Auburn football closing in on 5-star in-state edge rusher

One of the most important recruiting strategies that the Auburn football coaching staff has taken on during this cycle is focusing heavily on the talent in the state of Alabama. The Tigers are consistently fighting recruiting battles due to the overlap of Georgia and Alabama going after the same prospects.

This year, head coach Bryan Harsin and his staff employed the “Tiger Takeover” strategy, where they spent about two weeks traveling to high schools all over the state to strengthen relationships with both recruits and high school coaches.

Soon, their strategy could begin to pay off in the form of commitments from 2023 recruits. Jaquavious “Qua” Russaw is being recruited heavily by both the Crimson Tide and the Dawgs, but after his official visit this past weekend on the Plains, it appears that Auburn football may be closing in on the edge.

Russaw is ranked as the #27 overall prospect and the #4 edge in the recruiting class of 2023 and is the #6 recruit out of the state of Alabama. Several things about Auburn stand out to Russaw, and he has strong connections with associate head coach Zac Etheridge and his would-be position coach Roc Bellantoni, and the pair are pushing Russaw to really consider becoming a Tiger over committing to Alabama or Georgia, per Auburn Undercover:

"“Coach is always explaining like, would you rather start a train or hop on a moving train?” Russaw said. “That plays a big part. I feel like it’d be better chance of starting a train.”"

The edge rusher spent the month of June taking official visits to Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia, and he plans to either visit Florida after the dead period in July or attend Big Cat Weekend on the Plains.

A final decision is expected in December, with an official Top 5 announcement at the end of the summer. Although Auburn football is up against several powerhouse programs, they stand a good chance to land Jaquavious Russaw.