Kirby Smart has found himself on the verge of losing another quarterback battle. After missing out on Jared Curtis to Vanderbilt, Smart might lose his major 2027 QB target to Auburn. Cardinal Mooney’s four-star QB had a good time at Auburn with his family, and that might be concerning news for the Dawgs.

With the new season online, recruits are taking visits to their favorite schools to make sure they pick the right one. Davin Davidson, too, is on the list, as he spent two days at Auburn with his family and came out very impressed with the coaching staff and team. After the visit to his father, Rodney Davidson doubled down on his experience.

“He’s gotten a good rapport with Coach (Joel) Gordon and talked and gone through some plays over the phone and likes their concepts,” Davidson’s father, Rodney, said. “Of course, they came from USF, so he got to see quite a few games and camps in that area, and then, of course, the Auburn experience and history and SEC (stand out).”

A major draw for Davidson is QB coach Joel Gordon, who brings 23 years of experience and a track record of explosive offenses. At USF, his system produced the nation’s second-ranked offense (501.7 YPG) and helped develop QB Bryum Brown into a 3,000-yard passer as a redshirt freshman, which is a blueprint Auburn is surely selling to the 2027 prospect.

On top of that, if Brown decides to turn pro next season, then Davidson can be Golesh’s priority as a starter. The team is yet to get a QB commit, and if he becomes the first one, then the chances of him getting reps are pretty high in the 2027 season, as Brown started early, too, under Golesh.

This puts Auburn in the list of schools Davidson is interested in. Along with Auburn, he is also taking visits to Kentucky, Florida, and Miami. Then teams like Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Mississippi State are all in the mix, which makes the competition even tougher for Kirby Smart’s team.

However, matching Georgia’s QB pipeline won’t be that straightforward for Auburn. The team has produced many good quarterbacks over the years, including Matthew Stafford, Aaron Murray, Jake Fromm, and Stetson Bennett. Some of these players have found significant success, like Stetson Bennett, who won two national championships. Then there are new-age QBs Carson Beck and Gunner Stockton, who had a strong finish.

Even Davidson had a solid impression after visiting Georgia.

“It’s definitely been a different vibe going into Georgia,” Rodney said. “They really do things well. We like how they break up their sessions. It’s high-paced, high-energy. Their quarterbacks are getting numerous reps, whether you’re No. 1 or No. 4. You’re getting just as many reps. He liked seeing that.”

Auburn is clearly trying to sell the chance to take the reins early in a fast-paced system. Georgia’s counter relies on its track record. Kirby Smart’s pitch is more about NFL preparation than day-one starts, framing their crowded and high-intensity QB room as an ordeal that builds pro-ready starters rather than a roadblock.

While the SEC battle between Georgia’s prestige and Auburn’s promise of early playing time heats up, a new contender is emerging, hoping to offer a different path altogether.

Kirby Smart’s target draws major interest from an ACC team

The Miami Hurricanes want a strong and stable quarterback for the future. In the past few seasons, they have used transfer players like Cam Ward and Carson Beck, and now Darian Mensah, but these players usually stay for a short time. So now, the team is focusing on developing young players and building for the long term.

Davin Davidson is one of their top targets for the 2027 class because of his great performance. He completed 147 out of 234 passes (62.8%), showing good accuracy. He also threw for 2,497 yards and 24 touchdowns over two seasons. On top of that, he can run as well, gaining 105 yards and scoring 3 touchdowns, which makes him a strong and versatile quarterback.

Miami already has young players like Luke Nickel and Dereon Coleman, but if they add Davin Davidson, it can help them build a strong team for the future and depend less on transfer players.

Maimi’s pitch is one that provides a stable developmental home to avoid the portal chaos. However, the core drama sits squarely in the SEC. For the Bulldogs’ HC, fending off a relentless Auburn staff is now the primary hurdle in securing his quarterback of the future.