Hugh Freeze's Auburn lands commitment from four-star EDGE Hezekiah Harris to the class of 2026

Four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris, from Jemison High School in Huntsville, Alabama, committed to Auburn's 2026 recruiting class. The announcement came during the Tigers' Big Cat recruiting event.

Auburn's pursuit of Harris began early, with the Tigers extending their first offer to the talented prospect in January 2023. The program won the blue-chip prospect over Ohio State, Clemson, LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, USC, Georgia, Florida and Oregon, among others.

Harris gave his pledge on Saturday, but he has known since A-Day in April that he wanted to commit to Hugh Freeze's program.

“Auburn recruited me hard, I visited a lot and they moved to the top of my list over time,” Harris said ( via On3). “I got to know the coaches, I kept going back for visits and I just felt comfortable.”

The relationship between Hezekiah Harris and Auburn was cultivated over numerous visits to The Plains. Linebacker coach Josh Aldridge has been recruiting him hard since he was a freshman. He also developed a good bond with coach Freeze.

“Auburn has great coaches. I like coach Josh Aldridge a lot and I have a great relationship with coach Freeze. It is a family environment there and I feel at home. The development under the coaches stood out to me also. Then the atmosphere is crazy on game day. Auburn has great fans.”

Harris lauded coach Freeze for recruiting top players while also being friendly with all the committed players and potential prospects. He also heavily praised coach Aldridge for developing players to utilize their full potential.

What will Hezekiah Harris bring to Auburn?

With a height of 6-foot-5 and weighing 230 pounds, Hezekiah Harris has the prototypical build for a dominant edge rusher. His elite length, highlighted by his 34.5-inch arms, allows him to disengage from blockers effectively and reach quarterbacks with ease.

Harris is ranked the No. 3 edge rusher in the 2026 class, the No. 2 prospect in the state of Alabama and the No. 16 overall recruit in the nation, according to On3. 247Sports lists him as the No. 3 edge rusher in the class, the No. 3 prospect in Alabama and the No. 22 overall recruit in the nation. He got the accolade of the second team 2023 MaxPreps High School Sophomore All-America Team.

Hezekiah Harris was the first to pledge on Saturday morning, followed closely by four-star linebackers Shadarius Toodle and JaMichael Garrett. These back-to-back commitments give Auburn five total pledges in the 2026 class, which also has four-star wide receiver Denairius Gray and four-star offensive lineman/center Kail Ellis.