4-star in-state cornerback Jayden Lewis commits to Auburn
Auburn has added a commitment from in-state four-star defensive back Jayden Lewis.
Lewis, who is from Anniston, announced his decision on Wednesday. He is the first commitment under new coach Hugh Freeze and second overall in the 2024 class, joining four-star defensive back A’Mon Lane.
Lewis chose Auburn over his other top schools: Arkansas, Florida State, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee.
“Auburn has everything I need,” Lewis said. “Every time I go it feels like home.”
Lewis informed Auburn, Freeze on Saturday
Lewis spent Saturday in Auburn for the Tigers’ big Junior Day. It was then that he realized he wanted to commit. He informed Freeze and defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge of his decision.
It’s a moment Lewis won’t soon forget.
“It went exactly like I pictured it in my head,” he said. “Coach Freeze told me about the No. 1 class at Ole Miss that he had and said that the first two classes when (a coach) comes to a new school are the most critical and most important classes. Coach Freeze told me that he didn’t expect a commitment (Saturday at Junior Day). He didn’t wake up thinking he would get a commitment, but that he would love to have one.
“So, I told him that he did. I told him I wanted to commit.”
Freeze’s reaction?
“He jumped up out the seat and ran out the room, came back in and got Coach Etheridge,” Lewis said. “It was wild. Coach Crime (Wesley McGriff) was in there, too. I felt even more loved and more wanted there after seeing their reactions.”
Zac Etheridge ‘biggest reason’ he chose Auburn
Why Auburn? It starts with Etheridge, who came to Auburn under Bryan Harsin and was retained by Freeze.
“He played the biggest role in me choosing Auburn,” Lewis said. “Our relationship now is more than football. He keeps in contact with me either every day or every other day. We talk and touch base on a lot of stuff. He’s always checking on me. He’s real genuine.
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“Coach Etheridge has been the one keeping in contact with me now going on three years. That really meant a lot to me. He’s a big reason of which I picked Auburn.”
Lewis now will turn his attention to get others to join him in Auburn’s class, and not just in the 2024 class.
“I’ll start recruiting for Auburn,” Lewis said. “The No. 1 guy for me is (2025 DB) Anquon Fagans from Thompson. We’re from the same city and grew up together. We played little league basketball, football and baseball together.
“That’s who I want. That guy right there. Like Coach Freeze said, these first two classes are critical. You get me committed in this ’24 class and a couple more big guys and then come in with (Fagans), the No. 1 safety in 2025 … it would be crazy.”
Lewis, who could project at cornerback, safety or nickel at Auburn, is ranked the No. 20 cornerback in the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally-weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks the No. 220 overall recruit in the country and No. 15 in Alabama.
