Breaking news; Hugh Freeze Set to part ways with Auburn tigers over $5000 million deal…

Hugh Freeze..

Per Athlon Sports, five-star receiver Tristan Keys has announced Auburn as one of his finalists and that would be a gigantic pull for the Tigers should they pull it off. He has had two unofficial visits to the program, but the sixth-best recruit and second-best receiver would make the offense dangerous alongside the already committed Carter and Gray.

 

It won’t be easy for Freeze to convince Keys to sign with juggernauts LSU, Alabama, Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M also being among his finalists.

 

 

Hugh Freeze is on the hot seat as Auburn Tigers coach, but the 2026 recruiting class could turn fortunes around. As we look at the Auburn Tigers recruiting, could the upcoming high school class provide the spark Freeze needs?

 

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Does Auburn’s 2026 Class Signal an Impending Turnaround?

Across two seasons as Auburn Tigers head coach, Huge Freeze is currently under a lot of pressure having amassed a 11-14 record. A 5-7 2024 season saw his team sit in a dismal 14th spot in the SEC, leading to Freeze needing to turn things around in 2025, but their 2026 recruiting class may be a catalyst for the school to kick on.

 

Per On3’s Industry Rankings, Auburn have the fourth best recruiting class for 2026, consisting of five four-star recruits and a single three-star recruit so far. Their 2025 class was ranked eighth with a five-star recruit, 15 four-stars and 10 three-stars, signaling a potential shift. Can he build on that in 2026?

A number of the stars from the 2025 class had visits to Auburn, with quarterback Deuce Knight (No. 9 in our 2025 QB recruiting rankings) being the 5-star recruit to commit, followed by 4-stars Jared Smith and Blake Woodby.

 

Hezekiah Harris headlines the 2026 recruiting class for the Tigers so far, as the 6’5″ edge rusher from Hunstville, AL is ranked in the top eight of his position in the class. Wide receivers Devin Carter and Denairius Gray are 6′-plus targets for the offense.

A pair of linebackers in Shadarius Toodle and JaMichael Garrett are both ranked top 10 at the position and whether it is Freeze or another head coach in charge when they arrive, the Tigers will hope they can form a formidable tandem for the defense.