The Auburn football coaching staff knows they have much work to do on the recruiting trail. Head coach Hugh Freeze and the rest of his staff inherited a series of recruiting problems, from competing with Alabama and Georgia to a serial lack of offensive line commits.
However, Freeze and the staff were able to put forward a competitive class of 2023, and they are already laying the foundations for the years to come. One recruit they are pushing hard for in the recruiting class of 2024 is 4-star in-state prospect Demarcus Riddick.
The Clanton, AL native is ranked as the #29 overall prospect and the #2 linebacker in the recruiting class of 2024, and he is the #2 player out of the state of Alabama. He committed to Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs in early November but has not shut down communication with other schools.
He most recently visited the Plains for Auburn football’s Junior Day at the end of January, but he was also on campus last fall for the Penn State game in September. According to Riddick’s On3 recruiting profile, he has visited both Auburn and Georgia twice—more than any other school. Riddick has also visited Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss.
Though the linebacker only received an offer from Alabama last month, he could be interested in the Tide because of the school’s proximity to his hometown. However, Riddick told Chad Simmons that he grew up a Georgia fan and has always wanted to attend the school, so he will be a tough one to flip.
On the other hand, Cole Pinkston of Auburn Live reports that Riddick is keeping in constant communication with the Auburn football coaching staff, including Hugh Freeze and linebackers coach Josh Aldridge. Though it may be a challenge to flip the in-state prospect, there is still a long way to go before National Signing Day.