ELBA, Ala. — Alvin Henderson knows what Jordan Hare Stadium is like on game day.
He's seen the Tiger Walk. He's watched the eagle fly. He's watched plenty of Auburn football.
However, when he steps foot into the stadium Saturday, there's a new perspective for the four-star running back. This time, Henderson is walking into Jordan Hare for the first time as an Auburn commit.
"It’s gonna be crazy, because last season and the season before, me taking visits, I was just a normal recruit," Henderson said. "Now with me being a commit, when you get ready to come in in December, I realized how important it is to not just be looking at the playing aspect, but the culture and everything around it."
When it comes to the others surrounding him in the class, Auburn's done well. The Tigers hold a top five recruiting class currently, but are hoping to pull off some major flips and climb even higher.
"I talked to a few of the recruits that will be there tomorrow," Henderson said. "I talked to Elijah (Melendez), Na’eem (Offord). I talked to a lot of dudes that’s committed to other schools that are supposed to be flipping, including Deuce (Knight). Me and [Knight] have been talking for two weeks now, so I’m ready to get up there and engage with all of them."
Knight's been the biggest name in Auburn recruiting for the last month, as the Tigers efforts to flip the Notre Dame quarterback commit feel as strong as ever with Knight visiting this weekend. How does Henderson feel about Auburn's chances?
"If I had to bet money on it, I’d bet 1 million dollars on it right now, I’m that confident," Henderson said. "I may be wrong, but I’m that confident."
He's not just confident with Knight, either. Henderson feels strongly about two other major flip targets expected on campus this weekend.
"I’ll say 10/10 with them, too," Henderson said. "I feel like they’ll flip, too. Everybody that’s taking Auburn visits, I feel like they’re gonna flip. This is the way I look at it: If you’re committed, why are you taking visits to other schools? Especially the opening weekend of games, when your school has a game, too. That’s what boosts my confidence of those guys flipping."
Flipping all three doesn't seem out of the realm of possibilities. Knight appears to be the closest, but a good visit for Melendez could go a long way for the Tigers. Offord's seen Auburn the most out of the three and it sounds like the Tigers continue to make progress.
If Auburn were to flip Offord, it would be the first time since 2002 that Auburn landed the top player in Alabama. Building in-state is something Hugh Freeze set his mind on when he first arrived in Auburn, and so far it's paid off.
"I feel like Coach Freeze has got the state of Alabama on lock right now," Henderson said. "I feel like there’s maybe a few more dudes that he’s targeting to get, but for now, I feel like we got the state on lock."
Note: Henderson predicts Auburn will beat Alabama A&M 55-10.