Auburn Daily

Auburn Kicks Off Big Cat Weekend with Top-5 Edge Rusher

The Auburn Tigers crank up Big Cat Weekend with a big commitment from an edge rusher ranked top-5 nationally.

Harrison Smajovits

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers picked up a commitment from Hezekiah Harris, who is right on the cusp of 5-stars.
Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers picked up a commitment from Hezekiah Harris, who is right on the cusp of 5-stars. / Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY
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Big Cat Weekend is off to a roaring start for the Auburn Tigers - no pun intended. Four-star edge from the 2026 recruiting class Hezekiah Harris has committed to Auburn. 

The Jemison High School edge is the No. 22 player in the country on 247 Sports and the third-best player at both his position and from Alabama. 

Harris reportedly chose Auburn over two fellow Tigers, Clemson and LSU, as well as Tennessee. 

Freeze spoke of a potential turnaround in recruiting heading into the weekend at SEC Media Days.

"I expect it to pick back up with Big Cat," Freeze said at SEC Media Days. "We're never out of the fight on the guys we want, I don't believe that. We're not going to win every battle, but we're on the right ones, and I do think, Big Cat, hopefully, we persuade a few more to come with us."

So far, it looks like he might be getting that pick up he was looking for. 

The weekend is only a couple of hours in and head coach Hugh Freeze gets himself another major defensive recruit and the first blue chip commit of 2026.

Auburn Football didn’t take long to hop on social media either to show it’s just the beginning for the craziness this weekend entails. 

Harris is the third commit of Auburn’s 2026 class. He joins Cass (Cartersville, Ga.) offensive lineman Kail Ellis and Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, Fla.) wide receiver Denarius Gray - both are three-star recruits - as the earliest members of this recruiting class. 

While it’s still extremely early, the edition of Harris bumped Auburn up into the top five for 2026 recruiting classes - they sit exactly at No. 5 on 247 Sports. 

The annual Big Cat Weekend is prime time for Auburn to land recruits. Notable recruits from the 2025 and 2026 classes will be in town during the next couple of days. Bolster the immediate recruiting class while still getting ahead on the following year. 

Auburn’s 2025 class is currently ranked 16th in the country on 247 Sports, but a good weekend could catapult them into the top 10 allowing Freeze to make a huge statement ahead of his second season with the Tigers. 

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Harrison Smajovits

HARRISON SMAJOVITS

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