AUBURN | Hugh Freeze didn’t have to look far to fill out his quarterback room.

He had an experienced SEC signal caller already on campus.

Tanner Bailey, who spent two seasons at South Carolina, has decided to join Auburn’s football team after spending the past year as a student at AU.

“I’m pumped. Childhood dream coming coming true, for sure,” said Bailey. “But I think I’ve got a completely different outlook this time. I hung it up for some reasons that were not really football related. I wanted to step away from it. Thought it was best for me for my personal growth.

“I feel like the last year I’ve matured, not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. But if you were to ask me as a 5-year old, what was your life-long goal or your dream, it probably wouldn’t even be to make it to the NFL. It’d probably be to suit up in an Auburn uniform.”

Bailey spent the last year at Auburn, earning a degree in sociology in December in just five semesters at USC and AU. He plans to get a second degree in business at AU and then attend law school.

Bailey had discussions with Auburn’s staff including Hugh Freeze over the last couple of weeks.

“They want me to be off-script a little bit, a role guy. And I get that,” said Bailey. “I’m a huge Auburn fan. For me, it’s just go in there and compete, that’s what they want me to do, and bring some knowledge into the room.

“I just want to compete and push those other guys, and lead when I lead and follow when needed. I just want to make our quarterback room better. If I do that, I’ll be a happy camper.”

Bailey's father, Lance Bailey, was a quarterback under Pat Dye at Auburn in the 1980’s and his grandfather, Ken Bailey, was a quarterback at Alabama under Bear Bryant in the late 1950’s.

Bailey, 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, signed with the Gamecocks out of Gordo (Ala.) High in the 2022 class. He redshirted his first season and played in one game as a redshirt freshman in 2023.

As a senior at Gordo, he completed 131 of 217 passes for 2,401 yards and 33 touchdowns. He threw for more than 8,600 yards and 104 touchdowns during his high school career, and was also the DH on Gordo’s state championship baseball team as a seventh grader.

Bailey was rated a 4-star, the nation's No. 11 pro-style quarterback and No. 228 overall prospect by Rivals in the 2022 class.