Auburn making four-star TE feel like priority

With his school using Tuesday as a remote learning day, Ryan Ghea took the opportunity to hit the road.

The four-star tight end and Auburn target traveled with his family to campus for the first time since September, to meet with coaches and observe a game-week practice. It was a beneficial trip for Ghea, who continues to build his relationship with the staff.

"Came over for practice just to be here again," Ghea said. "Just to keep building my relationship with Coach Ben (Aigamaua) and Coach (Hugh) Freeze and everybody just seeing practice today."

Ghea, 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, is out of Alpharetta, Ga., and currently holds over 40 offers, most of which are from Power Five programs. His connections with the current Auburn staff go beyond their time on the Plains, as Hugh Freeze and Ben Aigamaua offered him while they were at Liberty.

When the staff arrived in Auburn, Ghea was one of the first 2025 recruits to pick up an offer.

"Definitely means a lot to me that Coach Ben would follow back up to me once he got a new job, and it feels like I’m a priority to them as a staff," Ghea said.

While on his Tuesday visit, Ghea observed a midweek practice, as Auburn prepares for a road trip to Arkansas.

"It was definitely great seeing them in action, seeing how they’re implementing their game plan for Arkansas early in the week and getting ready," Ghea said. "They could have played the game today I think with how prepared they are."

He paid close attention to the tight ends, citing their usage this season as part of Auburn's message to him.

"They’ve just been telling me how much that could be me out there playing," Ghea said. "Making all those plays and getting Jordan Hare loud on Saturdays. They’re gonna keep pushing me and try and get me here at Auburn."

Freeze met with Ghea and his family for nearly half an hour one-on-one. It made it abundantly clear that he's a priority for the Tigers, and he holds the head coach in high regards.

"I think he’s a great coach, great guy, great family man and he’s turning this program back to what it ultimately should be," Ghea said.

When it comes to other programs in the mix for him, Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, Wisconsin and Penn State all stick out. What keeps bringing him back to Auburn, though?

"It’s definitely their TE usage, their education, how it’s the closest to home and how I feel once I get on campus," Ghea said.

A return for the Iron Bowl is possible, but he's focused on Milton's playoff run right now.