Offer from Auburn football means a lot to JUCO OT Elijah Philippe

Over the weekend, the Auburn football program extended another offer to a prospect that would join in with the recruiting class of 2023. Elijah Philippe, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive tackle at Lackawanna Community College in Pennsylvania, is officially on the Tigers’ radar.

Philippe learned about the offer on Friday, and currently is in the stage of working to learn more about the Auburn football program. He spoke with both Director of Recruiting Darren Uscher and offensive line coach Will Friend, per Auburn Live:

"“(The Auburn offer) means a lot,” Philippe said. “I just started talking with Auburn (last) week with the director of recruiting — those types of guys. Darren Uscher started showing me a little bit about Auburn. Friday they said they wanted to get me on the phone with the offensive line coach (Will Friend). That was my first time talking to him. I liked him. He shot straight forward and said he wanted me to do my research on Auburn before we get the process started. (Friend) wanted to get to know me a little more and told me to do my homework on Auburn. He was good and made a good first impression.”"

For Philippe, one of the biggest factors in the Auburn offer is the immediate need for offensive linemen next year, when the Tigers are expected to lose at least six OL from the current roster. After graduating this December, Philippe will have three years of eligibility left, making him the perfect candidate to make a lasting impact in the Tigers’ offensive line corps.

According to the OT, being able to come in and compete for a spot immediately is a big deal, and he has already been watching YouTube videos to learn more about Auburn football’s offense. Although visiting the Plains will be complicated due to his football schedule at Lackawanna, Philippe expressed interest in a visit sometime this fall.

In addition to Auburn, Florida State and South Carolina are heavily pursuing the JUCO OT. He officially visited the Gamecocks’ program in June, and has received 10 offers so far in his recruitment.

While Elijah Philippe has a very high level of interest in Auburn football, the Tigers’ coaching staff will work hard to continue to make him a priority and keep him from both FSU and South Carolina.