Auburn in 'very good spot' ahead of commitment date for 4-star DL Kamarion Franklin

Ahead of his big commitment on Saturday, Auburn Live insider Jeffrey Lee said fans should feel ‘cautiously optimistic’ about landing Lake Cormorant (Miss.) high four-star defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin.

Franklin is the nation’s No. 37 overall prospect and No. 7 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 1 player in Mississippi.

Lee talked with On3’s Josh Newberg on The Inside Scoop ahead of Franklin’s commitment date.

“Cautiously optimistic, I think that’s the best way to put it,” Lee said about how Auburn fans should feel heading into Saturday. “I think Auburn is in a very good spot, I don’t think they would trade places with Tennessee, with Miami, with Ole Miss. I don’t think they would trade spots with them at any point right now.

“That visit right before the dead period kicked in that last week of July really, really played a big factor in Kamarion’s recruitment. Jeremy Garrett, Hugh Freeze both of those guys from the state of Mississippi — they’ve got ties, they’ve got really strong bonds with Kam. And so I think that’s really paying off for Auburn as we get near the decision. I think right now, Auburn is the team to beat. But Josh, we’ve seen things like this happen before and we know things can change late. But as of today, I do like where Auburn sits.”

Relationships at Auburn key for Franklin

Referring to Garrett and Freeze, Lee said that the relationships at Auburn have been crucial in Franklin’s recruitment. Both coaches are natives of Franklin’s home state of Mississippi.

“Relationships. And I think it’s been very important to him,” Lee said about what Auburn has done well with Franklin. “Jeremy Garrett has been very important to him. He talked about them coming from the same area, they get each other and they vibe well. And Hugh Freeze is the same way. We’ve talked about some of these bigger recruits, these top recruits that Auburn is in on — Hugh Freeze has been instrumental in recruiting, well, all of them to be honest with you, including Kam Franklin. So those relationships with those two coaches and the opportunity to play early certainly are big factors there for Kam Franklin.”