Auburn will run out of the tunnel at Jordan Hare Stadium one final time in 2024 Saturday.
It will be under the lights, too, in a nationally broadcast SEC night game.
With the Tigers taking on the No. 15 team in the country, Texas A&M, in a must-win game to reach a bowl game, it's one final party at home for the team and the fans. The game also brings elite talent to the Plains, as plenty of visitors are expected.
That means it's time for another AuburnSports.com WAR ROOM, presented by Lynch Toyota of Auburn.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
This is the biggest weekend of recruiting for Auburn this year, topping the Oklahoma game. There will be five official visitors — three of which are Auburn commits — with loads of other talent expected.
We're talking 5-star prospects, players committed to Auburn's biggest rivals and plenty of players ranked in the Rivals250. Let's get into the latest.
COMMITS ARE COMING
Plenty of future Tigers will be well represented at the game this weekend, as the usual crowd and some commits from out of town are expected back.
2025: QB Deuce Knight, RB Alvin Henderson, OL Tavaris Dice, OL Tai Buster, OL Jacobe Ward, DE Jared Smith, DE Nate Marshall, DL Jourdin Crawford, DL Malik Autry, LB Jakaleb Faulk, CB Shamar Arnoux, CB Devin Williams, CB Blake Woodby, S Anquon Fegans, P John McGuire
2026: DE Hezekiah Harris, LB Jamichael Garrett, LB Shadarius Toodle, S Wayne Henry
OFFICIAL VISITORS
Five recruits will take their official visits this weekend.
Five-star defensive lineman Justus Terry is the headliner. He was supposed to visit the weekend of the Vanderbilt game, but instead will be in town for the Texas A&M game, as Auburn works to get in the mix for the No. 9 player in the country.
Georgia and Alabama are considered to be the favorites at this point in time for Terry.
Tennessee commit Darrion Smith will be on campus this weekend, after plans to get him on campus earlier this season fell through. Not only will defensive tackles coach Vontrell King-Williams be recruiting him over the weekend, but so will his teammates from St. Frances.
Three Auburn commits from the school will be on campus, as Bryce Deas, Blake Woodby and Wayne Henry are all expected. Auburn's kept up with Smith since offering him in early August.
Speaking of Bryce Deas, the linebacker commit will take his official visit with Smith this weekend. He earned an offer and committed shortly afterward, while simultaneously shutting down his recruitment. Deas will sign early and enroll in the spring for Auburn.
It's been a long time coming for Samuel Turner to take his official visit.
Originally scheduled for the Oklahoma game weekend, Turner had to postpone his official after his high school game got moved to that Saturday due to Hurricane Helene. When that happened, he was still committed to Georgia Tech.
Two months later and Turner gets to take his official visit as an Auburn commit, with plans to sign early and enroll in the spring.
Kail Ellis was the first member of the 2026 class and reclassified to the 2025 class earlier this fall, after taking time to talk things over with his family and offensive line coach Jake Thornton. He felt like reclassifying was the best step for him and quickly set up his official visit to coincide with the announcement.
Ellis will sign early and enroll in the spring.
KROMAH IS COMING BACK
This is a big one, folks.
Auburn is expected to get Georgia running back commit Ousmane Kromah back on campus this weekend for the first time since Kromah committed to the Bulldogs back in October. It was thought that after Kromah committed that his recruitment would be shut down, but Auburn continued pushing and never stopped talking with the No. 99 player in the country.
Seeing Kromah back on campus would be a sign that the Tigers certainly have a shot, as they make their final push.
NEXT CLASS UP
Not only will Auburn have a couple big-time targets in the 2025 class on campus, but there are plenty expected from the 2026 class as well.
Five-star defensive end Anthony Jones returns for the second time this season, as the Mobile, Ala., native is rated as the top player in the state. Auburn and Alabama have been in heavy pursuit, but programs outside of the state have started catching his attention as well.
He's taken game day visits to Auburn, Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Miami and Oregon this fall.
Bryce Perry-Wright was at Big Cat Weekend in the summer and back on campus earlier this fall for the New Mexico game. He's logged plenty of miles this fall, with game day visits to Miami, Texas, USC, Alabama, Clemson and Nebraska.
Former South Carolina quarterback commit Landon Duckworth will be on campus this weekend. He was committed to the Gamecocks for 10 months before reopening his recruitment back in June. UCF and South Carolina are viewed as the two top programs battling for his commitment.
Tight end Kaiden Prothro has visited Auburn twice in the last six months, with one visit in the days following Big Cat Weekend and another for the Arkansas game. He's been to a lot of places and is enjoying his recruitment right now, Prothro isn't in a rush to make a decision.
Teammates with Auburn cornerback commit Shamar Arnoux, Dorian Barney backed off an Alabama pledge less than two weeks ago. He was most recently at Texas A&M and the Aggies are considered the leader in his recruitment.
Jaquez Wilkes visited Auburn back in the spring and will get on campus for the first time this fall this weekend. He recently visited Texas A&M and the Aggies, along with other SEC programs like Tennessee and South Carolina, are programs to watch in this one.
Vodney Cleveland gets back to campus this weekend for the first time as an Alabama commit, after pledging to the Crimson Tide in late October.
He's teammates with Auburn defensive line commit Jourdin Crawford at Parker High School, after transferring from Prattville in the offseason.
Auburn's got itself a little pipeline going at the St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, already holding three commitments from the school. They're pushing for more, including safety Jireh Edwards, who will make his first trip to the Plains this weekend alongside his three teammates committed to the Tigers (Bryce Deas, Blake Woodby and Wayne Henry).
He recently visited Florida, with Texas A&M, Tennessee, Oregon and Alabama also ones to watch.
This weekend will be the third trip to Auburn for Rivals250 safety Nassir McCoy, who was on campus back-to-back weeks in September. However, Georgia is still considered a major threat for McCoy, who visited Athens last weekend.
He's also been to Alabama, USC and Clemson this fall.
Another Buford standout, Tyriq Green logged the same back-to-back visits to Auburn back in September as McCoy. Georgia is one of the frontrunners in his recruitment, as is Auburn, Clemson and Tennessee.
It was a special junior season for Auburn High product Omar Mabson, who finished the year with over 1,500 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns at the 7A level. It's that kind of production that SEC schools such as Auburn, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama all saw, as he holds over 20 offers.
He was last on campus for the Arkansas game, with two visits to Alabama this fall as well.
Other 2026 recruits: TE Evan Jacobson, OL Graham Houston, LB Duyon Forkpa, DE Kamhariyan Johnson, DL Tico Crittendon, RB Amari Clemons, WR B.J. Bedgood, WR Rhys Dorsey, WR Zayion Cotton, WR Julius Miles, OL Michael Bowens Jr.
FOCUS ON THE FUTURE
Along with all the talent in the 2026 class, the Tigers will have three top-100 players from the 2027 class on campus.
In-state defensive lineman Elijah Brown will return to the Plains after visiting for the Arkansas game. He's already tallied 14 offers, with programs like Tennessee, Georgia and Texas A&M also showing early interest.
Alabama commit Ba'Roc Willis committed to the Crimson Tide back in July, shortly after visiting Auburn for Big Cat Weekend. This will be the first visit back to Auburn since his pledge to Alabama.
Cole Crawford attended an Auburn camp back in the summer and returned earlier this fall for a game. He also visited Georgia, with Alabama and Ohio State some other early interests for the dual-sport athlete, who could also play baseball at the next level.
Other 2027 recruits: QB Bobby Coleman Jr., QB Landen Holley, DL Donivan Moore, TE Grant Haviland, RB Andrew Beard
2028 prospects: OG Hunter Hill, QB Shamar Toodle, QB Austan Cristiaan
