Foley 5-star WR Perry Thompson makes weekend splash at Auburn, turns attention to Tiger recruiting

Two days after making a big splash in more ways than one at Auburn, Foley 5-star wide receiver Perry Thompson has turned his focus to his senior season and helping recruit for the Tigers.
On Saturday, Thompson announced he was flipping his commitment from Alabama to rival Auburn at a Big Cat Weekend pool party and then actually flipped into the pool with several other visitors.
“It was a fun weekend,” Thompson said Monday at Baldwin County Media Day in Daphne. “It felt nice just going around campus with the players and everything. At the moment, everything felt great so I went ahead and committed.”
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Thompson – ranked by On3 as the No. 4 senior recruit in the state – had been committed to the Crimson Tide since June of 2022. However, the Tigers flipped the script when Hugh Freeze was hired as head coach.
Thompson, sporting an Auburn pendant on his necklace, said Monday he “probably” knew a month ago that he was going to change his commitment to the Tigers.
“I looked at Nick Saban and Hugh Freeze,” he said. “Nick Saban is a good coach, and I have a lot of respect for what he’s done in college football. I know he kind of specializes in DBs, but I’m a receiver. That’s what I want to be, and I know Hugh Freeze has a background in developing receivers at a high level. Auburn just felt like home, and I needed that home feeling again.”
Why did Foley 5-star Perry Thompson flip to Auburn and does he feel at home now? Here is his answer from Baldwin County Media Day at Bryant Bank. @fhsperryt1 @FoleyLionsFB #alpreps pic.twitter.com/EG3GgNTuGx
— Ben Thomas (@BenThomasPreps) July 31, 2023
The move didn’t come as a huge surprise to Foley head coach Deric Scott.
“I kind of had an idea,” he said. “The kids probably had a pool going on where Perry would end up. Everyone has kind of been on high alert for the last three weeks. It’s a testament to Perry and his talent. I just told him wherever he goes, I’m behind him. He made a decision he is comfortable with and he feels like will be best for him, and we are happy for him.”
Scott wasn’t the only Baldwin County coach happy with Thompson’s decision. Fairhope High’s Tim Carter, a former Auburn High coach, has faced Thompson for each of the past three seasons.
“He’s so talented,” Carter said. “I’ve watched him grow. I know Deric had to play him and some others at an early age. I watched Perry play a lot of safety in 7-on-7 this summer. I just think he has matured well. I hope he doesn’t catch a ball against Fairhope this year, but I hope he catches a bunch at Auburn in the next three or four years.”
Thompson said he is now focused on trying to recruit 5-star Buford, Ga., safety KJ Bolden, the No. 2 senior prospect in Georgia, into this Auburn class. Bolden is scheduled to announce a commitment later this week.
“I really have a strong feeling we can land him actually,” Thompson said.