ESPN Names Auburn Among Programs To Be Active in 2026 QB Recruiting

The Auburn Tigers overhauled their QB room over the offseason and look to keep adding talent

The QB options, the better | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers head into 2025 with three big names at the quarterback position. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t looking to add more young depth. ESPN named Auburn among one of 11 teams that will go after big-name recruits from the 2026 recruiting class. 

Tigers’ head coach Hugh Freeze managed to acquire Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels and five-star recruit Deuce Knight who flipped from Notre Dame and signed in the class of 2025. Arnold still has two years of eligibility, while Daniels only has one. Knight will almost certainly be the quarterback of the future in the Plains. 

However, the more options, the better. Two names that the Tigers appear to be going after from the 2026 recruiting class are four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth and four-star quarterback Jaden O’Neal. O’Neal is already committed to the Oklahoma Sooners. However, he is still visiting the Florida State Seminoles on June 15, per 247Sports. 

For Duckworth, he is still considering his options. He has four visits, including the Auburn Tigers on May 30, the South Carolina Gamecocks on June 6, the Florida State Seminoles on June 13 and the Ole Miss Rebels on June 20. After that, he will likely make a decision. 

Comparing the two quarterbacks to each other, Duckworth is ranked higher by 247Sports. Nationally, Duckworth is 51st while O’Neal is ranked 204th nationally for all recruits. Compared to all quarterbacks, Duckworth is ranked sixth while O’Neal is 14th. It should be no surprise why the Tigers are aiming a little more towards Duckworth, who also plays in Jackson, Ala. 

If the Tigers can get the commitment and subsequent signing of Duckworth, they will be in a great place going forward at the quarterback position.