ESPN examines Auburn's need for a quarterback in 2026 recruiting cycle
ESPN examines Auburn's need for a quarterback in 2026 recruiting cycle Will Auburn still actively pursue a 2026 quarterback after missing on Travis Burgess?
Auburn missed out on three-star quarterback Travis Burgess on Wednesday as he announced his commitment to North Carolina over the Tigers. Where does Hugh Freeze and his staff turn now?
Auburn has one of the top quarterback rooms in the SEC with Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels, and true freshman Deuce Knight. Still, it does not hurt to plan for the future.
ESPN recently identified Auburn as one of the five programs actively recruiting quarterbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle. The list, pieced together by Eli Lederman, points out that Knight is likely the future at the position, but identifies two quarterbacks currently at the top of Auburn's hot board.
(Deuce) Knight, No. 40 in the 2025 ESPN 300, is viewed as a future starter at Auburn. But his arrival has not kept the program from pursuing quarterbacks in the 2026 class. The Tigers hosted (Jaden) O'Neal, the Oklahoma pledge, for a visit earlier this spring and stand among the challengers to Ole Miss in the chase for (Landon) Duckworth, who will take his official to Auburn on May 30.
O'Neal pledged to Oklahoma nearly a year ago, but Auburn has remained active in their pursuit of him. The Tigers hosted O'Neal for a visit in April, where he praised the quarterback room and said he could see himself competing for the starting role on the Plains. O'Neal said in April that he planned to return for an official visit, but such a visit has yet to be scheduled at the time of this post.
Jackson, Alabama, native Landon Duckworth is also a hot target. Duckworth visited Auburn last weekend and was recently invited to compete in the Elite 11 this summer. Auburn is the lone in-state program in the mix for Duckworth, but it is believed that Ole Miss and South Carolina are the two leaders heading into the summer.
Although a quiet recruitment, Auburn is a top school for three-star quarterback Jackson Taylor of Thousand Oaks, California. On3's Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Auburn a 43.5% chance to land Taylor, who visited campus as recently as April 6.
The quarterback position may not be the highest priority for Auburn this cycle, but Auburn fans can expect Hugh Freeze, Kent Austin, and the rest of the staff to continue recruiting the position as they continue to build Auburn into a College Football Playoff contender.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
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