Stacking classes

AUBURN | Hugh Freeze accomplished his first recruiting goal and then some.

In just under 13 months on the job, Freeze and his hard-working staff signed the nation’s No. 8 class, Auburn’s highest ranking in the last eight years.

“That was our goal, is in Year One to have a top-10 class and in Year Two to have a top-five class,” said Freeze. “And that is the way I think you start building a program that is able to stack itself upon each other and create a competitiveness among the roster that drives you to chase a standard every day that’s needed to win in this conference.”

Of course, the Tigers might not be finished in the 2024 class. Five-star wide receiver Ryan Williams, the nation’s No. 19 overall prospect, has visited AU a number of times since Freeze arrived.

He committed to Alabama in October of 2022 but reclassified from ’25 to ’24 and doesn’t plan to make a final decision until his birthday, Feb. 9.

His commitment could boost AU’s current class to as high as fifth in the country.

And when it comes to stacking, Auburn’s 2025 class already has eight commitments and is ranked fourth in the country.

Freeze is selling the opportunity to build Auburn back into a national powerhouse and his message has definitely been resonating with recruits.

“This place has played for two national championships,” said Freeze. “Yeah, it hasn't been as recent as some of the other elite. But there's, in 12 or 13 years, only six schools that can say that. Alright, so, you can go to the elite right now and help them sustain, and there's nothing wrong with that. You could also choose, if you want to be a trailblazer and do something different and join together with a group of guys and return a program that's proven it can be there and return it back to that.

“That's the message, along with the environment that we have. Does it fit you? If the environment fits you to where you want to show up every day here and work — because it is work, it's a full-time job — and you're motivated by the opportunity to do something early and help us restore something to a place where the passion of the fans and the support of our people has gotta be as good as everywhere else, then this might be the place for you.”

The recruiting dead period ends Jan. 12.