Auburn Lands 4-Star DL Marquis 'MJ' Evans, Bolsters Top-10 Recruiting Class

The Auburn Tigers have landed another commit. 

Alex Golesh and his defensive staff continue to crush the recruiting ranks, as Marquis "MJ" Evans has committed to the Tigers for the 2027 cycle. 

This is a major recruiting win for defensive coordinator DJ Durkin and defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams. Evans is now the 3rd defensive lineman to join this class and bolster the trenches for the second full season of this new regime. 

Evans plays at Spain Park High School in Birmingham, Alabama, and is considered the 10th-best player in the state and the 24th-best defensive lineman in the country. He adds to the already impressive class, which includes multiple top players choosing to stay home and play for Auburn despite a new head coach who seems to have made it his mission to win in Alabama. 

After he announced on Rivals YouTube page, he was asked why Auburn was the right fit for him. "Auburn was the best fit for me because of Coach Golesh. I believe in what he's doing. I think he is going to change the program around", said Evans. "Since the day he came and saw me in January, he kept it real, kept a great relationship, and he tells you what you need to hear. That's the thing about his genuineness. I got guys in my position coaches. They know what they're talking about. They have seen it, they have done it, and that just matters to me the most."

In 2025, his junior season, he recorded 28 tackles, 6 sacks, and a few fumble recoveries across 9 games. According to 247 Analyst TJ Randall, Evans  has "Outstanding physical structure distributes his weight in an ideal manner." He also "Bends and moves at a level beyond expectation for someone with his dimensions."

His metrics have recently been updated to show significant weight gain that could benefit him right away in the SEC and make him a frontrunner in this class as a player who could see early playing time as a freshman. With the newly added 5-for-5 rules, that is a great benefit for Auburn. 

Evans becomes the Tigers 25th player to join Auburn's 2027 class. He joins QB Gary Chatman, RB Myson Johnson-Cook, RB Khamoni Williams, WR Brylan Oduor, WR DeShaun Hall, WR Cedrick Simmons, TE George Lamons, OT Layton Von Brandt, OT Rance Brown, IOL Jaylon Moore, IOL Reed Ramsier, DL Donivan Moore, ED Rion Jackson, ED James Pace III, LB Kareem Palmer, LB Isaac McNeil, CB Nash Johnson III, CB Aidyn Wiggins, S Chance Gilbert, S Knyair Crumb, S Nasir Banks, ATH Preston Williams, and K Noah Ash.

Auburn now has the 10th-best recruiting class in the country for the 2027 cycle. According to 247Sports, they currently rank 5th among conference members and continue to gain momentum in their very first offseason under this new coaching staff.