Top 3 Defensive Recruits Auburn HC Alex Golesh Could Bring from USF

The Auburn Tigers might be able to snag some recruits from USF now that they've landed Alex Golesh

These recruits could benefit from working with the new Auburn regime | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Hugh Freeze set a precedent that new Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh would be wise to continue: top-level recruiting. In three years at Auburn, Freeze boasted two top-10 recruiting classes, so Golesh has some big shoes to fill. Thankfully for Golesh and the Tigers, he’s no stranger to top recruiting.

Golesh was the top-rated recruiter in the AAC in both years as USF’s head coach and was leading the conference once again before taking the job at Auburn. As other recently moved head coaches have shown, his unsigned commits at USF could very well make the switch with the head coach who committed them. 

Here’s a look at the three highest-rated recruits that could flip to Golesh and Auburn.

Jaemin Pinckney, Edge Rusher

Jaemin Pinckney is a four-star edge rusher who’s rated as the 34th-best edge rusher in the country and the eighth-best player in his home state of South Carolina. He’s a 6-foot-5, 217-pounder who could bring some extra depth to DJ Durkin’s defense.

He’d certainly be welcomed by an Auburn that’s losing its best defensive end in Keldric Faulk to the draft this year, and would join other top young recruits like Malik Autry on the defensive line.

Amari Jones, Cornerback

Amari Jones is a three-star cornerback who’s rated as the 95th-best cornerback in the nation and the 100th-best player in Florida. He’s from IMG Academy, one of the most prestigious schools in high school football, so he figures to be a talented, coachable option for Alex Golesh if he’s to follow the coach who committed him.

He’d join an experienced Tiger cornerback room, including players like Kayin Lee and Rayshawn Pleasant, so his development would certainly benefit from these veteran cornerbacks. He’d also have the benefit of learning under DJ Durkin, who’s proven to be one of the best defensive coordinators in the nation.

CJ Cresser, Safety

CJ Cresser is a three-star safety who’s currently ranked the 110th-best safety in the 2026 class and the 109th-best player in Florida, where many of USF’s commits naturally flow from. At 6-feet tall and 180 pounds, he’s just slightly slimmer than Auburn’s starting safety, 6-foot-1, 201-pound freshman Kaleb Harris.

Cresser would join a young Tiger safety room, with three players set to be sophomores in 2026, one junior and two seniors, so he’d be sure to have players to develop with and others to learn from. 

Of course, all of this hinges on the recruits’ desire to go from committing to an AAC school to an SEC school, where competition, both in the team and on the field, is set to be much higher, but with Alex Golesh now at Auburn, these recruits’ chances to flip have improved. After all, it’s commonplace for recruits to follow the coach when he changes jobs.