With the tumultuous 2022 season in the rearview mirror for the Auburn football time, it is now time to turn to the future and focus on recruiting efforts for new head coach Hugh Freeze’s first season on the Plains.
Freeze noted in his introductory press conference that he was more than ready to get out and start recruiting for the Tigers, but he does expect to lean pretty heavily on the transfer portal in year one. Now, the dead period has ended, and recruiting is back in full swing, culminating in signing day on December 21.
The NCAA transfer portal will officially open on Monday the 5th, and the Tigers are expected to look hard for talent additions to the 2023 squad. Already, there are two potential SEC receiver transfers that may end up as Auburn football recruiting targets.
The first is Mississippi State’s RaRa Thomas, who is originally from Eufala, Alabama. The wide receiver committed to the bulldogs in November of 2020 as a member of the class of 2021. He played two seasons in Starkville and put up monster numbers in 2022 with 44 receptions for 626 yards and seven touchdowns. Thomas has two years of eligibility left and could be a game-changer for the Tigers.
The other potential SEC WR transfer is Alabama’s Traeshon Holden, who committed to the Tide as a member of the class of 2020. Similar to Thomas, Holden played two seasons for the Crimson Tide and had a strong showing in 2022 with 25 receptions for 331 yards and 6 touchdowns, the second-most touchdowns on the team this season.
Auburn football struggled to create an offensive identity all season, and so far there has been no “top” receiver that has stood out above the rest as a playmaker. Either of these transfers has the ability to come in and make an immediate impact for the Tigers.