First-year Auburn coach Alex Golesh and the Tigers surged late to land another priority recruit Monday with a commitment from four-star offensive tackle Layton von Brandt, No. 40 in the 2027 SC Next 300.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound lineman from Middletown, Delaware, is ESPN's No. 6 offensive tackle prospect in the 2027 class and ranks as the highest-rated recruit out of Delaware in the ESPN recruiting era (since 2006). Von Brandt announced his pledge to Auburn over Notre Dame, Florida and Penn State in a live announcement with Rivals.com on Monday morning.
Von Brandt's commitment marks another victory from a tight recruiting battle for Golesh and the Tigers this spring. Auburn successfully executed a late run in the recruitment of four-star running back Myson Johnson-Cook last month, edging Miami to land ESPN's No. 34 overall prospect in the cycle. With von Brandt in the fold, the Tigers now hold four SC Next pledges in Golesh's debut class, including three top-100 commits.
Von Brandt initially committed to Penn State in November 2024. He remained one of the cornerstones of the program's 2027 class for nearly a year before pulling his pledge from the Nittany Lions following coach James Franklin's firing last October.
Von Brandt took visits to Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee and Virginia Tech this spring before announcing his decision. He told ESPN earlier this spring that he has formed a close relationship with Tigers offensive coach Tyler Hudanick in the months since Golesh and his staff arrived from South Florida in December.
"[Hudanick] will call twice a week just to get on the phone," von Brandt said. "We talk about football and about life. And then I went there for a visit and it felt like a special place, like somewhere you want to be. Auburn's a special place."
Von Brandt is a multiyear starter at Delaware's Appoquinimink High School. Per ESPN rankings, he's first the top-300 prospect from the state since quarterback Braden Davis, a South Carolina signee, in the 2022 cycle. At No. 40 in the SC Next 300, von Brandt has surpassed former All-Big Ten wide receiver and eventual Super Bowl champion Chris Godwin (No. 159 overall in the 2014 cycle) as the state's top-ranked recruit all time.
