Auburn social media expertly trolls Florida after NSD flip of 4-star DL commit Amaris Williams
It’s always a good day when you can flip a recruit from an in-conference foe, and Auburn did just that to Florida on National Signing Day. The Tigers managed to get four-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams make a last-second change of heart after originally pledging his commitment to the Gators.
Auburn football’s Twitter account had some fun with the news, making a Holiday pun in the process. The Tigers tweeted “Merry Flipmas” along with a gift box emoji in celebration of their big victory.
Williams is the No. 83 overall prospect and No. 12 DL in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 2 player in North Carolina.
He has an On3 NIL Valuation of $119K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
Williams explained to AuburnLive‘s Jeffrey Lee that culture was a big reason why he chose to make the change to the Tigers.
“I’m really big on culture and how good people are to me,” he said. “That’s really one of the reasons why I committed to UF, but seeing all the changes they’ve had is really a downfall for me. Knowing that Auburn has really good people and knowing that they have a sustainable staff when it comes to the next 3-5 years is really good for me.
“It’s nice to know I could come (to Auburn) and be around a lot of good people and also have coaches that are going to be here for a long time.”
Hugh Freeze explains how National Signing Day will impact transfer portal approach
Auburn has been quiet in the transfer portal as signing day approaches. On Sunday, head coach Hugh Freeze revealed why the Tigers haven’t pounced on many portal targets this month.
“If I knew what was going to happen [on signing day]…” Freeze said. “That’s that’s been one of my issues too when I say that I don’t think I’ve been very good at some of this portal deal is because I’m really committed to trying to sign the best high school class we can.
“It’s really hard for me to juggle the numbers in my mind of managing the 85. If you’re really committed to that, you kind of got to see a few things through and then I guess if we don’t get everything we need, which you typically don’t, then you’re hoping that weekend in January provides you a few of those possibilities to fill the gaps in the portal.”
Freeze has done an excellent job of committing to his high school class. Auburn currently has the No. 11 class in the 2024 recruiting cycle, according to On3 Industry Rankings.