Auburn’s addition to its defensive line was not a one-time deal.
After receiving the commitment of Indiana transfer defensive lineman Philip Blidi on Sunday, the Tigers have added another transfer defensive lineman, this time from USC and former Texas A&M defensive lineman Isaiah Raikes.
Raikes, who entered the transfer portal on April 12, confirmed his commitment to Auburn via social media on Monday.
BREAKING: Former Texas A&M and USC DL Isaiah Raikes has Committed to Auburn, he tells @on3sports
The 6’1 315 DL will have 1 year of eligibility remaining
“The plains is the crib! War DAMN Eagle 🦅💙🧡 #SECbaby”https://t.co/Afjkm4JIn9 pic.twitter.com/OTHvOhBvYg
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 22, 2024
Raikes technically transferred from USC, but he never played for the Trojans.
After four seasons at Texas A&M, Raikes entered the transfer portal in December and soon joined USC. Raikes’ stay in Los Angeles, however, was brief, and he finally returned to the transfer portal.
Raikes played in 42 games over four seasons at Texas A&M, recording 43 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and one forced fumble.
Raikes, a native of Woodbury, New Jersey, was rated a 3-star defensive tackle out of high school and the 61st-ranked defensive tackle for 2020 by 247Sports.
Raikes, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 313 pounds, is expected to bring size to the interior of Auburn’s defensive line, which has been a source of worry since spring training began.
“I think inside is where we’re still a little thin,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said of his defensive line during spring practice. “We’ll be looking, maybe, for some portal help there.”
So far, the Tigers have received substantial assistance with the arrivals of Raikes and Blidi.
Raikes and Blidi join a defensive line room that already includes senior Jayson Jones, senior Kansas transfer Gage Keys, senior Texas transfer Trill Carter, junior Quientrail Jamison-Travis, redshirt freshman Darron Reed Jr., freshman TJ Lindsey, and freshman Malik Blocton.
