Auburn may not be in the national title conversation in 2026, but the Tigers could still end up shaping Georgia’s 2028 recruiting picture in a big way.
The target at the center of it all is edge rusher Kameron McGee, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2028. Georgia has made real headway with McGee, and he has already locked in a visit to Athens on Oct. 17 - the same day the Bulldogs are set to host Auburn in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.
That matchup could carry more weight than just what happens on the field. According to Dawn of the Dawg, a strong Georgia performance against Auburn may help push the Bulldogs even closer to landing McGee.
Trevor Michael put it bluntly: "The Auburn game is one of Georgia's most important matchups every season," Trevor Michael wrote. "Auburn hasn't been much of a threat in the SEC during the last decade, but as one of Georgia's rivals they are always an important team to beat.
"If Georgia can dominate Auburn and get a big win on the field that will only increase their chances of winning McGee's recruitment. If however they struggle or somehow lose then that could immediately end McGee's interest in Georgia."
Georgia has plenty working in its favor. The game will be played in Athens, the Bulldogs have beaten Auburn nine straight times, and Auburn’s last win in Athens came in 2005. The Tigers also enter the season with a first-year head coach in Alex Golesh, which adds another layer to a rebuilding situation.
Still, Auburn’s role in this is simple: if the Tigers can spring an upset, they could force McGee to take a harder look at Georgia. That’s the kind of ripple effect a rivalry game can have when a top recruit is watching closely.
Georgia already has one elite 2028 piece in the fold, with the Bulldogs signing No. 2 overall recruit Jayden Wade, a 5-star quarterback. But the race for McGee remains open, with Notre Dame, Miami and Oregon also in the mix. Notre Dame is currently viewed as a slight favorite.
When October arrives, the Georgia-Auburn game may mean more than bragging rights. It could help decide where the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2028 wants to play.
In Other News...
Auburns New Camp Crackdown Shows How Serious Alex Golesh Is
Alex Golesh is making a clear statement about how he wants camp to look in Auburn, shifting the football teams routine during a stretch he views as critical for building habits and tightening the standard. The move comes after a turbulent offseason that already included a player arrest and a dismissal, and it arrives as several players have also been working through injuries in fall camp.
The point is less about scenery than control, with Golesh putting discipline and team culture front and center as the Tigers try to get sharpened before the season moves any closer. For a program trying to steady itself, the message is simple enough: the next couple of weeks are about football, focus and not much else. [Read more 🡒]
DJ Durkin Reveals What Working With Alex Golesh Means For Auburn
DJ Durkin is back for his third fall camp at Auburn, and this one carries a different feel. For the first time, he is working under new head coach Alex Golesh, after choosing to stay on as defensive coordinator when Golesh was hired, a move that helped Auburn keep its defensive roster intact and gave the program some continuity heading into the next phase.
The timing matters because Auburns defense just turned in its best year under Durkin since 2015, allowing 20.1 points per game in 2025. As the Tigers prepare for the 2026 fall camp, the challenge is no longer just preserving what was built, but seeing how Durkin and Golesh mesh while trying to keep the defense on that same track. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Opens Fall Camp With Early Injury Concerns Fans Will Feel Fast
Fall camp opened with the kind of update no team wants to hear in August, as Alex Golesh began laying out Auburns injury picture before the first practices could really settle in. The Tigers are already working around a few banged-up players, but there is some short-term optimism in the group, with Shamar Arnoux and AnQuon Fagans both considered day-to-day and several others expected to work back in by the end of camp.
The more pressing concern is up front and in the secondary, where the numbers can thin out fast if absences linger. Auburn will have to manage the early weeks without Tai Buster for a significant stretch, and Devin Williams is already lost for the year after a knee injury, leaving the staff to sort through depth and availability while the rest of camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]