Davidson back on board

Hollis Davidson is back like he never left.

Following a brief stint as a former Auburn commit, the four-star out of Peachtree City, Ga., rejoined the class Thursday, announcing his commitment to the Tigers for a second time.

Auburn beat out Florida State for the 6-foot-6 tight end.

"It’s a whole bunch of things," Davidson said on why he rejoined the class. "The family vibes and the culture that they’re bringing, I really love what (Hugh) Freeze is building. Everything they preach, they really do what they say. I’ve seen that over the time."

Davidson had originally pledged to Auburn in February, before announcing in May that he was backing off his commitment. Over the next couple of months, he explored programs like Florida, Florida State, Miami and Texas, but ultimately, his initial choice of Auburn was the right fit.

"They stayed consistent and they’ve really made it clear that I’m a high priority for them," Davidson said. "I can get on the field early, like freshman year I can get on the field. It just seems like a perfect fit. There’s no other place that would be better for me right now. I can really grow there as a man."

Once Davidson wrapped up his summer official visits, he spent hours each day talking over his recruitment with his parents.

"It just ended up being clear that Auburn was where I needed to be," Davidson said.

One of those official visits was to Auburn, from June 14-16. It came shortly after Davidson was on campus for a 7-on-7 competition, where he felt like the Tigers showed him and his teammates plenty of love.

He felt that same love on his official visit.

"We went back up for the [official visit] and it was just that times 10 with my family and everything," Davidson said. "Getting to spend time with the guys and building relationships. It was really good being back around Auburn again. It really feels like home."

Throughout this process, Davidson has seen his relationship grow with both tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua and analyst Logan Bradley.

"With Coach Ben, I’m so much closer now for sure, and Coach Logan of course," Davidson said. "We’ve gone through a commitment, a decommitment and now a recommitment. We’ve been through a whole process and it really strengthened our relationship. That’s really my guy. He has the same alignments with my family, everything like that, same beliefs and it just lines up."

With his recommitment to Auburn, the Tigers are back to 15 commits in the 2025 class, which is now ranked as the No. 14 recruiting class in the country.

"The first thing I want to say is thank you to everybody," Davidson said. "Everyone has supported me throughout everything, always wanted me to come back, always wanted what was best for me and I appreciate that."