Tables Turned on Auburn Tigers In-State Recruiting, For Now

While the 2026 recruiting season is far from over, if you're the Auburn Tigers, you can see a bit of an annoying sign ahead. In the state of Alabama, the Plainsmen fell behind their rivals from Tuscaloosa.

However, a closer look allows a deep breath and perspective. The fix for Auburn recruiting starts August 29th at Baylor.

According to 247Sports, Alabama has five in-state commitments, three of which are ranked in the top 15 players in the state.

No. 1 Cederian Morgan (WR, Alexander City)
No. 5 Zyan Gibson (ATH, Gadsden)
No. 7 Ezavier Crowell (RB, Jackson)
No. 19 Kamhariyan Johnson (Edge, Muscle Shoals)
No. 44 Zay Hall (LB, Tuscaloosa)

Auburn has just one commitment from a player in the state of Alabama and just six commitments overall. That’s a far cry from the unprecedented haul the Tigers had last year when they nearly made a clean sweep of the state’s top 14.

That Auburn is struggling on the recruiting trail this summer shouldn’t come as a big surprise. The Tigers are loaded with young talent, particularly on the defensive front and wide receiver.

They signed a five-star freshman quarterback in Deuce Knight in December and record record-breaking running back Alvin Henderson as well.

Of the state’s top prospects, eight of the first 11 fall into one of those four positions: three edge rushers, three wide receivers, a quarterback, and a running back.

The Crimson Tide have been able to stockpile talent through the Saban years, but players don’t mind waiting their turn for a chance at the College Football Playoff and the promise of becoming an early pick in the NFL Draft.

While Freeze has cautioned that his young team isn’t quite where he wants it to be, it’s in a far better position than it was when he took over. If back-to-back seven-loss seasons under Freeze turn into nine or 10 wins in 2026, the pressure will ramp up for in-state players committed to out-of-state teams, like defensive tackle Vodney Cleveland (Texas), to remain closer to home.

Freeze understands the perception of sitting between the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns and Hawaii Warriors at No. 90 in the recruiting rankings. He addressed the, ahem, elephant in the room earlier this week.

"It does seem kind of strange that we're, like, some of the lowest range of numbers. I mean, we're like really, really low compared to some, and I'm trying to figure that out," he said, in a video shared by WSFA 12 News' Davis Baker. "But I do think it will shake out in the long run. But it is complicated and hard to sit there and feel great about. I feel great about our relationships, and I feel great about Auburn, and I know the families know that."

12 of the state’s top 15 players remain uncommitted or committed to out-of-state schools. We may never see Auburn sweep the state again like they did last year, but there’s plenty of time for the Tigers to have another stellar in-state haul.

But it won’t happen until the wins start piling up in September. If Auburn can stand out on the field, the talent will show up and show out.