For Alabama football fans who may not follow Auburn's recruiting, Hugh Freeze has landed a big pickup. We're talking size and player rankings. Auburn has added a 6'7", 370 lbs., New Zealand offensive tackle. Nikau Hepi has never played in an American football game. He has trained through an academy and is ranked by American recruiting sites. The 247Sports Composite had Hepi as the No. 852 player in the 2026 signing class. He was ranked as the No. 72 offensive tackle. He has now been bumped to the No. 656 player overall and the No. 56 offensive tackle.
Auburn now has six commits for the 2026 class and is ranked No. 83 in the 247Sports Composite. Five of Auburn's six verbal commits are rated as 3-star recruits. Hepi is pretty much in the middle of Auburn's class in terms of talent as measured by recruiting experts.
Maybe Hepi will prove to be more than a 'large' pickup for the Tigers. Fly War Eagle put a positive spin on Hepi, "After a recent slew of decommitments and a downward trend for Auburn recruiting, the Tigers got some good news on Tuesday when 3-star offensive lineman Nikau Hepi, from New Zealand, announced his commitment to Auburn football. He is the first student athlete from the NFL Academy Asia-Pacific campus to commit to an American college."
Auburn now has two offensive line commits in the 2026 class. Both are 3-star rated recruits.
Al.com's Michael Casagrande published a quite different opinion. "You can’t lose a college football game in June.
Fact.
But the internet? Or goodwill with a fanbase?
That’s very much in play. And let’s just say Hugh Freeze is in the rough. Perhaps, one could say, in need of relief."
Casagrande says that Auburn fans are questioning Hugh's summer golf schedule. Reportedly, during a prime month for recruiting, Freeze has played 10 rounds in June. Plenty of coaches love to play golf. Many are known to get on the links as much as possible in the offseason. The question with Freeze and Auburn is whether his golf schedule reflects a lack of urgency about recruiting.
An earlier Fly War Eagle story called the Freeze golf schedule "excessive."
Alabama football fans laughing at Auburn's 2026 class
What confidence in Freeze remains among Auburn fans is rooted in the belief that Freeze is an outstanding recruiter. Maybe he still is, or maybe he is bogeying his way to SEC football insignificance.