On Wednesday Auburn landed its highest-rated commit since 2019 when they successfully flipped five-star linebacker [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] from the Georgia Bulldogs.
Riddick is the headliner of Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class and is further proof that [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Co. can now win recruiting battles with Alabama and Georgia, something you have to do if you want to compete in the SEC.
A ton of credit also goes to linebackers coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag], who has landed several top targets but his pursuit of Riddick is the most impressive. He had a ton of ground to make up as the previous staff had not yet offered Riddick when he committed to the Bulldogs.
Aldridge quickly extended an offer and after a full-court press, the Tigers pulled off the flip.
He is the second linebacker that Auburn has beaten Georgia for this cycle, just last month they landed four-star linebacker [autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], beating out the Bulldogs for the talented but raw linebacker.
The duo of Riddick and Phillips has made linebacker one of the strengths of Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class and the addition of three-star [autotag]D’Angelo Barber[/autotag] makes it one of Auburn’s best hauls at linebacker in years.
While there is still plenty of time left before any of them can sign, the Tigers haven’t signed three or more high-school linebackers in the same cycle since 2020 when they landed four-star prospects [autotag]Wesley Steiner[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Riley[/autotag] and [autotag]Desmond Tisdol[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Romello Height[/autotag].
What separates the 2024 class from that group is that both Riddick (No. 26) and Phillips (No. 132) are top 150 prospects while only Steiner (No. 98) was from the 2020 haul.
The 2019 class, consisting of five-star Pappoe, four-star [autotag]Derick Hall[/autotag] and three-stars Octavious Brothers and Kameron Brown, also has a case as the best in recent history.
As it currently stands, these two classes are extremely similar. Both are headlined by a five-star with a second top prospect who projects more as a pass-rusher but is capable of playing linebacker. With the 2019 class having one more member, it has more depth and is slightly better.
With Auburn not signing any linebackers last year they are in need of a large class, making it likely they will add at least one or two more players and Aldrige has the Tigers in a great spot with two more targets, four-star [autotag]Bradley Shaw[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Wyatt Simmons[/autotag].
If they add Shaw it will give them three blue-chip linebackers, something they have only twice in the past 10 cycles, the 2020 class and in 2015 when they landed Richard McBryde, Jeff Holland and Darrell Williams. While that class also included three-star Robert Muschamp, it lacked a five-star prospect to compare with Riddick.
Due to the top-end talent of Riddick and Phillips and the depth of Barber, Auburn’s 2024 class is on the verge of being the best the Tigers have signed in the past 10 cycles, if they can add one or both of Shaw and Simmons then it will jump past the 2019 and 2015 classes and undoubtedly be the best linebacker class in the past decade.
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