5 Potential Auburn Tigers Recruiting Flips

The Locked on Auburn podcast listed five recruits who could change their commitment and sign with the Auburn Tigers.

2025 running back prospect Alvin Henderson of Elba, Ala. / Ehsan Kassim/Tallahassee Democrat / USA

No verbal commitment is final until the dotted line is signed. And even then, things can change in a heartbeat. 

With the Auburn Tigers currently having 14 commitments for the upcoming recruiting class, the Tigers are currently No. 9 in the On3 industry rankings. But head coach Hugh Freeze still has a lot of room to fill his class. The Locked on Auburn podcast listed five players who could be candidates to change their current commitment and head to Auburn.

Host Zac Blackerby, speaking with Charlie5, host of the Top Button Podcast, spoke about five names who could be added to this already talented class.

Derek Smith of Selma is listed as the No. 2 athlete in the country by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN. He was the first name brought up on the podcast. He’s an Alabama commitment but the On3 predictor still lists the Tigers with a 28% chance of landing him, while 247Sports lists his interest in Auburn as “cool” rather than “none.” 

The next name on the list is no stranger to Auburn fans. Antonio Coleman of Saraland, Ala. is a 4-star defensive tackle who initially committed to Alabama before switching his commitment to Auburn and then returning to Alabama. This recruitment will be one to watch all the way to the wire as anything can and will happen.

No. 3 is Elba, Ala. running back Alvin Henderson. He is currently committed to Penn State, but doubt remains if he actually leaves the south. On3’s predictor gives Auburn a 32% chance of landing Henderson. The recruiting site doesn’t exactly feel Henderson’s commitment to the Nittany Lions is rock solid.

Henderson is also a priority as the Tigers took no running back in the most recent class either through the high school or the transfer portal route. The four-star is also being pursued by Florida State, and the Seminoles could be the bigger danger to the Tigers rather than the Nittany Lions.

Four-star linebacker Elijah Melendez of Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Fla. is next on the list. The 6’1 and 224-pound player is currently committed to Miami. He has shown significant interest in the Auburn Tigers and other schools in recent weeks. This includes taking a visit to Oxford to visit Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss and a visit scheduled this weekend to Oklahoma. 

On3 lists other potential suitors for Melendez as Ohio State and Florida. Osceola sits roughly halfway between the University of Florida (about an hour closer) and Miami, and it could be tough to pull him away from the in-state teams. 

Finally, Julian Lewis, a 5-star quarterback from Carrollton, Ga., is committed to USC. On3 thinks that commitment is so soft, they actually list the Georgia Bulldogs as the team to beat despite the commitment to the Trojans.  

Lewis is scheduled to visit Auburn this weekend and is going to see Colorado on the 21st according to 247Sports. Again, the chances of getting a signature for Lewis is slim, but when Freeze and Auburn are big-game hunting, the odds are always remote. No team is listed as having better than 1-in-4 odds of signing lewis. Which is why tteams don’t put their eggs in one basket.

Hugh Freeze and Auburn signed the No. 10 class in the nation last year. They’re on their way to doing it again and a good season on the field in 2024 could help tip the balance their way on a few of these battles. 

  Be sure to check out Zac and Charlie5 on the Locked on Auburn Podcast.