How we got here: Jalyn Crawford’s commitment to Auburn
Jalyn Crawford first came on the radar around January of 2023. Auburn Live learned that he was going to be a priority along the way. How much of a priority? He was the No. 1 corner on the board, even then.
Auburn has since locked him up, but it was a wild ride to get to that moment.
If you were paying attention to Auburn Live along the way, there were updates after updates about the Tigers’ newest commit.
For the recruiting junkies, these kinds of things are fun to look back on. For that reason, I have compiled as many of the updates that we provided on Crawford throughout his recruitment as I could find. These updates date all the way back to Jan. 21, 2023, when Crawford took his first known visit to Auburn in 2023.
Winter/Spring updates
Jan. 21, 2023: I’m told he’s a high priority recruit for 2024. He is expected to visit Auburn tomorrow.
Feb. 2, 2023 (Chad Simmons on Crawford): Last weekend, Jalyn Crawford visited Clemson. Things went extremely well and the Tigers are “up there” for Crawford, one source said. Auburn and LSU are two more schools that Crawford has high interest in.
March 9, 2023: Crawford told Auburn Live he would return to Auburn March 13 for an unofficial visit. “I love the new (Auburn) staff,” Crawford told Simmons. “I really like them. It’s not too far. It’s like an hour and 40 minutes and I don’t want to go anywhere too far from my dad, so that’s a big thing.”
March 13, 2023: “I talk to Coach (Hugh) Freeze all the time,” he said. “We have a really good relationship. We always talk. Almost everyday we talk. That will be a big part in where I go; how much I talk to the head coach and if they really want me and how they go about the situation.”
March 29, 2023: Crawford makes tier one of the “Ten Most Wanted in Georgia” list. LSU is the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine favorite but Auburn has made a big move in recent months. “LSU, Auburn and Clemson are up there,” Crawford told On3’s Chad Simmons. “I like those three schools a lot. All three schools show me a lot of love and they make feel wanted. The coaches know me and that makes them stand out.” Crawford has visited Auburn and LSU three times each. The competition is stiff but Auburn is trending in the right direction.
April 24, 2023: Crawford grabs the No. 1 spot in the “Ten Most Wanted in Georgia”: This seems to have become a three team race between Auburn, Florida, and LSU. The Gators are newer to the picture, but have secured an official visit. Auburn and LSU have been around for a while in this recruitment. Crawford made a quiet unofficial visit to Auburn on Saturday and will officially visit on June 9-11. He may very well be Auburn’s top corner prospect on the board.
Summer updates
May 18, 2023: Crawford schedules official visits to Auburn, Florida, LSU and North Carolina: “I’d say they’ve really started pushing hard since they got that new coaching staff. I know Kayin Lee. We talk a lot. He’s always telling me about what’s going on and how the program is over there. It’s also close to home. I want my parents to be there and see me play. That’s another reason why they’ve jumped in it… We’ve already talked about everything, the official visit is really just more about getting down there with the coaches and spending time with them and chopping it up, just getting a vibe from those guys and getting to know them.”
June 11, 2023: Crawford officially visits Auburn: “Coach Crime is an awesome dude,” he said. “He’s got a lot of history. Me and him, we gel well. We talk well. It’s a great vibe between me and him. I talk to Zac, Crime, Freeze, Ty (Holder) … I really talk to everybody honestly.”
June 22, 2023: Crawford makes tier 2 of “Auburn’s Ten Most Wanted list”: Crawford officially visited Auburn two weeks ago. The Tigers are said to have some confidence but know that LSU and Florida are real threats. Crawford has taken his official visits to the three schools and will have a decision in the near future. This would be a big win for Auburn if it lands Crawford. He is a top player at his position for the Tigers.
July 1, 2023: Florida makes a big move: “It was a good weekend,” Crawford told Johnson. “Everybody had fun. Florida was a vibe. I could see myself living down there in Gainesville and being a Florida Gator. Talking to coach (Billy) Napier was good. They were high on the board and they bumped themselves up on the official visit.”
July 10, 2023: Update on Auburn’s chances: I like where Auburn sits today (5 days away from his announcement). I was waffling a little bit between Auburn and Florida, but I like Auburn more today than I have in the last week. I will let you know if anything changes there. Once again, very difficult to trust anything in recruiting.. but that’s the feel today.
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