Head coach Bryan Harsin is heading into his second season with Auburn football, and with a new coaching staff crafted to lead the team, much focus is being put on recruiting prospects for the class of 2023.
With most of the offensive line from the 2021 season returning for 2022, the staff is pushing harder for O-Lineman in next year’s class. The Tigers’ only commit in the 2023 class so far is Auburn native and offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner.
So far, according to the 247 Sports database, Auburn football has offered 2023 scholarships to 36 offensive linemen, 23 of which are categorized as offensive tackles. Four of those prospects have already verbally committed to other schools in 4-star OTs Luke Montgomery (Ohio State) and 4-star Bo Hughley (Georgia), and 5-star IOL Alex Birchmeier (Penn State) and 3-star IOL Ryqueeze McElderry (Georgia).
However, the Tigers are working hard to flip both of those UGA commits and are steadily gaining ground with the pair.
Another position area Auburn football is focusing on is the wide receivers, who recently received a major boost with the hiring of Ike Hilliard, whose NFL resume is garnering interest from many top recruits around the country.
38 wide receiver prospects have earned offers for a spot on the Tigers’ 2023 roster so far, 23 of them being true receivers and 12 listed as tight ends. Five of those WRs have already committed to other schools including 5-star Zachariah Branch (USC), 4-star Raymond Cottrell (Georgia), 4-star Ashton Cozart (Oklahoma), 4-star Ahmari Bordon (Stanford), and 3-star Lamar Seymore (Miami).
The Tigers have recently made a hard push for Miami commit Lamar Seymore, and Coach Hilliard has put Auburn football firmly back in the running for 4-star in-state receiver Karmello English. Two other receivers that seem to be top priorities on the Plains are JUCO prospect Malik Benson and 4-star Noah Rogers.
Auburn football has an established reputation for a strong defense, and the staff has offered more defensive linemen so far than any other position group in the cycle of 2023. While several returners from 2021 will be helpful in the coming season, especially with a new defensive line coach and coordinator, many departures have impacted the depth on the roster.
The Tigers have offered 42 defensive line prospects so far, divided into 14 edge recruits and 28 linemen. While two of the edge prospects, 4-star Kaven Call and 3-star Troy Ford, have already committed to UCF, Coach Zac Etheridge is putting in the work to earn the commitment of 4-star in-state edge Jaquavious Russaw and the Tigers earned a spot in 5-star Chandavian Bradley’s Top 5 schools.
Only one of the linemen with an Auburn offer has committed to another school in 4-star Keith Sampson (Florida State), but the Tigers threw their name in the mix just one month ago and are still working on the prospect.
Auburn football made it into 5-star in-state DL Peter Woods’ Top 6 programs after he visited the Plains for the 2021 Iron Bowl, and was named in 4-star in-state DL Kelby Collins’ Top 8 programs in December.
Continuing the in-state trend, two more Alabama natives are carefully considering taking their talents to the Plains in 4-stars Keldric Faulk and Hunter Osborne.
After a year where recruiting was consistently critiqued, Bryan Harsin and his newly-crafted coaching staff are working hard to turn things around and pull in top recruits for the recruiting class of 2023.