Why Auburn football, Hugh Freeze expected to add one player on National Signing Day

AUBURN — Auburn football and new coach Hugh Freeze are walking into National Signing Day on Wednesday with 32 newcomers already added to the roster.

It's the new normal in college football. The Tigers picked up 18 recruits out of high school during the early signing period in December, they've brought in 12 transfers since Freeze took over in November and have ushered in a couple of junior college additions as well. The class, for the most part, is already built.

This is nothing new. Last year, then-coach Bryan Harsin didn't add a single player in the February window. The early signing period has become the spectacle to watch for recruiting. In fact, of the top 100 rated prospects in the 247Sports Composite's rankings of the class of 2023, only four remain unsigned.

Freeze and the new staff have already done the work and, barring one expected addition, it should be a quiet National Signing Day on the Plains.

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Jeremiah Cobb expected to sign

Four-star running back Jeremiah Cobb out of Montgomery Catholic is the only expected player to sign with Auburn on Wednesday. He's been committed to the Tigers since July.

Cobb has rushed for over 2,000 yards for the last three seasons at Montgomery Catholic, according to MaxPreps, and the 247Sports Composite has him tabbed as the No. 166 overall player in the class of 2023 and the No. 9 running back. If he signs, he'd be added to a backfield that features expected starter Jarquez Hunter, South Florida transfer Brian Battie and returning sophomore Damari Alston.

What the class already looks like

Of the 18 players Auburn has already signed out of high school, nine are tagged as four-star recruits and the others are three-stars. Interior offensive linemen Connor Lew is the lone offensive four-star, while defensive backs Kayin Lee, Sylvester Smith, Terrance Love, Tyler Scott and Colton Hood and defensive linemen Keldric Faulk, Darron Reed and Wilky Denaud are the highest-ranked additions on the other side of the ball.

The class features eight players from Georgia: Hood, Lee, Lew, Love, Reed, Scott, defensive back JC Hart and defensive lineman Stephen Johnson.

Possible 2024 commitments

With a quiet day expected, Auburn may look to add a few commitments in the class of 2024 to maintain momentum. The Tigers had Junior Day on Saturday and dozens of recruits were in attendance, mostly from the class of 2024, but also from 2025, 2026 and 2027.

The recruits got to see Jordan-Hare Stadium, the new Woltosz Football Performance Center and some met with coaches. A'Mon Lane, a cornerback out of Moody High School in north Alabama, is currently the only player committed to the class of 2024. He announced his pledge when Harsin still had the job, but Freeze has decided to keep him on board. Lane said Saturday that he feels even more comfortable with the new staff than he did with the previous regime and that Auburn is "about to get the ball rolling pretty soon."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Hugh Freeze, Auburn football should add one player on Signing Day