Hugh Freeze is on the hot seat as Auburn Tigers coach, but the 2026 recruiting class could turn fortunes around. As we look at the Auburn Tigers recruiting, could the upcoming high school class provide the spark Freeze needs?
Does Auburn’s 2026 Class Signal an Impending Turnaround?
Across two seasons as Auburn Tigers head coach, Huge Freeze is currently under a lot of pressure having amassed a 11-14 record. A 5-7 2024 season saw his team sit in a dismal 14th spot in the SEC, leading to Freeze needing to turn things around in 2025, but their 2026 recruiting class may be a catalyst for the school to kick on.
Per On3’s Industry Rankings, Auburn have the fourth best recruiting class for 2026, consisting of five four-star recruits and a single three-star recruit so far. Their 2025 class was ranked eighth with a five-star recruit, 15 four-stars and 10 three-stars, signaling a potential shift. Can he build on that in 2026?
A number of the stars from the 2025 class had visits to Auburn, with quarterback Deuce Knight (No. 9 in our 2025 QB recruiting rankings) being the 5-star recruit to commit, followed by 4-stars Jared Smith and Blake Woodby.
Hezekiah Harris headlines the 2026 recruiting class for the Tigers so far, as the 6’5″ edge rusher from Hunstville, AL is ranked in the top eight of his position in the class. Wide receivers Devin Carter and Denairius Gray are 6′-plus targets for the offense.
A pair of linebackers in Shadarius Toodle and JaMichael Garrett are both ranked top 10 at the position and whether it is Freeze or another head coach in charge when they arrive, the Tigers will hope they can form a formidable tandem for the defense.
Per Athlon Sports, five-star receiver Tristan Keys has announced Auburn as one of his finalists and that would be a gigantic pull for the Tigers should they pull it off. He has had two unofficial visits to the program, but the sixth-best recruit and second-best receiver would make the offense dangerous alongside the already committed Carter and Gray.
It won’t be easy for Freeze to convince Keys to sign with juggernauts LSU, Alabama, Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M also being among his finalists.
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Similarly, four-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan has narrowed his list down to 10 schools with Auburn being one. It could put Auburn’s offense among the most talented in all of college football should they manage to pull of the recruiting of these elite weapons.
Another potentially huge coup is No.1 recruit Zion Elee announcing he will visit Auburn. Elite tight end Kaiden Prothro will also visit campus after the dead period.
Quarterback Knight is perhaps their most exciting prospect of the 2025 class with Payton Thorne not having the best of times since transferring from Michigan State. A 21-touchdown season to nine interceptions is not terrible, but the 6’4″ Knight looks set to be the long term solution as Thorne is moving on.
Jackson Arnold is expected to take the QB1 spot vacated by Thorne, with the former Oklahoma Sooners QB being able to take Knight under his wing and potentially compete in the future.
Also in news behind the center, the 2026 class top ranked QB Jared Curtis (Second in our 2026 QB Rankings) has locked in an official visit to Auburn. That is huge if they can find a way to bring him in as Knight heads into his Sophomore year.
Dipping into the transfer portal will be another key for the Tigers as the try to pluck those from better-performing schools and convince them to come and help Auburn get out of the rut they are stuck in. The Tigers haven;t had a winning season since 2020 and if Freeze wants to keep his job then a positive season alongside two great recruiting classes could save him.
The awful SEC season is somewhat salvaged by them currently having the second-ranked 2026 class and fifth-ranked 2025 class in the conference. That may be the boost the Tigers need with a young team in 2024, as multiple Tigers made our Top 100 True Freshmen list.
The SEC is a stacked conference and that makes it difficult for the Tigers to really make a dent and push themselves into contention for being a possible playoff team. Having two solid classes will bolster those chances and give a platform to build upon, but importantly a winning culture gives better chances at getting top recruits to commit.
What’s Next for the Tigers on the Recruiting Trail?
It is tough to say what is next as Freeze’s future is uncertain but Auburn is buzzing over Knight and what he can bring to the team. ESPN has him as the No. 2 quarterback recruit in the class and he is almost joining the program at the perfect time.
Many teams in the SEC are losing their quarterbacks to the draft but Auburn is set and Knight, even after re-classifying from the 2026 class, has the talent to compete early.
If they can also attract Curtis then it could be argued they have the best quarterback room in the country moving forward.
Bolstering the 2026 class is of course key and after another tough season, it’s more important than ever for the Tigers to continue to have success on the recruiting trail.
Turning their fortunes around is the big thing for Auburn, the 2026 class is very promising so far, but to take it to the next level they need results and putting themselves back amongst the powerhouses of the SEC is vital for Freeze.
In terms of dates to look out for, Prothro is officially visiting June 10 and Elee will make his way to The Plains June 13-15. No news as of yet on the other players being recruited but declaring official visits is already a good sign.
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Should Freeze manage to convince more of these incredibly talented offensive weapons to join his program, then he may turn the school’s fortunes — and his own — around.
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