Auburn's New Coach Alex Golesh Targets Four-Star DL Donivan Moore in 2027 Class

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Auburn's New Coach Alex Golesh Targets Four-Star DL Donivan Moore in 2027 Class

The Auburn Tigers are entering a new era after parting ways with head coach Hugh Freeze during the season.

The Tigers decided to replace Freeze with former South Florida Bulls head coach Alex Golesh. He finished with a record of 23-15 over three seasons, including a successful 9-3 record this past year.

Since taking over, Golesh has been diligently working on building his roster for this year while also actively recruiting top prospects in the 2027 class. One player he has made significant progress with is four-star defensive lineman Donivan Moore, who is ranked among the top 60 players in the class. In fact, Rivals’ Chad Simmons has made a prediction in favor of Auburn after speaking with Moore.

Auburn Tigers head football coach Alex GoleshJohn Reed-Imagn Images

“They’re No. 1 on my list because the love I have for Auburn is outrageous,” Moore told Simmons. “I think the new staff is amazing, and I think big things are going to happen at Auburn this upcoming year.”

Moore’s top six schools include Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas and Auburn, with Ole Miss seen as Auburn’s primary competition heading into the spring. He has an official visit to Auburn scheduled for June 5.

Moore’s comments signal an immediate recruiting win for Golesh, who is still in the early stages of reshaping Auburn’s identity. Landing a defensive lineman ranked inside the top 60 nationally would be a strong statement for a staff looking to re-establish Auburn as a force in the SEC trenches. It also reflects early buy-in to Golesh’s vision, something Auburn has struggled to consistently generate in recent recruiting cycles.

From a broader perspective, this recruitment underscores how quickly Auburn is pivoting toward long-term roster stability rather than quick fixes. With Ole Miss emerging as the primary challenger and traditional powers like Alabama, LSU and Ohio State also involved, Moore’s recruitment will serve as an early measuring stick for how well Golesh can win head-to-head battles against elite programs.

The next key moment comes on June 5, when Moore takes his official visit to Auburn. That visit could solidify the Tigers’ position heading into the summer, as Golesh and his staff look to stack foundational defensive pieces for the 2027 class and accelerate momentum into the fall recruiting window.

Related: Alex Golesh, Auburn Predicted to Land Nation’s No. 3 QB

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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