Nation's No. 1 Safety Predicted to Commit to Struggling SEC Powerhouse

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 3:40 PM ET

To say that the Auburn Tigers have struggled since the days of Gus Malzahn would be an understatement.

The last winning season in the program's history is held by Malzahn, who led Auburn to a 6-5 record in 2020. He also has the Tigers' last bowl game win, when he beat the Purdue Boilermakers 63-14 in the Music City Bowl.

Since then, Auburn has had two head coaches in Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze. Harsin lasted two years with the program, and Freeze is in year three with an 11-14 record.

Despite the recent struggles on the field, Rivals' Steve Wiltfong predicted Auburn to land No. 1 safety Bralan Womack.

Womack is a four-star recruit and No. 1 safety in the Rivals300. He is a native of Brandon, Mississippi, and attends Hartfield Academy. The safety is listed at 6-foot-0.5, 200 pounds.

Landing Womack would be a massive addition to Auburn's 2026 class, which has no five-star commits.

The class is led by four-star receiver Jase Matthews, four-star edge rusher Jaquez Wilkes, four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris and four-star athlete Peyton Falzone.

After one bowl game appearance and multiple losing seasons, Auburn enters a make-or-break year under Freeze. ESPN predicted how Auburn would do in 2025 and had the Tigers making either the Birmingham Bowl or the Gasparilla Bowl.

On the other hand, Joel Klatt predicted that the Tigers could crash the College Football Playoff this season. Auburn last competed for a national title under Malzahn in 2013, losing 34-31 to the Florida State Seminoles.

Freeze's push for the postseason begins on August 29 against the Baylor Bears.

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

More must-reads: