Auburn’s lone traditional high school commit in the 2026 class is already drawing praise from inside the program.
In an interview with Justin Hokanson of On3 on Tuesday, Steven Pearl said Caleb Williams has stood out during the summer and made a strong early impression on the Tigers.
“Caleb has probably been one of the surprises of the summer,” Pearl said. “He’s got a great frame on him.
He’s not scared. He’s here to compete.”
Williams is a three-star shooting guard who is ranked 26th among shooting guards in the 2026 class and 28th among players from his home state of Tampa. He committed to Auburn in November and finished the cycle as the team’s only traditional high school commit.
That matters because the Tigers do not have much proven depth waiting behind their top backcourt pieces. Auburn is expected to lean heavily on Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton at point guard and shooting guard, with Vanderbilt transfer George Kimble in line for backup minutes. Beyond that, there is not yet another experienced, high-level option at shooting guard.
That opens the door for Williams to get a real shot at playing time in 2026. Auburn has already shown it can bring young guards along quickly, and Pettiford is the clearest example. As a true freshman during the Tigers’ 2024 Final Four run, he played in all 38 games, averaged 22.9 minutes, and put up 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Pettiford then took another step in 2025 as Auburn’s starting point guard, and that role could eventually be Williams’ depending on whether Pettiford’s production this season pushes him to the NBA.
The Tigers’ recent track record with young guards also includes Denver Jones and Miles Kelly, who were Auburn’s two main starters in 2024 and helped shape Pettiford into the player he became. Now Pettiford has a chance to do the same with Williams, alongside the veteran Overton, who earned Most Outstanding Player honors during Auburn’s 2025 NIT Championship run.
Williams is not rated as highly as Pettiford was when he arrived, but Pearl’s comments make it clear Auburn sees real upside. Whether he ends up in the starting five, off the bench, or somewhere in between, Williams should have plenty of chances to show what he can do once he gets to the Plains.
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