Can the Auburn Tigers close out a top five recruiting class?

The Auburn Tigers have a 3-5 record as a starter but are also the No. 5 ranked recruit in the country according to 247 Sports, Rivals and On3.

This is not a common combination. That’s why programs like Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia and LSU haven’t been shy about reaching out to Auburn in an attempt to change their minds about their future destination.

Can the Tigers hold on to this elite recruiting class despite the challenges on the field? Here are four reasons to believe they can.

1) Of the 27 Auburn High School students, 11 came from the Yellowhammer State. Many of these young men grew up watching the Auburn football program.

In addition, Auburn has verbal commitments from seven prospects from Georgia, two from Florida and one each from Mississippi and Tennessee. Staying local when recruiting has its benefits. So overall the likelihood of loyalty to Auburn is higher, despite the win-loss record being what it is.

2) Recruiting closer to home also means Auburn has multiple commitments every time there is a recruiting event or home football game. The more these young men learn about Auburn and each other, the more likely they are to eventually sign with the Tigers.

Many SEC schools like Alabama and Georgia routinely forgo local recruiting spots and try to sign elite recruits in states like California and Texas. Even Auburn does the same thing to some extent, but the Tide and Dawgs have really embraced this recruiting philosophy.

It’s normal for a team to be at or near the top of the polls every season. Let’s see how this works out for ‘Bama if the Crimson Tide continues to return to the pack during SEC play. Auburn won’t have to worry about that thanks to its recruiting strategy.

3) It doesn’t hurt that Auburn is just knocked out by Kentucky 24-10 get their first SEC win in the 2024 season, and the offense is a big reason why. Finally clearing the hurdle will be a relief for Hugh Freeze and his team, and it will likely help allay concerns among offensive recruits and their families.

For the record, Florida State’s recruiting class is losing recruits. He just lost another player, top wide receiver C.J. Wiley, a top prospect who attended Auburn several times. The Noles are 1-7 and don’t even have a ton of receivers in their class despite having three at the start of October.

Recruits continue to focus on the brutal crime of the former Soviet Union. It’s no coincidence that FSU is on a four-game losing streak and recruits are leaving the team. As for Auburn, Auburn will be much less likely to lose top prospects like running back Alvin Henderson or wide receiver Derick Smith because there are signs that Auburn’s offense is coming to life.

4) Game time matters. This is Auburn’s veteran football team. Every offensive position group has a key senior player in the starting lineup, and the same thing happens on the defensive side of football. If a prospect comes in and earns it, he will see early playing time.

That’s why Freese and his staff can sell playing time to recruits. Someone has to start, and there needs to be competition on two levels. The best prospects want to play early. Auburn certainly has that opportunity.

Overall, Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class will come under fire as other programs continue to recruit top prospects committed to the Tigers. If so, the four points above are good reasons to believe the Tigers will retain this class and finish in the top five in the national recruiting rankings.

The early signing period begins on December 4th of this year.