Vontrell King-Williams – Syndication Server

Auburn becomes frontrunner to land four-star DL Joseph Mbatchou

Mbatchou will visit the Plains this weekend for Auburn’s game with Vanderbilt. Can Hugh Freeze and staff close the deal?

Auburn football is hosting one of the top defensive linemen from the 2025 class this weekend, which could ultimately close the deal.

[autotag]Joseph Mbatchou[/autotag], a four-star defensive lineman from Loganville, Georgia, is set to visit the Plains for Auburn’s game with Vanderbilt on Saturday, marking the third time he has taken in an Auburn game this season.

This visit could be crucial says On3’s VP of recruiting Steve Wiltfong, who, along with On3 recruiting expert Chad Simmons, has logged a prediction for Auburn to add Mbatchou to its highly-rated 2025 signing class ahead of his visit.

Wiltfong says that Auburn’s director of recruiting [autotag]Kenyatta Watson[/autotag] and defensive line coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag] have played a large role in Mbatchou’s recruitment, which has allowed Auburn to stay ahead of Texas and USC in the race for his signature.

Following the submitted predictions from Wiltfong and Simmons, Auburn now has a 92.7% chance to sign Mbatchou according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine. Mbatchou is the No. 31 defensive lineman from the 2025 recruiting class according to On3’s industry ranking and is the No. 38 overall recruit from Georgia for the 2025 cycle.

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Auburn showing interest in Florida DL commit Joseph Mbatchou

in the midst of a busy football season, Auburn is in a packed race to flip defensive lineman Joseph Mbatchou from the Florida Gators

Auburn football is in the midst of its regular season, but nothing stops the recruiting game as prospects constantly make big official visits on game weeks, which have huge impacts on their decisions.

The Tigers are currently in the middle of a hectic race to flip another high school star in defensive lineman[autotag]Joseph Mbatchou[/autotag], who has been committed to the Florida Gators since July 31.

In the early going of the 2024 college football season, Mbatchou is traveling across the southeastern portion of the country to visit numerous programs in the SEC, which is significant due to the struggles that the Gators have fallen victim to.

While Auburn has extended an offer to the three-star product out of Grayson High School (Ga.), it is joined by the likes of Alabama, Georgia, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and USC in this race.

Mbatchou visited the Plains in the Tigers’ week two matchup with California, and despite the loss, sees a lot of optimism in what the program can do for him as a player.

“I like the d-line coach ([autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag]) because he’s young and fresh,” Mbatchou said. “He builds relationships with his players. He was talking to me about how he got his job and was telling me that if I do everything I’m asked to do and put my all into football, I should be a first-round pick. The d-line played good at the game I was at, even though they lost. I can see myself fitting into their defensive scheme.”

The six-foot-four, 280-pound big man is currently the No. 457 overall player and No. 41 defensive lineman in the country according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 54 player in the state of Georgia for the class of 2025.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 5 in the nation and No. 4 in the SEC, making its mark with key commits such as EDGE [autotag]Jared Smith[/autotag] and defensive lineman [autotag]Nate Marshall[/autotag]. A commit from Mbatchou would only add to the talent that head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is attempting to build up for the Tigers’ future.

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Hugh Freeze breaks down Auburn’s most notable position battles ahead of season

Rotations will be key for the Tigers this season, and Freeze wants the best players possible to be involved.

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers took the stage at SEC Media Days Thursday and one of the many topics up for discussion was position battles within the program.

The most notable battle, at least in the eyes of those outside of the program, is at wide receiver. The Tigers have a revamped wide receiver room which will feature three transfers, four true freshmen, and two returners. However, the most contested battle is on the other side of the line.

Freeze told reporters Thursday that the defensive line will feature a steady rotation this season.

“The most contested, we have six guys on defensive line you might say it’s contested, but I think we need to rotate all six of them,” Freeze said.

Auburn’s defensive line will be experienced as [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] returning with the additions of [autotag]Trill Carter[/autotag], [autotag]Philip Blidi[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag], and [autotag]Gage Keys[/autotag] joining the program from the transfer portal. Experience will not be an issue, but it will be up to Freeze and defensive line coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag] to find the perfect combination to give the Tigers the best chance to succeed.

Another position group of concern is at safety, which was ravaged by the NFL draft. [autotag]Jaylin Simpson[/autotag] is out, meaning Auburn will need to look to transfers and new faces to fill the role.

“I’d probably say safety. You are going to have Keionte (Scott) and Kayin (Lee) getting the bulk of reps at corner, but we really need (Antonio) Kite and (Jaylin) Crawford, Amon Lane (Ganus), some of these younger guys to get ready to play there,” Freeze said. “(Jerrin) Thompson is the vocal leader there, but we need other pieces to give us depth there.”

Freeze went on to mention that [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] will get the nod at quarterback and that the rotation of running backs will feature [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]. At receiver, Freeze calls for six receivers to step into the rotation. Freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], as well as transfers [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], look to be prime candidates to earn steady playing time at the position.

Three-star defensive lineman ranks Auburn in ‘top three’ following visit

The No. 38 defensive lineman in the class mentioned the family culture on the Plains as a main reason he enjoyed his time in Auburn.

Three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Walter Mathis Jr.[/autotag] visited Auburn for the first time last week and the visit went “excellent” according to the Savannah, Georgia native.

The No. 38 defensive lineman in the class, like so many recruits before him, mentioned the family culture on the Plains as a main reason he enjoyed his time in Auburn so much. Mathis Jr. saw that culture when watching the team.

“They’re really bonding well together and it is just like a family,” Mathis said this week.

The 6-3, 285-pound prospect also mentioned his quick chemistry with head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and defensive line coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag] as other reasons Auburn is now in his “top three” heading into decision season. Mathis Jr. mentioned LSU and Miami as the other programs he is considering. He has an official visit to LSU planned later this month.

After that visit, Mathis Jr. hopes to make a decision at some point this summer. A commitment from the talented defensive lineman in late summer could be a nice appetizer for Auburn fans before the team kicks off the season on August 31 against Alabama A&M.

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Alabama DL commit Antonio Coleman makes another visit to Auburn

In a back-and-forth recruiting battle, Alabama defensive line commit Antonio Coleman made a visit to the Plains last weekend

The recruiting process is a long road that can go back and forth weekly with different schools pushing for top prospects. Auburn is one of those schools that is constantly working its hardest, which is keeping them in the race for talented players.

One of those players is four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Antonio Coleman[/autotag], who is currently committed to the Tigers’ archrival, Alabama.

Coleman returned to the Plains for an official visit last weekend. It was his third visit to Auburn this year, and the second since he flipped to the Crimson Tide in March. He has flipped between the two schools twice in his recruiting process.

His visit was all about talking through what the program can do to make him the best player possible, which was largely led by defensive line coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag].

“I spent a lot of time with Coach Vontrell,” Coleman said in an interview with Auburn Live. “We talked about the scheme that they run and things I could do to be a better player. We had a great time. He’s a great coach. He’s going to shoot it to you straight. If you have something going on that he feel like you can do to get better, he’s going to work his tail off to make sure you get to that level.”

The Saraland High School (Alabama) product is set to make a visit back to Tuscaloosa this weekend before returning to the Plains in late July for Big Cat Weekend.

Coleman is currently placed as the No. 129 player in the nation and the No. 11 defensive lineman according to the On3 industry ranking. He is also the No. 12 player in the state of Alabama.

Should he flip back to the Tigers, Coleman would be the third-highest rated player in their 2025 class, joining [autotag]Malik Autry[/autotag], [autotag]Jakaleb Faulk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jourdin Crawford[/autotag] on the defensive line.

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It’s down to Auburn and Michigan for four-star DL Nate Marshall

Michigan pledge Nate Marshall is leaving the door open for Auburn to change his mind.

[autotag]Nate Marshall[/autotag] was a late addition to this weekend’s visitor list, and will leave with a tough decision to make.

The four-star defensive lineman is committed to Michigan, but his recent visit to the Plains has given Auburn almost identical odds to the Wolverines as far as his top school goes.

“It’s Auburn or Michigan,” Marshall said in a recent interview with On3. “I would say it’s pretty close, especially after this visit.”

This weekend marked the second time that Marshall has visited Auburn, his first since April. In a program that is looking to return to its prior glory, every Auburn coach is looking for players that can “change the culture.” Marshall is viewed as one of those players.

Marshall’s primary recruiter is defensive tackles coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag], a fellow Chicagoan. The relationship Marshall has built with King-Williams is a key reason why Auburn remains high on his radar.

“I like Coach Vontrell,” Marshall said. “He’s from where I’m from, so we have that connection. He’s been recruiting me for a year or two, so we have that relationship, that bond. He was an analyst here when JG (Jeremy Garrett) was here. For him to be here, it actually really helps Auburn’s chances. He’s a guy that I was already close to, talking to every day.”

Marshall is the No. 4 defensive tackle from the 2025 recruiting cycle according to On3 and ESPN rankings, and is considered to be the top prospect from Illinois by On3 and Rivals. Michigan remains the frontrunner, but Auburn can make one final push in late July as Marshall plans to return to campus for Big Cat Weekend.

Former Auburn commit Kalen Edwards plans to visit the Plains more

The former Auburn pledge struck up a relationship with DL coach Vontrell King-Williams during his recent weekend visit.

2025 defensive lineman recruit[autotag]Kalen Edwards[/autotag] was once committed to become an Auburn Tiger, but backed off his promise following defensive line coach [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag]’s departure for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

Although the 6-4, 330-pound lineman is no longer committed to Auburn, he did have the chance to visit the Plains recently. The Tennessee native reportedly enjoyed his time with new defensive line coach [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag]. The new relationship has caused Edwards to have second thoughts, which will lead to more visits in the future.

If Edwards were to come back to the Tigers, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] would be securing the talents of the No. 38 ranked defensive lineman in the 2025 class. Edwards is also the No. 11 ranked player out of the “Volunteer State.”

Auburn isn’t the only program vying for his talents however, as Edwards has visits to Louisville, Memphis, and Georgia lined up in the near future. The high schoolers decision could come after the trio of visits.

“I really don’t know for sure. I’m going on the rest of my OV’s just to see,” Edwards said in an interview with On3. “Auburn is in the back of my head for sure.”

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Hugh Freeze promotes Vontrell King-Williams to defensive line coach

King-Williams replaces Jeremy Garrett, who recently took a position with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] did not have to search long, or even far, to find his next defensive line coach.

Former defensive line coach [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag] was named defensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, and his replacement was in-house. According to a report by Brian Stultz of Auburn Rivals, analyst [autotag]Vontrell King-Williams[/autotag] has been promoted to defensive line coach.

King-Williams joined Freeze’s staff last January as an analyst, working primarily with Auburn’s defensive line alongside Garrett. Before his time at Auburn, King-Williams served as defensive line coach for Eastern Michigan for the 2022 season and was a graduate assistant for EMU from 2018-19. He previously worked on Freeze’s staff at Liberty as a defensive graduate assistant for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Garrett spoke of King-Williams last year in an interview with Auburn Undercover, saying that he knows how to build relationships with players.

“He’s a really good coach. He’s a smart coach. He’s a really good teacher. He knows the players and gets to know those guys well,” Garrett said of King-Williams. “I just think what he’s going to bring to the table, it’s going to be a dynamic duo in recruiting and teaching these guys.”

The promotion of King-Williams to the on-field staff will cause shifting among the staff. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reports that linebackers coach [autotag]Josh Aldridge[/autotag] will now coach EDGE rushers while newly-named defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] will handle linebackers.