Auburn Football Among Finalists for Two Four-Star Prospects

Alex Golesh remains in the hunt to add two blue-chip recruits to his first class for the Auburn Tigers

Auburn continues to push to lock down some top recruits | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Though much of the transfer portal drama has effectively ended for the Auburn Tigers, who had the eighth-most players depart from their program, recruiting remains a crucial factor that Alex Golesh has begun to hone in on. The Tigers currently boast the 22nd-ranked recruiting class in the nation, and two four-stars recently announced they might just be adding their names to that list.

What happens next for the Auburn Tigers? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Auburn Tigers news delivered to your inbox daily!

First, four-star defensive lineman Donivan Moore announced on Saturday that he’s down to his top six picks for his career, and Auburn made that list. He’s a 6-foot-4, 280-pound monster of a pass rusher, earning himself the designation as the 72nd-best player in his class, the fifth-best defensive lineman and the very best player in his home state of Alabama.

NEWS: Four-Star DL Donivan Moore is down to 6 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’4 270 DL is ranked as a Top 5 DL in the 2027 Rivals300

Where Should He Go?⁰⁰https://t.co/kYMOAhMQQ8 pic.twitter.com/5HSGEoXsUW

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 30, 2026

Golesh and company will have some tough competition if they’re looking to land Moore, though, as Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, Ole Miss and LSU are all also represented on his list.

Moore could be a massive acquisition for a team that lost key defensive lineman Malik Blocton to the transfer portal just weeks ago, and he’d be able to join the host of new faces on the Plains at his position. Notably, three-star defensive lineman Tavian Branch has already signed with Golesh and company, so he and Moore could rise through the ranks together if Moore ends up on the Plains.

On the other side of the ball, four-star Jaden Upshaw has announced his top six, with just two familiar faces from Moore’s top six: Alabama and Auburn. Interestingly, Upshaw didn’t have Auburn in his top 10 in November, which just goes to show the impact Alex Golesh is already having on recruiting.

NEWS: Four-Star WR Jaden Upshaw is down to 6 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals

The 6’2 200 WR from Leesburg, GA is ranked as a Top 65 Recruit in the ‘27 Class (per Rivals)

Where Should He Go?https://t.co/uRYPIM0INF pic.twitter.com/UPSVIiMwp7

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 23, 2026

Upshaw is a 6-foot-1, 196-pounder who’s currently ranked as the 79th-best player in his class, the 15th-best wide receiver and the 10th-best in his home state of Georgia.

For an Auburn team that lost three of the “Freeze Four” to the portal over the last month, Upshaw could be the recruiting beginning of what On SI’s Micah Farmer referred to as “Golesh’s Guys.” He’s already signed top names like Jeremiah Koger and Keshaun Singleton from the transfer portal, so Upshaw would have veteran talent to develop under.

Overall, it’s clear that Auburn’s recruiting prowess didn’t die with the firing of Hugh Freeze. It just slowed down a little. Alex Golesh has already strung together strong classes in both the transfer portal and in high school recruiting, so his first year on the Plains could very well be much more than many are expecting.