Auburn Faces Massive Recruiting Test This Weekend

It's another big weekend on the Plains for the Auburn Tigers. 

After two exciting official visit weekends to kick off the summer, Alex Golesh and his coaching staff have found themselves just outside the top 10 in team recruiting rankings after all the big-time commitments into the program. 

With two big additions on Monday in 4-Star offensive lineman Reed Ramsier and 4-Star Safety Chance Gilbert, the Tigers now sit at 15 in the 2027 class, with room for more. 

Auburn will host 5 players over the weekend, some with high expectations in hopes of becoming part of the recruiting class, and others who are already committed to Auburn or elsewhere. 

The biggest name heading into this weekend is 4-Star defensive lineman Karlos May. 

The 6-foot, 330-pound high schooler out of Birmingham is viewed as the 8th best player in the state of Alabama and the 17th best defensive lineman in the country. The way DJ Durkin schemes his defense, having big defensive linemen in the trenches picking up double teams helps his linebackers flourish. May fits that mold to a tee. 

However, what seemed like a sure thing that May would be heading to Auburn has recently raised some doubts after his official visit last weekend. May visited the Georgia Bulldogs and stated that Kirby Smart and the staff in Athens are his new number one program. 

He told Rivals, "I'm just going to be honest, they're in the number one spot right now, and you can publicize that, matter of fact, put emphasis on that, they're the number one spot right now." 

Golesh, Durkin, and defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams will need to pull out all the stops this weekend to get him back on board with the new regime. 

Nate Kamba, another defensive lineman, will also be on campus this weekend. Unlike May, Kamba isn't coming straight from high school, but from Covian Community School in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Another in-state player is expected on the Plains this weekend, but he may also be double-booked. Safety Junior Tu'upo from Alabaster, Alabama, is projected to meet with Golesh, DJ Durkin, and the rest of the defensive staff during an official visit. According to On3, he also has an official visit lined up with the Alabama Crimson Tide, so we will see which one he goes to, or if he splits his weekend at both Auburn and Tuscaloosa. 

Finally, Auburn will host 3-Star wide receiver Chad Willis to the Plains this weekend. Willis, who is from Southfield, Michigan, is already committed to the Cincinnati Bearcats, but is still taking the official visit. A flip could be possible, but if he decides to stay inside the Big 12, Cincy's head coach, Scott Satterfield, is rumored to be on the hot seat. Building a relationship with a player like Willis could benefit next year's transfer portal if a coaching change is made.