2024 5* WR Perry Thompson Flips To AUBURN from Bama

[SumterAubie 3,031]

12 hours ago, TeamZero77 said:

According to Alabama media guys and Alabama fans, Perry will be in Tuscaloosa the wednesday before Big Cat Weekend and he will be the only visitor that day because Bama wants to give him 100% of their attention. 

They will be schooling him on what to say and how to act at Auburn. To lead Auburn down the primrose path once again

[TigerPAC 967]

54 minutes ago, SumterAubie said:

They will be schooling him on what to say and how to act at Auburn. To lead Auburn down the primrose path once again

I agree w you and will, until SOMEONE bucks the trend

[toddc 13,194]

This is going to be another heartbreaking experience I feel.

Perry Thompson still feels strongly about Tide, but ‘Auburn is definitely there’

By 

Ben Thomas | bthomas@al.com

Foley's Perry Thompson competes during a 7-on-7 event at the Sports Tourism Complex on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Foley, Ala. Thompson, an Alabama commit, is still weighing a final decision between the Tide and Auburn. (Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com)

Foley wide receiver and longtime Alabama commit Perry Thompson told AL.com on Thursday that his final recruiting decision is still up in the air between the Tide and rival Auburn.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Thompson is planning to attend Auburn’s Big Cat Weekend later this month.

“Me and my uncle like the atmosphere up there,” Thompson said following Foley’s win in the Jubilee 7-on-7 tournament in Daphne on Thursday. “I just wanted to get up there one more time before the end of July.”

Thompson, the No. 3 senior recruit in the state according to On3, has been committed to Alabama since last June, but he said the situation at Auburn changed when the Tigers hired new coach Hugh Freeze.

“I didn’t even hear from them before coach Freeze came in, but (wide receivers) coach (Marcus) Davis offered me when he was at Georgia Southern, so we had a relationship there,” Thompson said. “I went up there (when Davis was hired at Auburn) and met all the other coaches, and it felt like a family environment.”

Thompson said Thursday point blank:

“I feel strongly about Alabama, but Auburn is definitely there.”

He said any final decision on college would come down to relationships.

“If I feel like they are better at Alabama, I’ll go to Bama,” he said. “If I feel like they are better at Auburn, I’ll go to Auburn.”

A Class 7A first-team wide receiver as a junior, Thompson caught 87 passes for 1,059 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Lions. He also had a pair of interceptions on defense. He played defense all day on Thursday without seeing time on offense.

“It’s all about development and growing our team,” Foley coach Deric Scott said. “We are trying to put the best team we can on the field and that allows us to do that.”

Thompson said he plans to play wide receiver in college, but is trying to get reps on defense while he can.

“Obviously, we will face some talented receivers during the season that we need to stop, so it’s good for me to get out here and get experience on that side of the ball,” he said.

Scott said Thompson is handling the recruiting attention as most student-athletes do.

“Some days they are in love with it. Some days I think they hate it,” he said. “He is probably somewhere in the middle. I do think he is pretty tired right now of people asking him what he is going to do and where he is going to go. I think he’s pretty solid on what he is going to do, so we will see.”

Thompson and Foley defeated Vigor 19-18 in the championship game Thursday. Thompson had an interception in the final. The Wolves went for 2 and the win after their final score but came up short.

“At the end of the day, it was coming down to one play anyway,” Vigor coach Markus Cook said. “We had our play. I was confident with it. It was open. It just didn’t turn out how we wanted it to.”

[JuscAUse! 1,439]

59 minutes ago, toddc said:

This is going to be another heartbreaking experience I feel.

Perry Thompson still feels strongly about Tide, but ‘Auburn is definitely there’

By 

Ben Thomas | bthomas@al.com

Foley's Perry Thompson competes during a 7-on-7 event at the Sports Tourism Complex on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Foley, Ala. Thompson, an Alabama commit, is still weighing a final decision between the Tide and Auburn. (Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com)

Foley wide receiver and longtime Alabama commit Perry Thompson told AL.com on Thursday that his final recruiting decision is still up in the air between the Tide and rival Auburn.

The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Thompson is planning to attend Auburn’s Big Cat Weekend later this month.

“Me and my uncle like the atmosphere up there,” Thompson said following Foley’s win in the Jubilee 7-on-7 tournament in Daphne on Thursday. “I just wanted to get up there one more time before the end of July.”

Thompson, the No. 3 senior recruit in the state according to On3, has been committed to Alabama since last June, but he said the situation at Auburn changed when the Tigers hired new coach Hugh Freeze.

“I didn’t even hear from them before coach Freeze came in, but (wide receivers) coach (Marcus) Davis offered me when he was at Georgia Southern, so we had a relationship there,” Thompson said. “I went up there (when Davis was hired at Auburn) and met all the other coaches, and it felt like a family environment.”

Thompson said Thursday point blank:

“I feel strongly about Alabama, but Auburn is definitely there.”

He said any final decision on college would come down to relationships.

“If I feel like they are better at Alabama, I’ll go to Bama,” he said. “If I feel like they are better at Auburn, I’ll go to Auburn.”

A Class 7A first-team wide receiver as a junior, Thompson caught 87 passes for 1,059 yards and 9 touchdowns for the Lions. He also had a pair of interceptions on defense. He played defense all day on Thursday without seeing time on offense.

“It’s all about development and growing our team,” Foley coach Deric Scott said. “We are trying to put the best team we can on the field and that allows us to do that.”

Thompson said he plans to play wide receiver in college, but is trying to get reps on defense while he can.

“Obviously, we will face some talented receivers during the season that we need to stop, so it’s good for me to get out here and get experience on that side of the ball,” he said.

Scott said Thompson is handling the recruiting attention as most student-athletes do.

“Some days they are in love with it. Some days I think they hate it,” he said. “He is probably somewhere in the middle. I do think he is pretty tired right now of people asking him what he is going to do and where he is going to go. I think he’s pretty solid on what he is going to do, so we will see.”

Thompson and Foley defeated Vigor 19-18 in the championship game Thursday. Thompson had an interception in the final. The Wolves went for 2 and the win after their final score but came up short.

“At the end of the day, it was coming down to one play anyway,” Vigor coach Markus Cook said. “We had our play. I was confident with it. It was open. It just didn’t turn out how we wanted it to.”

It's not gonna break my heart, ever. They suit up in orange and blue , they're my guys. If not , whatever. In this day and age, he might be back here in a couple of years. I'll concentrate on what the coaches do with our guys. 

[AUpreacherman22 3,888]

At least he said the key is relationships, and not “it’s a business decision”.   We do relationships well with CHF and co.!

[BornAU76 398]

I'm just so used to being disappointed when it's this type of instate battle that I don't get my hopes up about flipping this dude.  We need him bad and he could instantly make an impact.  

I will patiently wait for Freeze to flip this trend and will dance naked on my roof if it happens.  But, I'm not expecting anything to change either.  

Wish it was not this way and wish I was not so pessimistic but we've been burned too often in the past.

[JerryAU 1,681]

I don't consider it heartbreaking if Freeze doesn't sign Perry Thompson.  I mean the kid said he hadn't heard a single word from Auburn until the coaching change, not a dang word.  Then BAM! ... Freeze & Co. make the introductions and try to build communication lines.  Our coaches educate the kid on Auburn, the campus, facilities and the vision Freeze has for the program and in a few short months, the kid listens and gives AU the curtesy of engaging with our people.  

Bottom line, we're under construction, a work in progress, an unknown product.  It's going to take time to prove we can offer player development at an elite level, a championship level culture, and the consistency other programs can currently provide to 5* level talent.

If the kid chooses to go with a proven program with a rock-solid track record of developing talent and preparing them for the pro's, I won't be heartbroken.  Because I know Auburn coaches are working to dig out of a deep hole right now and it won't be a quick fix.  

Edited July 14, 2023 by JerryAU

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

26 minutes ago, BornAU76 said:

I'm just so used to being disappointed when it's this type of instate battle that I don't get my hopes up about flipping this dude.  We need him bad and he could instantly make an impact.  

I will patiently wait for Freeze to flip this trend and will dance naked on my roof if it happens.  But, I'm not expecting anything to change either.  

Wish it was not this way and wish I was not so pessimistic but we've been burned too often in the past.

Do u have web feet for the dancing? Esp if your roof has steep pitch

[DAG 34,002]

1 hour ago, JerryAU said:

I don't consider it heartbreaking if Freeze doesn't sign Perry Thompson.  I mean the kid said he hadn't heard a single word from Auburn until the coaching change, not a dang word.  Then BAM! ... Freeze & Co. make the introductions and try to build communication lines.  Our coaches educate the kid on Auburn, the campus, facilities and the vision Freeze has for the program and in a few short months, the kid listens and gives AU the curtesy of engaging with our people.  

Bottom line, we're under construction, a work in progress, an unknown product.  It's going to take time to prove we can offer player development at an elite level, a championship level culture, and the consistency other programs can currently provide to 5* level talent.

If the kid chooses to go with a proven program with a rock-solid track record of developing talent and preparing them for the pro's, I won't be heartbroken.  Because I know Auburn coaches are working to dig out of a deep hole right now and it won't be a quick fix.  

True but I will say , it would be quite the disappointment to miss out on two lead WRs like Coleman and Thompson. I am not confident at all in Thompson and it seems like a lot of clout is occurring with him. The Coleman thing really threw us for a loop, though. 

[toddc 13,194]

Auburn still battling for Alabama 5-star WR commit Perry Thompson

Collin Ginnan

Alabama WR commitment Perry Thompson (Photo from Chad Simmons/On3)

Foley (Ala.) five-star wide receiver Perry Thompson committed to Alabama back in June of 2022. Since then, Auburn has continued to push hard for the in-state receiver. Thompson will attend Auburn’s Big Cat Weekend later this month.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Thompson said that he hadn’t heard from Auburn until Hugh Freeze was hired. But, that he had already built a relationship with wide receivers coach Marcus Davis.

“I didn’t even hear from them before coach Freeze came in, but (wide receivers) coach (Marcus) Davis offered me when he was at Georgia Southern, so we had a relationship there,” Thompson told AL.com. “I went up there (when Davis was hired at Auburn) and met all the other coaches, and it felt like a family environment.”

“…I feel strongly about Alabama, but Auburn is definitely there.”

Thompson impressed by Auburn visit

He visited both Alabama and Auburn officially in June after taking multiple trips to each throughout the spring. 

“They are at the top with Alabama,” Thompson told Auburn Live after his official visit. “(Auburn) is up there. They are right there with Alabama.”

Thompson told Auburn Live that the Tigers’ coaching staff made him “feel like family.”

“The whole coaching staff, they are great,” Thompson said in June. “They make me feel like family. (The visit) went very well. I loved it, for real. The coaches, the environment . . . everybody makes me feel like family.

“The highlights were spending time with Coach (Hugh) Freeze and Coach (Marcus) Davis. Just going through the plays and them showing me how they’d use me in the offense. Them telling me how big of a legacy I could make if I come home.”

Thompson is a five-star prospect ranked No. 29 overall and is the No. 8 wide receiver in the 2024 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 3 player in Alabama.

Thompson currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $216K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

[toddc 13,194]

1 hour ago, JerryAU said:

I don't consider it heartbreaking if Freeze doesn't sign Perry Thompson.  I mean the kid said he hadn't heard a single word from Auburn until the coaching change, not a dang word.  Then BAM! ... Freeze & Co. make the introductions and try to build communication lines.  Our coaches educate the kid on Auburn, the campus, facilities and the vision Freeze has for the program and in a few short months, the kid listens and gives AU the curtesy of engaging with our people.  

Bottom line, we're under construction, a work in progress, an unknown product.  It's going to take time to prove we can offer player development at an elite level, a championship level culture, and the consistency other programs can currently provide to 5* level talent.

If the kid chooses to go with a proven program with a rock-solid track record of developing talent and preparing them for the pro's, I won't be heartbroken.  Because I know Auburn coaches are working to dig out of a deep hole right now and it won't be a quick fix.  

It’s always tough when you get so close to landing an a-list receiver recruit and lose him, whether it’s to aTm or the 💩’s. If it doesn’t bother you that’s fine, but it bothers me.

[Hank2020 3,212]

3 hours ago, BornAU76 said:

I'm just so used to being disappointed when it's this type of instate battle that I don't get my hopes up about flipping this dude.  We need him bad and he could instantly make an impact.  

I will patiently wait for Freeze to flip this trend and will dance naked on my roof if it happens.  But, I'm not expecting anything to change either.  

Wish it was not this way and wish I was not so pessimistic but we've been burned too often in the past.

I’m betting if you ask your neighbors they will anti up an NIL to keep you off the roof.

[BornAU76 398]

9 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

I’m betting if you ask your neighbors they will anti up an NIL to keep you off the roof.

I'm on it...they are all thUGA fans so perhaps it will work!

[autan 742]

I think it bothers most of us, whether we admit it or not. I feel sorry for coaches and staff who put so much time and effort into one kid, albeit a huge difference maker kid. Our current coaches may not have had much experience and displeasure dealing with   the UAT machine. I'm afraid they're getting their feet soaked right now.

I understand being cautiously optimistic, without becoming over confident.

[AuCivilEng1 11,012]

10 minutes ago, autan said:

I think it bothers most of us, whether we admit it or not. I feel sorry for coaches and staff who put so much time and effort into one kid, albeit a huge difference maker kid. Our current coaches may not have had much experience and displeasure dealing with   the UAT machine. I'm afraid they're getting their feet soaked right now.

I understand being cautiously optimistic, without becoming over confident.

When Bama walks out of JHS on 11/25/23 to the sweet sweet sounds of Reverse Rammer Jammer, when Hugh and Co strap on the orange facemasks, lock the gates, and give the ole Chris Brown 1-2,  they are going to wish they had chosen Auburn. 

Edited July 14, 2023 by AuCivilEng1

[W.E.D 11,070]

55 minutes ago, autan said:

I feel sorry for coaches and staff

Absolutely not

They'll be OKAY crying into their massive pillows filled with money.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,699]

I don’t follow the HS grind that much but there’s no position that it’d surprise me Perry knows how to play, with me knowing Foley. Can’t wait for him to play some OT

[Hank2020 3,212]

5 hours ago, autan said:

I think it bothers most of us, whether we admit it or not. I feel sorry for coaches and staff who put so much time and effort into one kid, albeit a huge difference maker kid. Our current coaches may not have had much experience and displeasure dealing with   the UAT machine. I'm afraid they're getting their feet soaked right now.

I understand being cautiously optimistic, without becoming over confident.

How could Freeze not have experience with the Bama machine?

[JuscAUse! 1,439]

5 hours ago, autan said:

I think it bothers most of us, whether we admit it or not. I feel sorry for coaches and staff who put so much time and effort into one kid, albeit a huge difference maker kid. Our current coaches may not have had much experience and displeasure dealing with   the UAT machine. I'm afraid they're getting their feet soaked right now.

I understand being cautiously optimistic, without becoming over confident.

Doesn't. We'll get out share with this coaching staff, or we'll get another staff. I like these guys and I'm not sweating it. Life's too short.

Edited July 15, 2023 by JuscAUse!

[ellitor 33,113]

43 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

How could Freeze not have experience with the Bama machine?

@Hank2020 He said coaches, meaning the ones who haven't. Hearing Freeze tell the tales is 1 thing. Experiencing is another.

[keesler 5,928]

I’ll be disappointed, not devastated if this guy stays with his original plan.  Hugh knows exactly what he’s up against going head to head with the nations best recruiters. 

[bigbird 60,577]

May or may not happen but I'm feeling good about him. 

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

May or may not happen but I'm feeling good about him. 

His uncle likes Danny Hugh alot. Let's hope he has alot of influence 

[augolf1716 21,250]

2 hours ago, NWALA Tiger said:

His uncle likes Danny Hugh alot

Well hot damn we're set that's all I need to hear.

[W.E.D 11,070]

Until Perry pops, he's just this years player who is gonna crush our dreams.

Hope it happens, but not getting my hopes us to get crushed