We have seen the ‘no commitment is final’ narrative dominating the 2025 class. The biggest flip came when Bryce Underwood swapped wagons from the LSU Tigers to the Michigan. Looks like the 2026 class is also saying, ‘why not us?’ This time, Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers got to feel the snub.
Already, Freeze and co. were having a tough June when it comes to their recruiting trail momentum. The Tigers have lost the race to land linebacker Shadarius Toodle, who boarded the Georgia Bulldogs wagon, and receiver Devin Carter chose Florida State Seminoles. Not just this, Freeze even failed to woo 2026 tight end Xavier Tiller, whom Florida State took from Auburn. And with July stepping in, came another loss for Auburn. Thanks to Mark Stoops’ Kentucky Wildcats for closing the 4-Star WR Denairius Gray race.
On July 1, Hayes Fawcett confirmed through an IG post, “BREAKING: Four-Star WR Denairius Gray has Flipped his Commitment from Auburn to Kentucky, he tells me for rivals.” It turns out that Gray had already given his word to Freeze and had been verbally committed to Auburn since January 2024. It was on June 6 this year that Stoops hosted the linebacker in Lexington for an official visit.
Hailing from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Boynton Beach, Florida, Gray is the No. 51 receiver in the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2026 class. The 6-foot-1, 170-pound playmaker is ranked as one of the top wide receivers in the 2026 class and chose Kentucky as his next home. Stay tuned for more updates!
The post Hugh Freeze’s Recruiting Struggles Take Surprising Turn as SEC Rival Flips Major Auburn Commit appeared first on EssentiallySports.
