Auburn landed four-star defensive lineman Marquis "MJ" Evans on Wednesday, beating Florida, Miami, South Carolina and Tennessee for the Birmingham, Alabama, prospect.
Evans is a significant in-state win for Auburn. The Spain Park standout measures in at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds. 247Sports ranks him No. 211 nationally and No. 24 among edge defenders in the 2027 class. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him No. 346 overall and No. 35 at EDGE.
Miami was one of five finalists, but the Hurricanes were never positioned as the favorite entering decision day. Auburn carried a 92.7% prediction in Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine before Evans announced, while Miami sat at 1.1%. Evans took an official visit to Miami on May 29 before visiting Tennessee, Auburn, Florida and South Carolina.
BREAKING: Four-Star EDGE MJ Evans has Committed to Auburn, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 1, 2026
The 6’4 265 EDGE chose the Tigers over Tennessee, Miami, and South Carolina
“WDE, I’m home🦅”https://t.co/ZaAU8IaT3I pic.twitter.com/Rahkg2GcfT
Auburn lands 4-star EDGE rusher over Miami
Evans' junior numbers at Spain Park included 28 tackles, eight tackles for loss, six sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in nine games. Evans recorded 45 tackles, six tackles for loss and two sacks during his first football season in 2024.
Evans had been to Auburn multiple times before his official visit and described himself as comfortable with the program throughout the spring.
Miami stepped back after Jaiden Bryant committed
Miami landed Jaiden Bryant on June 3 after he flipped from LSU. Bryant is a five-star EDGE prospect and comes in at 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds. The Hurricanes also have Jayvon Dawson committed.
Miami already has its highest-end EDGE commitment and another versatile front-seven prospect in Dawson. Evans would have added depth and a different frame type, but he was no longer the recruit who would define the position group.
Florida may feel this loss more than Miami
The Gators have added multiple defensive linemen in the 2027 class, but Evans' size gives him a chance to develop into a 5-technique defender.
Evans would have given Florida another option to build a larger, more physical defensive front.
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