Tag: Denairius Gray

Four-star ATH Derrek Cooper enjoys ‘surreal’ visit to Auburn

Cooper, the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 class, is coached by former Auburn running back Shaun Shivers at Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Florida.

Auburn football is going through a rough patch, but Tiger fans still make Jordan-Hare Stadium a challenging venue. Evidence of that can be seen from the eyes of recruits on campus for visits last weekend.

[autotag]Derrek Cooper[/autotag], the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 class from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, was on campus last weekend alongside fellow Auburn commitment [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and former Auburn running back [autotag]Shaun Shivers[/autotag], who coaches both athletes.

Cooper raved about his visit to the Plains with On3’s Cole Pinkston, including the exciting environment during the Tigers’ game with Oklahoma.

“Man, the experience was so surreal,” Cooper said in an interview with On3. “Every first down the crowd was just hyped, everything was so loud I could barely think. It was so loud, I loved the crowd tonight. It looked solid tonight. Oklahoma is a great team. It was a good game today.”

Cooper also tells On3 that Auburn is in the early stages of recruiting him, and says that Auburn coaches are recruiting him to play either safety or running back. When it comes to relationships, Cooper says that he wants to continue building one with head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] as his recruitment continues.

Cooper is the No. 1 athlete from the 2026 cycle according to Rivals, ESPN, and On3’s Industry Rankings. He is also Florida’s No. 1 overall recruit from the cycle by Rivals’ standards.

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Auburn hosts 2026 RB Carsyn Baker for visit

The top-20 RB from Georgia shared excitement of touring Auburn’s new facilities during a recent visit.

Auburn football is back to hosting visits following a very eventful Big Cat Weekend, trying to make a profound influence on many 2025 and 2026 recruits.

The Tigers are attempting to reload at the running back position after this season and hosted 2026 four-star running back [autotag]Carsyn Baker[/autotag] on Tuesday.

Baker’s visit to the Plains was the first since his 9th-grade year. Now heading into his junior campaign, his time with the program was largely positive.

The Langston Hughes (Ga.) product had many meetings with offensive coordinator and running backs coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] during his visit, liking a lot about what the Tigers could do with him in the offensive scheme.

“Coach Nix is a great, great guy,” Baker said. “I like his scheme and what he has going on. He’s very cool, great personality. The plays they run, I really like them. It’s similar to the scheme we run at our school.”

Auburn is competing with Alabama, Ohio State, Kentucky, South Carolina and Tennessee for the running back.

Following the visit, Baker feels great about the Tigers’ chances of being in his top schools.

“I’m really liking Auburn,” Baker said. “They definitely sit up there as one of my top schools. I’ll be sure to be back again for a game. I like the tradition and everything they have going here.”

Baker is currently listed as the No. 232 ranked overall player No. 19 running back in the class of 2026 according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 27 player in the state of Georgia.

Auburn is currently rolling on the talent side for their 2026 commitments, and Baker will be their third offensive player should he commit, along with [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag].

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Experts forecast Auburn to land 2026 EDGE Hezekiah Harris

Experts feel confident in Auburn’s chances to land the talented 2026 product from Huntsville.

Auburn football is in the midst of a busy and hectic recruiting season on the 2025 class, things are continuing to get rolling for the class of 2026 as well.

The Tigers are pushing hard to obtain any high school standouts they can, and they are getting closer and closer to landing one they have been heavily pursuing.

Four-star EDGE [autotag]Hezekiah Harris[/autotag] received an expert prediction to land on the Plains by national recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong on Sunday after receiving one from On3’s Cole Pinkston back in April.

The 6-5, 230-pound defender from Mae Jemison High School (Alabama) will be the third player in the 2026 class to commit to Auburn should he decide to do so, joining wide receiver [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag].

The On3 industry ranking puts Harris high on the list amongst the nation’s best, currently sitting as the No. 19 player in the country and the No. 3 EDGE. He is also the No.2 player in the state of Alabama.

The Tigers are currently competing with in-state rival Alabama for the big man, but hold a very comfortable lead according to most experts.

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Auburn earns prediction for LB JaMichael Garrett

In the deep midst of recruiting the 2025 class, Auburn football lands a prediction for 2026 linebacker JaMichael Garrett out of Gulf Shores

Auburn football is continuing to be a major competitor in the recruiting races to land some of the nation’s top players. While in the heat of the current 2025 cycle, the Tigers are now making moves on the 2026 class, looking to make an early statement.

This includes the race of four-star linebacker [autotag]JaMichael Garrett[/autotag], who received an expert prediction to land on the Plains by Jeffrey Lee from Auburn Live.

Garrett is from Gulf Shores High School (Ala.) and recently made his visit to Auburn in early June. He helped lead the Dolphins to a Class 5A state championship in 2023, looking to do the same in 2024.

The Tigers have been competing with both LSU and Ole Miss to land Garrett, but they are currently the clear frontrunner in this race. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine puts Auburn at a 97.3% chance to land his commitment.

The 6-2, 200-pound product is currently ranked as the No. 125 player and No. 11 linebacker in the nation according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 8 player in the state of Alabama.

A commitment from Garrett would be the third in the Tigers’ 2026 class. He would join the likes of wide receiver [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and offensive lineman [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag], being another four-star recruit in the group.

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Auburn gets prediction to land 2026 standout Hezekiah Harris

As Auburn football is continually pushing for a great results on the recruiting trail, On3 has logged a prediction for Hezekiah Harris to land on the Plains

Auburn football is in the midst of recruiting battles day in and day out in the offseason, especially with the recent completion of the team’s annual A-Day game. Coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is trying to impress many potential Tigers and make a national statement.

One of those potential recruits is four-star EDGE [autotag]Hezekiah Harris[/autotag] out of Mae Jemison High School (Ala.), who recently landed a prediction from On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine to commit to Auburn.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder has the chance to be the third player from the 2026 recruiting class to commit to the Tigers. He would join [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag] and [autotag]Kail Ellis[/autotag] on that front but would be the first defensive player to join the class.

According to the On3 industry rankings, Harris is ranked No. 24 in the nation in the recruiting class while also being the No. 4 EDGE. In the state of Alabama, he is in the No. 2 spot.

Harris is also being pursued by Alabama and Mississippi State, but Auburn seems to be the heavy favorite as of late.

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Four-star DB Chris Ewald schedules Auburn visit

Ewald is the No. 22 cornerback for the 2025 class.

One of the most talented defensive backs in the 2025 recruiting cycle is planning to visit the Plains soon.

[autotag]Chris Ewald[/autotag], a four-star cornerback from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, is set to visit Auburn this weekend according to a report by Adam Gorney of Rivals. He has garnered plenty of Power Five attention, with Georgia, Florida State, Miami, and Michigan showing the most interest early on.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports says that Ewald can cover well by saying that he is “versed in both press-man and off-man coverage. Has seen a high volume of targets come his way over the years and while it can be a bit of an adventure once the ball is in the air, he’s usually where he needs to be.”

Ewald is another product from Chaminade-Madonna that Auburn has begun to invest in. His teammate, [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag], is committed to Auburn’s 2026 class. [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and staff are also interested in Chaminade-Madonna running back, [autotag]Arwin Jackson[/autotag], who has also recently received an Auburn offer.

Ewald is a four-star corner from Hollywood, Florida. He is the No. 22 cornerback for the 2025 cycle and is the No. 20 overall player from Florida.

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All-American RB Arwin Jackson earns Auburn offer

Auburn has offered one of the top running backs of the 2027 class.

It is never too early to plan, especially regarding recruiting. That is what [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his staff are doing by reaching out to one of the top running back options from the 2027 class.

[autotag]Arwin Jackson[/autotag], an All-American running back from Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School in Hollywood, Florida, announced Thursday that he has picked up an offer from Auburn.

Despite being in the early process of recruiting, Jackson has begun to gain popularity across the country. He rushed for 731 yards on 99 carries this season at Chaminade-Madonna, scoring 10 touchdowns as a freshman. He finished second in rushing behind senior running back Davion Gause, a North Carolina signee.

His amazing season earned him a place on MaxPreps’ second-team freshman All-American squad. Another key member of that team is Thompson High School quarterback and Auburn target, [autotag]Trent Seaborn[/autotag]. Jackson is also a teammate of 2026 Auburn commitment, wide receiver [autotag]Denairius Gray[/autotag].

Due to his age, Jackson has not received a ranking yet from the major recruiting platforms. However, according to On3, Jackson is the sixth running back from the 2027 class that has earned an Auburn offer.

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