5-star LB Demarcus Riddick flips from Georgia, chooses Auburn football over Alabama
Auburn football just had its biggest recruiting win since coach Hugh Freeze was hired.
Five-star linebacker Demarcus Riddick from Chilton County High School in Clanton announced his commitment to the Tigers on Wednesday, flipping away from Georgia and choosing Auburn over Alabama. Riddick had been pledged to the Bulldogs since November.
The 247Sports Composite ranks the 6-foot-2, 212-pound Riddick as the No. 26 player in the country and the third-best recruit in the state behind Texas A&M commit Cam Coleman and Alabama commit Jaylen Mbakwe. His 247Sports profile has AU linebackers coach Josh Aldridge listed as his primary recruiter.
Riddick's commitment was streamed live by Auburn Undercover.
If Riddick stays committed to Auburn through signing day, he'd be the first five-star recruit to put pen to paper on a National Letter of Intent with the Tigers since Owen Pappoe did it in the Class of 2019. Before Pappoe, it was five-star linebacker TD Moultry in the Class of 2017.
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Auburn now has 12 commitments in the Class of 2024, as Riddick joins four-star edge Joseph Phillips, four-star defensive lineman Malik Blocton, four-star defensive backs Jalyn Crawford, A'Mon Lane, Jayden Lewis and Kensley Faustin and three-star linebacker D'Angelo Barber on the defensive side of the ball.
Offensively, the Tigers have pledges from four-star quarterback Walker White, four-star running back J'Marion Burnette, four-star receiver Bryce Cain and three-star athlete Martavious Collins.
Eight of the 12 commitments are from Alabama, and all eight are top-30 recruits in the state, headlined by Riddick (No. 3), Phillips (No. 8) and Burnette (No. 14). For comparison, the Crimson Tide has five top-30 commitments, a group highlighted by Mbakwe (No. 2), wide receiver Perry Thompson (No. 4), defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman (No. 6) and linebacker Sterling Dixon (No. 12).
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Demarcus Riddick: 5-star LB flips from Georgia to Auburn football
