Auburn’s pursuit of Karlos May has gone from promising to precarious, but the Tigers are still in the fight for one of the top defensive linemen in the 2027 class.
May, a four-star lineman from Ramsay in Birmingham, Ala., has been on Auburn’s radar for a while. The Tigers extended an offer in September of 2024 under Hugh Freeze, and by February of this year they had even picked up a prediction to land him. Since then, the race has shifted sharply, with Auburn now sitting in second place for the in-state target.
On Tuesday, May trimmed his list to four schools: Auburn, Ohio State, Georgia and Florida State. He also set his commitment for July 18, with the announcement coming live on the Rivals YouTube channel at 2:30 p.m. CT.
The numbers tell the story of where this recruitment stands right now. Auburn has just a 3.3% chance to land May, while Ohio State is the clear front-runner at 91%. That’s a steep climb for the Tigers, especially after once holding the momentum in this chase.
May’s profile makes him a major name on Auburn’s board. According to 247Sports, he’s ranked as the 11th-best defensive lineman in his class and the fifth-best player in Alabama. For the Tigers, that puts him squarely in the category of elite in-state talent.
There is at least some debate about how badly Auburn needs him. Back when Steve Wiltfong made his prediction in February, the Tigers’ 2027 class only included four-star defensive lineman Donivan Moore and three-star tight end Trae Proctor. Since then, the class has grown into one of the strongest in the country, and Auburn already has two highly regarded defensive linemen committed in Moore and four-star Nate Kamba.
That creates an interesting question: is May a must-have, or simply a luxury? The case for him is obvious.
He’s ranked above both Moore and Kamba, and landing him would only strengthen an already impressive defensive line haul. The case against is just as straightforward, since Auburn has already built depth at the position.
Still, this is the kind of recruitment Auburn can’t completely dismiss. May would be a major addition no matter how the roster is shaped, and the Tigers have already shown this season that they can beat the odds. Alex Golesh pulled off one of those swings when he landed four-star wide receiver Deshawn Hall from Penn State, despite Hall once being viewed as a near-lock for the Nittany Lions.
If Auburn can do it again with May, it would only add to what has already been a huge offseason on the recruiting trail for Golesh.
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