Can Auburn Keep 2 Key Commitments from Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss?

Two big-time Auburn Tigers commitments are considering what Lane Kiffin is selling at Ole Miss

Deuce Knight / Brian Smith, On SI

Auburn football enters today’s matchup with Texas A&M with a 4-6 record. The Tigers need a win to keep their bowl eligibility hopes alive and help keep two of their prospects from signing with Ole Miss.

The Tigers already lost cornerback Dante Core to the Rebels. They are one of college football’s hottest teams, as Kiffin’s squad has the attention of the College Football Playoff Committee and prospects across Dixie. Playing Texas A&M today, it’s a chance for Auburn to seize some momentum of their own.

One of the keys to Auburn pulling off the upset will be keeping the crowd engaged from the outset through the fourth quarter. Jordan-Hare Stadium is a daunting road environment. The Tiger faithful often make a difference.

If Auburn’s offense creates big plays, especially during the early portion of the contest, look for the Tigers to be in this game throughout as the crowd will go nuts.

Perhaps the raucous environment will also help more than keeping the current Auburn players juiced up and ready to battle. If Auburn knocks off 15th-ranked Texas A&M, that would be a great selling point for Hugh Freeze and his staff with several 2025 commitments still mulling offers from Ole Miss.

Keeping the following two prospects in the recruiting fold could be helped by a Tigers win over the Aggies. 

Jared Smith, Defensive End, Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson

A key member of Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class, Smith is a big-time prospect. 247 Sports has him as the No. 2 defensive end and No. 25 prospect regardless of position nationally. He has offers from across the country but the Rebels have his ear. Inside The Rebels writer David Johnson predicts that Smith will flip from Auburn to Ole Miss. Here’s a quote from Johnson.

“Sources tell Inside the Rebels that Smith is acutely aware of the success other defensive linemen at Ole Miss are having this season and that has become extremely attractive to him,” wrote Johnson.

Ole Miss’s defensive line is tremendous. So is the pass rush overall, which leads the nation with 46 sacks. That is obviously a selling point for Ole Miss with Smith. There is the point of program stability, in Johnson’s opinion, to also consider why Smith will sign with the Rebels.

“Yes, Smith is from the state of Alabama and there is always that urge to "stay home" and play for your state. But the Auburn program is in a state of disarray, while Ole Miss appears to be on sound footing with Lane Kiffin as its head coach.”

Of course Kiffin is also arguably the top name on every athletic director's call sheet at historically bigger programs than Ole Miss, including the likes of the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles.

It would be great if Smith watches Auburn’s crowd come alive and the defensive front dismantle an Aggies front that’s already allowed 16 sacks. Bottom line, Auburn needs Smith in its recruiting class.

Deuce Knight, Quarterback, Lucedale (Miss.) George County

Knight the No. 2 quarterback in the country by both ESPN and Rivals. It’s important to note, He fits Auburn’s offensive philosophy well as Knight is an explosive run-pass threat.

While Knight usually attends Auburn home games, a visit to Ole Miss for its win over Georgia shows that he is not fully committed to the Tigers. In this age of recruiting, it’s par for the course but that doesn’t mean it’s something to shrug off. Could Ole Miss’s on-field success be drawing Knight’s interest?

Ole Miss is already the Playoff Committee’s 9th-ranked team. The Rebels offense produces 40.7 points per game and quarterback Jaxson Dart throws for 340.9 yards per contest. That’s attractive to Knight or just about any objective young quarterback recruit.

It’s time Auburn’s offense played more consistently, and doing so against the Aggies would help solidify Knight’s pledge to the Tigers. It also wouldn't hurt to see the Rebels struggle in the Swamp today against an improved Florida Gators defense.

Against A&M, Auburn’s offense plays a defense with several potential NFL players. That’s especially true along the defensive front with defensive end Nic Scourton leading the way. He has 31 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks.

If Payton Thorne handles the pressure of the Aggies' front and delivers strikes to players like Cam Coleman, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and Malcolm Simmons, that will give the Tigers a chance to upset the Aggies. It should also pique the interest of Knight and perhaps persuade him to sign with Auburn on Dec. 4, National Signing Day. 

Kiffin is coming after two of Auburn’s top recruits. Today is a chance for Auburn to keep Smith and Knight in the recruiting fold by beating Texas A&M.