Auburn jumps into the top 5 in latest On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

Auburn continues to rise in the On3 Industry Football Team Recruiting Rankings.

On Friday, the Tigers pulled off yet another major flip by pulling Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick four-star EDGE Nate Marshall away from Michigan and adding him to their top-10 class.

His addition not only gives the Tigers another elite pass-rusher to go along with four-star commit Jared Smith. But it also pushes them up No. 5 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC in the team rankings.

The Tigers now sit behind only Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon and Georgia after leapfrogging SEC rival Tennessee.

“Their commitment to players as a whole,” Marshall told On3’s Steve Wiltfong of what made him choose the Tigers. “Of course there’s football talk but that’s just one piece so to hear that from Coach Freeze and Coach Vontrell was different. They want to pour into players’ entirety not just as an athlete and I think with that mindset it’ll carryover to on the field success.”

Tigers have made major moves over the past month

The months of July and August have been scorching ones on the recruiting trail for Hugh Freeze and Co.

Baltimore St. Frances Academy four-star cornerback Blake Woodby helped kick things off on July 27, as the former Ohio State commit pledged to the Freeze and Co. Later that night, Sarland (Ala.) four-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman once again flipped his commitment from Alabama to the Tigers. Both are top-140 overall recruits.

July 29 proved to be even bigger for the 2025 class, as Selma (Ala.) four-star athlete Derick Smith followed Coleman and also flipped from the Crimson Tide. Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson four-star safety Anquon Fegans committed later that night, adding the No. 52 and No. 57 prospects in the cycle to the class.

Not to be forgotten, the Tigers’ 2026 class ranks No. 2 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings following a trio of in-state blue-chip commits. Huntsville (Ala.) Jemison four-star EDGE Hezekiah Harris is a top-20 junior recruit, Mobile (Ala.) Cottage Hill Christian four-star linebacker Shadarius Toodle is a top-75 prospect and Gulf Shores (Ala.) four-star LB JaMichael Garrett checks in just outside the top 100.

In-state prospects are flocking to the Plains

Two additional top-100 recruits from Alabama are in Auburn’s 2025 class, too. Enterprise (Ala.) four-star safety Eric Winters is the No. 7 safety in the nation and was one of the first big dominoes to fall back in June. Opelika (Ala.) four-star defensive lineman Malik Autry is the No. 7 DL and has been in the mix since Feb. 2023.

It doesn’t stop there, either.

Highland Home (Ala.) four-star linebacker Jakaleb Faulk is a top-15 player at his position. Elba (Ala.) four-star running back Alvin Henderson flipped to Auburn in June after originally committing to Penn State in the spring and is a top-10 burner. Birmingham (Ala.) Parker four-star DL Jourdin Crawford was one of the first to join the class, doing so last October.

In total, 11 in-state commits are in Auburn’s 2025 class — nearly half of the 23 pledges in the mix for Freeze and his staff overall.