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Auburn Dealt Unfortunate Recruiting News on Sunday
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- Auburn Dealt Unfortunate Recruiting News on Sunday
Auburn Dealt Unfortunate Recruiting News on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports .
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze has been a consistent recruiter since taking the job in 2023.
Freeze has had top-10 classes for the 2024 and 2025 cycles, according to On3 Sports, but a significant change occurred on Sunday.
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On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that longtime Auburn commit Shadarius Toodle flipped to the Georgia Bulldogs. The 2026 linebacker had been committed to the Tigers since July of 2024.
Auburn could not keep the prospect inside his home state of Alabama. Toodle is a native of Mobile, Alabama, out of Cottage Hill Christian Academy.
Toodle took an official visit to Georgia on May 16.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze speaks with Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Toodle is a four-star prospect and the No. 12 linebacker in the On3 Industry Rankings.
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Auburn was Toodle's most recent official visit, with the Tigers hosting the linebacker on June 13. However, it looks like Freeze and company could not do enough to keep Toodle from flipping to the Bulldogs.
Before Sunday, Auburn's 2026 recruiting class was ranked No. 8 overall on On3 Sports. The Tigers' class now sits at No. 43 overall in the team rankings.
The class is highlighted by four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris , four-star receiver Devin Carter , four-star receiver Denairius Gray and four-star inside offensive lineman Parker Pritchett .
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The Tigers are now without a linebacker commit from the 2026 class, as JaMichael Garrett reopened his recruitment.
This is not the first time Auburn fans have been warned that something like this may happen. On3's Steve Wiltfong predicted Toodle's flip back in May following the visit with Georgia.
Luckily for Auburn, the Tigers are still in the running for top talent from the class. Auburn was named a finalist for five-star safety Jireh Edwards .
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Auburn opens the 2025 season against the Baylor Bears on August 30.
Related: Auburn Named Finalist for No. 3 Recruit in Mississippi
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
