2028 Maplesville linebacker Nehemiah McCary is a guest of honor at Auburn's SEC opener against Florida at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Week 3.
For both teams.
247Sports' Brendan Sonnone reported that the Gators pose a legitimate threat to the Tigers and the Crimson Tide in the McCary pursuit.
Positionally, Jon Sumrall is dangling quite the carrot to defect from the Yellowhammer State.
"There's a sentiment around Nehemiah McCary that he'll likely stay close to home and decide between Alabama or Auburn," Sonnone wrote.
"It makes sense on the surface. McCary is soft spoken, he's from a small community in rural Alabama and his favorite pastimes outside of football are playing video games and mowing the grass. He doesn't need a lot outside of his narrow comfort zone to be happy.
"...He's close to high-use rotational linebacker Myles Johnson, and the Gators view the malleable athlete as more of a linebacker while Auburn and Alabama project McCary as a defensive end type. Florida is an outlier in a few ways among these top three."
McCary brings a versatile skill set to the game that includes running back instincts on the other side of the ball. McCary brings the full picture together from a mental perspective, but brings burst to his tracking as someone used to blasting through the gaps with the ball in his hands.
He projects as an off-ball linebacker, but as Sonnone noted, there's interest in putting him on the edge. McCary is someone who can be used all over the field.
He'd be a fantastic in-state addition to the culture. Sumrall is a challenge in the state of Alabama, though.
Auburn must defend homefield versus in-state invader with Alabama ties
Sumrall built his Troy teams with in-state talent. The Trojans had two tackles, a quarterback, a running back, a corner, and a linebacker from the state of Alabama in the 2022 high school recruiting class. He upped those in-state numbers in 2023.
Sumrall recruited several Alabama prospects to Tulane as well, including Noah Igbinoghene's brother, Michael.
Sumrall is familiar with the state. Making a statement in Jordan-Hare Stadium could help sway a two-way athlete in McCary to go a couple of hundred miles south to the "Swamp."
Of course, the opposite could potentially be in effect, too.
Alex Golesh and Auburn can defend homefield in their own statement
Sumrall could be a secondary storyline if Alex Golesh's Tigers prove that Auburn defends its home field these days. That was a massive weakness for his predecessor.
Golesh reversing that trend would be naturally attractive to high school recruits who are used to the Tigers losing SEC football games en masse.
DJ Durkin continues to have the defense performing at a high level, so it's unclear how long he'll stay in the defensive coordinator seat before he gets aggressive offers to be someone's coach.
Still, the allure of being part of Auburn's revival is a strong draw for anyone growing up in Alabama who ever had a soft spot for the orange and blue.
We'll see if the Tigers give McCary something to think about either way against the Gators on Saturday night.
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