Auburn Heavy Favorites for Four-Star Edge Rusher Ahead of Friday Decision

The Auburn Tigers are considered to be in the driver's seat for a blue-chip recuit on defense, but the decision still has to be made

Auburn is within striking distance of a blue-chip recruit | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have been absolutely ‘cooking,’ as the kids say, in their recruiting efforts over the past few months, and now they have an opportunity to bolster a 2027 class that is already ranked among the top 10 in the nation by ESPN with the potential commitment of James Pace.

Pace, who is set to announce his commitment on Friday at 7:30 p.m. CT, is a four-star edge rusher who hails from (stop me if you have heard this before) the state of Maryland, from which the Tigers currently have two commits. 

Standing at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, Pace is currently rated as the second-best edge rusher in the state of Maryland, as well as the 18th-best edge rusher in the 2027 class. His addition would nearly complete the sweep of the top-three Maryland-based edge rushers, as Rion Jackson, an Auburn commit, is currently rated as the third-best edge rusher in the state.

As it stands, the Tigers are heavy favorites to land Pace, with Rivals’ Recruiting Prediction Machine bestowing the Tigers with a 93% chance to land the four-star, while programs like Penn State, Maryland and South Carolina continue to battle for his commitment.

The Tigers are well-poised at the edge rushing position, which is a particularly impressive feat given the fact that Auburn lost both Keyron Crawford and Keldric Faulk to the NFL Draft after the 2025 season, the latter of whom went as high as the first round.

To fill in those roles, Auburn has brought in four-star transfer Da’Shawn Womack, who, despite a bit of legal trouble, is expected to be the Tigers’ starter off the edge in 2026. The Tigers are also expected to lean on transfer senior Nate Johnson and returning sophomore Darrion Smith, who also hails from Maryland. 

If the Tigers can land the commitment of Pace, Alex Golesh’s goal of building a strong foundation will be all but complete, as the Tigers’ class would then boast a quarterback, two running backs, a receiver, four offensive linemen, a tight end, two defensive linemen, two edge rushers, two linebackers, four cornerbacks and a kicker.

Additionally, a highly-ranked commitment like Pace’s could boost the Tigers’ already top-level recruiting class to unprecedented heights, as Pace would be the fifth-highest-ranked recruit in Auburn’s currently 13th-ranked class.

The Tigers are undoubtedly hot in recruiting at the moment, and with or without Pace, Alex Golesh and company have shown no intention of slowing down on their efforts.

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