Former Auburn 5-Star Commits to Bitter Rival

The former Auburn Tigers edge rusher has switched sides in one of the biggest rivalry games on the calendar for the program

Auburn sees a former edge rusher join the other side of a top rivalry | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers lost former 5-star edge rusher Amaris Williams in this year’s portal cycle, and on Thursday, Williams committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, moving to the other sideline of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

Williams was ranked as the No. 30 player in the nation out of Clinton High School in North Carolina, and was the No. 5 edge recruit in the country. On3’s Rivals was slightly lower on him, ranking him the No. 64 overall player and the No. 10 edge rusher. 

However, there was no denying his pedigree, as he entered his true freshman season in 2024 as a preseason true freshman All-American selection via 247Sports. He didn’t quite live up to that level of hype, though he did see his fair share of action, recording 7 total tackles and half a sack.

2025 saw Williams’ production increase dramatically, with the sophomore playing in 11 of Auburn’s 12 games. He racked up 9 solo tackles and 2 sacks, and flashed some excellent ability to get to the passes. Despite being behind some other more experienced players off the edge, it seemed clear that Williams would be primed to take over for the Tigers in 2026. However, it was not to be, as he announced his intent to enter the transfer portal soon after the end of the season.

Williams retained most of his recruiting ranking as a transfer, being rated a 4-star by both 247Sports and Rivals. 247Sports once again has him ranked the No. 30 player in the nation, as well as the No. 5 edge rusher. Rivals is slightly lower again, ranking him the No. 48 player in the portal and the No. 6 edge rusher. 

Georgia, which was a factor in Williams’ initial recruitment despite never getting him in on an official visit, swooped in to pick up the blossoming talent from its next-door neighbor and rival. The Bulldogs’ pass rush wasn’t up to its normal standard for most of 2025, waiting until the latter portion of the season to really come on. 

Williams is a similar level of athlete to what Georgia already has on the roster, so Auburn should expect to see him on the field when the Tigers head between the hedges next season. Auburn will be fielding new starters across the offensive line for that game than the players Williams was going up against in practice while on The Plains, but the matchup should still be a good test for the new faces head coach Alex Golesh brings in to protect presumptive 2026 starter Byrum Brown.