Auburn Cracks Top Eight for Florida-Based 2027 Safety

Auburn will have to battle other SEC programs for Loia Valade.

Loia Valade (13) is garnering SEC interest in his recruitment. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have been working hard to bolster their 2027 recruiting class, resulting in the pickup of six top commits, including the latest: three-star quarterback Gary Chatman Jr. Now, the Tigers have a chance to land a recruit on the other side of the ball in Loia Valade.

Valade is a three-star safety prospect who hails from West Boca Raton, Florida. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound prospect is currently rated as the 48th-best safety in the 2027 class as well as the 44th-best in-class player from the state of Florida.

Valade earned an offer from the Tigers on Thursday, and Auburn Tigers on SI caught up with him after to talk all things Auburn, including his interest in the Tigers.

“It was a great feeling when coach Banks offered me, to be honest,” he said. “This is one of the schools I was hoping to get… I’d say Auburn is definitely in my top eight right now.”

AGTG!! After a great conversation with @CoachTimBanks and @BroskoDASH_5 I am blessed to receive another offer from @AuburnFootball .@coachDylanPotts @samspiegs @ChadSimmons_ @shaynep_media @CharlesPower @SeanW_247Sports @adamgorney @Andrew_Ivins pic.twitter.com/uDWNprl2mC

— Loia Valade 2027 (@loia_valade) May 8, 2026

Valade holds offers from a litany of top programs, so landing in the top eight is certainly a great vote of confidence for the Tigers. Valade’s leading offer, as it stands, is Florida, which holds a very high chance, though he also holds offers from schools like Kentucky, Miami and Arkansas.

“I compete, and I refuse to lose,” he said. “I just have to stay down and keep working and remember how I got there.”

Though Valade still has another full season before it will become crucial to announce a commitment, he already has an idea of what an ideal program looks like for him.

“[I want to] go somewhere where I can be moved around and be an athlete on defense,” he said. “[I’m] looking for a great connection with the staff, and somewhere that’s gonna get me developed.”

As it stands, the Tigers currently have yet to land a safety in their 2027 class. In fact, the Tigers have just one defensive commit in the class: four-star defensive lineman Donivan Moore, who was the Tigers’ first 2027 commit under Alex Golesh.

If the Tigers can swing Valade away from in-state programs like Florida, they will find themselves with a top-level safety who could prove to bolster the future of the program. It may take a Herculean effort from Auburn’s staff, though, as the Gators are currently predicted with a 98.9% chance to land Valade.

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