Auburn rises to No. 16 in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

Hugh Freeze landed his biggest win of his first full cycle at Auburn Wednesday when Clanton (Ala.) Chilton County School five-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick flipped his commitment from Georgia to the Tigers.

Now the highest-ranked commitment in Auburn’s class, Riddick’s pledge boosted the Tigers to the No. 16 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The class, which also ranks No. 7 in the SEC, rose four spots from No. 20.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder is the No. 31 overall prospect and No. 3 linebacker 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. 4 player in Alabama.

“Alabama is an amazing school, but Auburn is where I feel I need to be at,” Riddick told On3. It’s a big family there and the feeling when I am at Auburn is great. There’s something different about Auburn for me. I have that feeling there.

…I could have stayed with Georgia, I could have chosen Alabama, but Auburn is where I felt most at home. That was the most important thing for me.”

Prior to the flip, Riddick had been committed to Georgia since last November. Alabama and Auburn became more involved in his recruitment after that and his final decision came down to those three.

“It’s been tough. It’s been really tough. . . I thought I had this settled down when I committed to Georgia,” Riddick told On3‘s Chad Simmons. “But I really didn’t because my feelings have changed a little.”

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Riddick gives Auburn it’s highest-ranked pledge under Freeze

Hugh Freeze has steadily been Auburn’s 2024 class but the pledge from Riddick could really kickstart things in the right direction for the Tigers. Riddick is only their 12th pledge so far this cycle and the highest-ranked commit Auburn’s landed since Owen Pappoe in 2019.

Riddick is also the second in-state linebacker to commit to the Tigers this cycle. Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T Washington’s Joseph Phillips committed to Auburn on June 15 and ranks as the No. 119 player in the 2024 class. On3 ranks him as the No. 83 player in the 2024 On300 and the No. 5 linebacker.

Auburn also has a pair of pledges from two more top-100 prospects in Little Rock (Ark.) Little Rock Christian Academy quarterback Walker White and Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview cornerback Jalyn Crawford.