Faulk commits to Auburn

The Highland Home, Ala., pipeline to Auburn is alive and well.

Jakaleb Faulk, the No. 121 player in the 2025 class, announced his commitment to Auburn Monday, several days before his junior season begins. Faulk, 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, picked the Tigers over Alabama, Clemson, Florida and Georgia.

"The way it feels to me up there, the vibe I get when I go up there," Faulk said on why he chose Auburn. "What Coach (Hugh) Freeze and Coach (Josh) Aldridge are bringing to the school. I like the way they’re doing things up there."

Auburn gained a lot of traction over the summer with its 2024 class, but Josh Aldridge also had his eyes on the 2025 class. He made Faulk a huge priority early and it made all the difference.

"He’s played a big part in my recruitment," Faulk said. "When we get off the phone, he’ll make sure I have all my questions answered, he’ll break everything down to me. It’s just the way he talks to me, he’s just a different dude."

Faulk's last name might be recognizable to Auburn fans, as his older brother Keldric signed with the Tigers in the 2023 class. There's been a relationship between Jakaleb and head coach Hugh Freeze since, but it hasn't been centered around Keldric.

"Everytime he came to speak to me, it hasn’t been about my brother, it’s been about me," Jakaleb said. "That’s what I like. I don’t like when people judge me off my brother and compare me to him. I’m my own person so that’s a good thing about [Freeze]."

The Tigers see Faulk fitting in as a stand up linebacker on first and second down plays, before moving him down to the edge on third down.

Faulk is the No. 6 outside linebacker in the nation and rated as the No. 9 player in the state of Alabama.