Why Auburn football has a good chance to land 4-star TE Jelani Thurman

With spring training officially over and the first glance of the 2022 Auburn football team witnessed by fans at A-Day, the coaching staff is ramping up recruitment across the state and the country.

So far, the Tigers have just two commits in the recruiting class of 2023 in 4-star offensive lineman Bradyn Joiner and 4-star linebacker Terrance Love. The coaching staff is hoping to add to those numbers with the so-called “Tiger Takeover” recruiting initiative launched this week.

With some of the top talent in the 2023 class being located in the state of Alabama, head coach Bryan Harsin and his staff are putting forth great effort in “backyard recruiting” and attempting to keep talent within the state. However, the Tigers have put a lot of focus on Langston Hughes High School in the neighboring state of Georgia– the school that 2023 commit Terrance Love attends.

One of the high-priority targets in this cycle has become 4-star tight end Jelani Thurman, current teammate of Love. Thurman narrowed down his list of schools to his Top 8 just this morning, and Auburn football made the cut:

Although there is formidable competition in Thurman’s top schools list, the Tigers stand a good chance at landing the 4-star TE. Why?

First of all, the commitment of Terrance Love is huge for the Tigers in securing other players from Langston Hughes. They’re a tight-knit group, but Auburn has made them individual priorities, as well, according to On3 Sports.

The Tigers also have a strong vision of how they would use the tight end, likening his future role with the team to that of Landen King, a hybrid tight end-wide receiver type of position. Thurman has been on the Plains multiple times during his recruitment, more than any other school on his list.

With a clear vision and the endorsement of his teammate, it’s likely that Auburn football has the opportunity to secure Jelani Thurman despite the competition from other top programs around the country.