Tag: Carde Smith

Auburn OT target Andrew Babalola expected to visit this weekend

In the midst of a hectic recruiting period for Auburn, offensive tackle Andrew Babalola is expected to officially visit this weekend

The Auburn Tigers are in the midst of a busy recruiting cycle as the summer begins for many players around the nation, as a number of prospects are preparing to make official visits to interested universities.

Amongst many players who are set to visit soon, the Tigers are ready for the arrival of offensive tackle [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag], who is expected to officially visit the Plains this weekend.

The five-star product out of Blue Valley Northwest High School (Kansas) is in a tight recruiting battle currently, being pursued by programs such as Kansas State, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

Babalola is highly rated by many outlets across the nation. The six-foot-five, 295-pound big man is rated the No. 15 player and No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2025 class according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 1 prospect in the state of Kansas.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 9 in the country. A commitment by Babalola would be a strong addition to an already hefty offensive line class that includes [autotag]Tavaris Dice[/autotag], [autotag]Carde Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Tai Buster[/autotag] and [autotag]Spencer Dowland[/autotag].

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Auburn receives prediction to land three-star OL from Georgia

Auburn football’s 2025 haul is impressive, and the commitment of Jacobe Ward could enhance it greatly.

Auburn’s top-10 2025 recruiting class is filled with several talented offensive linemen. However, the Tigers have a chance to enhance its haul by adding a three-star lineman from Savannah, Georgia.

Auburn is looking to close the deal on several offensive linemen including [autotag]Jacobe Ward[/autotag], a 6-4, 305-pound OL from Benedictine Military School in Savannah, Georgia. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag], and staff are close to making it happen according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. Auburn Live writers Jeffrey Lee and Cole Pinkston have submitted predictions in favor of Auburn landing Ward, which pushes its forecast to 98.2%.

In March, Ward told Lee that Auburn was his top choice by saying that Auburn provides a “great fit” for him due to Auburn’s practice intensity and his relationship with Thornton.

“The relationships I have with all of the coaches, they just keep it real with me, especially Coach (Jake) Thornton. He’s such a good guy,” Ward said. “He told me that I could possibly be a day one starter here and that’s something I like to hear.”

Auburn has four offensive linemen committed for its 2025 class: [autotag]Tavaris Dice[/autotag], [autotag]Carde Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Spencer Dowland[/autotag], and [autotag]Tai Buster[/autotag]. In addition to Ward, Auburn is also in a great spot to land four-star OT [autotag]Broderick Shull[/autotag] as On3 gives the Tigers a 92.0% chance to secure Shull’s pledge.

South Carolina and Alabama are the other programs in the hunt to land Ward. However, both programs have less than a 1% chance to earn his commitment according to On3.

Auburn football landed four-star Carde Smith because ‘It feels like home’

Carde Smith breaks down why he committed to Auburn football this week.

Carde Smith committed to Auburn over the weekend, giving the SEC program another strong verbal in their impressive 2024 recruiting class.

A four-star offensive lineman from Williamson (Mobile, Alabama), Smith checks in as the No. 216 player in the nation according to 247Sports. ESPN ranks him among the top 30 offensive tackles in the class of 2024 and as part of their ESPN 300.

Florida State, Miami, Mississippi State and Tennessee were among the offers for Smith, who is a solidly built 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds.

Asked this week by USA TODAY High School Sports why he decided to stay in-state and picked Auburn, Smith’s answer was simple.

“Auburn feels like home,” Smith said.

“Me and coach Thornton (offensive line coach Jake Thornton) have a real good relationship. I have been on Auburn’s trail since June of last year and they have everything I want and more.”

Williamson is an agile and fluid mover at his size. He pulls well and gets downfield in his run-blocking. His movement shows athleticism that is unique given his frame.

There is no stiffness in his blocking and he bends well.

Finishing blocks and playing to the whistle, he relies on his natural strength at the high school level but has some nice tools to work with and develop at a Power Five program.

Auburn’s proximity and connection with him during his recruitment paid off in the end and helped guide his decision this week.

“Going to the games and having a relationship with them since last summer and building connections with the coaches and players,” Smith said about how Auburn came to feel like home.

Four-star RB Alvin Henderson chooses Penn State over Auburn

A late push by Penn State erased Auburn’s chances of landing the talented in-state running back on Thursday.

Penn State made a late push in [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag]’s recruitment in an effort to steal him away from the state of Alabama, and it worked.

Henderson, a four-star running back from Elba High School in Elba, Alabama, chose Penn State on Thursday over Auburn, Florida State, Oregon, and Miami. Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the newly hired offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] worked to maintain their relationship with Henderson following the departure of former running backs coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag]. The effort worked for a while but was not enough to close the deal.

Henderson was expected to commit on April 4, but the announcement date was altered by a week thanks to a late visit to State College. In a recent interview with Tom Loy of 247Sports, Henderson cited that Penn State has recruited him the hardest despite him not mentioning their involvement in his recruitment until the final stages. In their recruiting pitch, Penn State tells Henderson he can be the next great star.

The thing about Penn State is that they consider me as a dude that can come in and be the next Nick Singleton or Kaytron Allen. They are going to leave this year and they consider me the dude that can replace them. Their development at the running back position over the past few years, it’s real. They believe in what coach (James) Franklin has done. They want me to jump on the train and carry the torch that the running backs have started over the years.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is still strong despite Henderson’s decision to commit to Penn State. The Tigers rank No. 8 in 247Sports’ rankings thanks to the commitments of [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], [autotag]Jakaleb Faulk[/autotag], and [autotag]Devin Williams[/autotag]. Auburn’s class added a talented offensive lineman earlier this week in [autotag]Carde Smith[/autotag], and are in prime position to land four-star linebacker [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag] and three-star cornerback [autotag]Dante Core[/autotag].

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Auburn among top group for 4-star OL Carde Smith

Carde Smith is emerging as a player to watch in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Carde Smith[/autotag] grew up an Alabama fan but going through the recruiting process has changed things for the Mobile native.

“Recruiting, once I got to high school, I fell in love with Auburn,” Smith explained to Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. He added that Auburn and Tennessee are his “top two” schools.