THE WAR ROOM
Hugh Freeze is imposing his presence within the recruiting realm.
The first-year head coach had a massive win earlier this week with the flip of Demarcus Riddick from Georgia. Auburn looks to carry that momentum into Big Cat Weekend this Saturday, when the Tigers host over 40 recruits for the event.
With some of the nation's best expected to attend, Saturday might just be the biggest recruiting event Freeze has endured since arriving on the Plains. Let's cover it all in an AuburnSports.com WAR ROOM, presented by Lynch Toyota of Auburn.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
This will be an absolutely huge day for Auburn. Every current commit is expected to make the trip, including the recently committed Riddick. They'll all serve as additional recruiters.
Every commit in attendance will be beneficial to Auburn. It's not only a chance for other attendees to see how they'd fit in with the current group of commits, but also build stronger relationships and see first-hand why all 12 have bought into the program.
COMMIT WATCH
Alright, we'll start this War Room with what the people want to know: Who could commit over the weekend? There's plenty of guys in attendance that could be getting close, but let's key in on three specific recruits worth noting.
Perry Thompson, WR (Alabama commit)
With several visist to Auburn, the Tigers slowly have pulled closer in the recruiting race with Alabama for this talented wideout from Foley. His official visit last month seemingly put Auburn right there with the Tide and it appears the Tigers have been inching closer to a flip.
Could it happen this weekend?
With Riddick now on board, it seems that it could be as good a chance as ever.
Malcolm Simmons, WR
Auburn's been one of Simmons' top schools for a while now. He's seen campus several times, participated in camps and has continued to build a strong relationship with Marcus Davis and Hugh Freeze along the way.
With a top seven of Auburn, Arkansas, UCF, Indiana, West Virginia, Coastal Carolina and Liberty, it seems Auburn might be the likely destination for this four-star recruit from Benjamin Russell.
DeAndre Carter, OL
Auburn is still looking for its first win along the offensive front this recruiting cycle.
There have been some misses, but the Tigers seem to be in a rather good spot with DeAndre Carter out of Santa Ana, Calif., at the moment. It's a good sign that Carter is making another cross-country trip after officially visiting last month, and could point to Auburn as the school to beat.
We'll see how this weekend goes for Carter, but he's certainly going to be the focal point among offensive linemen in attendance.
2024 TARGETS
There will also be a pair of five-stars down to five schools in attendance, along with several other highly-regarded prospects in the 2024 class.
Five-star KJ Bolden will make his decision shortly after Big Cat on August 5 between Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida State and Ohio State. One program is privately pulling ahead, Bolden told Rivals.com earlier this week, but Auburn will get the final visit before his commitment.
It's a final chance to make a final impression on the five-star.
Meanwhile, safety Zaquan Patterson is also down to five schools. The five-star out of Florida will pick between Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State and Michigan. This will be the new staff's first chance to meet in-person with Patterson, who hasn't visited Auburn since last fall.
Four-star defensive back Jalewis Solomon is set to announce his decision August 5 between Auburn, Kentucky, Florida State, Texas A&M and South Carolina. Solomon is at South Carolina Friday for an unofficial visit, but will make the trip to Auburn Saturday. He's the younger brother of Auburn defensive lineman Zykevious “Zeke” Walker.
Another intriguing name scheduled to visit is current Louisville running back commit Duke Watson. Auburn offered the Forsyth, Ga., native in late June he's willing to listen to what the Tigers have to say.
This weekend will be a good chance for the coaching staff to be around Watson and vice versa, as the Tigers look to potentially add a second running back to their 2024 class.
Two in-state targets are also expected to make the trip. Hoover linebacker Bradley Shaw and Madison Academy offensive lineman Reese Baker are scheduled to visit.
Shaw visited Mississippi State Thursday, with a trip to Arkansas and multiple trips to Notre Dame also logged since his last trip to Auburn back in March. The Tigers have taken three linebackers since Shaw last visited, so we'll see how that plays out this weekend.
Baker camped at Auburn in June and liked what they saw from the 6-foot-5 lineman. With several other offensive line targets committing elsewhere in recent weeks, Auburn may turn up the heat for Baker this weekend to try and keep him in-state.
QUICK NOTE
It should also be noted that defensive lineman TJ Lindsey won't be in attendance due to a commitment to IMG Academy, but his parents will be on campus.
Lindsey officially visited Auburn in June and plans to announce his final group soon, but all signs are pointing to the Tigers being a serious contender to land the four-star lineman.
2025 TARGETS
Aside from Auburn's only 2025 commit Malik Autry, there's plenty of 2025 recruits set to make their way to the Plains this weekend.
Rivals100 defensive end Zion Grady recently narrowed things down to 10 schools and it wasn't shocking to see Auburn in the mix for the No. 33 player in the nation. He's built a strong relationship with his area coach, Zac Etheridge, who also attended Charles Henderson High in Troy, Alabama.
Another prospect who's narrowed things down is Jakaleb Faulk, the younger brother of current Auburn jack linebacker Keldric Faulk. Jakaleb is down to five schools, but Auburn and Alabama appear to be front runners right now.
Both in-state products are hot commodities in this class, so keeping the foot on the pedal is a must if Auburn wants to prevent Alabama or an out-of-state school from snatching them up first.
More in-state prospects that are planning to visit include wide receiver Derick Smith, defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford, safety Eric Winters, defensive lineman Grayshaun Swain, wide receiver Daylyn Upshaw, safety Jotavion Pierce, offensive lineman Mal Waldrep and defensive lineman CJ May.
MISSISSIPPI MADNESS
Outside of Alabama, there's quite a few 2025 prospects that will cross state lines to get to Big Cat Weekend. Defensive tackle Kevin Oatis and safety Jarcorby Hopson are the headliners coming from Mississippi — both are Rivals100 players.
Both Freeze and defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett are from Mississippi, so connecting with Oatis shouldn't be a problem. Auburn will look to solidify its place in his recruitment this weekend to ensure its a contender down the road.
Oatis has logged trips to Alabama, Ole Miss and Michigan this year, with his latest visit a trip to Mississippi State Thursday.
Hopson is coming from Lake Cormorant, Miss., also home to 2024 target Kamarion Franklin, who was set to visit earlier this week before bailing out at the last moment.
The 6-foot-3 safety Hopson visited in early June alongside Franklin, so Saturday will be a good follow-up for the No. 60 player in the class.
BUFORD BIG DOGS
Sure, Bolden is the centerpiece this weekend when it comes to Buford High standouts at Big Cat. However, don't forget about the younger guys that are planning to attend.
Current Georgia linebacker commit Jadon Perlotte and cornerback Devin Williams are expected to be there, as Auburn works to get in with one of the elite powerhouses in Georgia high school football.
Perlotte committed to the Bulldogs in December of 2022, but doesn't mind looking around. He's made unofficial visits to Tennessee, Florida State, Texas A&M, Alabama, Ohio State and Miami since his commitment.
As he told CanesCounty in May, there's still a long way to go until signing day and things can always change.
Williams has generated a lot of interest from programs like Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Michigan in recent months. Auburn's hoping that a good visit this weekend can help put the Tigers right in the mix for the No. 81 player in the class.
FLORIDA BOYS
Three prospects from the Sunshine State are expected to travel to Auburn Saturday and one could be trending higher than the others.
Wide receiver Kamare Williams picked up the Auburn offer in late March and continues to show high interest in the Tigers. Of course, home-state schools like Florida, Florida State and Miami are threats to keep Williams in-state, but Auburn has other ideas.
We'll see how this weekend impacts Auburn's standing with Williams, but I expect the Tigers to make a big push.
Other expected attendees from Florida include three-star wide receiver Waden Charles and defensive lineman Jyon Simon.
FUTURE FOCUS
With plenty of time left in their recruitment, Auburn is getting an early jump for a couple members of the 2026 class and a quarterback phenom in the 2027 class.
Defensive end Hezekiah Harris has been to Auburn several times and will log another trip this weekend. So will edge rusher Keenan Britt, the younger brother of former Auburn linebacker and current Tampa Bay Buccaneer, K.J. Britt.
Trent Seaborn is also expected to return. Seaborn is quickly becoming an eye-catcher in the 2027 class, with the rising freshman already accumulating 15 offers.
