Auburn football: 5-star Mississippi edge visiting this Friday

The Auburn football program is nearly halfway through the 2023 spring practices, and they have been hosting a number of recruits to observe the sessions this month. While there has been no depth chart and the coaches are still working to assess current players, it’s a good time for visitors to get a glimpse of what life on the Plains is like.

This Friday, the Tigers will host a highly-ranked recruit in 5-star edge Jamonta Waller. He is ranked as the #22 overall prospect and the #5 edge in the recruiting class of 2024, and is the #1 recruit out of the state of Mississippi according to his profile on 247 Sports.

Waller, who likes to emphasize his Mississippi roots, announced his trip on his Twitter, tagging both head coach Hugh Freeze and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts:

By the end of his 2022 high school season, Waller recorded 106 total tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one interception. Not too shabby.

He has received over 20 offers so far, and has visited Ole Miss three times, Alabama twice, and Oregon, South Carolina, Penn State, Mississippi State, and Florida State once according to the On3 visitor center. This Friday will be Waller’s first trip to the Plains, although he has spoken frequently with members of the Tigers’ coaching staff.

Ole Miss is currently the favorite in his recruitment as an in-state school, but a visit with Auburn football could quickly change things. The Tigers have strong ties to the state of Mississippi, through former Ole Miss and current Auburn OL coach Jake Thornton and other players that have come to Auburn from the state, including Jarquez Hunter.