Tigers land ex-Wake Forest commit

Auburn football swooped up a quarterback originally heading to Wake Forest Saturday. One lined up to eventually replace incoming starter Byrum Brown.

Gary Chatman commits to the Tigers, with Hayes Fawcett of On3/Rivals confirming the decision. The 6-foot-1 dual-threat reopened his College Football Recruiting process earlier during the week of May 4.

Chad Simmons of On3/Rivals revealed when the Tigers and incoming head coach Alex Golesh started talking to the new 2027 commit.

“The Tigers began showing serious interest in late March, got him on campus April 16, then extended an offer April 22. He returned to The Plains on May 1 — and that trip sealed it,” Simmons wrote.

The star from Brockwood High in Snellville, Ga., raved about this trip to Simmons as well.

“When I went back up there for my second visit, I just loved everything about it,” Chatman told Rivals. “I loved the coaches and the environment…that’s what led to my decision. I knew when I left that visit that I was going to commit to Auburn.”

Chatman added how he gained a rapport with new quarterbacks coach Joel Gordon, who developed Brown at USF plus briefly worked with Brock Purdy.

Auburn gains a three-star but the nation’s No. 69 overall quarterback for the 2027 class. Chatman called Auburn “a positive environment” which helped seal his decision.

Golesh gets a QB with a soft touch on his deep throws. He delivers a strong arc in getting the ball to his wide receivers. But Chatman is an electric runner who looks like a strong fit for Golesh’s veer-and-shoot spread attack. Chatman also has four-star wide receiver Brylan Oduor to throw to in the future after choosing Auburn one week ago.