Auburn is within striking distance of catching their breath GREG LOVETT/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK

Auburn Football A Finalist for Four-Star LB Prospect

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI | By Brooks Crew | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 9:02 PM ET

Auburn football’s recruiting is in dire need of some good news. Sure, head coach Hugh Freeze has shown a clear affinity for the transfer portal, but fans want to see that incoming freshmen talent believes in his program.

Four-star linebacker Adam Balogoun-Ali may be Freeze’s answer.

Freeze lost a pair of linebacker commits in June, so Balogoun-Ali could mark the beginning of a significant recuperation on the recruiting trail– especially now, since the blue-chip linebacker announced Thursday that he’d be committing on July 8.

If Freeze wants to turn the tide of his recruiting with Balogoun-Ali, though, he’ll have to beat the other two schools first.

Balogoun-Ali, a 6-foot-2, 205-pounder who’s rated as the 20th-best linebacker in the country by 247Sports, has shown significant interest in Missouri and Kentucky along with Auburn.

Kentucky’s inclusion on this list is more than a little frightening for some Auburn fans, especially after the Wildcats flipped Denairius Gray from Auburn on July 1.

Balogoun-Ali has no crystal ball predictions. However, On3 likes Auburn’s chances at landing the four-star prospect with a 90.3% chance.

He also a glowing review from Andrew Ivins, 247Sports’ Director of Scouting, who likes his athleticism and his ability to disrupt the passing game.

“[He] explodes through contact and has had plenty of success shooting gaps and getting home on the blitz,” he said. “[He’s] athletic enough to handle drop coverage responsibilities and appears to have sound spatial awareness, which helps take away passing windows. Already pretty developed physically in the upper half and has flashed high-grade downhill burst… has what it takes to settle in as a multi-year starter at the Power Four level if he keeps progressing.”

Auburn only has two defensive commits in their shrinking recruiting class. Last year, defensive talent was the backbone of the recruiting class, with 11 four-star recruits choosing to head to the Plains.