Auburn football: Vanderbilt transfer edge Elijah McAllister commits to AU

Just one day away from the early national signing period the Auburn football program is still securing commits, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be stopping anytime soon. Prior to hiring Hugh Freeze, the Tigers had only 10 commits, but in under a month as head coach of the program, Freeze has secured five more commits and two transfers.

Heading into this recruiting cycle, the biggest needs for the Tigers were along the offensive line and at the edge position, where only Dylan Brooks will be returning in 2023 with Eku Leota and Derick Hall moving on.

Freeze addressed the o-line problem immediately, closing in on two high school OL that weren’t sold on Harsin, and chasing after several more in the transfer portal. Now, he’s working on chipping away at the lack of depth at the edge position.

Ahead of the early signing period, Vanderbilt transfer edge Elijah McAllister announced that he would continue his collegiate career with the Auburn football program:

McAllister played in 65 total games for the Commodores through three seasons, and totaled 38 solo tackles, 27 assisted tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and three passes deflected. He did not play during the 2020 COVID season, and will play his final year of eligibility on the Plains.

Getting McAllister, who was also considering Boston College and Virginia Tech, is a huge addition to the roster, and is the second edge to join the Tigers in the recruiting class of 2023. The other is Opelika native Brenton Williams, who committed to Auburn shortly after the Iron Bowl.

Heading into the early signing period, the Tigers currently have 15 high school and two transfer commits, and have the #25 overall recruiting class and the #9 class in the SEC ahead of Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.