Tag: Marcus Davis

Auburn is back in the hunt for four-star WR Devin Carter

Carter recently backed off his pledge to Florida State, and Auburn has the chance to capitalize.

Florida State‘s loss has the potential to be Auburn’s gain.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Devin Carter[/autotag] backed off his pledge to Florida State in January. Auburn is among the programs that have the chance to capitalize on the opportunity.

Carter, a native of Augusta, Georgia, recently broke down his top schools with On3’s Chad Simmons. Carter says that he is still considering Florida State as his college destination, but is also taking a look at several SEC programs including Auburn. His relationship with wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] is one of several reasons Carter is considering Auburn.

“I was at Auburn for the Iron Bowl and it is about relationships with them. Coach Marcus Davis is a great coach and I have a great relationship with him. He is a cool coach, I see Auburn coming up as a program and I like the way (head) coach (Hugh) Freeze and coach Davis are working there.”

Carter is also considering Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Clemson. He has scheduled a visit to Clemson but is working on setting up more. Carter is the No. 4 wide receiver for the 2026 cycle and is the No. 5 overall recruit from Georgia.

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Five-star WR Caleb Cunningham puts Auburn in top 12

Caleb Cunningham has released his top 12 schools, in which he included the Tigers amongst several other SEC schools.

[autotag]Caleb Cunningham[/autotag] has established himself as one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the 2025 recruiting class, with college coaches being in contact with him constantly. However, the five-star out of Choctaw County High School (Miss.) has cut his list to just 12 schools.

That list includes the likes of Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, and Florida.

Cunningham visited the Plains on Jan. 20 and was left with a highly positive impression from what he, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], and wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] discussed.

The Mississippi native is ranked as the No. 11 overall player and No. 2 wide receiver in the On3 industry ranking. He is also still ranked as the No. 1 player in the state.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class can improve its stock from No. 8 if it lands the star receiver, which would be its first of the class.

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Examining DJ Durkin’s top recruits of all-time

Auburn’s new defensive coordinator has a knack for finding elite talent.

Auburn has landed its next defensive coordinator in [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag].

Durkin brings a wealth of knowledge to the Plains, as he has served as a Power Five coach since 2007, with one exception. He joined the Atlanta Falcons staff as a consultant during the 2019 season before re-joining the college ranks as a defensive coordinator under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss and most recently under Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M.

He has led defenses to produce solid numbers throughout the years, but another impressive aspect of his resume is his ability to recruit.

Throughout his time at places such as Florida, Maryland, and Texas A&M, Durkin has played a hand in several of the nation’s best athletes signing with his program. Durkin is now paired with great recruiters such as [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag], [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag], and even his new head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], which should allow him to continue recruiting at a high level.

Here’s a look at the top 10 recruits that Durkin has had a hand in landing over the years.

Auburn is one of 4-star wide receiver Derick Smith’s top schools

Auburn is a major contender for four-star, in-state wide receiver Derick Smith.

Auburn and wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] signed one of the best wide receiver classes in the country in the 2024 recruiting cycle and he is now turning his efforts to the 2025 class.

One of Auburn’s top targets is four-star [autotag]Derick Smith[/autotag], who is from Selma, Alabama, and has already taken several visits to the Plains. He returned on Saturday and once again came away impressed.

“It was fun, it was good. I just love the atmosphere here,” Smith told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “It gets better and better every time I come. I loved it, I’m not gonna lie. The fanbase, how the fanbase watched. I love the atmosphere out here.”

Smith is the No. 68 overall player and No. 8 wide receiver in the 247Sports composite ranking. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder is also the No. 6 player from Alabama.

While teams all across the country have offered him, the in-state Tigers are standing out. With Smith saying they are “top two for sure.”

He is coming off a great junior season for Southside High School. He caught 46 passes for 1,487 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 1,036 yards and nine touchdowns.

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Five-star WR Caleb Cunningham schedules visit to Auburn

Five-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham will be returning to the Plains later this month.

Five-star wide receiver [autotag]Caleb Cunningham[/autotag] is one of the most coveted prospects in the 2025 recruiting cycle, boasting over 30 scholarship offers from all across the country.

The Mississippi native is a major target for Auburn and [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] and they will get a chance to host him on an unofficial visit later this month. According to On3’s Chad Simmons, he will be visiting the Plains on Jan. 20. That will be his third visit to Auburn, including to watch the Tigers take on Ole Miss.

Cunningham is the No. 10 overall player and No. 2 wide receiver in the On3 industry ranking. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is also the No. 1 player from Mississippi.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is off to a great start, ranking No. 7 in the country but the Tigers are still looking for their first wide receiver commitment.

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Auburn is in the top group for in-state WR target Daylyn Upshaw

Auburn is looking to keep Daylyn Upshaw home but will face some fierce competition for the talented receiver.

It is still early in his recruitment, but Auburn is one of the schools standing out to in-state wide receiver [autotag]Daylyn Upshaw[/autotag], who is from nearby Phenix City.

Upshaw recently spoke with On3’s Chad Simmons and admitted that the Tigers are in his top group, along with Florida and Florida State. Unsurprisingly it is [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] that have the Tigers standing out.

“It’s definitely (wide receivers) coach (Marcus) Davis and coach Freeze and how they push for me because it’s so close,” Upshaw told Simmons. “They’re pushing for me a lot. I’ve talked to coach Davis a lot recently.”

Upshaw is the No. 591 overall player and No. 95 wide receiver in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also the No. 23 player from Alabama in the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Auburn will have another advantage, he was teammates with five-star Auburn signee [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] at Central High School.

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Auburn’s wide receiver class named the best in the country by 247Sports

Auburn is the only program to sign multiple five-star wide receivers.

Prior to Wednesday, Ben Obomanu was the only composite five-star wide receiver to sign with Auburn. The number has now grown to three with [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] both signing with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Auburn during the early signing period.

But they weren’t the only receivers that wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] landed, four-star prospects [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] both inked their letters of intent to complete the impressive haul.

The Tigers were the only program to land multiple five-star wide receivers and 247Sports believes the class is the best in the country. With national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna believing all four have the ability to play in the NFL.

“(Freeze) has done a tremendous job. I talked about it, if you’re looking at Auburn and how they’re going to be different and separate themselves over the next couple of years, look no further than this receiver position.”

The Tigers are not done at wide receiver either, they are firmly in the mix for five-star Alabama commit [autotag]Ryan Williams[/autotag]. The Auburn legacy has been committed to the Crimson Tide since October 2002 but recently reclassified to the 2024 cycle and won’t sign with a program until February.

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Auburn lands Georgia State WR Robert Lewis from transfer portal

The first domino of the winter transfer portal window has fallen as Georgia State’s leading receiver has announced his pledge to Auburn.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff can officially claim that this weekend was a success.

Auburn hosted a plethora of transfer portal occupants this weekend, and it ends with a commitment. [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], Georgia State’s leading receiver from the 2023 season, announced his pledge to Freeze and the Auburn Tigers on Sunday evening.

Lewis spent the weekend in Auburn getting to know Freeze and wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag]. Following his visit, he told Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover that Auburn was at the top of his list due to the program being the first to contact him. After spending time on the Plains, he became locked in.

Lewis tells Pete Nakos of On3 that he can see himself becoming a heavy contributor to the Tigers offense.

“I feel like Auburn is the right fit for me because of the scheme that they run could fit with me,” Lewis tells Nakos. “While talking about football with Coach (Marcus) Davis, we were really on the same page about a lot of things regarding my tape. We were both saying the same thing but in different verbiage. Also with the role I will be tasked with while being in the receiver room, I feel like I could help boost them to another level.”

After playing a supportive role to now-Louisville wide receiver Jamari Thrash last season at Georgia State, Lewis slid into the premier receiver role this season. He answered the call by recording 70 receptions for 877 yards and seven touchdowns.

The wide receiver position needs to be addressed this offseason, and Auburn’s coaching staff is doing a great job of enhancing the unit. Lewis becomes the first transfer portal commitment for the Tigers this season, and should be paired well with incoming freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag].

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Georgia State transfer WR Robert Lewis names Auburn his leader

He had a breakout season in 2023, catching 70 passes for 877 yards and 7 touchdowns. 

Auburn is scouring the transfer portal for wide receivers to help the passing attack and one of their top targets is former Georgia State wideout [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag].

[autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] and the Tigers quickly extended him an offer after he entered the portal and were able to get him on campus for an official visit, and that has made them the early leader he told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente.

“Right now Auburn is No. 1 on my list. Just with how they approached me,” Lewis said. “They was the first team to contact me really and they really was the first team to come show face. Coach (Marcus) Davis was the first coach I met throughout this whole program. Auburn is No. 1.”

Lewis has spent the past four seasons at Georgia State, redshirting in 2020. He has gotten better each season and broke out in 2023, catching 70 passes for 877 yards and 7 touchdowns.

He has one season of eligibility remaining and could help give Auburn’s talented incoming freshman time to develop when they arrive on the Plains.

Like most transfers, his recruitment is moving fast and he wants to make his decision “next week or towards the end of next week.”

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Auburn remains determined to flip KJ Bolden from Florida State

It appears that Hugh Freeze is feeling lucky after flipping Cam Coleman from Texas A&M.

Last week, wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] visited Central High School in Phenix City to have a chat with five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman. The meeting went well, as Coleman flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Auburn.

After the flip, it appears as if Hugh Freeze and his staff are feeling lucky as they continue to pursue five-star safety [autotag]KJ Bolden[/autotag]. Freeze paid a visit to Bolden on Tuesday.

Bolden has been a popular target for Auburn, and they were in Bolden’s final five choices before he ultimately committed to Florida State on August 5. Despite his pledge to Florida State, Auburn has remained heavy in their pursuit of Bolden. Bolden visited Auburn during the weekend of the Georgia game and said that the atmosphere of Jordan-Hare Stadium “caught him off guard” but in a good way.

Now that early signing day is within eyesight, Freeze is making one final push to sway Bolden to the Plains. In a recent episode of The Inside Scoop from On3, Auburn Live’s Jeffrey Lee says that Auburn’s recent success of landing recruits such as Coleman and fellow five-star receiver [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] has changed the way Bolden views Auburn.

“Now they’ve got both of those guys, they’ve got Joe Phillips, they’ve got Jamonta Waller, they just added Cam Coleman. And I really think that’s opened KJ’s eyes,” Lee said. “Like oh, it’s not just one or two guys. This class could end up being really, really good. So I think with his interest level before, and now some of these recruits jumping on board certainly has opened his eyes with renewed interest in Auburn.”

As it stands currently, Auburn has the No. 11 recruiting class according to both 247Sports and On3. Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag], and [autotag]Jamonta Waller[/autotag] headline the class that features two five-stars, and ten four-stars.

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