The volatile landscape of college football recruiting delivered a painful blow to Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers on Monday, June 23, 2025, as they suffered a double defeat on the commitment front to the Florida State Seminoles. This loss, particularly the flip of a highly-rated wide receiver and the commitment of a top tight end, amplifies the pressure on Freeze as Auburn looks to turn the corner in the 2025 season and beyond.
The most stinging of the two losses was the decommitment and subsequent flip of Devin Carter, a four-star wide receiver from Douglasville, Georgia. Carter, a Rivals250 prospect and a consensus Top247 recruit (ranked as the No. 15 wide receiver nationally by 247Sports), had been committed to Auburn since January of this year. His decision to re-commit to Florida State, the program he was originally pledged to in April 2023 before decommitting in January 2024, is a significant setback for Auburn’s offensive recruiting.
Carter’s connection to Florida State runs deep; he is the son of former FSU running back and NFL first-round pick Dexter Carter. This legacy connection, combined with a renewed push from FSU’s coaching staff, particularly new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and receivers coach Tim Harris Jr., proved to be the decisive factor. Carter reportedly visited Tallahassee three times this spring, culminating in an official visit on June 6-8, which apparently sealed the deal. He expressed his excitement about playing in Malzahn’s offense, noting that the “genius” coach has a plan to make him a productive receiver and put him in a position to be an early impact player. This kind of direct impact promise, combined with the family legacy, was ultimately too much for Auburn to overcome.
For Auburn, losing Carter is a tough pill to swallow. Wide receiver recruiting in the 2026 class is a priority, and Carter was viewed as a cornerstone piece. This flip, along with the earlier decommitment of in-state linebacker Shadarius Toodle (who flipped to Georgia on Sunday, June 22, 2025), represents a painful trend for Hugh Freeze’s program. These high-profile losses have reportedly caused Auburn’s 2026 class ranking to plummet, with 247Sports showing it down to No. 72 nationally with just five commitments. This slide adds “even more heat to the head coach, who is heading into the 2025 college football season on the hot seat,” according to one report.
Adding to Auburn’s woes on Monday was the commitment of four-star tight end Xavier Tiller to Florida State. Tiller, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound prospect from Fairburn, Georgia, chose the Seminoles over Auburn and Alabama, both of whom he took official visits to earlier in the month. Tiller was previously committed to Texas A&M before reopening his recruitment in February 2025, making him a highly sought-after uncommitted tight end.
Tiller’s commitment to FSU, particularly over Auburn, is another testament to Mike Norvell’s staff’s ability to win key recruiting battles. Like Carter, Tiller was reportedly swayed by FSU’s vision for his role in the offense under Gus Malzahn and tight ends coach Chris Thomsen. He expressed a desire to play early as a freshman and believed FSU could develop him to win the Mackey Award (given to the nation’s best tight end). Tiller’s decision, coming after what was widely perceived as a strong push from Auburn, further compounds the recruiting challenges facing Hugh Freeze.
These two recruiting losses are not isolated incidents; they are part of a concerning pattern for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers.
- Recruiting Momentum Concerns: While Auburn signed a promising 2025 class (ranked 8th nationally), the momentum has seemingly stalled for 2026. Losing two high-profile commits and targets in a single day, particularly to a non-SEC rival that is actively making inroads in SEC territory, raises questions about Auburn’s ability to close on elite prospects.
- The “Hot Seat” Narrative: Reports are indicating that Hugh Freeze’s seat is heating up, with the recent decommitments fueling a “new wave of worry” for his long-term tenure. After two straight losing seasons (5-7 in 2024, 6-7 in 2023), recruiting wins are crucial for building optimism and demonstrating progress. Losing key battles, especially to former commits, exacerbates the pressure.
- Offensive Skill Position Needs: Both wide receiver and tight end are critical positions for offensive success. Losing a talent like Carter, who offered speed and playmaking ability, and missing out on a versatile tight end like Tiller, who could have been a significant weapon, impacts Auburn’s ability to surround quarterback Demarcus Riddick (their projected 2025 sophomore QB) and future signal-callers with the necessary offensive firepower.
- SEC vs. ACC Dynamics: While FSU is a strong program, losing top talent from Georgia (a key recruiting ground for Auburn) to an ACC school rather than an SEC rival is a particularly tough pill to swallow. It signifies that FSU’s revamped coaching staff and offensive scheme are resonating deeply with recruits, potentially more so than Auburn’s message in these specific cases.
Conversely, these commitments represent a massive win for Mike Norvell and the Florida State Seminoles. FSU has been on a hot streak, recently landing four-star quarterback Jaden O’Neal on Sunday, June 22, 2025, and now adding two more blue-chip offensive talents in Carter and Tiller on the same day. This surge has significantly boosted FSU’s 2026 class rankings, with 247Sports now placing them at No. 12 nationally. The combination of Norvell’s stable leadership, a strong on-field product, and the impact of new offensive coaches like Gus Malzahn (who clearly has a strong rapport with these recruits) is paying major dividends.
For Auburn, the immediate future in recruiting will be critical. They will need to regroup quickly, demonstrate stability, and find ways to close on other top targets to rebuild their 2026 class. The pressure on Hugh Freeze to deliver on-field results in 2025, especially with these recruiting setbacks, will be immense. The losses of Devin Carter and Xavier Tiller to Florida State serve as a stark reminder of the intense competition in college football recruiting and the unforgiving nature of the high-stakes coaching landscape.
