Auburn Can Continue Linebacker Dominance With This 2028 Prospect
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The Auburn Tigers have been absolutely dominant at the linebacker position over the past few years, from Demarcus Riddick earning All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2024 to Xavier Atkins taking home just about every available award in 2025.
However, this kind of dominance can live or die with a few key players, raising the question: how will the Tigers move on from this group?
A possible next step for Alex Golesh, as he looks to build his own linebacker room of recruits over the next few years, could be Nehemiah McCary, a four-star linebacker in the recruiting class of 2028. A blue-chip prospect, McCary, who stands at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, is currently ranked as the second-best linebacker in the 2028 class as well as the second-best in-class player from his home state of Alabama.
As it stands, the Tigers are in the lead in McCary's race with a 61.5% chance, per Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine, though, of course, as with all in-state prospects, the Alabama Crimson Tide are not too far off with a 19% chance.
Golesh has already faced down several recruiting duels with Alabama in the short time he has been a Tiger, including key wins like that of Isaac McNeil and Chance Gilbert, both of whom also had high interest in Georgia. However, Golesh has also seen his fair share of losses to the Tide, who scooped up Cedrick Simmons in a flip from the Plains and are currently leading in the race for a top Tiger offensive line target.
However, linebacker is a position that Auburn has been top-tier at for a few years, even despite several issues with other parts of the roster. That dominance typically draws in other top-level recruits, so the Tigers should have a great shot at McCary throughout his recruitment.
The Tigers have also landed a few top-level linebacker recruits in their 2027 class, evidence that top players bring in top targets. Chief among these recruits is the aforementioned four-star 2027 linebacker Isaac McNeil, who currently ties for the highest-rated prospect in the Tigers' 2027 class. Additionally, the Tigers snagged Kareem Palmer, a three-star.
Of course, as with all races for top-level commits, the battle for McCary will likely be a hard-fought one unless he comes out soon and commits early. Even if that is the case, though, there will still be quite some time before he is signed to any program, meaning that his recruitment will effectively be entirely open for the next few years before his signing day.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Auburn Can Continue Linebacker Dominance With This 2028 Prospect.
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