logo
Auburn football is a top target to flip four-star safety Darryl Bell from Florida State

Auburn football is a top target to flip four-star safety Darryl Bell from Florida State

USA Today4 days ago
Is four-star safety the next major flip candidate for Auburn's 2026 recruiting class?
Flips are not as common on the Plains as they once were. However, the Auburn Tigers are in a great position to pull off one of their trademark flips as they are now trending to land a four-star defensive back.
Darryl Bell, a four-star safety from Miami, Florida, and a Florida State pledge, recently told Marcus Benjamin of Rivals that he "is a Seminole already." However, Auburn is Florida State's biggest competitor on the recruiting trail. Bell took his official visit to Auburn early this summer, during the weekend of May 30, and says that the environment within Auburn's program is a giant factor in the race between the Tigers and Seminoles.
'The energy when I went (to Auburn) was great. The coaches treated me like I was committed, and I'm not. So they didn't treat me any differently from anybody else," Bell told Rivals. "The environment with the players, hanging out with them, is what stood out. The coaches' energy early in the morning and how they carried themselves around the facility.'
Auburn has pulled off one flip this cycle, swiping four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone from Penn State on June 26. If Auburn can flip Bell from Florida State, it will add a solid defensive back to its 2026 haul. Auburn currently has one safety commit for 2026, three-star Wayne Henry from Baltimore, Maryland, and Auburn is using the pitch that consistent playing time for young defensive backs could be enticing for Bell.
Bell is the No. 26 safety from the 2026 class according to Rivals' industry rating, and is the No. 43 player from Florida.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Michigan State football guard Luka Vincic explains why he transferred to MSU
Michigan State football guard Luka Vincic explains why he transferred to MSU

USA Today

time10 hours ago

  • USA Today

Michigan State football guard Luka Vincic explains why he transferred to MSU

Michigan State football has seen a nice influx of talent from Oregon State follow their former head coach Jonathan Smith over from Corvallis, and that was the case this past offseason, yet again, when former Beaver offensive guard Luka Vincic committed to transfer to the Spartans. Now, Vincic is fighting for a starting spot in training camp. On Thursday, Vincic was able to speak to the media after practice, and he was asked an interesting question. Vincic was asked why he decided to transfer, and if he had Michigan State in mind when he made his decision. He gave an insightful answer: I just felt like... That's a good question. I personally felt like I wanted to be pushed a little bit more. We had a lot of change at Oregon State and the conference and the coaching staff. Nothing against them, they have a great coaching staff... Nothing against them, I was just hoping to be pushed a little bit more, and I knew that when I entered the portal, I was hoping Michigan State would give me a ring, and thankfully they did, and now I'm getting to play for Coach M again and I feel like I'm getting pushed and I'm getting a lot better. You can watch the full video below: Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

Meet KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the Chargers Hall of Fame Game breakout with an NFL uncle
Meet KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the Chargers Hall of Fame Game breakout with an NFL uncle

USA Today

time10 hours ago

  • USA Today

Meet KeAndre Lambert-Smith, the Chargers Hall of Fame Game breakout with an NFL uncle

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith introduced himself to the NFL world on Thursday night in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. Lambert-Smith scored a really nice touchdown during the preseason game for Los Angeles to go along with a beautiful catch from a quarterback Trey Lance pass in the first half. If you're unfamiliar with who Lambert-Smith is, he was a fifth-round pick by Los Angeles in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Auburn. He played at Penn State from 2020-2023 before transferring to Auburn for his last college season. His uncle actually played in the NFL, and you've absolutely heard of him. Lambert-Smith is former Settle Seahawks safety Kam Chancellor's nephew. Talk about a football factoid to make you feel old! According to The Athletic's Robert Mays, the Chargers are quite high on the rookie receiver. Chargers fans will want to keep an eye out for Lambert-Smith throughout the rest of the preseason.

Everything Ryan Grubb said about Alabama's quarterbacks after second practice
Everything Ryan Grubb said about Alabama's quarterbacks after second practice

USA Today

time14 hours ago

  • USA Today

Everything Ryan Grubb said about Alabama's quarterbacks after second practice

On Thursday afternoon, new Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb spoke to the media for what was the first time since fall camp began. As part of this, Grubb was asked multiple times about the Crimson Tide's ongoing quarterback competition, one in which Ty Simpson, Austin Mack, and Keelon Russell are vying to start for Alabama in their Week 1 matchup against Florida State. Grubb also gave his comments on the trio Thursday, listing differences between the group, when he'd like to name the starter, and more. Here is everything Grubb said Thursday during his media availability about Alabama's quarterbacks in particular. Ryan Grubb on differences between Alabama's quarterbacks "All these guys, I think they're in different levels of their progression as quarterbacks in college, and I think that all of them, just like any position, have a lot of different strengths. I think that right now, Ty is continuing to show a ton of command. I thought he did a better job today than the other two guys with that, so he continues to progress as a leader, and Keelon's ability to see the field and just his vision, his innate ability to make a play even potentially when there's not one there, is a really, really high level, and then Austin just has elite arm talent. A big guy that's strong and can power through things." Ryan Grubb on his message to Alabama's quarterbacks "Consistency. Take care of the ball. You gotta be a guy that can move us forward. I think one of the biggest things that we're stressing right now is minimizing negative yardage plays. Starts with us making sure we got the right mic points on protection or run scheme. So make sure the ball is moving forward and the o-line's on the same page, and then, you know, making great decisions with the football." Ryan Grubb on how Ty Simpson can win the starting job "He's got to do it every day between now and Florida State. When we start that preparation, whoever that person is has got to come out and be able to show that it's clearly him, and that's what this football team needs, and all three of those guys know that. So I think being able to show up and do that every day and not waver in and out of the type of player he is, the type of decision maker he is, the inconsistencies that a young quarterback would show or a quarterback that's not ready to start. So as long as Ty can do that, or one of the other guys, that's going to be the player that's going to start a quarterback." Ryan Grubb on when he'd prefer to name starting quarterback "Yesterday. Yesterday, if I'm being honest, but you've gotta let it run its course. It's not there yet, and we've been through this before, more than once, and you just gotta let it run its course. We've got a pretty detailed plan on how we'll figure those things out and information that we share with the guys every day, and when it's the right time, we'll be ready to pull the trigger." Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store