AUBURN, Ala. — College football is right around the corner, with SEC media day in the rearview mirror and fall camp set to begin shortly for Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers.
Freeze and the Tigers bring in a ton of new talent to the team, and Locked on Auburn host Zac Blackerby spoke with sources within the program, asking them to name players they believe will have a huge fall camp.
Incoming freshmen Keldric Faulk, Connor Lew, and Kayin Lee came up, as Blackerby expected, but the last name was an intriguing one: Colton Hood, a three-star defensive back out of Georgia who coach Freeze flipped out of a Michigan State commitment to bring him to Auburn.
Blackerby spoke with regular guest Lindsay Crosby about Hood and his expectations heading into Year 1.
"People within the program are excited about him and what he can do," Crosby said. "I think sometimes we forget about guys like him. It feels like every year Auburn has one of those defensive backs that is not as highly rated as everybody else, but who just explodes onto the scene and has a fantastic year and becomes a guy going forward. Colton Hood has a good chance to do that."
Hood is the 48th ranked corner in the class of 2023, lauded for his exceptional athleticism thanks in part to being a multi sport athlete in high school, where he played baseball, and his experience playing both sides of the ball as a wide receiver, running back, and at times quarterback for Eagle's Landing.
Hood also has a connection to Auburn, where his uncle Roderick Hood played 47 games as a defensive back before embarking on an eight-year NFL career.
A high level athlete who is finally focusing on football full time is a great recipe for a potential breakout this fall, and Hood could end up being a freshman who plays a big role in year one and develops into a key starter for the Tigers in the coming years.