Auburn will be aiming to start fresh in 2026 under first-year head coach Alex Golesh, but a potential feather in its cap for the 2027 season became a reality on Saturday afternoon.
Class of 2027 prize quarterback Gary Chatman committed to Auburn, with the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from the state of Georgia telling On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he would be heading to the Plains next fall. Chatman previously committed to play at Wake Forest, but he had a change of heart and will instead be coming to the SEC in 2027.
Not only did Auburn lure Chatman to the Plains after he reopened his recruitment process, but the Tigers are gaining a quarterback who comes from a rival SEC state. Chatman is currently starring at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Ga., but he’ll be starting his college career in 2027 in neighboring Alabama.
Chatman backed out of his commitment to Wake Forest earlier in the week. He had been committed to the Demon Deacons for roughly 6 weeks before reopening his recruitment and quickly deciding that Auburn was the better choice for him.
The Tigers began pushing for Chatman in late March. He visited Auburn’s campus on April 16 and was given an offer by the Tigers soon after. A return visit to Auburn on May 1 was the final straw in the Tigers luring Chatman away from his commitment to Wake Forest.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, Chatman is a 3-star prospect who is rated as the 1,066th-best player in the Class of 2027. He’s currently the 63rd-best quarterback in the class and the 123rd-best player from the state of Georgia.
Chatman can’t help Auburn until the 2027 season, but the Tigers will be trying to progress into a contender for the SEC title in 2026 under a new regime. Here is what the Kalshi odds are currently saying about Auburn’s chances among the SEC’s elite teams in pursuit of the conference crown this fall:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
