Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn Lands 4-Star Linebacker Over Their Great Rival Alabama In Major Move

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Daniel Fisher | Last updated 5/7/24

Auburn and Alabama have hands-down one of the best instate rivalries in all college sports. When they aren’t battling on the football field, they are fighting off it in recruiting. On Monday, the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide for one of the best linebackers in the south.

Auburn And Alabama Are Dealing With New Coaches To Their Program

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze got the job last season, and in his first season with the team, he took them to a 6-7 record, losing in the Music City Bowl to Maryland. Freeze does have prior SEC experience as the head coach at Ole Miss for five seasons from 2012-2016, and he knows what it takes to recruit in the South. Still, for Alabama’s new head coach Kalen DeBoer, this is the first go around being a head coach in the south, and he has done a pretty good job, but he let the Tigers get a four-star linebacker.

The Tigers Land Tyler Lockhart

According to On3.com, four-star linebacker Tyler Lockhart has committed to Auburn and chose the Tigers over schools like Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, and Alabama.

NEW 4-star LB Tyler Lockhart has committed to Auburn

Read: https://t.co/vN8AhZDSyM pic.twitter.com/PAPQnK1omH

— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) May 7, 2024

Lockhart Is The Number 16 Linebacker In His Class

According to the On3.com Industry Rankings, Lockhart is the number 146 overall prospect and number 16 linebacker in the 2025 class.

The 6-foot-4 linebacker is from Winona, Mississippi, and is ranked sixth in his state. Last season, the Mississippi native recorded 100 tackles, of which 28 went for a loss and 11 sacks.

Lockhart is the first linebacker committed to the Tigers in the 2025 cycle, per 247sports.com

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: