Auburn Offers Another IMG Academy Offensive Lineman

Alex Golesh, the new head coach of the Auburn Tigers, has previously asked for prayers as it comes to developing his offensive line. The Tigers were hit historically hard by the transfer portal and the NFL Draft this year, losing all five of their starters, but Golesh and company have already begun to work on the future of the offensive line, starting with four-star 2028 offensive lineman Maxx Jones.

Jones, who stands at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, is currently rated as the eighth-best offensive lineman in the 2028 class and the 12th-best player in the state of Florida. Auburn on SI caught up with Jones recently to discuss his offer as well as his opinion of the Tigers.

“They reached out to one of my coaches and gave them a number for me to call,” he said. “I called and got to talk to Coach [Hoodie] for a little bit, got to see how they run things, and that’s when they gave me the news that I’ll be receiving an offer, so I was pretty hyped.”

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For Jones, this is not the first interaction he has had with Auburn’s coaches, though when he met them, they were not on the Plains just yet.

“I got to see [the coaches] play out in Florida,” he said. “[USF] played a game against UTSA. So I got to see how they run stuff. So, I already know Coach. He knows what he’s doing and what he’s talking about.”

Though Jones does not have a date set to visit the Plains, he told Auburn Tigers on SI he plans to once he finds one that works for him.

“I would say the facility and the resources they have out there [sticks out to me],” he said. “I got to go visit them early on last year and got to see how they run stuff and all that. I’m still planning and seeing which dates work best right now and all that, but I’m definitely planning on getting back up there.”

OT #54 -varsity scrimmage vs Mansfield Summit
high school 📍Lewisville high school
TRU C/O 2028 6’4 275 pound (9th grade)#Florida #LSU #Maxx #class #of 2028 #lew #texas #florida @BallCoach_D @CoachP_WAM @GarinJustice @coachbraddavis @CoachZFitch @CoachTuitele pic.twitter.com/7ReAon7URi
— Maxx Jones (@Maxx_Jones_54) September 2, 2024

Jones emphasized his mentality, stating that he is heavily focused on finding the right fit for himself and has not narrowed down his school options yet.

“I’m just following the path of getting bigger, stronger, better every day,” he said. “So I haven’t even really thought about narrowing it down much right now. My main goal right now is just talk to these coaches and see which ones I can build a relationship with early and see which ones I can see personally getting out there for.”

For Jones, the offensive line is a serious affair, and he treats the position with the respect it deserves.

“You got to have a different mentality,” he said. “I’m coming out there to really mess someone up. I was born to play the O-line. I like being able to protect my quarterback.”

Jones is not the only offensive lineman from IMG who has recently been offered by Auburn, as five-star Jamarios Canton and four-star Major Green have both received offers from Auburn over the last few days.

“We’re a brotherhood out here,” Jones said. “You play better together as a team, and we already know each other. We’ve been playing with each other for a while. Every day we’re practicing, going up against each other. So, it could definitely be a bonus if we all ended up going to Auburn together, or any other school for that matter.”

Auburn’s 2028 class is currently empty, as it is quite early for recruitment that far ahead, but Jones, potentially along with his friends from IMG, could be the tone-setting acquisitions that change the future for the Tigers.