Auburn Basketball Lands Elite Big Man Recruit

Head coach Steven Pearl adds his second commitment in the last two weeks for the 2027 class.

Brentwood's Davis Cochran (2) committed to the Auburn Tigers on Tuesday afternoon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Auburn Tigers’ basketball program is in full preparation mode as they prepare for their second season under Steven Pearl, but they’ve still been quite busy in the recruiting ranks. On Tuesday, the Tigers landed their second commitment in the last eight days in the form of Davis Cochran.

NEWS: 4⭐️ Davis Cochran has committed to Auburn, he told @Rivals. ⁰⁰The 6-foot-9 power forward is the No. 104 overall recruit in the 2027 class. He also visited Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Clemson. https://t.co/HTYc3CoCyE pic.twitter.com/aA3QuQhskA

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) October 6, 2026

Cochran, who hails from Brentwood, Tenn., is a four-star power forward who is currently ranked as the 23rd-best power forward in the 2027 class as well as the second-best in-class player from his home state of Tennessee. Standing at 6-foot-9 and weighing 220 pounds, Cochran could very well be a big-time difference-maker for the Tigers in the near future.

Cochran joins Jason Gardner, Jr., a fellow four-star prospect, as one of just two commits in the Tigers’ tight-knit 2027 class, as Steven Pearl has been quite picky with his recruits throughout the start of his tenure. Last season, it was just one commit, Caleb Williams. 

The Tigers certainly have no shortage of big-man talent on their roster this season, including Narcisse Ngoy, Mantas Rubštavičius, Thomas Dowd, Owen Freeman and Bukky Oboye, which sets a strong path of development for Cochran, who will have plenty to learn from the more experienced big men on Auburn’s roster already.

Cochran will not be joining the Tigers’ roster until next season, though he could find his way into some playing time quite quickly, as he is used to maximizing production over shorter timeframes. In high school, he averaged 10 points, eight rebounds and an impressive 1.2 blocks per game despite playing just 21 minutes per game, so he certainly knows how to make the most of his time.

The Tigers are looking to build a strong foundation after the disappointment that was last season’s NIT run, and now that Pearl is apparently confident in the makeup of this year’s roster, he is turning his attention to what the future of the Tigers’ basketball program could look like.

The Tigers still have a lot of work to do if they want to return to the dominance they posted in the 2024 season, but picking up key commits while bolstering their current roster with transfers is a great place to start. With the right development and cohesion, the Tigers could very well be a dominant force in basketball within a few seasons.

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