Auburn’s recruiting board could get a major jolt later today, but the Tigers are no longer sitting in the driver’s seat for one of their top targets.
Karlos May, a four-star defensive lineman in the 2027 class, is set to announce his commitment at 4 p.m. CT.
Auburn is still in the mix, but Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine currently gives Ohio State the edge, with the Buckeyes sitting at 91.4% to land him. Auburn is next at 3.3%.
May is one of the more coveted defensive linemen in the class. The Alabama native checks in at 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, and he is ranked as the 11th-best defensive lineman in the 2027 cycle and the fifth-best player in his home state.
Not long ago, this looked like Auburn’s race to lose. Just over a month ago, the Tigers were carrying a 91% chance to land May, and Georgia was viewed as the main threat after May spoke highly of the Bulldogs.
Now the picture has shifted. Georgia is still technically alive, but its chance is down to 1.3%, making the Bulldogs the only other team with a legitimate shot, according to Rivals. Even so, the timing may be working against them.
Auburn has already pulled off a late flip in a similar situation this year. Four-star wide receiver Deshawn Hall was once projected to end up at Penn State with more than a 90% chance, only for Auburn to surge late and land him on the Plains.
That said, prying May away from Ohio State would be a different kind of challenge. Alex Golesh and his staff would need a strong finish to change the outcome.
There is also the question of fit. Auburn’s 2027 class already includes two highly regarded defensive linemen in Donivan Moore and Nate Kamba, plus three additional edge rushers. May would be a major addition, but the Tigers may be better served directing their remaining energy toward another receiver or a defensive piece elsewhere.
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Golesh has also had to manage the defensive side of the transition, where Auburn kept some core pieces but still needed outside help to replace players who moved on to the NFL. That kind of churn can speed up a reset if the newcomers settle in quickly, but it also leaves plenty of moving parts heading into the season. For Auburn, the bigger question is not whether the roster changed, because it clearly did, but how quickly all of those changes can start looking like a team. [Read more 🡒]