First-year Auburn head coach Alex Golesh and the Tigers finished strong to land another key recruit on Monday, securing a commitment from four-star offensive tackle Layton von Brandt, who is ranked No. 40 in the 2027 SC Next 300.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound lineman from Middletown, Delaware, is ESPN’s sixth-ranked offensive tackle in the 2027 class and the highest-rated recruit ever to come out of Delaware in the ESPN recruiting era (which began in 2006). Von Brandt announced his decision to commit to Auburn choosing the Tigers over Notre Dame, Florida, and Penn State—during a live segment with Rivals.com on Monday morning.
Von Brandt’s pledge marks another recruiting win for Golesh and Auburn this spring, following a hard-fought battle. Last month, the Tigers made a late push to land four-star running back Myson Johnson-Cook, beating out Miami for ESPN’s No. 34 overall prospect in the cycle. With von Brandt on board, Auburn now has four commitments in Golesh’s debut class, including three top-100 recruits.
Von Brandt had originally committed to Penn State in November 2024 and remained a centerpiece of their 2027 class for nearly a year before decommitting after head coach James Franklin was fired last October.
This spring, von Brandt visited Auburn, Florida, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech before making his final decision. He told ESPN earlier this spring that he’s built a strong bond with Auburn offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick, who joined Golesh’s staff when they arrived from South Florida in December.
“[Hudanick] calls twice a week just to talk,” von Brandt said. “We discuss football and life. When I visited Auburn, it felt like a special place somewhere you want to be. It’s a special environment.”
Von Brandt has been a multi-year starter at Appoquinimink High School in Delaware. According to ESPN rankings, he’s the first top-300 prospect from the state since quarterback Braden Davis, who signed with South Carolina in the 2022 cycle. At No. 40 in the SC Next 300, von Brandt surpasses former All-Big Ten wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Chris Godwin (ranked No. 159 overall in the 2014 cycle) as Delaware’s all-time highest-rated recruit.
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