Clark Lea's Vanderbilt offers scholarship to four-star Auburn LB commit JaMichael Garrett to the Class of 2026

Four-star linebacker JaMichael Garrett committed to Auburn during Big Cat Weekend in July. Despite his commitment to the Tigers, Vanderbilt, coached by Clark Lea, extended a scholarship offer to him on Sunday for its 2026 class.

Vanderbilt linebacker coach Nick Lezynski extended the offer to Garrett, who shared the news on X (formerly Twitter), writing,

"#agtg After a talk with @Coach_Lezynski I am bless to receive an offer from Vanderbilt! @ChadSimmons_ @samspiegs @TomLoy247@adamgorney @GregBiggins."

Garrett attends Gulf Shores High School in Alabama and played a crucial role in the school's 2023 Class 5A state championship victory last season. According to the On3 Industry Rankings, he is listed as the No. 130 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 11 linebacker in the 2026 class and the No. 8 prospect in Alabama.

Three-star quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. from Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco was Vanderbilt's first high school commitment for the 2026 class last month.

The Commodores have him as the lone commit in the cycle but have extended offers to multiple prospects, including uncommitted linebackers like Anthony Jones, Jaquez Wilkes, Kedric Golston II, Kobe Clapper and Jerimia Collier.

JaMichael Garrett reaffirms his commitment to Auburn

JaMichael Garrett’s loyalty to Auburn has remained rock-solid, even though he grew up in Alabama, where Auburn's rival, the Crimson Tide, often dominates college football. However, since committing to Auburn, he has been vocal about his firm commitment.

After getting the offer from Vanderbilt on Sunday, he posted on X to reaffirm his commitment, writing,

"aye it’s still war eagle don’t get it confused!!🦅🦅."

This season has not been easy for Auburn, as the team holds a 3-6 overall record and a 1-5 record in the Southeastern Conference.

Speaking with Auburn Live last month, Garrett doubled down on his commitment to the Tigers, saying,

"At the end of the day, we all believe in Coach Freeze. I want you (Auburn fans) to know that all of the commits are sticking together. We love Auburn just as much as you love Auburn.”

JaMichael Garrett is a member of Auburn's 2026 class, which ranks No. 8 in the nation and No. 4 in the SEC. Besides him, the class features four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris, four-star linebacker Shadarius Toodle, four-star wide receiver Denairius Gray and three-star safety Wayne Henry.