Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is set to host a major recruit who could be a crucial part of the Tigers' rebuild. Despite Auburn's recent struggles, there's been some hope for the Tigers recently. Particularly off the field, as their 2026 recruiting class is currently ranked sixth. But adding defensive end Aiden Harris would elevate this elite class above the rest.

A 6-foot-4, 245 sophomore out of Matthews, North Carolina, the four-star recruit has gotten offers from elite programs such as Ohio State, Tennessee, Clemson, and Miami. The high school sophomore has confirmed interest in the Tigers as he is set to visit “The Plains” for Auburn's game against Vanderbilt, according to Rivals' National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman.

Hugh Freeze has struggled in his first two seasons

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze on the field against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium.
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Despite some flashes, the Tigers have gone 9-12 under Hugh Freeze. This is the same record Auburn football had before firing Bryan Harsin midseason. And, unfortuntely, Tigers are going to have to go on an impressive run to make a bowl game.

Two of their last four games come against playoff contenders in No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 14 Alabama. And the Tigers matchup this weekend is by no means a guaranteed win. Vanderbilt football has already shocked the world once this year.

Overall, it's been a trying year for Auburn football, which has featured a few sideline outbursts from Freeze. However, one of the most encouraging takeaways from this season is the defense has significantly improved.

Under new defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, the Tigers are now giving up 19.5 points per game as compared to 22.6 points per game last season. These improvements have come despite some serious injuries to Auburn's defense during the season.

Overall, now is absolutely not the time to give up on Freeze. He's had success everywhere he's been as a head coach. And currently has top six recruiting classes coming in over the next two years. Additionally, the Tigers have lost three out of their five games by one possession, with the two other losses coming by less than 20 points.

All it takes is one win over a good team for Hugh Freeze and company to get back to the elite status that they're used to being at. The Vanderbilt game could provide that opportunity. While Auburn is favored, going into last week, the Commodores were ranked No. 25. Vanderbilt currently sits at a very respectable 5-3.

Saturday could prove to be a very consequential game for the Auburn football program. Lose and another sub-.500 season is almost unavoidable. Win and the Tigers may not only continue to gain some much-needed momentum, but they also might get an elite recruit like Aiden Harris to sign with them.