodby, giving Tiger fans a glimpse into what could be a dominant secondary on the Plains as soon as next season.

For now, the future Tigers will look to showcase their skills one final time before packing their bags for South Donahue. The Under Armour All-American game kicks off at 4 PM EST on January 2, 2025 from Deland, Florida.

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Former Tiger Antonio Kite commits to Ole Miss

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception

Former Auburn Tiger cornerback Antonio Kite committed to the Ole Miss Rebels on Wednesday. A former four-star prospect who spent his freshman campaign playing with Alabama, Kite played sparingly during his one season on the Plains.

The sophomore saw action in four contests for the Tigers last season, totaling 6 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception. His lone interception as a Tiger came early in the season in a blowout victory over New Mexico. Unfortunately Kite’s season spiraled from there, as his playing time was cut significantly once SEC play started. The sophomore was ultimately dismissed from the team mid-season for “violating team rules” effectively ending his Tiger career before it had the chance to take off.

Unlikely to earn enough trust to get out of head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag]’s ‘dog house’, Kite entered the transfer portal and will now play for his third SEC team in as many collegiate seasons. Kite’s move makes sense for both himself and the Tigers, as Auburn’s top two cornerback spots are currently held by stars [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] and [autotag]Jay Crawford[/autotag]. Many of the high-ranked prospects in Auburn’s No. 6 ranked 2025 recruiting class are likely to challenge for large amounts of playing time in the defensive backfield, making Kite’s path towards significant playing time even more murky.

Along with the aforementioned Lee and Crawford, freshman [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag], and [autotag]Donovan Starr[/autotag], along with Georgia Tech transfer safety [autotag]Taye Seymore[/autotag] are all in the mix to receive plenty of playing time at the defensive back positions in 2025.

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Running back Durrell Robinson commits to Auburn

Robinson finished last season with 731 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns with UConn

Former UConn Huskies running back [autotag]Durell Robinson[/autotag] committed to join the Auburn Tigers on Saturday. Robinson, who originally committed to Charlotte, played one season with UConn before entering the transfer portal earlier this month.

The 6-foot-1 speedster played his high school football at St. Frances Academy in Maryland, which has now become somewhat of an Auburn recruiting pipeline. 2025 Tiger signees [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Deas[/autotag], and [autotag]Darrion Smith[/autotag] attended the school, and while none made much of an impact while Robinson was there, they did suit up on the same squad.

After playing sparingly with Charlotte in his redshirt freshman season, Robinson finished his first season with the Huskies with 731 yards and 8 touchdowns on just 107 carries. His 6.8 yards per carry led the team, finishing well ahead of starting running back Cam Edwards. The former three-star prospect received an offer from one SEC program during his recruitment process, the Kentucky Wildcats.

Still with three years of eligibility remaining, Robinson joins an Auburn backfield set to be led by senior [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and freshman [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] next season.  While Alston is the likely candidate to garner the bulk of the carries and Henderson is sure to compete for playing time following his historically phenomenal high school career, Robinson could earn himself a change-of-pace role very similar to the one he had with the Huskies.

At the very least, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his staff now have a myriad of options in the 2025 backfield. We’ll see how the Tigers ultimately decide to move forward after losing [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag].

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UConn running back transfer Durell Robinson set to visit Auburn

The former three-star prospect attended the same high school as a trio of 2025 Auburn signees

Former UConn Huskies running back [autotag]Durell Robinson[/autotag] entered the transfer portal following the regular season, and he reportedly is eyeing the Plains as a possible destination to continue his college career. According to Nathan King of Auburn Undercover, Robinson is scheduled to visit Auburn on Wednesday.

The Seat Pleasant, Maryland native played his high school football at St. Frances Academy in Maryland, which happens to be the same school that 2025 Tiger signees [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Deas[/autotag], and [autotag]Darrion Smith[/autotag] attended.

The freshman running back has three remaining years of eligibility after a solid first season with the Huskies. After starting his career at Charlotte, Robinson joined UConn this season to create an effective 1-2 punch with Cam Edwards. Both backs rushed for over 700 yards this season, with Robinson finishing his season with 731 yards and 8 touchdowns on just 107 carries. The former three-star prospect received an offer from one SEC program during his recruitment process, the Kentucky Wildcats.

Standing at 6-1 and weighing 200 pounds, Robinson could be a nice fit for an Auburn backfield set to be led by senior [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] and freshman [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] next season. While he still has yet to spend time in Auburn and talk with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his staff, the fit makes sense considering Robinson would presumably have much of the same role he did last season with UConn while joining a trio of his high school teammates on the Plains.

If he were to transfer to Auburn, Robinson, along with Alston, Henderson, and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag], would have large shoes to fill following the departure of [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]. With plenty of holes to fill and months to go before the season starts, Auburn’s backfield should have an almost completely different look in 2025.

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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.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDK1g0sPTjb/?img_index=1

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2025 CB Blake Woodby commits to Tigers on Big Cat Weekend

Woodby is Auburn’s 4th commitment of Big Cat Weekend, and the first of the day for the 2025 class.

Big Cat Weekend stands out as one of the most eventful recruiting weekends of each year, and this year is no different for an Auburn football program that is looking to rebuild itself back to success.

A key component of that process is loading up on commitments, and the Tigers landed four-star cornerback [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag] this weekend during the festivities.

Woodby has been heavily pursued by head coach Hugh Freeze and his staff for months. Now, the St. Francis Academy (Md.) product is heading to the SEC for collegiate career.

Auburn was favored by many experts to land Woodby, and the Tigers beat out Maryland and Oregon for the commitment after Woodby was formerly pledged to Ohio State. This was largely predicted after a very positive visit in June.

The On3 industry ranking shows Woodby as the No. 17 cornerback and No. 138 overall player in the nation. He is also the No. 3 player in Maryland.

With the commitment, Auburn is ranked No. 14 in the nation for their 2025 class, with Woodby ranking as its second-highest secondary player behind safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag]. His high school teammate, linebacker [autotag]Bryce Deas[/autotag], is also committed to the Plains.

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Experts remain confident in Auburn’s chances to land 2025 CB Blake Woodby

Woodby is one of many uncommitted recruits on the Big Cat Weekend guest list.

Auburn coaches will get the chance to seal deals this weekend by hosting several key uncommitted recruits for Big Cat Weekend which kicks off Friday.

Four-star cornerback [autotag]Blake Woodby[/autotag] is one of those uncommitted prospects who will flock to the Plains this weekend. Woodby has been high on Auburn’s radar for months, and vice versa. Could Auburn finally close the deal and add Woodby to its 2025 haul? Recruiting experts remain confident in the Tigers’ chances.

Steve Wiltfong of On3 shared his thoughts on Auburn’s chances of landing key recruits including Woodby. Wiltfong logged an expert prediction for Auburn to land Woodby in May and reports this week that he is sticking with his claim.

Since Wiltfong logged his prediction, three other On3 writers have predicted Woodby to commit to Auburn. On3 gives Auburn an 81.4% chance to snag Woodby heading into the weekend.

Following a June visit to Auburn, Woodby told Jeffrey Lee of On3 that he finds comfort on the Plains.

“I feel more and more comfortable at Auburn,” Woodby said. “And they make it easy. It feels like home. It feels like family. Everybody knows everybody. I know everybody from my official visit, from the equipment people to the offensive staff to the defensive staff to the special teams staff. I know everybody and everybody knows me. They are all invested in me and me in them.”

The former Ohio State pledge is the No. 17 cornerback from the 2025 class according to On3, and is the No. 3 recruit from Maryland. His high school teammate, three-star LB [autotag]Bryce Deas[/autotag], committed to Auburn on June 11, and will more than likely accompany Woodby for Big Cat Weekend.

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4-star CB Blake Woodby puts Oregon Ducks among top schools

The Oregon Ducks landed among the top schools for 4-star CB Blake Woodby.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are currently on one of the hottest recruiting streaks that we’ve seen in quite a while, landing a total of five blue-chip recruits over the past week, including 5-star CB Dorian Brew, the highest-rated corner in Oregon history. 

It doesn’t appear that the recruiting hot streak is going to die down at all going into the month of July.

On Sunday, 4-star cornerback Blake Woodby announced his final three schools, putting Oregon among the finalists. The Ducks stand alongside both Auburn and Maryland.

Woodby is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 74 overall player in the 2025 class, and the No. 8 CB in the nation. He would be the second CB to join the Ducks’ current recruiting class.

At the moment, Auburn is currently favored to land a commitment from Woodby, who has not yet set a commitment date.

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