Auburn football recruit sends strong message on Tigers commitment

The Auburn football program got an early start on the 2025 recruiting class with the commitment of 4-star defensive lineman Malik Autry. The DL calls Opelika home, just a few minutes down the road from the Plains, and committed to the Tigers on the first of February earlier this year.

Although the focus is mostly on the recruiting class of 2024 at the moment, Autry is already trying to make a difference with his class and is following in the footsteps of those that came before him like Damari Alston, Bradyn Joiner, and Walker White by working to recruit players to the Plains.

Auburn Rivals spoke with Autry, who explained the message he’s been sending to other recruits in the class of 2025:

"“Just to start something different,” Autry said. “Everybody wants to go to the Alabamas and the Georgias, but Auburn’s where it’s at. I feel like Auburn’s a really home-type of feeling and you can go there and make an impact fast.”"

Autry said that Hugh Freeze has been telling recruits the same thing, encouraging them to choose to play for a school that will feel like home and that will need them on the team rather than going somewhere based on hype and NIL money. Autry noted that he spent a lot of time during the A-Day game recruiting and getting to know the highly-ranked recruits that were on campus during the rainy scrimmage.

With the current rebuild going on, Auburn football recruits will have the opportunity to compete for early playtime and be part of the foundation for future excellence that Hugh Freeze is ushering in on the Plains. There is no doubt that the recruiting classes of 2024 and 2025 will be hugely important for the program, and getting in players that will have a true impact on the team is necessary for Freeze and the coaching staff.