Auburn’s 2026 recruiting class is lacking some pop heading into the summer months, but that could change soon with five-star edge rusher Anthony Jones setting his official visit to The Plains. Jones plans to announce his commitment before the start of his senior season in August, and Hugh Freeze’s program continues to be the front-runner for one of the top in-state recruits.
According to 247Sports Composite Rankings, Jones is the No. 15-ranked player in the country, the No. 2-ranked edge rusher, and the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end is also receiving heavy interest from Oregon, Texas A&M, Alabama, Miami (FL), Michigan, and LSU, but none of those programs need him quite as badly as Auburn.
Anthony “Tank” Jones set for his official visit to Auburn
Despite two top-10 recruiting classes, Hugh Freeze has begun his Auburn career with back-to-back losing seasons. In the past, Freeze may have gotten a pass for his slow start, considering the devastation of Bryan Harsin’s tenure, but now, in the transfer portal era, head coaches are expected to turn the ship around more quickly than ever. So, Freeze is entering Year 3 on the hot seat.
He’ll ultimately be judged by the results on the field, not the recruiting trail, but if his 2026 recruiting class takes a dip after strong showings in 2024 and ‘25, that will only add fuel to the fire.
Auburn’s seven-player 2026 class currently ranks 26th in the country, and four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris is the top-ranked player at No. 94 in the country. Landing Jones would immediately catapult the Tigers into the Top 20 nationally, leapfrogging Ole Miss in the process.
The biggest issue from Freeze over his first two seasons was the quarterback position, and he appears to have rectified that by plucking former five-star Jackson Arnold out of the transfer portal and adding four-star Deuce Knight in the 2025 class. Now, the biggest problem to solve is on the defensive side of the ball.
2025 top recruits Malik Autry and Jared Smith could give the defensive line a boost in their first season, but it takes more than one strong class to build an elite SEC defensive line. Tank Jones could be the next piece, not just to help Freeze save his job, but to build Auburn back into an SEC contender.
Auburn leads the way with Jones, so if his official visit goes well, he may not need to wait until August to make his decision and choose the Tigers over the Crimson Tide.