Hugh Freeze and Auburn worked at a “wild,” breakneck pace in December. The 2023 recruiting class needed work and it didn’t take long for a point of emphasis to emerge: the secondary. The new staff, with some returning faces like Zac Etheridge and Wesley McGriff, flipped a few blue-chip prospects and quickly reconnected with others to sell a program banking on a turnaround. One such player was in-state four-star Sylvester Smith.

A safety from Munford High, Smith was previously committed to Tennessee before Freeze and co. were “fast” in mid-December in swaying him. A late visit was crucial to Smith’s commitment, along with a prior relationship with McGriff, who had recruited he was on staff at Florida.

At 5-foot-11, 195-pounds, Smith’s versatility should stand out among the seven high school signees Auburn added in the 2023 class. Michael Easley, his high school coach, said Smith should be able to play at any position within the secondary.

“You gotta be under control to make the plays. As crazy as it sounds, at (Auburn) he’ll have to slow down a little bit as far as that closing 10 yards or so. … He’ll be a guy who can play some single-high safety for them, can play some two-shell stuff. He’ll get down there and cover tight ends and running backs,” Easley said after Smith’s commitment on Dec. 18.

He was a four-year defensive starter at a mid-size program, earning offensive snaps at each skill position. Smith was only hampered by a high-ankle sprain his junior season, but even then he returned as a quarterback that ran for 24 touchdowns and threw for seven more as a senior. Smith’s natural position is safety, using his speed to crash down on the ball, but has the athleticism to work on the outside.

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At the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, his team losing a few cornerbacks to injury, Smith played the entire first half at boundary corner. It didn’t surprise Easley, who’s seen Smith’s work ethic grow through his development. Easley can track when Munford’s players watched film through a team portal and Smith would usually lead the group. By Tuesday practices, he would be calling out plays before the ball is snapped.

“All of this happened really fast with Sylvester,” Easley said. “I think any university in any state should look at their in-state talent. Give them a long look.”

With its two starting cornerbacks returning and a set of more veteran players already on the depth chart, Smith’s adaptability could lead to him seeing the field while Auburn works to “flip the script” in the Freeze era.

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