Auburn football has the nation’s No. 5 recruiting class heading into the final stages before the early signing period. However, a fellow SEC program is looking to stall the Tigers’ success by flipping two of their top commits.
EDGE Jared Smith and QB Deuce Knight rank No. 1 and No. 3 in Auburn’s 2025 recruiting rankings according to 247Sports, and Ole Miss‘ Lane Kiffin wants to change that. In recent weeks, he and his staff have worked to flip Smith and Knight from Auburn ahead of the early signing period, which begins Wednesday, Dec. 4.
Ole Miss’ efforts are beginning to pick up steam as two 247Sports insiders have submitted flip predictions in favor of the Rebels. Ole Miss insider David Johnson predicts that Smith will join Ole Miss’ signing class, while Mississippi State expert Rion Young has a crystal ball set for Ole Miss in favor of landing Knight.
Ole Miss and South Carolina are seen as Auburn’s biggest competitors for Smith’s signature. During a recent visit to Auburn, Smith told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente that he is looking for a “home atmosphere” in a college and says he is not worried about Auburn’s 4-6 record.
“Man, don’t even worry about the record. I’m not worried about the record,” Smith said in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover. “You see the defense eating out there. I see how I can come in and compete. Just seeing dudes that came from this locker room (Kaleb Harris) themselves play, it’s a big impact.”
Recent flips by quarterbacks Julian Lewis (USC to Colorado) and Bryce Underwood (LSU to Michigan) have brought more attention to Knight, who is also seen as a flip candidate. Auburn flipped Knight from Notre Dame on Oct. 2, but his recruitment is far from over. David Johnson of 247Sports says that Ole Miss will become more attractive to Knight if its NIL market wins the battle with the Tigers.
Ole Miss sits at No. 16 in 247Sports’ 2025 recruiting rankings and will look to creep into the top 10 before December’s signing day. Will Hugh Freeze hold on to his top commits? Or will Lane Kiffin have the last laugh?
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: A pair of Auburn commits forecasted to flip to Ole Miss
