Three-star safety James Branch commits to Auburn over Maryland

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The Auburn Tigers have added another quality defensive back to their 2027 recruiting haul.

Three-star safety James Branch announced his commitment to the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, choosing Auburn over Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Stanford. He is the second player to commit to Auburn’s 2027 recruiting class in July and the 26th player overall.

The forecast of Branch’s decision entering Saturday was murky, as Auburn, Virginia Tech, and Maryland were in a tight race. Maryland held the advantage before his announcement, with a 34% chance to land him and one crystal ball prediction from 247Sports.

However, Auburn’s connection to Branch’s high school, St. Frances Academy, may have played a role in the Tigers winning the race. Six members of Auburn’s 2026 roster played high school football for St. Frances, and Auburn has signed four players from the school since 2024.

Auburn football’s 2027 recruiting class now has 26 members. Branch joins fellow pledges EDGE rushers James Pace and Rion Jackson, and safety Knyair Crumb as 2027 commitments that hail from Maryland.

Branch holds a 0.8767 composite rating from 247Sports, which slides him under wide receiver Cedrick Simmons as the 19th-best pledge to Auburn’s class, which ranked No. 11 nationally before Branch’s commitment. Branch is the No. 12 player from Maryland in the 2027 recruiting cycle and the No. 39 player at his position.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Three-star safety James Branch commits to Auburn over Maryland

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