Auburn football is only in its second season under head coach Bryan Harsin, but the new regime has already developed a reputation for flipping recruits. Winning recruiting battles has never been a piece of cake for the Tigers as they go up against top programs in Alabama and Georgia for regional prospects every year.
However, the flipping trend already has a precedent in the recruiting class of 2022 with 4-star linebacker Robert Woodyard, who was the first commit to flip from Alabama to Auburn since 2014. The Mobile native committed to the Crimson Tide in June of 2020, but signed with Auburn football in December of 2021.
Now, a second Tide-Tigers flip could be in the works for Harsin and cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge. 5-star cornerback Jahlil Hurley, who is ranked as the #23 overall prospect and the #4 CB in the recruiting class of 2023 and the #4 recruit out of the state of Alabama, has been committed to the Tide since February of 2022, but talks with Auburn football have never stopped.
Hurley has been on the Plains multiple times, most recently over this past weekend with several other high-priority prospects. Getting him back on campus so late in the game is a big deal for Harsin and the coaching staff, and Jake Crain of Crain and Company expects Hurley to become a Tiger in the near future:
I expect Him to commit to Auburn pretty soon https://t.co/YU9aUVSXMr
— Jake “JBOY” Crain (@JakeCrain_) April 24, 2022
According to Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live, Hurley was actually supposed to commit to Nick Saban and the Tide much earlier than he actually did, and throughout the whole process the Tigers continued to recruit and build strong relationships with the CB.
Hurley has a real interest in Auburn, proven by his attendance to three games last season, and could soon become Harsin’s second flip from Alabama in as many years.