Auburn in top three for 4-star OT Jacob Hood
With a lot of upperclassmen on the roster, offensive tackle is a position of need for Auburn in the 2022 recruiting class. Bryan Harsin and Auburn had a big one on campus for an official visit the first weekend of June.
Jacob Hood, a 4-star out of Nashville, Tennessee, was on campus. Hood is listed at 6-foot-8, 330 pounds.
“I think the visit went amazing. I really enjoyed what I saw,” Hood said. “Being able to talk to coach Harsin was very impressive. He really, what he said stood out to me. And talking to coach Will, what he said stood out to me, too. So being able to have a connection, build a connection with them two was amazing.”
The opportunity for immediate playing time is something that “really stood out” to Hood.
Along with immediate playing time, meeting Harsin and offensive line coach Will Friend in-person was a highlight.
“Having the talk with the coaches most definitely had an impression on me. What they said to me, they really didn't sugarcoat,” Hood said. “They really told me what it was face-to-face. They really didn't hide their true selves from me. They showed me how they would be if I came here for the next four years, and I really appreciate that.”
The message from Friend and Harsin was a path to becoming a first round pick for Hood.
“They showed me how they would get me to be a first-round pick, and that's what I want to be. I would come into the draft -- coach Will Friend told me that it's not going to be easy. It's going to be hard. You're going to have challenges, up and downs, but it's about going where you want to go.
“Go where you feel is going to be home for the next four years. Don't go where the coaches, because coaches change every year. He said go where you feel at home, man, and I think Auburn could definitely be one of the places I feel at home, man.”
Once it was all said and done, Hood says the visit pushed Auburn into the top three of his list.
Hood had an official visit setup with Georgia next weekend and Miami the following weekend. He’ll save his last two official visits for the season.
He also plans to return to Auburn during the season to check out the gameday atmosphere.
“I'm definitely going to come back, take an unofficial during the season and see how they play on game day, see how the environment is, see how the fans interact with the players,” Hood said.
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