Just over 24 hours after Alex Golesh was hired as the program’s 33rd head football coach, the Auburn Tigers have lost three commitments from the 2026 class.
Three-star offensive lineman Nikau Hepi announced his de-commitment from the Tigers on Monday afternoon, according to an X post on Hepi’s account.
“I wanna thank Auburn football and their staff for their recruitment. After careful consideration I have decided to DE-COMMIT from Auburn due to the coaching change,” Hepi wrote on X. “I’m looking forward to finding the best school and coaches for my development. I will be RE-OPENING my recruitment.”
I wanna thank @AuburnFootball and their staff for their recruitment. After careful consideration I have decided to DE-COMMIT from Auburn due to the coaching change. I’m looking forward to finding the best school and coaches for my development.
I will be RE-OPENING my recruitment
— Nikau Hepi (@nikaunflacademy) December 1, 2025
Hepi joins five-star safety Bralan Womack and four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone as the only players who have revoked their pledge to Auburn since Golesh arrived on the Plains. Womack, the nation’s No. 1 safety, flipped to Mississippi State while Falzone de-committed a few hours after Womack.
Hepi originally committed to the Tigers on June 24, 2025, and took an official visit to the Plains on Oct. 11 for Auburn’s clash with Georgia, according to 247Sports’ recruiting timeline.
The 6-foot-7, 370-pounder from New Zealand is ranked as the No. 716 overall player and the No. 63 offensive tackle in the 2026 cycle, per 247Sports. Hepi wasn’t among the top recruits in Auburn’s 2026 class, but bringing in any offensive lineman with size like Hepi’s never hurts.
After Hepi’s departure, Auburn now holds 11 recruits in the class, with four-star edge rusher Jaquez Wilkes standing as the Tigers’ highest-rated pledge. Auburn also boasts two other offensive line commitments as of Monday, including three-star offensive tackle Wilson Zierer and three-star interior offensive lineman Parker Pritchett.
The Tigers now sit at No. 78 in 247Sports’ 2026 team recruiting rankings, but Golesh detailed his plan regarding roster retention and talent acquisition on Monday at his introductory press conference.
Golesh revealed how his priorities lie within the current locker room, followed by recruiting the 2026 class, the 2027 class, and so on.
“Minute by minute we have mapped out the entire first six months as we go forward. These first, really, seven days are as critical as anything else. You’re right, hiring a staff, recruiting for signing day Wednesday, I think more important than any of that is meeting with our current players here,” Golesh said.
“From there, the class that’s committed, the class that’s committed and may be wavering a little bit, working through that part of it,” Golesh continued. “Working through the guys that we have been recruiting at the last place or that may be committed elsewhere, trying to make sure Wednesday is the very best that it possibly can be.”
This Wednesday marks the start of the Early National Signing Period, a three-day stint from Dec. 3-5 in which high school athletes can sign their school’s National Letter of Intent. Golesh being hired four days before Early National Signing Day presents a tough time crunch to retain Auburn’s assembled 2026 class, but the new head coach emphasized the importance of focusing on the Tigers’ current roster above all else.
“And all of that, you’re truly bouncing back and forth, but again I think the most important thing, and I can’t say this enough, is the current players that are here because these are the guys that have the most immediate choice to make right now,” Golesh said.
“It’s either ‘I am going to stay here and keep with it and build something really special,’ or ‘Man, I don’t know if this is for me,’ but I think my most important priority is our current players. Not to me, but to whoever said I’m coming to Auburn and I’m part of this Auburn Family and I want to do this the right way here. So now everything else comes after, but that’s pretty much it.”
Initial recruiting struggles may occur early in Golesh’s tenure, but fluctuations from high school recruiting are normal during a coaching transition. It’s important for Auburn fans to keep in mind that there will likely be multiple major changes on the Tigers’ roster before they kick off next season, but panicking about them isn’t exactly helpful or warranted.
As he constantly stressed on Monday, Golesh envisions a process-driven program, and de-commitments are just a common part of a change in leadership.
