“They are a great program. Bama is Bama. They win, they put guts in the league.” Anthony Davis’s first impression of the Alabama Crimson Tide, after his OV last month, said a lot about Kalen DeBoer’s program’s chances of landing the 4-star linebacker. “They have a great defense,” Davis added. “They run a great scheme. The linebackers are great. Linebackers play very fast, and my style.” Yes, Davis had great words for the Crimson Tide and about how things run in Alabama, but he still did not commit to DeBoer’s program.

Come July second week, the Grayson High School star is still not committed to the Bama program or anywhere else, but has narrowed down his landing spots to four teams, including Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Michigan. As per Chad Simmons of On3, despite being shortlisted by Davis, Michigan and Ole Miss are potentially out of the race because the Crimson Tide and Tigers have been involved with Davis’ recruitment for longer than anyone else.

Talking to Simmons of On3’s Rivals, the ESPN 300 LB revealed that he will announce his decision on August 2 and will commit to either of the four teams he has finalized. “My final four schools are Alabama, Auburn, Michigan and Ole Miss, and I will commit to one of those on Aug. 2,” Davis said.

Now, this is where Davis’ recruitment becomes interesting. The Tigers’ HC, Hugh Freeze, was chasing two 5-star recruits, Cederian Morgan and Jireh Edwards, and was the favorite to recruit them. But at the last moment, DeBoer was able to snatch them on consecutive days and hand Freeze a defeat off the field.

Davis’ recruitment is more or less in the same situation, and this time, Auburn HC, who is still nursing that wound, will not leave any stone unturned to bring the young recruit home.

If we take a look at On3’s list of the 2026 class, we can find a huge difference between the two. While DeBoer’s Alabama stands strong at No.5 position with 19 recruits locked in, Freeze’s squad has been pushed further down to No.71 with only 9 recruits locked in. According to the 247Sports Composite recruiting rankings, Davis is currently considered the nation’s No. 319 overall prospect in the 2026 class. Plus, the Grayson High School product is ranked as the No. 22 overall linebacker in the class.

Well, we have seen how DeBoer’s Alabama has seen success when it comes to recruits hailing from Georgia, as far as the 2026 class is concerned. Five recruits from the state, including Jorden Edmonds, Jamarion Matthews, and Chris Booker, have shown their confidence in boarding DeBoer’s wagon. And despite the huge threat from Auburn, DeBoer still has the upper hand after how he made Davis feel home during his OV last month.

Hugh Freeze and Auburn’s fate of flipping the luck rests on Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis comes off as a great package. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he flows to the football with good closing speed and the ability to make effective tackles in open space. When it comes to dropping back in coverage, the linebacker target looks effortless. Well, his stats say it all. Davis has racked up 105 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and three sacks. While he finds his next stop and steps into college, Davis is very particular about finding out how he fits into a particular defense. And that’s when Freeze’s Auburn has ticked off all the boxes.

“It lets the linebackers be able to run free and really play fast. I really like it a lot. The Will position gets to play free. He’s in the box, out of the box. That kinda compliments me as a player.” Auburn’s got that covered pretty well with DJ Durkin’s aggressive scheme. And again, the ‘make them feel good’ factor never goes wrong. Davis gave extra points on how Freeze’s staff made it clear they want the 4-star to be part of their 2026 class. “They were just like that, I’m a priority for them, and they really want me, and they can show me how they can develop me at a high level.” After all, the Tigers can’t afford to lose the race this time.

While the Tigers chase Anthony Davis, they are still not over the recruits that Alabama snatched away from them. In June, Hugh Freeze lost out as their top target, 2026 four-star running back Ezavier Crowell announced his commitment to Alabama. While they were yet to get over the loss, another blow came. Cederian Morgan, a five-star wide receiver, punched his Tuscaloosa ticket, closing doors to Auburn. Can Freeze finally break Bama’s recruiting grip by locking down Davis, or will the Tide strike again?