Auburn Loses Race for Five-Star Prospect to Hated Rival

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 10:12 PM ET

The Auburn Tigers lost four-star linebacker Shadarius Toodle to the Georgia Bulldogs and were looking for a recruiting win.

Unfortunately, that did not happen on Thursday. On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that five-star running back Ezavier Crowell committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide over Auburn, Georgia and the Texas Longhorns.

The Tigers had Crowell in town for an official visit on June 13, but it was not enough to lure him away from the Crimson Tide.

The in-state product hails from Jackson, Alabama and attends Jackson High School. He is listed at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds.

Auburn has also recently lost the commitment of receiver Devin Carter, who has flipped to the Florida State Seminoles.

Crowell is the No. 2 running back and No. 31 national prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2026 class.

Much like in the case of Crowell's recruitment, Auburn has not won a lot recently against its in-state rival, Alabama. The Crimson Tide holds a five-game winning streak against the Tigers heading into 2025.

Auburn's last win in the series was in 2019 under former head coach Gus Malzahn.

The Tigers' 2026 class is led by four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris, four-star athlete Peyton Falzone and four-star receiver Denairius Gray.

While it has been a rough week for Auburn's recruiting, the Tigers made history with a recent commitment from overseas. Auburn earned a commitment from offensive tackle Nikau Hepi from the NFL Academy Asia-Pacific campus in New Zealand.

Hepi became the first player from the academy to commit to a college in the United States.

Hugh Freeze and Auburn start year three of his tenure on August 29, against the Baylor Bears.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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