‘Why not be a part of it?’ Thompson 5-star Jared Smith weighs in on his Auburn commitment

In the moments leading up to Jared Smith’s commitment, the poster displayed to his right showed the six schools he was considering: Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Ole Miss, South Carolina and USC.

Meanwhile, moments after his announcement, the poster was flipped over to reveal that his decision came as a surprise.

Smith, a five-star prospect from Alabaster’s Thompson High School, committed to Auburn on Saturday night at a rooftop restaurant in Birmingham’s Uptown area.

And in the photo printed on the reverse poster was Smith as a child holding and pointing to an Auburn hat, despite being surrounded by family members dressed in support of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

“I’m an underdog,” Smith said after Saturday’s announcement. “Every time the Iron Bowl came around, everyone said Alabama was going to win and I was like, ‘Nah, I’m going to go to Auburn.’ And then the Kick Six happened. It just started right there.”

Now, if Smith’s commitment to the Tigers holds, he will no longer just be “playing” Auburn, but he will also be playing for Auburn’s defense.

Standing at 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Smith is ranked as the second-best edge rusher in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports.

Smith is also the second-best prospect in the state of Alabama.

And with his commitment, Smith not only becomes the highest-ranked prospect in Auburn’s 2025 class, but also helps the Tigers boast commitments from eight of the top-10 ranked prospects in the state of Alabama.

“It’s the people,” Smith said when asked what sets Auburn apart. “It’s just the people in there that make it special.”

With his pledge Saturday night, Smith gave Hugh Freeze and the Tigers their eighth top-tier commitment in a week.

After earning commitments from five top-tier prospects during Big Cat Weekend on July 27, waiving four-star athlete Derick Smith from Alabama, earning a commitment from Thompson’s four-star safety Anquon Fegans and adding Jared Smith to the team on Saturday, Auburn’s 2025 recruiting class ranks fifth in the country with 22 total commitments.

“Just the culture they’re bringing there. The atmosphere, the players and the class alone,” Smith said when asked why he chose the Tigers over his other five finalists. “They’ve got top guys like Anquon Fegans, Eric Winters, all those types of guys. Why not be a part of that?”

And as impressive as Auburn’s class already is, Smith has his eye on a few he’d like to add to the group.

According to 247Sports, Parker High School cornerback Na’eem Offord is the state’s No. 1 prospect and is someone Smith hopes to lure to The Plains.

In addition to Offord, Smith hopes he can help Auburn lure four-star quarterback Deuce Knight away from Notre Dame.

“That’s what I’m very involved in,” Smith said, referring to Offord and Knight.