Auburn flip ‘can’t miss’ Hugh Freeze’s home-opener

Auburn football UGA linebacker flip Demarcus Riddick says he “can’t miss” the Jordan-Hare Stadium debut of Hugh Freeze’s Tigers in Week 1 against UMass — claiming that he’ll be at every home game in 2023 and refuses to miss the first one.

“I was just thinking ‘I can’t miss this home game,” Riddick said (h/t Rivals). “I’m making it to every single home game this year and I was like I can’t miss this first one. This first one, it means something. I will be there, I’m ready for it.” Riddick shared his full confidence in Freeze ahead of the Oxford, Mississippi native’s first game on the Plains.

“I feel like he’s gonna turn Auburn around,” Riddick said of Freeze. “I feel like this first game is gonna flip a switch and then it’s gonna keep rolling. I’m just focusing on what he’s gonna do and see how the defense plays. We’re a little tight at linebacker, but we’re gonna see what they got.”

Auburn football flip claims he’s not considering another flip to Alabama

Riddick has clearly kept his recruitment open from the very beginning, not close the door on the Auburn football program despite giving Kirby Smart and Georgia his evidently wavering commitment. For those worrying about Riddick’s contact with Alabama, the Chilton County star claimed that he won’t his “home,” Auburn.

“I’m communicating with [Alabama], but either way I’m not leaving Auburn, that’s home,” Riddick prefaced before saying, “I’m loving the school, I’m loving the community, that’s my hometown.”

Chilton County, located just south of the Birmingham metro area and north of Montgomery, is uncomfortably close geographically to Birmingham. As anyone with a partner can attest to, seeing Riddick not shut down communication with other interested parties isn’t ideal for Auburn fans.

But his word is his word. Riddick believes it’s great to be an Auburn Tiger, and he’s excited to chant as much among a sold-out home crowd of 87,000+.