In the previous 13 recruiting classes for Auburn prior to Hugh Freeze’s hiring, the Tigers averaged signing 2.46 players per class from 247 Sports’ top-10 players in the state of Alabama.
Auburn’s 2025 class has eight of the top-10 – the most ever for the program since at least 1999 when 247 Sports started tracking recruiting.
“It was priority No. 1. We have to win our share of battles in state,” Freeze said Wednesday afternoon. “I was clear with our staff how I saw recruiting and how I saw it geographically when we got here and it starts in this state. This year was a success for sure, came to really close to being even more successful.”
In Freeze’s first two full-cycle classes combined, the Tigers have signed 12 players inside the state of Alabama’s top-10 high school signees. In the six classes prior, Auburn signed 13.
“I think it matters,” Freeze said. “It still matters that you represent your home state at a school that you dreamed of coming to. That's what we're going to try and continue to push and make the foundation here from inside our state outwards.”
Two of the Tigers’ top three home state signees; five-star edge Jared Smith and four-star safety Anquon Fegans, come from 7A state champion Thompson – a winner of five of the last six state titles. The duo both rank inside the top-six in their position nationally.
Alongside Smith and Fegans, Auburn also brought in three-star punter John Alan McGuire from Thompson. Although McGuire is the Tigers lowest rated signee, partially due to the nature of the position, the soon to be true freshman punter ranked fifth in the nation at his position.
“We have a lot of great high school programs here, a lot of great high school coaches. And we have great relationships with them, dating back, truthfully,” Freeze said. “Mark Freeman who I go long time back.”
Outside of Freeman’s football factory in Alabaster, AL, Auburn’s other in-state five-star signee came from just down the road in Opelika, AL in defensive lineman Malik Autry.
"It’s huge for him to remain loyal when everybody’s knocking at his door and calling on the phone. It’s really big. He really helped us. He and Jordan and some of the others that have been long-time commitments really helped hold this class together."
Autry, known for his fat batman tweets signalling the next Tiger commitment, is rated 98 overall by 247 Sports recorded 8.0 tackles-for-loss and 18 solo tackles during his senior season as a Bulldog.
"That’s a pretty dang good haul for a high school defensive line class. I’m really excited about all of them. They’re all a little bit different. You’ve got the big, big dude in Malik,” Freeze said.
Seven of the Tigers eight signees from the state of Alabama’s top-10 were defensive additions with the likes of four-star safety Eric Winters, four-star linebacker Jakaleb “JJ” Faulk, four-star defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford and four-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman joining the unit.
“It’s a priority that we win our battles in state, or at least our fair share of them. I’m not naïve. I know that you’re not going to win every single one of them. We dang near came close to sweeping the top 10,” Freeze said. “I think relationships still do matter when it comes to trusting, so that was big for us to win our fair share of battles in state.”
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Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
