Auburn football at the top for former Miami commit Elijah Melendez

After his recent decommitment from the Hurricanes, linebacker Elijah Melendez has high interest in the Tigers

The hype surrounding Auburn football is increasing, and the Tigers' recruitment momentum is starting to convince high-level recruits to consider a future on the Plains. Auburn's recruiting rankings have skyrocketed since Big Cat Weekend, and the good news keeps pouring in.

The Tigers kicked off their season on Saturday night against Alabama A&M in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Despite the low-level opponent, the atmosphere in JHS was unbeatable, and the recruits attending the game were hyped up the whole time. One of the visitors on campus this weekend was 4-star linebacker Elijah Melendez.

Melendez was previously committed to Miami, but walked back his pledge to the Hurricanes just hours before Auburn's kickoff. On Monday the linebacker told On3 he chose to decommit due to family reasons, and said he wants to land in a college town where he can really focus on getting to the NFL. After a weekend on the Plains, the Tigers have emerged as the leader in Melendez's recruitment.

“It was electric, I didn’t expect it to be that big of a game with the opponent that they were facing, but it was just very electric,” Melendez said, per On3. "Yeah, I would say that (Auburn leads). I feel like they’re making me a priority.”

Auburn football extended a scholarship offer to Melendez back in April, and he officially visited the Plains over the summer. From Osceola, Florida, Melendez is ranked as the #17 linebacker in the recruiting class of 2025 and the #23 overall recruit out of the Sunshine State. So far, the linebacker has yet to set a timeline for a decision and is focused on finishing his senior season strong, but all sign are pointing to Melendez ending up a Tiger.