War Room Plus: Two in-state 5-stars will visit Auburn again before Signing Day
Five-star targets James Smith and Qua Russaw of Montgomery (Ala.) Carver do not plan to officially visit Auburn again — even though they are within the rules to take a second official with the Tigers since the program hired a new coach.
But … that is not cause for concern.
The reason: According to persons with inside knowledge of their recruitment, the touted duo (Smith is a defensive tackle and Russaw an edge) will unofficially visit Auburn sometime in the next two weeks. The date for that visit is not set in stone yet but we are told it’s absolutely happening.
Auburn Live has learned this plan was made clear to the Auburn staff — and new coach Hugh Freeze — in recent days.
“They’re going to go over there for a day, spend a day with Coach Freeze,” a source told Auburn Live. “I don’t know the date, but they’ll go over and spend time with him and all the coaches.”
They already have taken multiple official visits
The pair, who plan to attend the same college, have one remaining official visit and it will go to Alabama next weekend. They officially visited Auburn and Georgia in June, then Florida in October.
Those schools are the top contenders. Alabama is the favorite for both in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
Three Tigers assistants — secondary coach and Montgomery area recruiter Zac Etheridge, linebackers coach Christian Robinson and new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett — visited Carver on Friday morning and later attended the duo’s basketball game Friday night at Montgomery Jefferson Davis.
Additionally, those three coaches, plus Freeze and associate head coach Cadillac Williams stopped by by MadHouse Athletic Training in Montgomery on Friday. That’s where Smith and Russaw train.
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Why won’t the two recruits take another official to Auburn?
“They’re tired right now,” a source told us. “This was the plan. They have one more official. Auburn wanted its official to be in June.”
As of now, Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama and Russaw, the No. 2 recruit in the state, plan to announce their choice on National Signing Day, Dec. 21.
If they come to a decision before then, they likely will tell the schools not being picked ahead of that date so they can prepare to sign other players.
Through Auburn’s head coaching change, there has been one constant in the Tigers’ recruitment of Smith and Russaw.
“(Secondary coach) Zac Etheridge has absolutely done the best job,” a source told Auburn Live. “He has constantly stayed in communication with them, constantly recruited them and sold them on Auburn. He didn’t sell them on playing time or NIL. He told them, ‘Auburn is different. Come see for yourself.’
