Tag: Eric Winters

Four-star Shamar Arnoux flips from Auburn to Florida State

The Georgia native was ranked as the No. 53 prospect from the Peach State according to 247Sports.

Auburn football may be in the midst of one of its best National Signing Days in program history, but the Tigers did miss out on inking a major recruit this morning. Four-star cornerback [autotag]Shamar Arnoux[/autotag], who committed to Auburn last month, flipped his commitment to Florida State on Wednesday.

A consensus top-60 cornerback in the 2025 cycle, Arnoux committed to join Auburn after committing from USC earlier this year. The Carrollton, Georgia native was ranked as the No. 53 prospect from the Peach State according to 247 Sports.

While the loss of Arnoux certainly stings for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his staff, Auburn’s 2025 class is still expected to finish among the best in the SEC, and the country, once National Signing Day comes to an end. The Tigers currently have five other defensive backs committed to join the Plains next season. Safeties [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag] and [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag] are officially on board, as both signed their letters of intent early on Wednesday morning.

[lawrence-related id=87853]

As for Florida State, Arnoux marks the third defensive back to pledge his commitment to the Seminoles. The four-star recruit joins fellow four-star Zae Thomas and three-star safety Max Redmon as prospects set to play in Tallahassee next season.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Brian on Twitter @TheRealBHauch

Auburn football lands five-star DL Malik Autry. Why he signed with the Tigers

Auburn fights off Ohio State and Florida to sign the five-star DL from Opelika. Why did Autry elect to stay home?

Auburn football has secured one of its important commitments as [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag] has officially signed with the Tigers.

Autry, a five-star defensive lineman from nearby Opelika, signed with Auburn on Wednesday morning, choosing [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s program over schools such as Ohio State and Florida, who made a late push to snag Autry away from Auburn.

How did Auburn beat out the Buckeyes and Gators? Last week, Autry publicly shut down his recruitment, citing that his time at Opelika High School prepared him for the situation he will endure at Auburn.

“Going to all the other schools made me realize what I really wanted,” Autry said in an interview with Auburn Undercover ($). “My high school, my sophomore year we went 5-5, my junior year we went 4-6 and this past year we went 9-3 with a second round exit but just to see our team turnaround really shows me that — I had opportunities to go play for Central-Phenix City and IMG and all those big-time programs — but to stick it out and fight with your brothers and fight for a place you really love does mean more than just joining something that’s already established. That’s kind of been my mindset and helped me narrow down my decision and let me know that Auburn was home.”

Autry joins a long list of recruits that have officially signed with Auburn for the 2025 cycle including five-star EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and four-star safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag]. He is a 6-5, 320-pound defensive lineman from Opelika, Alabama, and is the No. 5 defensive lineman in the nation according to 247Sports composite rankings.

[lawrence-related id=87853]

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDKQ0nYR8qP/?img_index=1

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Auburn named a ‘summer recruiting winner’ by ESPN

Hugh Freeze’s recruiting efforts were top notch over the summer as several notable recruits announced their pledge to Auburn.

As school returns to session, many are reflecting on summer memories. For Auburn football, their summer was one for the history books.

Auburn football landed several notable recruits for their 2025 class such as running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag], safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag], defensive end [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], and safety [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag]. The Tigers also got a head start on its 2026 recruiting efforts by landing four players, which caused Auburn to surge to No. 1 in 247Sports rankings.

The biggest takeaway of all from Auburn’s recent recruiting efforts is their knack for landing in-state talent. To this point in the cycle, Auburn holds commitments from eight of Alabama’s top 10 recruits from the 2025 cycle and is working towards a clean sweep by continuing to recruit [autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag] (No. 1) and [autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag] (No. 6) with full force.

Auburn’s recent success in recruiting has earned them a spot at the “winners” table according to ESPN’s Eli Lederman.

Lederman recapped the busy summer of recruiting by placing programs in a winners and losers category when it comes to summer recruiting. One Big Ten recruiting staffer says that the likelihood of Auburn keeping its strong class hangs in its 2024 record.

“I could see them continuing to charge on and sign a top-five class,” a Big Ten recruiting staffer said. “I could also see them going 7-5 and that class crumbling pretty fast.”

Lederman also posed a question regarding Auburn’s 2025 class.. will it rise? Lederman breaks down several ways that Auburn could make the most of the current cycle.

The Tigers are the favorites for Deuce Knight if the Notre Dame pledge pulls his commitment. Ditto for Ohio State cornerback pledge Na’eem Offord, the top cornerback in the 2025 class out of Birmingham, Alabama. The Tigers remain a long shot for four-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola (No. 51 in the ESPN 300), and should be well positioned for four-star linebacker Tyler Lockhart, No. 132 in the ESPN 300.

Auburn football’s 2025 class ranks No. 5 in 247Sports as the calendar turns toward the final portion of August.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Tyler on Twitter @traley34

A look at four ‘flip’ candidates ahead of Big Cat Weekend

Will Auburn end the weekend by flipping these four talented recruits?

Guests are beginning to arrive on Auburn’s campus for the biggest recruiting event of the season, Big Cat Weekend.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and his coaching staff will welcome several uncommitted recruits and even more talented 2026 targets. However, its toughest recruiting effort will be spent on four players committed to playing college football elsewhere.

A total of 22 known recruits from the 2025 cycle will be present during Big Cat Weekend, with four committed to fellow Power Four programs. According to Auburn Undercover’s running list of Big Cat visitors, four-star athlete [autotag]Derick Smith[/autotag] (Alabama), four-star EDGE [autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag] (Ohio State), three-star RB [autotag]Daune Morris[/autotag] (USC), and three-star WR [autotag]Sam Turner[/autotag] (Georgia Tech) will all participate in this weekend’s activities.

Smith pledged to Alabama in March, and still appears to be leaning towards the Crimson Tide. However, Steve Wiltfong of On3 places Smith at the top of Auburn’s flip wish list. The Selma native is being recruited by Auburn to play wide receiver and in the secondary according to Wiltfong. The possibilities are endless with Smith, as he enters the weekend as the No. 2 athlete in the nation according to 247Sports.

Grady has flipped his commitment from Georgia to Ohio State this calendar year, but his recruitment is not quite finished. Auburn has already landed a commitment from one of Grady’s high school teammates from Enterprise High School, four-star safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag]. Winters will also attend Big Cat Weekend and could work some magic in order to shift Grady’s pledge to the Tigers.

Morris is a three-star running back from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and is pledged to USC. However, a few programs including Auburn, Ole Miss, and Tennessee are also candidates to flip him. Can Auburn get the upper-hand and sway Morris to stay closer to home?

The final candidate is Dekalb County, Georgia native Sam Turner. Turner earned an Auburn offer in June and is quickly shooting up the recruiting board for Auburn. Turner, a Georgia Tech commit, says that he is building a relationship with Auburn wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] and that his recruitment is not over.

Auburn’s coaching staff will need to bring their best efforts in order to steal these talented prospects away from their respective commitments. The great news for Auburn is that 12 of their commitments will also be on campus this weekend working as extra recruiters.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Alvin Henderson’s pledge to Auburn among top commitments of the week

Henderson’s decision to come “home” has boosted Auburn’s stock in this year’s recruiting rankings.

Auburn football received a pleasant surprise last week.

After missing out on four-star running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag] in April to Penn State, Auburn found a way to reel him back in and flip his commitment. Henderson became Auburn’s fifth 2025 commitment of June last Friday, and arguably the most notable.

On3 dropped their selections for last week’s top commitments from across the country, and included Henderson’s pledge to Auburn on the list. Henderson’s flip from Penn State to Auburn was one that On3’s Collin Ginnan saw happening.

Alvin Henderson committed to Penn State on April 11 despite Auburn being a longtime favorite in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. On Friday, the Tigers flipped Henderson back to the home-state team.

Henderson shared his reasoning for the swap, saying that he feels Auburn is “home.”

“Auburn is home,” Henderson told On3 in a recent interview. “I really appreciate Penn State and I love it up there and their coaches, but Auburn is home. It always has been.”

Henderson’s commitment bumped Auburn to No. 4 in 247Sports’ 2025 recruiting rankings, which is a six-spot increase from their No. 10 ranking to begin the month of June. Henderson joined four-star OT [autotag]Broderick Shull[/autotag], four-star safety [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag], and four-star CB [autotag]Donovan Starr[/autotag] by committing to Auburn this month.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Four-star safety Eric Winters commits to Auburn

Alabama’s No. 5 overall recruit from the 2025 recruiting cycle commits to Auburn on his official visit.

Auburn target [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag] is one of 12 recruits on campus for official visits this weekend. Speculation of a commitment to Auburn began to rise as soon as he stepped on campus, as recruiting analysts from multiple outlets projected Auburn to land Winters before the weekend ended.

Turns out, speculations were true as Winters announced his commitment to [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Tigers on Saturday afternoon.

Winters, a four-star safety from Enterprise, Alabama, says that his relationship with Freeze led to his pledge to Auburn.

“(Freeze) is a big part of why I committed to Auburn,” Winters said after announcing his commitment to Auburn. “He loves his players, he is a family guy and we built a great relationship. Coach Freeze is doing big things at Auburn and he made me feel like a priority and made me feel comfortable.”

Auburn has always been near the top of the list for Winters, but they needed to make a giant stride this weekend in order to create separation between themselves, Georgia, and Miami. Between Freeze and the “home” atmosphere of Auburn University, the chose became simple for Winters.

Now, he wants several of the state’s top recruits to join him on the Plains.

“I am already working guys. It starts with my teammate [autotag]Zion Grady[/autotag]. I am going after [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag], [autotag]Julian Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]KJ Lacey[/autotag] and some others,” Winters said. “Coach Freeze has this group of defensive players in Alabama he wants called the Super 7. Guys like [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Anquon Fegans[/autotag], [autotag]Naeem Offord[/autotag], and Zion are guys that haven’t committed yet. I will be on all of those guys.”

Winters is the No. 5 recruit from Alabama for the 2025 cycle, and is the fourth top-10 player from Alabama to pledge to Auburn. The 6-2, 200-pound safety ranks No. 5 overall at his position, and is the No. 53 overall recruit for the cycle. By landing Winters, Auburn now ranks No. 6 in 247Sports’ class of 2025 recruiting rankings.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Alabama’s top 2025 recruit plans to visit Auburn this fall

Auburn football has earned several commitments from Alabama’s top 2025 recruits. Can it land the state’s top player this cycle?

Auburn football remains in the hunt to land the state’s top recruit for the 2025 cycle.

[autotag]Na’eem Offord[/autotag], a five-star cornerback from Parker High School in Birmingham, has been an Ohio State pledge since February. However, as has become customary, Auburn is refusing to yield until signing day.

In a recent interview with Cole Pinkston of On3, Offord says that he remains in contact with Auburn defensive backs coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag], and that high school teammate and current 2025 Auburn pledge [autotag]Jourdin Crawford[/autotag] continues to recruit him on Auburn’s behalf.

With Auburn still making a push, does Offord plan to visit the Plains soon? He tells Pinkston that he will be on campus for a scheduled 7-on-7 with his high school team, and says that he plans to take official visits to Auburn and rival Alabama during the season.

“I don’t have an (official visit) date set yet, but I am saving those two schools (Auburn and Alabama) for last,” Offord tells Pinkston.

Auburn has recruited its home-base well this cycle, as three of the state’s top-10 recruits have committed to head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the program. [autotag]Eric Winters[/autotag], the state’s No. 5 overall recruit, has a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports that favors Auburn.

Offord is the top overall recruit from Alabama for the 2025 cycle, and is the No. 2 cornerback according to 247Sports’ national rankings.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Florida makes top 5 for blue-chip 2025 Cotton State safety

Florida football has been hot on the recruiting trail of late coming off a successful spring practice season that culminated in the annual Orange and Blue game last Saturday. Make no mistake – while Billy Napier and Co. were certainly busy with …

Florida football has been hot on the recruiting trail of late coming off a successful spring practice season that culminated in the annual Orange and Blue game last Saturday. Make no mistake — while Billy Napier and Co. were certainly busy with offseason workouts they still pressed hard for the top prep prospects in the nation.

The Gators’ efforts have come to fruition of late as many high school players have set official visits with the program as well as mentioning the Orange and Blue among their top collegiate destinations. One such student-athlete is four-star safety Eric Winters out of Enterprise (Alabama) in the 2025 cycle.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 200-pound defender recently announced his top 5 schools and included Florida among them.

Per Swamp247:

“It’s just something about Napier that excites me. He’s a really good dude. I went up there this past spring and we talked for quite a bit and I got a good first impression from him. Coach Harris too, he’s got a lot of experience. He knows what it takes because he’s done it at every level. The environment too. It’s something a lot of kids dreamed of as kids.”

Per Gators Online:

“When hanging around coach Harris, he gives you those vibes that he’s a guy that you would like to go to work with every day and he makes your day easier. Florida has a rich history of doing things the right way and they’re trying to get back to the top and where they were.” 

The Auburn Tigers, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes and Tennessee Volunteers are also among his top 5 collegiate destinations.

Auburn: “Auburn is self-explanatory. Who wouldn’t want to stay home?”

Georgia: “As a prospect that plays defense, how can you say no to Georgia? Georgia recruits themselves.”

Miami: “It’s more than just ball with them. If you go there, you know you’re going to be successful on the field and off the field.”

Tennessee: “Those are the most down-to-earth guys I’ve met. They produce talent year and year out.”

“I’m looking for somebody to really separate themselves,” Winters told Gators Online. “Honestly, I want to commit as quickly as I can, even sometime before I start spring ball. But if not, I’ll take my OVs, weigh my options, name the pros and cons of each school and make a decision from there.”

Winters is ranked No. 79 overall and No. 8 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him at Nos. 79 and 9, respectively.

Auburn currently holds one crystal ball prediction from 247Sports while also commanding a massive lead in On3’s recruiting prediction machine with a 92.2% chance of signing him. Georgia (3.8%) and Miami (1.7%) trail a very distant second and third, respectively.

Follow us @GatorsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

2025 safety Eric Winters includes Tennessee in top five

2025 safety Eric Winters includes Tennessee football in top five.

2025 safety prospect Eric Winters announced his top five schools.

Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Miami and Auburn are Winters’ top five schools.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound four-star safety prospect is from Enterprise High School in Enterprise, Alabama.

Winters ranks as the No. 79 overall player in the class of 2025. He also ranks as the No. 8 safety and No. 7 player in Alabama.

Tennessee offered a scholarship to Winters on June 21, 2023. UAB was the first school to offer a scholarship to him on April 15, 2022.

The Vols have eight commitments in its 2025 recruiting class: Quarterback George MacIntyre, defensive lineman Ethan Utley, tight end Jack Van Dorseiaer, cornerback Dylan Lewis, running back Justin Baker, wide receiver Joakim Dodson, cornerback Tyler Redmond and safety Sidney Walton.