Six recruits Auburn football fans need to know ahead of the early signing period opening

AUBURN — With 19 players committed in the Class of 2024, Auburn football recruiting currently has the No. 11 class in the country heading into the early signing period.

It's a haul of talent that includes two five-star receivers in Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, plus a few notable four-star prospects such as edge defender Jamonta Waller, linebacker Demarcus Riddick and quarterback Walker White.

Auburn's four top recruits — Coleman (Texas A&M), Thompson (Alabama), Waller (Florida) and Riddick (Georgia) — are all flips who were previously committed to other programs, and the Tigers are looking to steal a few more prospects before it's all said and done.

With the early signing period opening Wednesday and closing Friday, here are six big names Auburn fans should be aware of:

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3-star OL Favour Edwin

The Tigers, despite enjoying some pretty big recruiting wins over the last few months, only have one incoming freshman along the offensive line in four-star recruit DeAndre Carter. They also have junior college prospect Seth Wilfred committed.

A potential addition to the O-line to monitor, however, is three-star recruit Favour Edwin, who released his finalists of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Florida on Nov. 2. Things have been relatively quiet regarding Edwin's recruitment, but it appears to be a battle between the Crimson Tide and Tigers.

Edwin, out of Eagles Landing Christian Academy in Georgia, is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 802 senior recruit in the 2024 cycle.

4-star OL Coen Echols

Tabbed as the No. 12 interior offensive lineman in the nation, four-star recruit Coen Echols decommitted from Texas A&M on Dec. 8 following the firing of former coach Jimbo Fisher. Echols, a native of Katy, Texas, had been pledged to the Aggies since June.

Echols was in Auburn for the Iron Bowl, but he also took an official visit to LSU this past weekend. The Bayou Bengals have five offensive linemen already committed in 2024, but the drive from Baton Rouge to Katy is much shorter than it is from the Plains.

4-star DL Amaris Williams

If his social media activity is any indication, Auburn fans should feel pretty good about four-star defensive lineman Amaris Williams.

Williams is currently committed to Florida, but he took a visit to Auburn two weekends ago and has been making pro-Tigers posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, since: "Naw WDE," he replied to an Alabama fan telling him to consider the Crimson Tide.

Rated as the No. 79 recruit nationally, Williams would join Waller as the second defensive player to switch his commitment from the Gators to the Tigers.

5-star DL LJ McCray

Another Florida commit who is being targeted by coach Hugh Freeze, five-star defensive lineman LJ McCray would become the third-best player in Auburn's class, trailing Coleman (.9981) and Thompson (.9851). His composite rating of .9838 makes him the best No. 35 player in the country.

McCray was recently on a visit to Auburn, and Waller was with him.

5-star S KJ Bolden

With Jaylin Simpson likely off to the NFL after accepting his Reese's Senior Bowl invite, the Tigers went out and landed a commitment in November from Laquan Robinson, the No. 1 juco safety in the country.

But they could make that position a real strength by convincing five-star recruit KJ Bolden to flip from Florida State. Only three former Auburn signees on the defensive side — Byron Cowart in 2015, Derrick Brown in 2016 and Tray Blackmon in 2013 — have higher composite ratings in the modern recruiting era.

5-star WR Ryan Williams

Five-star receiver and current Alabama commit Ryan Williams was in Neville Arena for Auburn basketball's win over USC on Sunday, and he was serenaded by the fans in attendance with a "We want Ryan!" chant.

Williams, out of Saraland High School, has been pledged to the Crimson Tide since October 2022. He was a top-five player in the Class of 2025 before he reclassified to the Class of 2024, where he ranks as the No. 12 player in the country.

The in-state receiver told Christian Clemente of 247Sports that he won't be signing anywhere until the February window opens, allowing him an opportunity to take his official visits. Regardless, he remains a name to watch.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football recruiting targets to watch ahead of Early Signing Day