Auburn football flips 2025 blue-chip from defending national champions

The Tigers have added another defensive lineman to their recruiting class of 2025.
Auburn Tigers defensive line runs through drills during Auburn Tigers football practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center at in Auburn, Ala., on Monday, April 3, 2023.
Auburn Tigers defensive line runs through drills during Auburn Tigers football practice at the Woltosz Football Performance Center at in Auburn, Ala., on Monday, April 3, 2023. / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Tigers have added another defensive lineman to their recruiting class of 2025

After a bit of a break in recruiting following the pops from Big Cat Weekend, Auburn football has picked up another commit from a 4-star defensive lineman. Nate Marshall, from Oak Park, IL, has been a longtime target of the Tigers, but had a long road to the Plains.

Marshall, who is ranked as the #6 defensive lineman in the recruiting class of 2025 and the #2 recruit out of the state of Illinois, originally committed to the Michigan Wolverines on April 22. According to his recruiting timeline on 247 Sports, Marshall received an offer from the Tigers last August. He took his first visit to Auburn's campus in October of last year, and did not return to the Plains until several months ago in April for an unofficial visit.

He committed to Michigan and then returned to Auburn in early June for an official visit with head coach Hugh Freeze, defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams, and the rest of the Tigers' coaching staff. Throughout his recruitment, he built a strong relationship with King-Williams, which kept Auburn football in the mix despite his Michigan commitment.

"Every time I come to Auburn, it feels like home," Marshall said after his June official visit, per Auburn Undercover. "Now I really have just got to make that choice (between Auburn and Michigan) — those are really the last ones."

He also took official visits to Alabama and Miami, but he has decided that Auburn is the school for him just ahead of the 2024 season. Marshall is the 23rd commitment in the Tigers' recruiting class of 2025, which is ranked #5 overall and #4 in the SEC. He is the fourth defensive line commit to join the group.