The Auburn Tigers start spring practice this week. They’re coming off a 5-7 season and will look to earn a bid into a bowl next season. The Tigers have plenty of optimism headed into spring practice.
They have acquired several transfers, including quarterback Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma and wide receivers Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech and Horatio Fields from Wake Forest. However, their main recruiting class was also very impressive.
The Tigers signed Deuce Knight and Jared Smith, five-stars who have been highlighted several times since they have signed.
However, there are some names that have arguably been overlooked so far. Here are three more additions from over the offseason who could make a huge impact this upcoming spring.
Blake Woodby was the No. 181 player in the 2025 recruiting class, per 247Sports. The cornerback was previously committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes. However, he decommitted and committed with the Tigers several months later. The corner saw plenty of offers, but the top ones came from Auburn, Cincinnati and in-state Maryland. All three schools had official visits scheduled.
Woodby is also a two-sport athlete. He also competes in track and field. As a junior in high school, he posted times of 10.74 (-0.5), 10.82 (0.3) and 11.21 (-1.9) in the 100-meter dash. Also had a 20-7 effort in the long jump, per 247Sports. That speed will help him track down the ball as a corner.
The running back situation at Auburn is getting quite interesting. Senior Damari Alston is expected to be the starter. However, Henderson and sophomore Durell Robinson could easily fight for carries. Robinson transferred from UConn and had 731 yards in his freshman season with the Huskies.
Alvin Henderson, on the other hand, broke an Alabama state record for rushing yards with 10,923 yards in high school. He is the first 10,000-yard rusher in Alabama state history. On top of that, he rushed for 202 touchdowns during his high school career. With him joining the running back room this upcoming season, the Tigers could have a four-year starter if head coach Hugh Freeze is impressed enough with his spring practices.
Malik Autry was a dominant force at Opelika during his time in high school. Autry was also a five-star defender. He made 152 career tackles, 26 tackles for loss and 19 sacks in his time as a d-lineman. He was the No. 5 recruit in his position nationally and a top 10 recruit nationally according to Rivals, ESPN and On3.
It is quite reasonable to expect to see him fight for playing time as the only returning player from a season ago is Keldric Faulk. If the Tigers are able to get a mix of Jared Smith, Jourdin Crawford and Malik Autry all on the line, the Tigers should be in pretty good shape after the spring practice season.
These players will be some of the many new athletes that should impress at the beginning of spring practice. It will be interesting to see how they perform on A-Day come April 12.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!