For 134 years, Georgia and Auburn have fought for bragging rights, state pride, and supremacy in one of college football’s fiercest rivalries. With the two sides set to meet under the lights at Sanford Stadium this Saturday, tensions are already running high. Meanwhile, Kirby Smart may have found a way to get under Auburn’s skin before the Tigers even step onto the field.

Four days before the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry kicks off, Smart, in a ruthless power recruting move, has snatched a three-star cornerback right from the Tigers’ palm, as national recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett confirmed on X.

“Class of 2027 CB Nash Johnson III has flipped his Commitment from Auburn to Georgia… The 6’0 180 CB had been committed to the Tigers since May,” he wrote on the platform.

Johnson also left no room for speculation regarding his future collegiate home, declaring that his recruitment is fully shut down and that he is “1000% Committed, staying home”.

For a Georgia native, the chance to stay in his home state and play for a perennial national title contender proved hard to turn down. Helping the Bulldogs bring home their first national title since 2022 would make the move even more meaningful for Johnson.

Georgia and Auburn have traded recruiting blows before. In 2023, Auburn flipped linebacker Demarcus Riddick from Georgia, while five-star wide receiver George Pickens switched from Auburn to Georgia in 2019. However, these moves usually happen during the offseason or signing period.

A flip just four days before their rivalry game is far less common, adding an unusual twist to an already heated matchup.

Johnson is a prototype corner with elite length and coverage ability. Playing in Georgia’s brutal 7A high school classification, he has been a total lockdown force for the McEachern Indians.

Over the first 5 games of his senior stretch, his stats include 12 total tackles, 6 solo stops, and a clutch interception, anchoring a defense that recently squeezed out a thrilling 27-24 victory against rival Hillgrove. The 247Sports Composite labels him the No. 54 cornerback in the country.

Johnson’s recruiting journey has seen him consider some of the SEC’s top programs. He initially committed to Kalen DeBoer and Alabama late last year but backed out of that pledge in April. He then found a home for a while in Auburn on May 31, 2026, before an official visit to Athens a few weeks ago changed his mind and led him to choose the Bulldogs instead.

Johnson’s commitment gives Georgia a big boost, bringing its 2027 class to 22 recruits and its team recruiting score to 249.04 points. He joins four-star junior college cornerback Alius Mayo, who flipped from Cal to Georgia on September 29. With both players on board, the Bulldogs have added two promising cornerbacks in just a few weeks.

This is a pretty tough pill for Auburn’s coaching staff to swallow right before game day. Johnson represents the first major in-season decommitment for the Tigers this year. Thankfully, Auburn’s 2027 recruiting class is still in incredibly good shape.

The Tigers still boast 24 total commits from nine different states, holding onto the No. 12 spot in national team rankings and resting at No. 7 in the brutal SEC hierarchy.

Ultimately, this move sets up an incredibly spicy backdrop for this Saturday’s showdown in Athens. SEC schools love using the recruiting trail to play psychological mind games, and the Tigers are no strangers to it themselves after stealing some talent away from Athens in previous cycles.

But with this latest flip, Georgia gets the last laugh on paper, and an already raucous Sanford Stadium crowd will have plenty of extra reason to make life miserable for the Tigers this weekend.

Does Auburn have any shot at beating the Bulldogs?

According to DraftKings, the Georgia Bulldogs are 20.5-point favorites against the Auburn Tigers.

ESPN’s Football Power Index also favors Georgia, giving the Bulldogs a 90.3% chance of winning at home. Auburn, meanwhile, has just a 9.7% chance of pulling off an upset. Beating Georgia at Sanford Stadium will be a tough task, but college football has shown that surprises are always possible.

The Oklahoma Sooners proved that last weekend against Texas, showing that even heavy favorites can be beaten. They trailed 17-7 at halftime, but their defense stepped up and held Texas to just seven points in the second half. Oklahoma then scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, winning the game with a 47-yard field goal as time expired.

If Auburn hopes to upset Georgia, the Tigers will need to keep the game close from the opening whistle. However, they do have one advantage: extra rest.

Auburn is coming off a bye week, giving the Tigers 14 days to recover, adjust their schemes, and prepare for Georgia. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are coming off a physically and emotionally demanding road game against Alabama.

If Auburn can make the most of its extra rest, the Tigers could have a chance to pull off an upset.