However, 2026 offers optimism. First-year head coach Alex Golesh and a fresh group of prospects, including Class of 2027 quarterback Gary Chatman Jr.’s commitment, represent that hope.
Chatman, who weighs 190 pounds and is 6 feet tall, is already quite well-known because to viral videos of his workouts that displayed what appeared to be an arm fit for the SEC.
NFL influencer Dov Kleiman stated on their official X account, “New Auburn commit quarterback Gary Chatman has gone viral for having a ‘cannon’ of an arm.” “A spiral that is flawless.”
On May 9, Chatman declared his intention to attend Auburn. This fall, he will play his final year at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. In his first season as a starter in 2025, he ran for 418 yards and 5 touchdowns while averaging 11.9 yards per run. He also threw for 1,494 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions in 10 games.
“God’s timing!” When Chatman declared his committment, he wrote on his X account. “I’m at home.”
Gary Chatman Jr. is what the Tigers are getting.
Since his commitment, Chatman has generated a lot of talk, which is easy to understand given the unbelievable speed of his passes.
ML Football wrote on its official X account, “Auburn commit quarterback Gary Chatman has one of the most special arms you will see. Chatman has elite spin on his ball, and his accuracy is otherworldly for a high school kid. All the potential to be the next great quarterback.” Chatman was previously committed to Wake Forest before switching to Auburn, and he has offers from Iowa State, West Virginia, Liberty, and other schools. Chatman’s accuracy is incredible for a high school student, and he has exceptional spin on his ball. The potential to become the next great quarterback is immense.
Before switching to Auburn, Chatman had previously committed to Wake Forest. In addition, he has offers from Liberty, West Virginia, and Iowa State.
The Gwinnett Daily Post’s Will Hammock wrote on May 9, “The 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior committed Saturday to the Auburn University football program, reversing course after an initial pledge to Wake Forest. Chatman is a dual-threat quarterback who has run as fast as 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Despite an early-season broken collarbone that forced him to miss games and limited his running production, Chatman rushed for 418 yards and five touchdowns for the Broncos’ state playoff squad. Chatman is a dual-threat quarterback with a 40-yard sprint time of 4.49 seconds. Chatman ran for 418 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Broncos’ state semifinal team and passed for 1,494 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing games due to an early-season broken collarbone.
Recruiting Guru Gives ’27 QB High Praise
The day before he committed, Andrew Ivins, Director of Scouting at 247Sports, gave Chatman good marks.
On May 8, Ivins wrote, “Scrappy dual-threat talent that flashes as a down-field passer. . . . avoids sacks with impressive pocket awareness and can make accurate off-balance tosses. Beats defenders to the edge on RPO calls and has proven to be a tough tackle in tight quarters. Must get more consistent with his ball placement and improving timing, but has a chance to do damage on Saturdays in a power-spread attack. has proved to be a formidable tackle in confined spaces and outperforms opponents on RPO calls. He has a chance to inflict damage on Saturdays with a power-spread assault, but he needs to improve his timing and ball placement consistency.
Now, the goal is for Auburn to at least cross the.500 threshold in 2026 and gain some momentum when Chatman eventually arrives on campus.
The 41-year-old Golesh hasn’t done anything in his career to demonstrate that he can make things better. He concluded his three seasons as South Florida’s head coach with his finest season in 2025, going 9-3, but he never placed higher than fourth in the American Conference.
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