At BH, we pride ourselves on keeping our priorities straight. We’re an Alabama-focused outlet, and 99% of our attention is devoted to the Crimson Tide. That said, we never pass up a chance to take a light-hearted jab at our rivals—especially when they make it so easy.
Hugh Freeze hasn’t exactly endeared himself to Auburn fans this offseason. Entering his third year at the helm, he’s already feeling the pressure after back-to-back underwhelming seasons and a disappointing 11-14 overall record. Most believe he’ll need at least seven wins this year to show meaningful progress and earn another season.
One of Freeze’s few bright spots has been his recruiting success. He brought in a Top 10 class for 2025, and the overall talent level at Auburn has undeniably improved since his arrival.
This weekend, like many major programs, Auburn is hosting a strong group of official visitors. Much like Alabama, the Tigers have had a sluggish start to their 2026 recruiting efforts and are hoping to build momentum heading into the summer.
Their headliner for the weekend is 5-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho from Baltimore, Maryland. Auburn made his final four along with Oregon, LSU, and Penn State, but most insiders agree the Tigers have some ground to make up. This visit was supposed to be their shot at making a major impression.
Instead, they pulled a full-on Kevin Malone—spilling the metaphorical chili in embarrassing fashion.
Auburn managed to botch Iheanacho’s name on a welcome placard, despite correctly spelling his tricky last name. Somehow, they still flubbed “Immanuel.”
Not exactly the kind of impression you want to make on the No. 3 overall recruit in the nation. Yes, it’s a small mistake—but when you’re in a tight race with powerhouse programs, the little things matter. And this little error? It clearly didn’t go unnoticed. Iheanacho even shared it on social media, a sign that it struck a chord.
In a recruitment battle this close, Auburn couldn’t afford to fumble their big chance. But fumble, they did.