Since the Auburn football program parted ways with Bryan Harsin in the middle of the 2022 season and then hired Hugh Freeze in late November, the biggest change on the Plains so far has been the action on the recruiting trail.
When Freeze took over the program less than a month away from Early National Signing Day, the Tigers had just 12 commitments in the class of 2023. By the end of early signing day, the Tigers had 17 signees and had moved up to be a Top 25 overall recruiting class.
Fast-forward to now: Auburn football’s recruiting class of 2023 has 20 signees (with one more on the way in February), 12 incoming transfers, the #18 overall recruiting class, and the #4 transfer class. A lot has changed with the class of 2023, and now the Tigers’ coaching staff is already pushing ahead to lock in the class of 2024, starting with two athletes that have already committed to the Crimson Tide.
Both wide receiver Perry Thompson and tight end Martavious Collins were on campus this weekend for a visit despite their pledges to Nick Saban and the Tide.
Thompson, a 4-star receiver out of Foley, AL, spent a lot of time with Tigers’ WR coach Marcus Davis while on the Plains, and noted that he felt a strong sense of family during his visit. Though Thompson was not offered by the previous Auburn staff, he plans to take a hard look at the program and will even return for another visit.
Martavious Collins is a 4-star ATH out of Rome, GA, that is being recruited to Auburn to play tight end. Collins visited the Plains for the Tigers’ game against San Jose State early on in the 2022 season, and was blown away by the new facilities and coaching staff during his second visit this past weekend. While the ATH remains committed to Alabama, he told Auburn Undercover that Auburn and Miami are both factors in his recruitment and he plans to keep his options open for a little while.