In February of 2023, an Auburn target and then-junior walked through his high school as friends, teammates and even a teacher approached him about the Bryan Harsin rumors.

Twitter exploded and the controversy buzzed the 2024 prospect’s phone. Was he still interested in the Tigers, an in-state school he’d always considered growing up? An Auburn coach had been on campus the week prior and left a good impression, now the same player was getting flooded with false information. The ordeal played out across the state with multiple recruits and coaches considering the recruiting harm the previous regime had done to Auburn football.

When Hugh Freeze was hired in November, he hoped Nick Saban and Alabama would be “a little nervous” about his appointment. He’s repeated since it would take time to build up to the Tide’s standard. Wednesday’s news should help.

Chilton County linebacker Demarcus Riddick became the first five-star to pick Auburn since Owen Pappoe, who committed in 2019. Perhaps even more impressively for Freeze and his new staff, they flipped Riddick from one rival, Georgia, and kept him away from another in Saban and co.

Alabama has proven it can prioritize local recruiting when needed. Of the top 125 prospects from the Yellowhammer state in the last five years, according to 247Sports rankings, 32 have headed to Tuscaloosa. In that same grouping, 17 chose the Plains.

But now with Riddick and with Foley’s Perry Thompson, another UA commit with strong links to Auburn, there may be a “new day” for the Tigers and a readjustment for the Tide. Among the committed top 25 rising seniors, Auburn has six players to Alabama’s four: Thompson, Jaylen Mbakwe, Jeremiah Beaman and Sterling Dixon.

“It feels like home being there. I love the coaching staff, love the coaches,” Riddick said after his announcement. “ … See Bama, I love the school. I love the coaches there. I have a great, great relationship with the coaches. But It just didn’t feel like home there. I didn’t feel like that was going to be for me.

“Freeze is a good coach, he’s gonna be there. He’s a family guy. That’s one thing I like about him. Saban is too, but it’s just something different with Coach Freeze.”

Two coaches at premier high school programs told AL.com before Freeze’s arrival it’d take Auburn about three to five years — with a good coach — to get it right. Analysts had a different tone seven months later with one calling Riddick’s choice potentially the first domino.

“For Auburn to get Riddick’s commitment over Alabama, who usually grabs the top in-state talent year in and year out? It would be huge,” said Dexter Tolbert, a recruiting consultant and writer.

During Auburn’s strong finish last fall — a huge credit to Cadilliac Williams, himself a key in-state recruiter and legend —, Freeze made a statement with the flip of Keldric Faulk from Florida State and a flurry of transfer portal additions. Riddick is another massive piece. Just consider that in April, Riddick accompanied Saban to Denny Chimes for the A-Day captain ceremony and then rode back with the seven-time champ before the spring game.

“I think (Riddick) fits the description of an Auburn linebacker and a fit for the culture,” Tre Hall of Hall-Tech Sports said, “… A Sunday-type player.”

Freeze has made it a point to be seen early and often. Regardless if it’ll result in more talents like Riddick, that’s a decisive improvement from his predecessor and a potential change to the one-sided nature of the Iron Bowl recruiting rivalry.

When more than a hundred head coaches were in town for a convention during last winter’s Super 7s, played at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Freeze surprised staffers at a dinner at Baumhower’s Victory Grille. He made a strong impression, but Loachapoka assistant Travis Carswell nervously approached Freeze.

Carswell had a player, three-star JC Hart, who had committed prior to Freeze’s arrival and Carswell was unsure about his future with the Tigers under the new staff. Yet, when Carswell mentioned his role at Loachapoka, withholding Hart’s name at first, Freeze’s eyes lit up. He immediately asked how Hart was, Carswell recalled.

“I gotta get down (to Loachapoka),” Freeze told Carswell. Soon enough, he did.

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].