Auburn hosting several top recruits for California game

Auburn football hosts the California Golden Bears on Saturday in the return game of a home-and-home series which saw the Tigers win the first matchup 14-10 in 2023.

Auburn home games have become a hot commodity for recruits to attend throughout the season, and this Saturday’s game is proving to be no different as head coach Hugh Freeze is in the midst of many recruiting battles for both the classes of 2025 and 2026.

Two of the most notable recruits in attendance will be a Notre Dame quarterback commit Deuce Knight and

wide receiver commit Travis Smith.

According to the On3 industry rankings, both players are rated as four-stars in the 2025 class, but the Tigers are doing whatever they can to try and flip these talented prospects. That is especially true for Knight as this his second straight week on the Plains.

2026 EDGE Anthony Jones from St. Paul’s Episcopal (Ala.) will also be in attendance this weekend as the lone five-star of the group. He is ranked as the No. 7 player in his class while also being the No. 1 overall EDGE and player in the state of Alabama.

Amongst the other 2026 targets that will be there are four-stars in linebacker Anthony Davis, running back Carsyn Baker and quarterback Luke Fahey.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked at No. 5 in the nation with an average class score of 92.14. The 2026 class is also on the rise, being No. 3 in the country with an rating of 92.79.

The Tigers hope that a win can help rise their status amongst some of these athletes and possibly earn a commitment in the near future.

Auburn’s game against Cal is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CST in Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN2.

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