Auburn‘s longest-tenured commitment for its 2026 recruiting has shifted gears and is now set to play for an SEC rival.

Hezekiah Harris, a four-star EDGE who had been committed to Auburn since July of 2024, announced Monday that he has flipped his commitment from Auburn to SEC foe Tennessee. His move comes after announcing last week that he planned to reveal his “final decision” on Labor Day between Auburn, Tennessee, and Florida.

Harris told Chad Simmons of Rivals that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee coaching staff remained persistent in their recruiting efforts despite him being an Auburn commit.

“Tennessee has never slowed down how they recruited me,” Harris said Monday in an interview with Rivals. “The coaches always made me feel wanted. They have recruited me hard, and they have always made me feel like a top guy.”

How does Harris’ decision to back off his Auburn commitment affect the Tigers’ recruiting ranking? Auburn fell to No. 51 in 247Sports’ recruiting rankings, down from its position at No. 35 when five-star safety Bralan Womack announced his commitment to Auburn on Aug. 21. Hugh Freeze now has 12 players in his 2026 recruiting haul, led by Womack and five four-star recruits.

Auburn will now go back to the drawing board to find players to fill out its 2026 class ahead of the early signing period, which begins on Dec. 3.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Hezekia Harris flips commitment from Auburn to Tennessee