Auburn’s push for the 2028 class may already be getting a major lift from one of Alabama’s rising quarterbacks.
Sam Sollie, a fast-moving 3-star QB from Gadsden City, is drawing serious attention from the Tigers and appears to be trending in their direction ahead of his Aug. 8 decision. If he does pick Auburn, he would become the first commitment in Auburn’s 2028 class.
That possibility fits the early momentum around Alex Golesh’s program. ESPN’s Craig Haubert placed Auburn in a strong top-10 spot in his top 30 recruiting ranking, a promising start for a staff that is clearly trying to build something with staying power. Auburn is also in the mix for another major 2028 target, top Alabama prospect Nememiah McCary.
What makes Sollie especially intriguing is that this is not just Auburn doing the chasing. He has been open about how much the Tigers already mean to him. Speaking to SI’s Brooks Crew, Sollie said:
“I love Auburn ... Just the coaching staff, I love what Golesh is going to do this year.
I love the campus; I love the fanbase. I actually grew up an Auburn fan, so Auburn’s extra special to me too… I remember going to games when I was younger and thinking to myself, like ‘dang, I want to be one of those guys one day.
I want to be an Auburn Tiger.”
That kind of quote is exactly what Auburn wants to hear from a quarterback this early in the process. The Tigers have recruited him harder than anyone else, and Sollie told Crew, "Auburn is 100% trending towards the top of his board.”
His recent activity has only added to that feeling. Sollie’s X account has been heavy on Auburn content lately, and he even liked a comment on Rival’s Chad Simmons’ X post that read, “Auburn would be wise to keep pushing for this kid.”
So while August 8 is the date to circle, Auburn is already acting like it has a real shot here.
The bigger picture is obvious: quarterbacks shape classes, and classes shape rosters. If Auburn lands Sollie, the staff would be banking on a player who still has two more seasons to climb, develop and potentially rise even higher in the recruiting rankings. In other words, the Tigers could be getting in early on a quarterback whose best football is still ahead of him.
For now, the next step is simple. Wait for the decision. Then see whether Auburn can turn all this early buzz into its first 2028 commitment.
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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 🡒]
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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 🡒]