Auburn’s push in the 2028 class may be picking back up, and the latest sign points to an in-state linebacker.
On Tuesday, Rivals’ Chad Simmons logged a prediction that Ryquan Butler will end up in an Auburn class. Butler, a three-star linebacker from Loachapoka, Ala., is ranked as the 34th-best linebacker in the 2028 cycle and the 19th-best player in Alabama.
The numbers currently favor the Tigers heavily. Auburn is sitting at 95.7% to land Butler, while Alabama trails at 1.6% and Ole Miss sits at 1.4%. At this point, it would take a major shift for either of the other two programs to pull him away.
Butler already gave Auburn plenty to like when Auburn Tigers on SI spoke with him in June. He praised the direction of the staff and came away impressed by the conversations he had on the Plains.
“The coaching staff at Auburn has set a new standard of what mission they are trying to accomplish and I see it working out well,” he said. “I had a great talk with Coach Golesh, I mean he is an inspiring coach.
I also had a great conversation with Coach Durkin, where he gave it straight forward of what’s expected at the next level. Big shoutout to Coach Brad [Bedell] for inviting me.”
Auburn has already put together one of the strongest 2027 classes in the country, and Alex Golesh is now clearly making the 2028 group a priority. Right now, the Tigers’ lone commitment in that class is three-star quarterback Sam Sollie.
If Butler ends up joining him, Auburn would be adding another linebacker to a room that has already been stocked with high-end talent. The Tigers had Xavier Atkins leading the way last year, and Elijah Melendez is the current statistical leader this season.
Butler believes his game can translate well once he gets to the next level.
“I’m a versatile linebacker who is a film junkie,” he said. “I can dissect an offense before the snap, I can line up my whole defense, also I can play sideline to sideline… I believe I need to get bigger on the weight side and more on the college level of game speed.”
In Other News...
Auburn Already Has A Byrum Brown Problem It Can't Ignore
Byrum Browns early run with Auburn has already turned into one of the seasons quiet pressure points. Through three weeks, the transfer quarterback has completed just under 65% of his passes for 780 yards, with five touchdowns and four interceptions, while much of the offense has depended on his decision-making to keep drives alive. Even with those numbers, CBS Sports left him off its top-50 quarterbacks list, a sign that national respect has not caught up with the role Auburn has asked him to play.
Browns decline as a runner has also changed the feel of the offense, since his rushing production and scoring on the ground are both well below what he delivered a year ago. For Auburn, the concern is bigger than one ranking or one rough stretch, because the offense has struggled overall and Brown remains central to how much it can recover. The Tigers need more than steady quarterback play now, and the gap between what they are asking Brown to do and what the offense has actually produced is getting harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn's O-Line Shuffle Is Putting Fresh Pressure On One Freshman
Auburns offensive line came out of the Florida game with plenty to clean up after allowing seven sacks and never really getting the run game going. For first-year head coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, the larger concern is how quickly they can settle a front that is still being adjusted on the fly, with true freshman Wilson Zierer making his first start in the middle of the shuffle.
Zierers debut gave Auburn a glimpse of both the upside and the growing pains that come with asking a first-year player to handle a major role this early. The inconsistency was part of the story, but so was the support around him, as teammates pointed to his work ethic and attitude after the game. The question now is how much more responsibility the Tigers are willing to place on him while the line keeps searching for its best version. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Homecoming Test Just Got More Dangerous Than Fans Expected
Auburns Homecoming weekend now comes with a little more edge than usual, as the Tigers prepare to host undefeated Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon. The 3:15 p.m. CT kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium will put Auburn in front of a team that has already handled every challenge it has seen, and it arrives with freshman quarterback Jared Curtis set for his first road start.
Auburn coach Alex Golesh has already pointed to Curtiss talent while also noting Vanderbilts aggressive defensive style, which adds another layer to a matchup that looked dangerous from the start. The game will be carried on SEC Network and the Auburn Sports Network, and for Auburn, the timing makes it feel like more than just another conference game. [Read more 🡒]