Alex Golesh hasn’t wasted any time making waves in the recruiting world-and he’s caught the attention of one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 class. Israel Abrams, a 4-star signal-caller out of Montini Catholic in Lombard, Illinois, recently visited Auburn for Junior Day, and by all accounts, the visit left a strong impression.
“Overall, it was a pretty good experience,” Abrams said. “Just getting out here and meeting all the coaching staff, spending time with the coaches, just going over ball and stuff.
They were very welcoming. You could tell they wanted me here.
They care for me. You can tell that ...
It was a good time. One-hundred percent, I’ll definitely be coming back soon.”
That’s not just a polite post-visit soundbite. Abrams has been considered a heavy Iowa State lean for much of his recruitment, but the landscape shifted dramatically when Matt Campbell left Ames to take the head coaching job at Penn State. Now, the door is open-and Golesh is pushing through it.
At 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Abrams brings the kind of frame and upside that programs build around. He’s currently ranked as the No. 3 quarterback in the 2027 class and sits at No. 44 overall nationally. He’s planning a return trip to Auburn for an official visit this summer, and if that visit goes as well as the first, the Tigers could position themselves as serious contenders in his recruitment.
So where does Abrams fit in the bigger picture at Auburn?
Golesh took over following a season of significant transition at the quarterback position. The Tigers saw a full-scale reset in the QB room after the departures of Deuce Knight, Ashton Daniels, and Jackson Arnold to the transfer portal. Knight, a former 5-star recruit, was expected to compete for the starting job in 2026 after a redshirt freshman season, but his move to Ole Miss left a major question mark behind center beyond this upcoming season.
Enter Byrum Brown and Locklan Hewlett-two quarterbacks who followed Golesh from USF-as well as Oregon State transfer Tristan T’ia and 3-star high school signee Rhys Brush. Brown, in particular, looks like the guy for 2026.
He’s coming off a breakout season at USF where he threw for over 3,100 yards and 28 touchdowns, while also adding 14 scores on the ground. That kind of dual-threat production fits perfectly in Golesh’s up-tempo, spread-heavy system.
But the long-term future? That’s where Abrams could come in.
If Golesh can land Abrams, it would be a major statement-not just about his ability to recruit elite talent, but about the direction he’s taking this Auburn program. Abrams has the tools to be a cornerstone quarterback, and with the Tigers’ QB room still in flux beyond 2026, the timing couldn’t be better.
It’s early in the process, and there’s still a long way to go before Abrams signs anywhere. But one thing’s clear: Auburn is very much in the mix, and Golesh is making his pitch loud and clear.