Five-Star Defensive Prospect Includes Auburn as a Top Landing Spot

The Auburn Tigers are among the list of 12 schools that a five-star edge has on his radar

Auburn still has a shot to land a five-star defender | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Though the 2026 recruiting cycle is far from its conclusion, Alex Golesh and his staff with the Auburn Tigers have already begun to look to their future. One key player, an edge rusher in the class of 2027, announced Tuesday that he has narrowed down his top schools to 12, and Auburn is included on that list.

NEWS: Elite 2027 EDGE Anthony Sweeney is down to 12 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’4 230 EDGE is ranked as a Top 25 Recruit in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankings (No. 3 EDGE)

Where Should He Go?https://t.co/kZ3Vvi3ZR1 pic.twitter.com/fWwpxIyEJX

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 27, 2026

Anthony Sweeney, a 6-foot-4, 230-pounder, is listed as a five-star prospect by 247 Sports. He’s the 18th-best player in the 2027 class, the third-best edge rusher in the country and the No. 1 overall prospect from his home state of Maryland.

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Needless to say, he’d be a massive pickup for DJ Durkin’s defense, which has already flashed top talent with names like Malik Autry and Jourdin Crawford. The Tigers’ defense has become widely known as one of the best in the country under Durkin, which has no doubt led to Sweeney’s inclusion of Auburn on this list.

Auburn will have to contend with top schools from all across the country and a multitude of conferences if it wants to land Sweeney, though. Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and LSU are all on Sweeney’s top-12 list as well, and that’s just in conference.

National Champion runner-up Miami has also made it onto Sweeney’s list, as well as top NIL spenders Texas Tech and Oregon, so Sweeney will have options depending on which route he wants to take.

There’s certainly a place for Sweeney in Auburn with the absence of Keldric Faulk, who declared for the 2026 NFL Draft at the end of the 2025 season. Though Sweeney is still a full season out from coming to Auburn, he could very well find himself as the next big edge rusher on the Plains.

Currently, Auburn’s 2027 class is ranked as the 49th-best in the country, with a lone recruit in three-star tight end Trae Proctor.