ESPN Reveals What's Next for Auburn Tigers Recruiting

When Hugh Freeze took the head coaching job for the Auburn Tigers, it was well understood that the talent level had dropped to rarely seen levels under former head coach Bryan Harsin.

Auburn coaches don't typically survive one losing season, let alone two. Freeze is the first Auburn coach since 1977 to get a third year after back-to-back losing seasons. One reason for his return was the understanding that Auburn needed a rebuild, not a quick fix.

Another reason for Freeze getting a third year was that it appears Freeze has done an excellent job of restocking the shelves through two-plus seasons of recruiting in preparation for 2025. After back-to-back top 10 recruiting classes, Auburn is in a state of limbo this summer.

You have to hit "load more" to find Auburn on 247Sports' team recruiting rankings to get to the Tigers at No. 89, and most of the recruiting news has been bad.

"Freeze and his staff fell short on a pair of running backs last week between top in-state running back Ezavier Crowell (Alabama pledge) and four-star Jae Lamar (Georgia)," wrote Eli Lederman on ESPN. "And the Tigers now appear to be on the outside looking in for other top targets, including five-stars Immanuel Iheanacho and Kaiden Prothro and top-50 in-state wide receiver Cederian Morgan.

"But the June departures of top-200 linebacker pledges JaMichael Garrett (decommit) andShadarius Toodle (Georgia flip) sting heavily, as does four-star wide receiver Devin Carter's flip to Florida State on June 23."

CBS Sports joined in on kicking the Tigers while they're down by placing Auburn at the top of their "panic index."

It's not time to panic on the Plains. The perception around the Auburn Tigers is that Hugh Freeze has a roster loaded with young talent, and if he doesn't win, he won't be there come Christmas. Who's jumping on that train in July?

Now, if the perception of a young, loaded roster turns into the reality of wins in the fall, Freeze and the Tigers will be cooking with gas come Thanksgiving. Freeze has already proven he can sell Auburn, and the administration and boosters have proven that they'll dig deep into their pockets to back him.

We don't have to look far into the past to see a how a similar situation played out in Gainesville last season.

Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier was on the hot seat last summer, and recruiting reflected the uncertainty around the program. After two embarrassing home losses to start the season, it was all but understood Napier wouldn't make it to October 1st.

However, Florida stuck with Napier, and they closed the season with big wins over Ole Miss, LSU, and Florida State. The Gators finished one spot ahead of Auburn in 247Sports' team recruiting rankings with the No. 7-ranked class.

15 of Florida's commitments came after November 1st.

The news hasn't been all bad for the Tigers, and they're still linked to several high-profile prospects despite the obstacles they face this summer.

"Auburn's flip of four-star Penn State quarterback pledge Peyton Falzone last Thursday was a key win and signaled a concession in the program's battle with South Carolina for dual-threat passerLandon Duckworth, who visited the Tigers earlier this month," Lederman continued. "Top-150 inside linebacker target Adam Balogoun-Ali visited Auburn in May and would represent a strong replacement for Toodle. No. 5 defensive end Nolan Wilson, No. 53 overall, is another major defensive target."

There's an old saying that recruiting is a marathon, not a sprint. But like all closely contested races, it can be a sprint to the finish.

Hugh Freeze has recruited well with the Auburn Tigers in his tenure. Now he needs to turn those recruiting victories into high-profile wins on the field.

If that happens, Auburn's sprint the last two months of recruiting will place the Tigers in a more familiar spot among the nation's elite come December.