Auburn Star Center Declares for 2026 NFL Draft

The Auburn Tigers have lost yet another player who could’ve returned in 2026.

This time, it’s due to reasons other than the transfer portal, as standout center Connor Lew has declared for the NFL Draft, he announced via social media on Sunday. He marks Auburn’s third offensive lineman to declare for the draft, joining Dillon Wade and Jeremiah Wright.

"Auburn Family, thank you for shaping me into the man and player I am today," Lew said in his social media statement. "Auburn provided me with an opportunity, a platform and a standard — and I've strived to uphold it every day through my work, preparation, and the way I represent this program.”

“And to the fans — thank you for showing up, believing in us, and making Auburn what it is,” Lew continued. “The support you give this program is different, and I will never forget what it means to play here.”

Lew was a junior last season, meaning he could’ve returned for his senior year if he had wished. However, although his 2025 campaign was cut short due to a season-ending knee injury, Lew has opted to forgo his final year with the Tigers.

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With Lew’s departure, all five of Auburn’s starting offensive linemen from the 2025 season have either declared their intention to leave or are expected to be out of eligibility. Starting left tackle Xavier Chaplin has already announced his plan to enter the transfer portal, while Wade and Wright have declared for the draft, as mentioned previously.

Starting right tackle Mason Murphy and “sixth-man” Izavion Miller are out of eligibility and are expected to try to make it professionally, but they haven’t officially declared for the NFL Draft yet.

Lew was a staple of Auburn’s offensive line for the last three seasons, and he was one of the most coveted signees of Hugh Freeze’s first recruiting class in 2023. He was rated four stars out of high school by 247Sports and was ranked as the No. 28 interior offensive lineman in the 2023 cycle.

The Acworth, Ga., native saw his first action as a freshman in 2023 following an injury to starter Avery Jones, and he never looked back. Lew was named to the SEC All-Freshman team and earned 247Sports true freshman All-American honors, as well as attaining SEC Freshman of the Week recognition at one point throughout the year.

Lew started every game in 2024 and became a captain in 2025, but what is now his last season on the Plains came to an abrupt halt when he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the Tigers’ 23-17 double overtime loss to Missouri. He started all seven games prior to his injury.

Lew was projected as a first-round or second-round draft pick before the season, but his draft stock has slowly declined since the injury. He is now a projected third-round pick.

True freshman Kail Ellis, who doesn’t turn 18 years old until April 2026, stepped up in Lew’s absence for a solid amount of time. He made two starts –at Arkansas and against Kentucky – and held his own against much more experienced SEC defensive fronts.

Murphy also saw snaps at center, but with Murphy graduating, Ellis will likely take over as Auburn’s full-time starter, unless Alex Golesh and company bring one in from the portal.