Week 11 intel: Auburn fallout, Texas' moves and biggest visits

Four Saturdays remain between now and the start of the early signing period, and the recruiting trail heated up this week as the clock ticks down on the 2026 class.

Rival programs have cast their attention to Auburn's incoming class since the program fired coach Hugh Freeze last weekend. Elsewhere, Ohio State, Texas and Texas Tech are among the programs charging for late-cycle flips with key visitors expected on campus in the coming weeks, while the market for premium defensive tackles, led by fall decommits Danny Beale (Oklahoma State), Dylan Berymon (Texas) and Emanuel Ruffin (Colorado) is intensifying this month.

The three-day early singing period -- which runs from Dec. 3-5 -- sits just 26 days away. As Week 11 action gets underway across the country, here's the latest intel on the 2026 class:

Auburn recruiting fallout

Three-star rusher Eric Perry (Memphis flip) marks the only commit to leave Auburn's 2026 class since Freeze's firing. Similar to Florida and LSU this fall, ESPN sources expect Auburn's incoming class to remain intact in the immediate near-term with Freeze's staff in charge for the remainder of the season under interim head coach D.J. Durkin.

But with another coaching search underway on The Plains, Auburn's 2026 class could be teetering in the final weeks before the early signing period, starting at the very top with four-star defender Bralan Womack, the third-ranked safety and No. 39 overall prospect in the ESPN 300.

Sources told ESPN that Womack's pledge was tied heavily to Freeze's future with the program prior to the third-year coach's Oct. 26 departure, and Womack is now evaluating options up ahead with Texas A&M emerging as the most serious threat for the Tigers' top-ranked commit.

The Aggies were narrow runners-up when Womack committed to Auburn in August, and he was on hand at LSU when Texas A&M delivered the knockout blow on the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge on Oct. 25. Womack is now set to visit the Aggies on Nov. 15, while summer finalists Ohio State and Florida, as well as in-state Ole Miss and Mississippi State, could enter the mix, too.

Elsewhere on defense, questions loom over a talented linebacker class led by inside linebackers Adam Balogoun-Ali and Shadarius Toodle -- two of the cycle's top three prospects at the position -- and four-star outside linebacker Jaquez Wilkes, ESPN's No. 132 overall recruit in 2026.

All three are committed firmly to Durkin, Auburn's second-year defensive coordinator and linebackers coach whose own future with the programs remains uncertain. Balogoun-Ali told ESPN that Missouri has been "in touch a lot" while Georgia and Notre Dame are also emerging late. Toodle, who flipped from the Tigers to Georgia in the summer before returning to Auburn's 2026 class on Oct. 14, is expected to receive renewed interest from the Bulldogs this month, too.

No. 7 dual-threat quarterback commit Peyton Falzone, who flipped his commitment from Penn State to the Tigers in June, told ESPN that he's reevaluating his situation and "navigating this process day-by-day." The door is also open for four-star wide receiver Jase Matthews (No. 258 overall), who holds heavy late-cycle interest from LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

"Don't be surprised if I'm on the road when the Tigers are not playing at Jordan-Hare," Matthews, one of six top 300 pledges remaining in Auburn's 2026 class, told ESPN.

Texas circling pair of top-100 flips

After a torrid summer on the recruiting trail, coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns are working to put the finishing touches on the nation's fifth-ranked class. Among the program's top late-cycle flip targets: Offensive tackle Brysten Martinez (LSU) and defensive end Jamarion Carlton (Baylor), both of whom attended Texas' 34-31 win over Vanderbilt last weekend.

Martinez, a 6-foot-6, 280-pound lineman from Gonzales, Louisiana, has been committed to the in-state Tigers since February. ESPN's No. 84 overall prospect maintained consistent contact with other SEC programs this fall, even before coach Brian Kelly's late-October firing. But the Week 10 trip to Texas marked a significant shift as Martinez's first non-LSU campus visit since the start of his senior season and a potentially crucial breakthrough in his process.

According to his mother, the weekend with the Longhorns left a serious impression on Martinez, who is now set for an official visit to Texas when the program hosts Arkansas on Nov. 22. Martinez remains in contact with Oklahoma and Tennessee, as well. But as things stand, LSU's sixth-ranked pledge does not have any trips scheduled over the next month outside of his return visit to Texas as the Longhorns look to secure a third 2026 offensive tackle commit alongside in-state pledges John Turntine III (No. 47 overall) and Max Wright (No. 39 offensive tackle).

On the other side of the ball, Texas would like to add another defensive end in the 2026 class to pair with five-star pledge Richard Wesley (No. 8 overall), and the program has kept up its pursuit of Carlton, ESPN's No. 96 overall prospect out of Temple, Texas.

The Longhorns finished second when Carlton, who comes from Temple, Texas, committed to Baylor in July. Sources tell ESPN that Texas edge coach LaAllan Clark and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski have kept in frequent contact with Carlton in the months since, and the Week 10 visit to Austin arrived as Carlton continues to evaluate his options with uncertainty swirling over Baylor in the weeks before the early signing period.

Georgia Tech, SEC trio in pursuit of Texas A&M decommit Jordan Carter

Four-star defensive end Jordan Carter (No. 57 overall) became ESPN's top-ranked uncommitted prospect when edge rusher from Douglasville, Georgia, pulled his longtime Texas A&M pledge on Nov. 1 amid the Aggies' flip efforts with multiple defensive line prospects in the class.

With his process reopened, sources expect Carter to prioritize development and early playing time with a focus on four programs this month: Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Texas.

Carter has taken unofficial trips to the Tigers and Vols over the past month. He'll return to Tennessee for an official visit on Nov. 15 and is scheduled to be on hand when Auburn hosts Alabama for the Iron Bowl on Nov. 29. Georgia Tech, which presents Carter with the opportunity to play within 30 miles of home, will host ESPN's eighth-ranked defensive end on Nov. 22, while Carter is still working to finalize an official visit date with Texas.

Missouri, Ole Miss, Ohio State among programs chasing top defensive tackles

The defensive tackle market is heating up in the final month before the early signing period. Here's the latest on ESPN's three highest-ranked uncommitted prospects at the position:

Danny Beale, No. 108 in ESPN 300: The 6-foot-4, 300-pound defender from Cherry Valley, Arkansas, has been one of the cycle's top available defensive tackle recruits since he pulled his pledge from Oklahoma State on Oct. 15.

Beale took official visits to Missouri, North Carolina and Ole Miss in the spring before committing to the Cowboys in late June. All three programs are back in the mix for Beale's pledge, while in-state Arkansas continues to linger, as well. ESPN sources view Missouri and Ole Miss as the most serious players in Beale's recruitment over the next month.

Dylan Berymon, No. 206 in ESPN 300: Berymon, the nation's No. 15 defensive tackle, announced his decommitment from Texas on Wednesday after nearly five months in the program's 2026 class. Upon leaving a crowded Longhorns defensive tackle class, the towering defensive tackle from Monroe, Louisiana, will have no shortage of potential suitors.

Mississippi State and USC were finalists for Berymon when he committed to Texas in June and could reenter the chase for his pledge. Sources also expect LSU, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Purdue and Texas Tech to be among the programs involved in Berymon's process in the coming weeks.

Emanuel Ruffin, No. 30 DT in 2026: Consistently linked with a move away from Colorado this fall, the interior defensive lineman from Bessemer, Alabama, formally announced his decommitment from coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes on Tuesday.

No program has been more prominently involved in Ruffin's process since the start of the regular season than Missouri, which hosted Ruffin for a visit last month. However, following Ruffin's official decommitment, sources now consider Ohio State the top contender to secure Ruffin's pledge with Buckeyes assistants Larry Johnson and Miguel Patrick leading the charge.

Ohio State trending toward a big finish in 2026

The Buckeyes flipped cornerback Jay Timmons (Florida State) and offensive guard Mason Wilhelm (North Carolina) late this week, kicking off a potentially busy month on the trail for the defending national champions, who have ESPN's No. 9 recruiting class.

ESPN sources believe four-star defensive tackle Emanuel Ruffin, a recent Colorado decommit, could be the next recruit to join Ohio State's 2026 class. Three-star Alabama defensive end pledge J.J. Finch is another defensive line target expected to visit the Buckeyes later this month.

On the other side of the line of scrimmage, Penn State offensive tackle commit Kevin Brown (No. 78 overall) remains a priority target following his Week 10 visit with the Buckeyes. West Virginia has emerged as another leading contender for Brown, while the outcome of Penn State's coaching search could factor in if the Nittany Lions have a new coach by early December.

Sources also expect the Buckeyes to ultimately flip three-star Tennessee pledge Legend Bey, edging Texas A&M for the playmaking high school quarterback from Texas who projects as a dynamic skill position talent at the next level.

Week 11's biggest visits

Texas Tech

Florida commit Kevin Ford Jr., No. 158 overall: The versatile edge rusher from Duncanville, Texas, is one of the members of Florida's 2026 class who is garnering significant late cycle interest. Ford's visit to Texas Tech in Week 11 comes with the Red Raiders surging on the field and circling multiple flip targets in the weeks before the early signing period.

Ford remains committed to the Gators, but he told ESPN this week that he has been in touch with Clemson, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and USC in the weeks since Florida fired coach Billy Napier on Oct. 19. He already visited Texas A&M twice this fall, and Ford will take a trip to USC at the end of the month as well. On Saturday, when No. 8 the Red Raiders host No. 7 BYU (noon ET, ABC), Texas Tech will get its shot with Ford, ESPN's No. 20 defensive end.

The Red Raiders' 2026 class already includes one intriguing defensive pledge in five-star outside linebacker LaDamion Guyton (No. 13 overall). Could Texas Tech land another in Ford up ahead?

Notre Dame

Penn State commit Matt Sieg, No. 162 overall: Sieg lives roughly 20 miles outside of Pittsburgh in McDonald, Pennsylvania, and ESPN's No. 14 safety prospect has spent the past month evaluating his options since the Nittany Lions fired coach James Franklin on Oct. 12.

Sieg has already been Indiana and Pitt in recent weeks. On Saturday, he'll make his first visit to Notre Dame. The 10th-ranked Fighting Irish didn't offer Sieg until after he committed to Penn State last November, but coach Marcus Freeman and his staff have put in consistent work with Sieg over the past year and will get their opportunity to impress him with Navy on campus in Week 11. Sieg, who intends to monitor the coaching search at Penn State, told ESPN this week that he's also set to visit West Virginia later this month.

Notre Dame faces stiff competition to flip Sieg. But if the Irish can manage to land him, Sieg would arrive as the latest piece in a star-studded 2026 secondary that includes No. 5 safety Joey O'Brien (No. 63 overall), a fellow Pennsylvanian Sieg has grown close with during his process.

Alabama

Michigan State commit Samson Gash, No. 57 WR: The Crimson Tide have been working to add another wide receiver pledge in the 2026 class. As Gash makes his long-awaited trip to Tuscaloosa on Saturday, No. 4 Alabama might be closing in on commitment.

Gash, the son of former Penn State and NFL fullback Sam Gash, is a high-level producer at Detroit Catholic Central High School and has been committed to Michigan State in June. But offers from the likes of Alabama and Wisconsin this fall have cracked the door on his recruitment, and the Crimson Tide have been pushing especially hard with Gash over the past month in the lead-up to his visit for the program's Week 11 matchup with LSU (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).

As things stand, Alabama holds three wide receiver pledges in 2026, led by four-star Cederian Morgan (No. 36 overall), and the Crimson Tide could soon have Gash in the fold, too.