Auburn football flips four-star athlete from Alabama

Auburn and Alabama have a heated rivalry on the field, but that also translates onto the recruiting trail.

And Hugh Freeze's staff just pulled off a big win on Monday afternoon when the Tigers were able to flip 2025 four-star Alabama commit Derick Smith from Selma, Ala.

After committing to the Crimson Tide on May 11, Smith decided to change his tune and roll with the Tigers following an official visit to Auburn and another visit to the plains this past weekend for Big Cat weekend.

“Auburn has been in the there, for real, for real,” Smith previously told On3 after his official visit with the Tigers. “I plan on coming back for Big Cat. I like the atmosphere makes you want to come to Auburn.”

That atmosphere clearly won Smith over and it's a massive win for the Tigers. Not only was Smith one of new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer's first commitments, but he's a big-time recruit. The 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 2 athlete in the 2025 class and the No. 51 recruit in the country.

Smith can play safety or wide receiver but he's also taken reps at linebacker and even quarterback. As a junior in high school, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Smith caught 46 passes for 1,487 yards and 14 touchdowns while also rushing 65 times for 1,036 yards and nine touchdowns. He also notched 74 tackles and 11 sacks as a defender.