Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh and Co. have plenty of competition for two of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 recruiting class. So far, teams from the Big Ten and Sunshine State programs from the ACC are Auburn's top competition for Will Mencl and Israel Abrams.
Mencl's decision will come sometime in April, with the Tigers battling the Oregon Ducks, Miami Hurricanes, and Penn State Nittany Lions for the Chandler, Arizona, product. Mencl is the 247Sports Composite No. 13-ranked product.
Abrams, meanwhile, is ranked No. 3 for 247Sports Composite and is the No. 46-ranked overall prospect in the 2027 class. The Arlington Heights, Illinois, product is being pursued heavily by the Florida State Seminoles, Kentucky Wildcats, Miami, and the Purdue Boilermakers.
Abrams has commented positively on Golesh and his staff, saying, “I just think talking to Coach Golesh over time, getting to know him and his family I feel like that’s a type of man I want to be coached under ... He has the same values my dad has so that obviously translates over and that’s someone you want to play for ... The coaches they show so much love. They’re always reaching out. They’re always there. I probably talk to Coach Hayden Kingston and Coach (Joel) Gordon at least three times a week, both of them. The connection is definitely building and getting better.”
Alex Golesh can inspire recruiting confidence with top 2027 recruit
Hugh Freeze had hype with transfers like Payton Thorne and Jackson Arnold, and high school recruits like Walker White and Deuce Knight. Golesh is hoping to provide sizzle and steak, with Byrum Brown and Locklan Hewlett making their way to the Plains from the USF Bulls and Tristan Ti'a making his way from the Oregon State Beavers.
Should Brown play as advertised, recruits will want to stick the course and wait their turn under Golesh. Who knows if Knight would've stayed, even if the program had retained Freeze, given how little proof of concept there was? Helwett and Ti'a could make for an intriguing 2027 QB battle, with Abrams or Mencl entering the fray in 2028.
The QB position finally looks like a positive. Let's see if the Golesh era will deliver much-needed stellar play under center.