Former Alabama commit, 4-star athlete Derick Smith, has announced his commitment to Auburn football. This follows a highly successful Big Cat Weekend for the Tigers, who also secured three new commitments for their 2026 recruiting class and continue to see additions for their 2025 class.
Smith, who had been committed to Alabama since early March, visited Auburn for Big Cat Weekend on Saturday and notably skipped Alabama’s cookout event the following day. This shift in his plans suggested a change was imminent, and the news of his commitment to Auburn was confirmed late Monday morning.
Hailing from Selma, Alabama, Smith is ranked as the #2 athlete in the 2025 recruiting class and the #3 prospect in his state. Originally committed to Alabama as a defensive back, Smith possesses versatility and could play on either side of the ball. Auburn’s wide receivers coach Marcus Davis and safeties coach Charles Kelly have both been involved in Smith’s recruitment, offering him the opportunity to play either position. However, Auburn hopes he will choose to play as a wide receiver.
Smith expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity to play under Auburn’s head coach Hugh Freeze, who has a reputation for developing NFL-caliber receivers. Smith said, “They really want me at wide receiver, which is fine with me. I love Coach Freeze and how he develops good receivers in the NFL. He said he can develop me to be the next.”
Smith’s flip to Auburn marks the second Alabama commit to switch to Auburn football this weekend. Earlier, 4-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman, who had also been committed to Alabama, ultimately chose Auburn after multiple changes in his recruitment.
With Smith’s addition, Auburn’s recruiting class of 2025 now consists of 20 commits and is currently ranked #7 nationally. Smith is listed as a wide receiver on Auburn’s roster and is the fourth highest-ranked commit for the Tigers.
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