Newly offered 2024 LB planning visit

Devin Smith already had over 20 offers heading into the New Year.

He added another one on Friday when Auburn called.

The 2024 linebacker from Brunswick, Ga., was offered by Auburn's linebacker coach,Josh Aldridge, and is already planning his first visit for next month.

"My initial reaction, I was surprised by it," Smith said. "We’d been talking for a while but that’s a big offer. It’s in the SEC, so I was happy to have that offer."

Aldridge offered Smith while he was the linebacker's coach at Liberty. Now in the same role at Auburn, he's looking to grow the relationship with Smith.

"It means a lot," Smith said. "He really wants me to play for him and wants to build a connection with me, so I’m looking forward to building a connection with him."

Smith's visited a multitude of SEC schools already, including Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. When he visits Auburn in January, it will be his first trip to the Plains.

"I’m not really that familiar with [Auburn]," Smith said. "I know a little bit about them but I haven’t actually been up there yet. I’m supposed to take a trip up there in January to go see what they look like and everything."

It's still early in his recruitment and Smith doesn't have any early frontrunners in his recruitment. He's looking to narrow down schools at some point in the summer, with several factors highlighting his criteria when looking at a school.

The environment, how he's treated and the coaching staff are the most important factors in a program, with proximity to home not playing much of a role.

What role could Auburn play in his recruitment?

"I feel like they’re gonna play a big part in my recruitment honestly," Smith said. "With the coaching staff, I think they’ll be a big part of it."