The Auburn football program went through some tough times this year, from the whole Bryan Harsin debacle while he was still the head coach to the time Cadillac Williams took over and held the program together to the hiring of Hugh Freeze.
However, throughout the whole process, recruiting never stopped. Though there was no certainty or stability surrounding the program, Auburn football coaches Zac Etheridge, Cadillac Williams, and even Christian Robinson continued to recruit and pitch the Plains to top prospects around the country.
In just a few short weeks as the Tigers’ head coach, Hugh Freeze has moved Auburn’s recruiting class of 2023 leaps and bounds, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Etheridge, Williams, Robinson, and a few others bridging the gap between head coaches and keeping the ball rolling.
Not only were these assistant coaches key in keeping the already-committed players in the class of 2023 on board with the new staff, but they were also vital in maintaining contact with recruits who were either committed elsewhere or not yet committed.
After a very successful early signing day that saw the Tigers flip top recruit Keldric Faulk and sign plenty more, Freeze recognized the efforts of his fellow coaches, per Auburn Undercover:
"“I have to say, first and foremost, Zac (Etheridge) and Cadillac (Williams) and even C-Rob (Christian Robinson) and probably others, too, that I’m not totally aware of, but those guys never gave up and trying to hold onto some relationships that had been formed throughout the previous years along with the people in the building,” Freeze said. “They deserve a ton of credit for hanging us in the fight until we could get what these families appear to have some stability and some direction and vision for our program. So I’m thankful for those guys, they were faithful to the Auburn Family and held us in there with a lot of guys.”"
The Tigers now have 18 recruits signed to the class of 2023, as well as two transfers from other programs. They sit at the #20 spot overall, and are ranked #8 in the SEC.