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Twins Derick “Duke” Smith and Erick Smith from Southside High School made their college destinations official by signing their letters of intent to play for Auburn University Wednesday.

Duke is a 6-1, 185-pound consensus four-star athlete who played numerous positions for the Panthers. He is rated as one of the top 10 in the state. He will also be playing the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game on Saturday, Dec. 14, in Mobile and the Navy All-American Game on Jan. 11 in San Antonio that will be broadcast on NBC.

Erick is the taller of the brothers coming in at 6-6, 190 pounds. He’s rated as a three-star wide receiver and has been one of the top receivers for Southside the past few years.

“I’m blessed to have the opportunity with my twin brother to play in sports all that life,” Duke said. “Auburn, we’re bringing in highly good energy. We’re coming in like we’ve been there before, like we’re coming there like we’re ready to play.”

It didn’t take head coach Charles Moody long to figure out that the twins were going to be special athletes. He was watching them play against Martin Middle School, and they stood out against everyone else.

“They were just out there running like deer, catching balls,” Moody said. “I want to say both of them had two touchdowns apiece the first game I watched them play, and I said, ‘oh, those guys going to be special.’”

Moody said it was great to watch the Smith twins grow and mature. He said he pushed him to be the very best they could.

The recruiting process changed a lot with Duke initially and then Erick. Michigan actually gave Derick his first offer, and then Alabama offered. After that, nearly everyone that saw him wanted him, including Ole Miss, Florida State, Miami, Florida and others. Auburn wasn’t Derick’s radar until after Hugh Freeze became the head coach.

But the process got to be stressful for Derick as he was deciding on where he wanted to play. Moody believed Auburn’s approach is what may have convinced Derick and his brother to eventually go to the Plains.

“And a lot of schools was on him really hard, but at some point, the recruitment process got to be a little too much,” Moody said. “The whole time he committed to Alabama, I just feel like Auburn kind of handled him in a way that he wanted to be handled, where they didn’t worry him, they didn’t bother him. They just continued to show him and tell him what they had to offer for him.”

Moody knows Duke and Erick are both going to show up ready to work. But he believes they will bring a winning culture to Auburn.

“The biggest thing is they’re getting winners,” Moody said. “You know, those guys believe in winning. They’ve never had a losing season their entire careers, and they do whatever it takes to win.”

Moody believes they have the ability to not only compete at the college level and beyond.

“There’s no ceiling for either one of them,” Moody said. “I think we could look up and both of them could be in the NFL window.”

The brothers are leaving behind a winning legacy at Southside. The 2024 campaign was the best season on record for the Panthers, as they went 11-3 advancing to the state semifinals.

Erick said he believes the next group will continue the success they started.

“We set the tone for the younger boys that come after us, so they’re looking forward to being in the same position next year,” Erick said.

Summaries from Auburn:

Duke Smith (WR, 6-2, 190; Southside HS; Selma, Ala.): Highly productive offensive weapon for Coach Charles Moody at Southside High … rushed for 1,036 yards and had 1,487 receiving yards as a junior, scoring 23 touchdowns … team captain … Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game, U.S. Navy All-American Bowl … ranked among the top five athlete recruits nationally by 247 Sports, Rivals, On3 and ESPN … top 5 in-state prospect by On3 and ESPN … also a basketball letterman … twin brother of fellow Auburn signee Erick Smith … son of Derick Smith Sr.

Erick Smith (WR, 6-6, 190; Southside HS; Selma, Ala.): Athletic wide receiver prospect … team captain for Coach Charles Moody at Southside High … rated among the top 50 overall prospects in the state of Alabama by 247 Sports … also a basketball and track and field letterman … twin brother of fellow Auburn signee Duke Smith … son of Derick Smith Sr.