Jared Smith is officially off the team.
Smith is ranked as the No. 4 defensive end in the Rivals250 for the 2025 recruiting cycle. Auburn On Saturday, the Alabama Tigers beat out Georgia, South Carolina and Ole Miss to acquire the four-star defensive end from Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama.
After returning to the Plains for Big Cat Weekend last Saturday, Hugh Freeze And the Tigers were most impressed with their coveted edge rusher.
“It went really well,” Smith said. rival He reflected on his time at Auburn this past weekend, saying, “I had a great time talking to all the coaches and some of the players. I talked to the players and saw what it’s like at Auburn. The players said Coach Freeze hasn’t changed, not only as a coach, but in recruiting. He hasn’t changed. That’s what I like about him.”
Smith’s return to the Plains was filled with sit-down conversations with Freeze and the EDGE coaches. Josh Aldridgeand also interacted with current members of the Tigers football team.
Smith can understand why the Tigers are doing so well, with some of Alabama’s best blue-chip players.
“It was awesome,” he said of his conversation with Freeze, “and hearing him say I was his number one priority and that he was going to bring in all the players from Alabama and fill Auburn with Alabama kids. What drives everybody to Auburn is the culture, the culture of the place. Why not choose Auburn, stay in-state and play in front of the hometown crowd?”
“Why not?” Smith declared. “I’d fit right in there.”
Part of Auburn’s rise can be attributed to Aldridge’s role in recruiting Smith.
The Tigers EDGE coach has developed a strong bond with Smith, and Smith is excited to be groomed by Aldridge for the future.
“To him, it’s bigger than football,” Smith said of Aldridge. “He cares about the players, he cares about the players mentally, he cares about how they’re doing off the field. To him, it’s bigger than the ball, and he’s a great coach on the phone.”
