Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze expects recruiting momentum from Big Cat Weekend

After a small lull in Auburn football's recruiting, head coach Hugh Freeze believes things will pick back up with Big Cat Weekend.

Auburn Tigers kicker Towns McGough (33) and Auburn Tigers quarterback Walker White (11) celebrate McGough’s game winning field goal during the A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Auburn Tigers kicker Towns McGough (33) and Auburn Tigers quarterback Walker White (11) celebrate McGough’s game winning field goal during the A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 6, 2024. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY

After a small lull in Auburn football's recruiting, head coach Hugh Freeze believes things will pick back up with Big Cat Weekend

The Auburn football program's biggest recruiting event of the year, Big Cat Weekend, will take place this Saturday, and high-profile recruits from all over the country will make their way to the Plains for the event. Big Cat Weekend is centered more around fun and fellowship than the more serious aspects of recruiting and it encourages a family atmosphere around the program.

Last year the Tigers had a massive Big Cat Weekend, with 4-star wide receiver Malcolm Simmons kicking things off with a commitment and then 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson's flip later in the day that resulted in Freeze being thrown in the pool.

But the Tigers are currently in the middle of a bit of a recruiting lull. Over the past few months, there have been a few decommitments, and things have been quiet for what was at one time a top 5 recruiting class of 2025.

So will this year's Big Cat Weekend result in as much recruiting momentum as last year's? Hugh Freeze believes it will.

"We had really good momentum, then as recruiting does, you have a little lull it seems," Freeze said, per The Montgomery Advertiser. "... But I expect it to pick back up with Big Cat. We're never out of the fight on the guys we want, I don't believe that. We're not going to win every battle, but we're on the right ones, and I do think, Big Cat, hopefully we persuade a few more to come with us next weekend."

So far, the Auburn football recruiting class of 2025 holds 15 commits and is ranked as the #15 class in the nation. Many of the Tigers' current commits will be attending Big Cat Weekend, too, and will work to help their coaching staff persuade some other players to lock things in with Auburn football. Things are far from over, and Freeze still believes the Tigers will have a top 5 class when all is said and done.