Auburn football: 3 teams to beat for Tigers’ top target Eston Harris Jr.

Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin is hard at work on the recruiting trail, and one of his emphases on the process has been recruiting all over the country. However, one of the top targets for the Tigers’ recruiting class of 2022 is from just down the road in Opelika, AL, and the coaching staff is working overtime to keep him close to home at Auburn.

Despite his 3-star status, Eston Harris Jr. is the #17 recruit out of the state of Alabama and is being heavily pursued by major Power-5 programs. In his first year starting for the Beauregard Hornets, he racked up 77 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and three sacks.

Though he hasn’t narrowed down his list yet, Auburn football is definitely one of the top programs for Harris as he visits schools this month. If the Tigers want to lock down the #40 offensive tackle in the recruiting class of 2022, they have to beat out Florida State, Alabama, and Oregon.

Auburn football recruiting opponent #1: Florida State

Harris unofficially visited FSU on June 11, and enjoyed his time in Tallahassee, according to his Twitter page. The Seminoles are probably the smallest threat to the Tigers in securing Harris, as their offensive line wasn’t fantastic last season and they’re also returning that entire group, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Auburn football recruiting opponent #2: Alabama

Of course, Alabama is going to be a problem in securing Eston Harris Jr. The offensive tackle attended the Crimson Tide’s spring game in April and participated in camp at UA earlier this month. Unfortunately for Auburn fans, he told Alabama Rivals that getting an offer from Nick Saban was a dream of his, so it might be hard to pull him away from the Tide if Saban maintains high interest:

"“Coach Saban told me they like me and they are going to stay in touch. He told me to keep working hard. The fact that I got a chance to talk to him means he saw something he liked in me at the camp.”"

Auburn football recruiting opponent #3: Oregon

Eston Harris Jr. was very vocal about his trip to Eugene, Oregon, which has so far been his only official visit. The Ducks are returning much of their starters for the offensive line, which could push Harris to the back of the line in terms of playing time, which could push him down south towards the Plains.

The Auburn football team definitely has a need for offensive linemen, and could probably utilize Harris more quickly than his other top schools. If Bryan Harsin and his staff can secure Harris’ commitment, it would be a big recruiting win for the SEC-newcomer over Alabama.