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4-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman flips…again

By Zach Breathwaite

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Kobe Hudson (5) drops a pass against Alabama defensive back DeMarcco Hellams (2) and linebacker Henry To'o To'o (10) during the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. Ncaa Football Alabamaat Auburn
Auburn Tigers wide receiver Kobe Hudson (5) drops a pass against Alabama defensive back DeMarcco Hellams (2) and linebacker Henry To'o To'o (10) during the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. Ncaa Football Alabamaat Auburn / Gary Cosby / USA TODAY NETWORK
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Auburn’s Big Cat recruiting weekend was able to generate some fireworks, including some at the expense of Alabama’s 2025 class.

Top-100 safety Derick Smith visited Auburn and was the Alabama commit that most fans had their eyes on, and I thought Bama’s class would be safe through the weekend. However, 4-star defensive lineman Antonio Coleman made headlines by announcing that he has flipped to Auburn…again. 

Coming out of Saraland High School, Coleman is obviously a priority target for both schools. He is a borderline top-100 player nationally and a borderline top-10 player in the state who should be a difference-making interior defensive lineman at the next level. 

In less than a year’s time, Coleman has committed to Alabama, flipped to Auburn, flipped back to Alabama, and now flipped to Auburn again. While he is a very promising prospect, his recruitment has fueled countless jokes and is a sign of the times in modern collegiate athletics. 

Given his track record, Antonio Coleman could very well flip back to Alabama before signing day in December. While some Bama fans don’t even want him at this point, it’s hard to believe the coaching staff won’t continue pushing for him.

Coleman remains a valuable commodity for an Alabama class that has just two developmental pieces on the defensive line (3-star London Simmons and JUCO Steve Mboumoua who is reclassifying from 2024) and only one other top-10 player in the state of Alabama. It may just be that they are still updating their site, but On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine still has Coleman eventually landing in the Crimson Tide’s class. 

Recruitments like Coleman’s add fuel to an already heated in-state rivalry. Fans on both sides will remember Reuben Foster, a 5-star linebacker in the class of 2013 who got an Auburn tattoo before eventually committing to Alabama. Foster would become an All-American, a Butkus Award winner, and a first round draft pick for the Crimson Tide. 

Antonio Coleman probably won’t have the impact of a prospect like Foster, but he has certainly made his recruitment one to remember.

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