Fielding the future: Offense '25
Auburn's 2024 class is essentially wrapped up, aside from the continued pursuit of five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams.
That being said, let's turn our attention to the 2025 class, which already has eight commits and is ranked as the No. 4 class in the nation. Who could join the class? Who are some names to monitor heading into the new year?
We'll break it down with a hypothetical lineup of 22 guys to keep an eye on, starting with 11 on offense.
Note: This list doesn't include any Auburn commits.
QUARTERBACK
There are plenty of quarterbacks still on the market for the 2025 class, but one name to watch for Auburn will be Texas commit KJ Lacey out of Saraland.
Lacey committed to the Longhorns back in June, but Auburn's coaching staff has kept in close contact since then. He visited Auburn several times over the fall and the Tigers have made him a high priority, which he enjoys.
Earlier this month, several Auburn coaches were in Tuscaloosa watching Lacey, among others, compete in the 6A title game. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was also there, as it appears the Longhorns will have to fight off some other SEC programs going after the four-star down the stretch.
RUNNING BACK
Auburn didn't take a running back in its 2024 class, so it appears the Tigers are all-in on one of the top prospects in the 2025 cycle.
Alvin Henderson has been the No. 1 target at the position for a while now, and for good reason. In three seasons at Elba, he's totaled 7,274 yards rushing on 532 carries, scoring 132 touchdowns in the process.
His video game-like numbers and his constant scoring threat has him as one of the top prospects overall, sitting at No. 24 in the national rankings.
WIDE RECEIVER
Coming off perhaps its most impressive haul of wide receivers in program history, Auburn is gearing up to add more wideouts in its 2025 class.
Several SEC programs are going after the top player out of Mississippi, Caleb Cunningham. He made trips to Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Mississippi State this fall, with his visit to Auburn for the Ole Miss game his first experience inside Jordan Hare Stadium.
Ranked as the No. 16 player in the country, Cunningham will be a hot commodity for plenty of programs heading into next year.
Auburn is also heavily in the mix for Selma, Ala., wide receiver Derick Smith, who made multiple trips to the Plains this fall.
Smith is a big-time playmaker for Selma, recording 100-plus yards receiving in eight of his 10 games this season. He also surpassed the 200-yard mark in two games, finishing the year with 1,487 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns on 46 receptions.
Hugh Freeze wants to win the state in recruiting battles and Auburn appears to be one of Smith's top schools at the moment.
Former teammates with Cam Coleman, Daylyn Upshaw is another wide receiver from Central Phenix-City to keep an eye on this cycle.
He's extremely familiar with Auburn, he's been to 7-on-7s on campus, taken plenty of visits and saw several games from Jordan Hare Stadium this season. Upshaw was a bit shadowed by Coleman in the Red Devils' offense last season, but projects as WR1 for the now defending state champs next season.
He had 59 receptions for 1,185 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns as a junior.
TIGHT END
Auburn has a tight end committed in Ryan Ghea, but I'm gonna throw out another name that might be worth watching heading into the spring.
Hollis Davidson was relatively unknown at the start of the fall, but his offer list has exploded since late September when he earned his first one from Indiana. He now holds nearly 20 offers and the Peachtree City native visited Auburn twice this fall. Other visits were taken to Georgia Tech, Florida State, Alabama, Cincinnati and Tennessee.
Davidson, 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, tallied 30 receptions for 436 yards receiving and three touchdowns this past season. He was offered in October.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Auburn took two offensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, but the upside for the 2025 class is high. The Tigers already have one committed, Spencer Dowland, but there are several others that could join him.
We'll start with Micah DeBose, the No. 14 overall player in the class who just de-committed from Georgia. With plenty of interest from top tier programs, DeBose decided it was best for him to reevaluate his options.
Auburn is certainly one program that's caught his eye and I consider the Tigers to be a slight favorite at this point in time.
Tavaris Dice recently narrowed things down to eight, but it was never in doubt that Auburn was going to be in it. Dice spent a lot of time on the Plains this fall, familiarizing himself with the coaching staff and the culture that it's implemented.
His top eight consists of Auburn, Georgia, Florida, LSU, Miami, Missouri, NC State and USC, although it sounds like Auburn is in the top half of those programs.
Hugh Freeze is working on opening up the Central Phenix-City pipeline.
One massive target is 6-foot-5 offensive lineman Mal Waldrep, who's expected to announce his top four soon. Auburn is considered a lock for the final group, as the Tigers continue to battle Clemson for the top spot in Waldrep's recruitment, although some other programs have hopped in the mix.
Cortez Smith took his first game day visit to Auburn this fall and the community feel brought him back a couple months later.
The Parkview High standout holds 20 offers, with trips to Georgia, Florida, Florida State, South Carolina and Tennessee all logged this fall. With plenty of SEC programs going after him, keep an eye on Smith and Auburn's pursuit of the Rivals250 lineman.
An Auburn legacy, Brayden Jacobs is the son of former Auburn running back Brandon Jacobs. The 6-foot-7 offensive lineman has built a name for himself as one of the top prospects in the country, starting on the offensive front at Buford High School.
With offers from several SEC programs and other Power Five schools across the country, Jacobs will be one to watch into the new year.