Auburn’s Ten Most Wanted … in Georgia
Who are Auburn’s top recruiting targets?
Welcome to the original Auburn Ten Most Wanted.
In the past, we’ve probably narrowed down the Tigers’ list of notable targets too early in the calendar year. So for the 2024 recruiting class, we’ve made a major adjustment.
For the next few months, we’re breaking this down into four regions. They are:
-Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the combined area outside the typical Auburn recruiting footprint.
Then, come June 1 (or around there), when the board starts to come more into focus, we’ll drop those and go right to the all-encompassing Ten Most Wanted for the remainder of the cycle.
To compile theses lists, we’ve considered where we think each player sits on the Auburn board, Auburn’s need at the position, the Tigers’ chances of landing the prospect as well as the player’s skill set. Also, Auburn must have a legitimate shot of landing a recruit for him to make it.
These lists are extremely fluid. In recruiting, things can change on both sides in an instant. Auburn’s recruiting board will shift — and shift a lot — all the way up until National Signing Day in December.
Finally … please remember, this is our list, not Auburn’s.
Right now, the Tigers have four commitments and the No. 13 class in the country according to On3. That’s good for seventh-best in the SEC.
For now, here are the 10 most wanted Tiger targets … in Georgia
–Mike Matthews, WR, Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview: Matthews, a 5-star receiver, will make his second trip to Auburn this year Wednesday. But the first, which came in February during football’s recruiting dead period, was to check out the basketball side of things. That’s because he’s also a standout shooting guard. It sounds like Auburn would give him the chance to play both sports. Matthews is teammates with two other Auburn targets — 4-star defensive back Jalyn Crawford and 3-star defensive back Antonio White. The Tigers are in Matthews’ top 12 but Georgia is the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine favorite. Can Auburn make a move during his Wednesday visit?
–Jalyn Crawford, CB, Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview: 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.
–Martavious Collins, TE, Rome (Ga.): According to the 3-star recruit and former Alabama commit, Auburn is pushing hard for him. And the Tigers appear to be in a strong spot. After 4-star quarterback Walker White committed to the Tigers earlier this year, he named Collins as one of his top targets. Collins visited the Tigers in January, plans to attend a spring practice and has locked in an A-Day visit (April 8). Auburn hopes to sign two tight ends in the 2024 class and it wouldn’t be surprising if Collins ends up being one of them.
–Daniel Calhoun, OT, Marietta (Ga.) Walton: Calhoun named a top 10 earlier this year that did not include Auburn. But it seems as though the Tigers have made some progress since then. In fact, he finally visited Auburn two weeks ago and said he bonded with White, who also was there. Afterward, Calhoun said this: “I’m going to try to (come back) either for a visit or a game or an OV. Auburn is up there.” While the Tigers no doubt have risen in his recruitment, it’s still too soon to know how much of a shot they have. Securing an official would be significant.
–Christian Peterson, S, Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake: Peterson last visited Auburn on March 17. That day, he called the Tigers his top program. Would they take Peterson? According to Auburn Live’s Cole Pinkston, “it is our understanding that (the Tigers) would.” Auburn now leads for Peterson, the No. 34 safety in the country, in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine so he definitely is someone to closely watch in the coming weeks and months. Auburn likes Peterson as a nickel.
–Caleb Odom, TE, Carrollton (Ga.): The 4-star recruit seems to have shot up the Tigers’ recruiting board and he visited them two weeks ago. “That’s definitely a factor,” Odom said. “I know I would have the opportunity to play early and make a big impact if I work hard.” Ole Miss also looks like a serious contender in his recruitment with schools such as Colorado, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee in the mix, too. He is expected to begin trimming his list of schools soon.
–Jameson Riggs, OT, Hiram (Ga.): Riggs, the No. 29 offensive tackle in the country, was one of the players White named as a target when he committed to Auburn and that would seem to indicate the Tigers think he’s better than his current 3-star rating. Clemson is thought to be the favorite by some, but Riggs and White know each other well and they actually visited Auburn on the same day (Jan. 16). Auburn is working to get him back on campus this spring.
–Justin Greene, DL, Lawrenceville (Ga.) Mountain View: Auburn is a major contender for the 4-star recruit and top-100 national prospect. He told On3’s Jeremy Johnson he knows four schools that he wants to officially visit: Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and LSU. Greene, one of Auburn’s biggest defensive targets, is eyeing a late-summer commitment. He plans to return to the Plains on April 8 for the Tigers’ A-Day game.
Auburn is after multiple 5-stars in Georgia
–KJ Bolden, S, Buford (Ga.): Georgia is the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine favorite with Ohio State next, then Clemson. But the 5-star recruit recently visited Auburn and that seems to have gone well. While there, he spent time with coach Hugh Freeze and secondary coach Zac Etheridge. “(Freeze) a great guy,” Bolden told On3. “Coach Zac, the safeties coach, he was telling me how he’d utilize me and he was showing me how he utilizes all his safeties and the way Auburn uses their safeties.” As for return trips, that seems likely, though Bolden said he isn’t yet sure if the Tigers will get an official visit. “I will be back to Auburn soon,” he said.
–Zion Ferguson, CB, Gainesville (Ga.): Auburn got the 4-star LSU commit on campus Jan. 28 for junior day and by all accounts that seems to have gone well. Secondary coach Zac Etheridge is lead recruiter. Of note, Ferguson got one-on-one time with Freeze during that trip. Additionally, Ferguson has multiple friends from Auburn’s 2023 class. Earlier this month, Ferguson said “North Carolina, Auburn and Arkansas are the schools working hardest to get me away from LSU.” Should Auburn push for an official visit, it’s likely to get one.
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