Yahtzee! 4-star quarterback Walker White commits to Auburn over Clemson
Big recruiting wins no longer are a thing of the past for Auburn.
They’re now happening in the present.
Friday, the Tigers scored perhaps their most significant recruiting victory since Hugh Freeze became coach when 4-star quarterback Walker White of Little Rock Christian Academy (Ark.) chose Auburn over Clemson to the surprise of many.
White is Auburn’s No. 1 quarterback target in the 2024 class and arguably the program’s top target regardless of position. Listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, White is the No. 13 quarterback in the country for the On3 Consensus. He checks in as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Arkansas and is No. 165 nationally.
For a long time, many in the recruiting industry believed Ole Miss led. Then, after he visited Clemson last weekend most of the chatter leading up to White’s announcement Friday was about Dabo Swinney‘s program.
But White will be an Auburn Tiger — not a Clemson Tiger.
And, he recently told Auburn Live he will not visit other programs moving forward.
Freeze was hired by Auburn on Nov. 28. By early January, the Tigers had become a factor in White’s recruitment.
Auburn quickly got into the race with White
Freeze visited White’s school on the first day of the recruiting contact period in January and White visited the Tigers the following week on Jan. 16.
White gave that trip a “10” as he seemed to click with Freeze and offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery. With Freeze in particular, the bond goes beyond the football field. That’s because to White, faith is a big part of his life — and with his college choice.
“He just really expressed that he wasn’t going to hide that he was a Christ follower,” White said. “That’s something we share in common. It’s really special to me. I’d be around a like-minded head coach with the same values as me. That was very cool to hear. And to know he was very, very genuine.”
After that visit to Auburn, Freeze and his staff kept up its communication with White.
“I talk to (Freeze) pretty often,” White said Monday. “He stays in close contact, and (offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery) as well, along with Coach Jesse Stone. He’s an offensive analyst there who works with the QBs. They all stay pretty consistent.”
Why Auburn? Well, besides White’s relationship with Freeze, White pointed toward the emphasis Auburn has put on coaching the quarterback position. Besides Freeze, Montgomery and Stone, the Tigers also have quality control assistant Kent Austin on staff. He came to Auburn with Freeze from Liberty, where Austin was co-offfensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach.
“They have a lot of momentum going around Auburn right now,” White said. “And they have a really good offensive staff to develop a QB. That’s really attractive.”
White is 2024 commitment No. 3 for Auburn, joining 4-star defensive backs Jayden Lewis and A’Mon Lane.
