In many cases, Auburn High School head football coach Keith Etheredge is hesitant to encourage kids to reclassify and start playing college football early.
The jump from high school to college is a big one and takes plenty of maturing both physically and mentally. With standout running back Omar Mabson II, though, Etheredge isn’t worried.
Physically, he’s ready. Kid benches 385, he squats whatever you put on the bar. He’s a 4.3, 4.4-40 kid,” Etheredge told AL.com Wednesday. “But you worry more about the mental aspect of it, and he has that. I mean, he’s a 4.0 student. He can sit down and have an adult conversation. So, he’s ready to play college football at the highest level.”
Mabson officially signed with Auburn Wednesday, just over a week after announcing his commitment and almost two months after deciding to reclassify to the class of 2025.
Mabson said the decision to reclassify came down to feeling like he was “mentally and physically ready,” something his head coach echoed.
When asked why he chose Auburn, the 5-foot-9, 210 pound running back mentioned the coaching staff and atmosphere, expressing his excitement to join a second consecutive top 10 recruiting class at Auburn.
“They showed real love from the get-go,” Mabson said. “They just building a dynasty and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Auburn’s 2025 signing class ranks No. 6 in the country in the 247Sports team rankings and No. 8 in On3’s team rankings. It’s the second cycle in a row that the Tigers’ signing class has finished in the top 10.
Mabson is the second running back to sign with Auburn in the 2025 class, joining Alabama’s all-time high school rushing leader Alvin Henderson. Mabson is also one of 12 signees from the state of Alabama in Auburn’s 2025 class.
They’re not scared to go after the huge names,” Etheredge said of Hugh Freeze and Auburn’s recruiting efforts. “They do a great job of developing those relationships with guys and then turning that into situations where they get a chance to have them on their teams.”
Not only is Mabson an in-state signee, but he’ll only have to travel around 10 minutes down the road from his high school to join the Auburn football program. Despite that, he’s putting an emphasis on not letting being close to home change his attitude.
“Man, I’m still going to college,” Mabson said. “I’m gonna treat it just like I’m out in Kansas or out in California so I’m gonna still treat it like I’m far away.”
At Auburn, he’ll join his high school coach’s son, Camden Etheredge, something Keith Etheredge called a “special situation.”
“If he needs anything, he can just pick up the phone and call,” Etheredge said. “His parents live right here, so he’s two minutes away from his house. So, it’s just a great situation for him and for us.”
