THE WAR ROOM
It's homecoming weekend on the Plains, as Auburn is set to host Samford at 6 p.m. CT Saturday.
With that being said, it also means it's time for another AuburnSports.com WAR ROOM, presented by Lynch Toyota of Auburn. Grab a bite to eat, take a seat and get ready, we have a lot to cover, even for a homecoming contest against Samford.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
There are no official visitors this weekend, the second consecutive home game without any. This isn't something to panic over, it seems that most want to save those official visits for the Georgia game in two weeks.
This weekend is still loaded with talent. Tons of commits are making the trip, some guys committed elsewhere in both the 2024 and 2025 classes are expected to attend, along with some top prospects in the 2025 class.
Let's get into it.
COMMITS ARE COMING
Over half the 2024 class is expected to be in attendance, while two of the three currently making up the 2025 class are anticipated as well. Here they are:
2024 Commits: D'Angelo Barber, Malcolm Simmons, Martavious Collins, A'Mon Lane, J'Marion Burnette, Joseph Phillips, Demarcus Riddick, Jalyn Crawford, Jayden Lewis, Perry Thompson, Jalewis Solomon, Malik Blocton
2025 Commits: Jakaleb Faulk and Spencer Dowland
ON BOARD WITH 2024
Aside from the commits, there's not an extensive amount of prospects from the 2024 class. expected to attend. However, there are some big names that could be on the Plains Saturday.
Two of them are running backs committed elsewhere — Clemson commit David Eziomume and Miami commit Kevin Riley.
Auburn already has a running back in its '24 class with Burnette, but the Tigers are looking to potentially add a second one. Riley seems to be the clear-cut No. 1 left on the board, but it's interesting to see Eziomume set to visit.
Four-star tight end Roger Saleapaga is expected to make the trip from his hometown Orem, Utah. He's 6-foot-5 and has an offer list that consists of Power Five programs across the country. With one tight end committed already, Auburn would be more than happy to add another.
The Tigers are in the mix with the rest of Saleapaga's top 10, which was released at the end of July: Utah, Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, Baylor, Miami, Iowa, UCLA and Alabama.
Atlanta native Kameryn Fountain took a visit to USC at the beginning of June and committed to the Trojans shortly afterward.
Auburn is looking to add another defensive end and Fountain fits the mold. He's 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, and Auburn is a little closer to home than Los Angeles.
Within the last month, Jaylen Brown elected to commit to Missouri, but is set to visit Auburn this weekend. He visited Auburn during the spring, but didn't really see his offer list expand until the summer.
At the end of July, Missouri became the first SEC program to offer and he committed less than a month later. He doesn't have an Auburn offer, but could be worth keeping an eye on if his stock continues to rise.
EYES ON THE '25s
Parker High School in Birmingham has a stacked defense and two of their best will be in Auburn Saturday. Defensive tackle Jourdin Crawford and defensive back Na'eem Offord will both be on the Plains.
Crawford's seen Georgia Tech play this year and was in Tuscaloosa watching Alabama last weekend. This will be his first trip back to Auburn since he visited for Big Cat Weekend.
Meanwhile, Offord is excited to get back to Auburn for his first game since the Tigers faced Mercer last season. He's already visited Miami and has a trip to Clemson set up for next week before returning to Auburn for the Georgia game at he end of the month.
Mal Waldrep is set to make his first appearance at an Auburn game this fall, with the Tigers in a good spot for the offensive line target out of Central Phenix City. It's thought to be a race between Clemson and Auburn at the moment, but I'd give Auburn a slight edge right now.
Four-star Alabama offensive guard commit Dontrell Glover is expected to attend the game as well.
Glover committed to the Crimson Tide back in April and was offered by Auburn in early May. The Tigers will try to get back in his recruitment and hosting him for a homecoming visit is a good sign there's some interest.
Dillon Alfred's second offer was from Auburn and it seems to be paying off. The Rivals250 wide receiver has since seen his recruitment explode, garnering attention from top programs across the nation.
However, Auburn seems to be one of his favorites to visit, seeing that he's made the trip three times this year. Alfred is now an in-state prospect, making the move from Gautier, Miss., to play for Saraland High School over the offseason, which can't hurt.
In what seems like the weekly Highland Home review, let's check in on defensive end CJ May. He visited for the opener against UMass and it appears that he'll be back again this weekend.
Auburn is thought to be the front runner for the 6-foot-4 defensive end who's cousins with Keldric and Jakaleb Faulk. Following his first Auburn visit, he noted that he feels like he's getting close to a decision, but that recruiting is always changing.
This weekend could be an opportunity for Auburn to close the deal.
Two tight ends from the Peach State are expected to make the trip, with a decision looming in the near future for one of them.
Ethan Barbour is announcing his commitment Sept. 22 and the Alpharetta, Ga., native is down to Auburn, Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina and Alabama. This will likely be his last visit before announcing, so the Tigers have a chance to make a strong final impression.
Four-star Ryan Ghea checked off visits to Vanderbilt and Clemson earlier this season, with Saturday's trip to Auburn his third one this year. It appears Ghea has not yet narrowed things down, with new offers still rolling in.
Other visitors in the 2025 class of note include offensive lineman Tavaris Dice, wide receiver Dylan Vickerson, athlete Kendarius Riddick and linebackers Jaylon Parnell and Kelan Butler.
IN THE MIX WITH THE '26
Keenan Britt, the younger brother of former Auburn linebacker K.J. Britt, is making a name for himself in the 2026 class.
He's rated as a four-star recruit and with the recent Rivals100 being released, Britt made the cut at No. 38. This is his second trip back to Auburn this season, after attending the opener against UMass.
Speaking of top guys in the 2026 class, linebacker Anthony Jones is expected to make an appearance. Jones, who's from Mobile, Ala., is listed as the No. 12 player in the class and has the build of an elite linebacker already as a sophomore.
Camron Brooks is the No. 43 player in the 2026 class and at 6-foot-4 as a sophomore, it's not shocking to see that the defensive end has 15 offers already.
Brooks was offered by Auburn in late March of this year and within the next week, he was on Auburn's campus for an unofficial visit.
Other notable visitors expected from the 2026 class include quarterbacks Noah Schuback and Brock Bradley, along with running back Ja'Michael Jones.