Auburn Fighting to Flip Five-Star from Oregon

Auburn could make significant progress this weekend in recruiting should the Tigers upset Georgia at home.

The Auburn Tigers are looking for a third top-10 recruiting class in Hugh Freeze's third season. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers’ 2026 recruiting has been, by head coach Hugh Freeze’s standards, mediocre. The third-year head coach has boasted top-10 recruiting classes in both of his first two years, but his latest class is ranked just 49th in the country, per 247Sports.

That could all change with Anthony Jones, a five-star edge rusher who’s currently committed to Oregon. Oregon’s 2026 class is ranked seventh in the country, and though Jones joined the Ducks’ recruiting class on July 31, he’s set to take a trip to Auburn for the Tigers’ upcoming matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Flip targets including the state's No. 1 recruit Anthony Tank Jones slated to visit Auburn on Saturday for the primetime showdown with Georgia. More on where Hugh Freeze the Tigers stand with these coveted targets here: https://t.co/TEgLiYS6wh pic.twitter.com/z1AmTFTya7

— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) October 8, 2025

As a Mobile, Ala. native, it makes sense that he’d make his third trip down to the Plains, as he’s had both an official and unofficial visit in the last two years. His latest visit will hold perhaps the most weight of them all, given the level of talent the Tigers will need to overcome on Saturday. 

The six-foot-four, 240-pound Jones would be the first edge rusher for the Tigers’ 2026 class after four-star Hezekiah Harris flipped to Tennessee. This could prove to be quite the selling point for playing time, given that the Ducks have already recruited another player at Jones’ position in their 2026 class. 

Jones is rated as the No. 20 overall prospect in the country and No. 4 edge rusher, according to the 247 Sports Composite.

Cooper Petagna, a 247Sports national recruiting analyst, describes Jones as a “Physically imposing pass rusher" with a "high octane motor" in his scouting report.

“The three-sport athlete makes good use of his ability to attack leverage while demonstrating the ability to win with quickness or power at the point of attack," Petagna wrote. "A polished defender with a sneaky athletic profile, Jones appears more geared to add value as a run defender early in his collegiate career while projecting as a high-floor 3-4 OLB that can also add situational pass rush ability off the edge in obvious passing downs.”

Auburn’s defense has been notoriously strong this year, allowing less than 24 points in all of its games, even when presented with high offensive potential opponents like Oklahoma and Texas A&M. This is another big selling point for the Tigers, though they’ll have to continue the trend against Gunner Stockton and Georgia if they want to flip such a high-class recruit.

The Tigers will have a chance to prove themselves to Jones and a host of other potential recruits this coming Saturday, as Georgia will make their way into Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be played at 6:30 P.M. CST and televised on ABC.