Alex Golesh hasn’t landed a high volume of recruits in the early stages of the 2027 recruiting cycle. The quality, though, has proven that the former USF head coach can trade blows with national powerhouses. No commitment has sent that message more clearly than four-star offensive tackle Layton Von Brandt.
Von Brandt, a top-100 recruit in the country and former Penn State commit under James Franklin, was projected to join Marcus Freeman’s class at Notre Dame before he made the surprising announcement that he’ll be heading down to The Plains.
That commitment, and the momentum built with the talented crop of visitors on campus for Big Cat Weekend, may be the start of a real hot streak for the Tigers. So, who are the most likely next commits for Auburn in the 2027 class? Three names stand out.
1. Rance Brown, OT, 3-star, Visit date: May 29 - May 16 (Big Cat Weekend)
It’s never a bad idea to add more talent in the trenches. So, even after Von Brandt’s commitment, Auburn is still reportedly pushing hard for Brown. He’ll be back on The Plains for his official visit two weeks after Big Cat Weekend, and that momentum could lead to a commitment. He’s already been predicted to commit to Auburn, and the Tigers are huge favorites by the Rivals prediction machine at 94 percent.
2. Marquis Evans, EDGE, 3-star, Visit date: June 5 - May 16 (Big Cat Weekend)
Auburn did a great job of retaining much of its young defensive line talent after hiring Golesh and retaining defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. That was part of the reason it was critical to keep Durkin on staff. Still, with Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford both gone, there’s uncertainty at EDGE heading into Year 1.
Golesh has already landed a commitment from four-star defensive lineman Donivan Moore in the 2027 class, but more additions are, of course, on the way. A 6-foot-5, 235-pound in-state talent like Evans needs to be a priority for the new staff, and they seem to be close to closing the deal.
3. Nash Johnson, DB, 3-star, Visit date: May 29 - May 16 (Big Cat Weekend)
Nash Johnson de-committed from Alabama in April, and since then, Auburn has been surging in his recruitment. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound cornerback is the 530th-ranked recruit in the country and is heavily favored to choose the Tigers over Miami, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, where he also has official visits scheduled.
Johnson was a Big Cat Weekend visitor and will be back for Auburn’s first weekend of traditional official visits. He’s spoken about his strong relationship with DeMarcus Van Dyke, Auburn’s new cornerbacks coach, who followed Golesh from USF. While he isn’t an in-state recruit, the Powder Springs, Georgia, native also mentioned Auburn’s proximity as a strong selling point.
4. Karlos May, DL, 4-star, Visit date: June 12 - May 16 (Big Cat Weekend)
Coming out of Big Cat Weekend, Rivals’ Chad Simmons has predicted that May will choose the Tigers. The 6-foot-2, 330-pound Birmingham native will also be back on campus for a traditional official visit on June 12, his penultimate trip of the spring visit season. He’ll also be heading to Florida State, Georgia, and Ohio State, but Auburn looms as the clear favorite in this race.
May is the 165th-ranked recruit in the Rivals Industry rankings, and the eighth-ranked recruit in Alabama. He hasn’t yet set a date for his commitment, so he may delay it through his four official visits, but it’s hard to see Auburn giving up this much ground.
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