The Auburn football coaching staff has been working hard to get top recruits from the class of 2023 to sign on with the Tigers, especially those that hail from the state of Alabama. However, the coaching staff so far has not been deterred by recruits’ verbal commitments.
The Tigers are actively pushing for two 4-star offensive linemen that have been verbally committed to Georgia for some time, and both Bo Hughley and Ryqueeze McElderry have taken official visits to the Plains to see how the Tigers stack up to the Dawgs.
One position group that Auburn football is really looking to add depth to in the 2023 class is the edge rushers. Two big pieces from last season’s roster will return in Derick Hall and Eku Leota, but the pair are likely to move up to the NFL following this season, and everyone else on the roster lacks proven experience.
The allure of playing time is huge for 4-star edge Gabriel Harris, who is an Auburn target that has been verbally committed to Georgia for several months now. The Tigers hosted Harris for an official visit over the weekend, and he has good relationships with his would-be position coach Roc Bellantoni and head coach Bryan Harsin, per Auburn Undercover:
"“I really communicated with Coach Roc and Coach Harsin,” Harris said. “I had a good conversation with them about how I fit if I were to go to this school.”"
Harris, who is listed as the #138 overall prospect and the #15 edge in the recruiting class of 2023, and the #12 recruit out of the state of Georgia, already has another visit to Auburn planned for the season opener versus Mercer, and it’s possible he could get down to the Plains for Big Cat Weekend in July.
However, Harris does not plan to announce his final decision until the Early Signing Period in December, so both the Tigers and the Dawgs have a long way to go in their recruitment of the edge rusher.