The Auburn Tigers sit with a 3-5 record on the gridiron but they also have the nation’s No. 5 seed recruiting class according to 247 Sports, rivalryand On3.

It’s not a common combination. Programs like Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia and LSU also aren’t shy about contacting Auburn commits in an attempt to change their minds about their future destination.

Can the Tigers hang on to this elite recruiting class despite their struggles on the field? Here are four reasons to think they can.

1) Of Auburn’s 27 high school commitments, 11 come from within the Yellowhammer state. Many of these young men grew up watching the Auburn football program.

Additionally, Auburn has verbal commitments from seven prospects from Georgia, two from Florida and one each from Mississippi and Tennessee. Staying local with recruiting has advantages. Thus, there is more likely to be loyalty to Auburn in general despite the win-loss record being what it is.

2) Recruiting closer to home also means Auburn hosts more commits every time there is a recruiting event or home football game. The more these young men get to know Auburn and each other, the more likely they are to eventually sign with the Tigers.

Many SEC schools — like Alabama and Georgia — consistently forgo local recruiting spots and try to sign elite recruits in states like California and Texas. Even Auburn does this a little, but the Tide and Dawgs have really bought into this recruiting philosophy.

That’s fine as long as each season sees a team at or near the top of the polls. Let’s see how that works out for Bama if the Crimson Tide continues to move back toward the pack during SEC play. Auburn has nothing to worry about with its recruiting strategy.

3) It doesn’t hurt that Auburn only outrebounded Kentucky 24-10 to earn their first SEC win of the 2024 season, with the offense being a big reason. Ultimately, getting over the hump is a relief for Hugh Freeze and his team and is likely to help ease the concerns of offensive linemen and their family members.

For reference, Florida State’s recruiting class is hemorrhaging recruits. He just lost another commitment, a wide receiver CJ Wileya prospect who has visited Auburn multiple times. The Noles are 1-7 and don’t even have a wide receiver commitment in their class, though they have three in early October.

Recruits continue to take notice of FSU’s atrocious offense. It’s no coincidence that FSU is on a four-game losing streak and recruits are releasing. As for Auburn, Auburn will be far less likely to lose top prospects like running back Alvin Henderson or wide receiver Derick Smith because there are signs Auburn’s offense is coming alive.

4) Playing time matters. This is a veteran Auburn football team. Every offensive position group has a key senior starter and it’s much the same on the defensive side of the football. If a prospect comes in and earns it, he will see early playing time.

This would be why Freeze and his staff can sell playing time to recruits. Someone has to start, and competition is needed in the two-deep as well. Top prospects want to play early. Auburn certainly has that opportunity available.

Overall, Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class will be in crisis as other programs continue to recruit prospects for the Tigers. That being said, the four points above are good reasons to believe the Tigers will keep this class and finish in the top five of the national recruiting rankings.

The the early signing period begins on December 4th this year.