Auburn Reportedly in on Top for No. 1 In-State Recruit

Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh and DC DJ Durkin are making a push to impress a top defensive recruit

Auburn continues to make the push for top recruits | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

It’s been a busy recruiting cycle for new Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh and company, and it’s only gotten busier in the advent of the team’s recent Junior Day. Many 2027 recruits visited Auburn on Sunday, including the No. 1 recruit in the state of Alabama, Donivan Moore.

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!

Moore’s had Auburn at the top of his list for some time now, and Junior Day seemed to only help his chances of landing with Golesh.

“The biggest takeaway today was the talking to Coach Golesh and seeing everything he has for the program for this upcoming season,” Moore said, per On3. “We connected and bonded very quickly… it’s going to be a special season for Auburn this fall.”

Moore, a junior at Hueytown High School, stands at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds. He’s the 72nd-ranked player in the 2027 class, the fifth-ranked defensive line prospect and the No. 1 player across the entire state of Alabama despite his four-star classification.

Christian Clememte, an Auburn Insider for AuburnUndercover, logged a prediction for Auburn to land Moore with medium confidence earlier on Monday.

Auburn has dominated in the defensive trenches in recent years, with big names like Derrick Brown, Dontavius Russell and Nick Fairley setting the standard that many have tried to emulate in recent years. Moore, if he lands at Auburn, could very well be the next.

As it stands, Auburn will still have quite a young defensive line when it’s time for Moore to head off to college, as Malik Autry, Jourdin Crawford and Darrion Smith are all freshmen headed into 2026, so they’d be in just their sophomore years of eligibility for Moore’s first collegiate season. 

The ability to develop with players closer to your eligibility level is usually a great selling point for recruits, though in the modern landscape of the transfer portal, nothing is for sure. Regardless, Moore would be a massive pickup for an Auburn 2027 recruiting class that currently boasts just a single commit: three-star tight end Trae Proctor.