Virginia Tech head coach James Franklin was in a prime position to land four-star edge rusher Rion Jackson. Some analysts believed it was a done deal waiting to be announced. But then again, college football recruiting isn’t fair. One late-May visit to first-year head coach Alex Golesh’s Auburn Tigers completely changed his mind and his pledge.

On Wednesday, June 10, the Auburn Tigers successfully landed a commitment from this elite four-star out of Annapolis Senior High School in Maryland. James Franklin had been recruiting Jackson since spring 2025, when the former was still at Penn State, building a 15-month relationship that seemed unshakeable. Jackson visited the campus that September and once before that.

Even after his October 2025 firing from Penn State, James Franklin kept Jackson at the top of his list. By March 2026, Jackson revealed that Franklin was the only HC calling daily. Jackson admitted that he was on the absolute brink of committing to Virginia Tech before a single dinner changed everything.

“I was supposed to officially visit Virginia Tech on May 29. But I had dinner with Coach Durkin and Coach Hutzler, and we were just talking when they saw me in the spring,” Jackson said. “Things changed. I was like, what do I have to lose by visiting down there?”

The dinner took place at Outback Steakhouse, where Durkin and Hutzler told Jackson he didn’t need to rush his decision. They convinced Jackson to take a trip to Auburn on May 29, which turned out to be the best decision he could have possibly made.

“Definitely just going in there and having one-on-ones with the coaches, one-on-ones with my position coaches, talking to the assistants, and just feeling everybody out changed everything for me. Everybody has the same goal. I want to be a part of that,” Jackson said.

Auburn is getting a spectacular player in Rion Jackson. In nine games as a junior, Jackson recorded 62 tackles, 16 for loss, and 13 sacks. He has also recorded six pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and an interception. Jackson ranked as the No. 8 overall player in the state of Maryland and a top-30 edge rusher in the country, and could finish as a top-10 edge rusher in this class by season’s end.

Jackson is Golesh’s 17th commitment in the 2027 cycle. Jackson is the first edge rusher in Golesh’s 2027 class, moving Auburn from No. 14 to No. 12 in the 247Sports recruiting rankings. But the good news is, Auburn isn’t hitting the brakes anytime soon.

Here are the next big names at the top of Auburn’s wishlist:

Joshua Dobson (5-Star CB): This guy is the absolute crown jewel of the board. Sitting as ESPN’s No. 7 overall recruit in the country, Dobson is a lockdown corner with elite speed. But they might need to fight way too many powerhouses.

James Pace III (4-Star EDGE): He is actually Jackson’s partner-in-crime from the Maryland area and another top-30 national pass rusher. Pace stood right alongside Jackson during that massive late-May official visit to Auburn. The coaching staff is pushing incredibly hard right now to lock down both of Maryland’s top edge rushers as a package deal.

Davion Jones (4-Star S): Jones is a safety out of North Carolina. Jones has been touring all the top programs, but Auburn made a huge impression on him during his recent summer visit. The Tigers are currently locked in a tight three-way battle with LSU and Georgia to land his commitment.

Terrance Smith (4-Star OL): Auburn’s 2027 offensive line class is already looking loaded with guys like Reed Ramsier, but they want Smith to be the ultimate anchor. The highly coveted, uncommitted tackle from Pennsylvania is scheduled to make his official announcement on June 15, and Auburn is heavily trending to land him. If they land him, it would push the Tigers into a top-10 recruiting class for the third year in a row.