The Auburn Tigers made the decision to fire head coach Hugh Freeze this weekend after 2.5 subpar seasons. He ends his tenure at Auburn with an underwhelming 15-19 overall record with an abysmal 6-16 mark in SEC play. Freeze is the latest name to join the coaching carousel, which is already reaching historic numbers this season. Freeze joins other big names to be fired during the season including LSU's Brian Kelly, Penn State's Jame Franklin, and Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy.
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As it stands, Auburn has the No. 38 ranked recruiting class in the country for 2026. The coaching change means it's likely that several Auburn commits decide to re-open their recruitments and begin to look elsewhere. LSU has the No. 11 ranked 2026 recruiting class, and already has connections with several big names committed to Auburn. Here are two names the Tigers should pursue from Auburn amid the firing of Hugh Freeze.
Bralan Womack, S
According to 247Sports, Bralan Womack is the No. 13 overall player and No. 1 safety in the 2026 class. He committed to Auburn earlier this summer on August 21, but has been in contact with several schools since then. Among those schools is LSU, and the Tigers hosted Womack in Baton Rouge for the Texas A&M game last weekend. LSU initially offered back on May 7, 2024. Womack is set to visit Texas A&M on November 15 for their matchup against South Carolina.
Hailing from Hatfield Academy in Flowood, MS, Womack excels at both safety and wide receiver, although he is projected to play safety when he hits the college ranks. He holds a 5' 11.5" 195-pound frame who has a great mix of size, athleticism, and football IQ. He totaled 29 tackles and eight interceptions on defense while bringing in 54 catches for 1,045 yards and 13 touchdowns as a receiver during his junior season. For his efforts, Womack earned Gatorade Mississippi Player of the Year honors.
Jase Mathews, WR
Jase Mathews is one of the most sought-after receivers in the 2026 class. He is ranked by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 1 WR in the class with an overall rating of 0.9425. The 4-star prospect committed to Auburn on August 8, but LSU was in the running until the very end. Mathews visited LSU this summer on June 20, and LSU was among his finalists.
A 6' 1.5" 193-pound wideout, Mathews has an elite skill set that would play well in Baton Rouge. According to 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins, Mathews has true WR1 potential given how he runs and jumps. Ivins states that Mathews can float through the air and make contested grabs thanks to his elite ball skills.
Mathews tore his ACL at the beginning of his senior season, but he still leaves his high school career with more than 2,000 receiving yards to his name. LSU has shown it can churn out top-tier WR talent, and getting Mathews in the mix would be a big get for the Tigers.