Auburn a Top School for Top-10 Safety Recruit After Surprise Visit

The Auburn Tigers’ recruiting heater does not seem to be nearing an end, as on Wednesday, four-star 2028 safety CJ Craig-James told Auburn Tigers on SI that he spent the day on a surprise visit to the Plains.

“I like [Auburn] a lot!” he said. “This the first time I got to spend quality time with Coach Banks, he and Coach Durkin were able to drill me and gave me great feedback.”

Craig-James is a four-star 2028 safety who hails from Parker High School in Birmingham, Ala., and he seems to be making the most of his summer, especially in his recruitment. A blue-chip prospect, Craig-James currently stands as the seventh-best safety in the 2028 class as well as the sixth-best in-class player from his home state of Alabama.

According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, Alabama currently leads in Craig-James’s recruitment with a 28.3% chance to land the top defender, though his impromptu visit to the Plains has boosted the Tigers’ chances.

“Auburn is back in my top schools,” he said after his impromptu visit.

What stands out about Craig-James’ visit, more than anything, is the fact that it was not a part of a big recruiting weekend such as the one the Tigers hosted last weekend. Instead, Auburn’s staff appears to be showing a deep personal interest in Craig-James, which is likely to affect his eventual recruitment in some way.

Back in early March, when Craig-James first received his Auburn offer, he told Auburn Tigers on SI that Auburn was a school that he would be “crazy” to leave off his list. Additionally, he shed some light on a potential family connection that could influence his eventual decision.

“My dad is really good friends with Auburn great Colin Sears, who played there in the 90’s, so it makes liking Auburn easier,” he said. “Growing up in the state, you get to see a school's best days and worst days. Auburn has always been able to bounce back from them.”

With that said, connections are far from the most important factor when deciding on a school, and actual impressions of the program are everything. Craig-James visited the Plains for the first time as a recruit in April, and he seemed to be quite impressed with the Tigers’ first in-person impression.

“How welcoming everyone was [stood out to me],” he said. “Everyone made me feel at home as soon as I got there… It was a night scrimmage, so it was a real different vibe. It was electric and felt like a night game! This visit increased Auburn’s chances a lot, [and] I’m excited to get back to Auburn in the future!”

Craig-James’ latest visit, though, proves that the Tigers are not solely focused on the 2027 class and are already looking to the future, beyond big recruiting weekends and offers. Alex Golesh has been adamant that he is approaching this summer as if it were the most important in the program's history, and he is putting in the effort to match that philosophy.

After all, Golesh and his staff have landed four recruits in as many days while three more are expected to commit in the coming hours and days, all while still working to set up for future success with the 2028 class.

As it stands, Auburn’s 2028 class has yet to land its first commitment, but Craig-James, if he commits, could very well be the catalyst in the curation of a top-level 2028 class, as well as the stability of the future Auburn Tigers.

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