Four-star LB Elijah Melendez announces commitment to Auburn ahead of New Mexico game

Two weeks after decommitting to Miami, four-star linebacker Elijah Melendez has found a new home.

Melendez, a four-star linebacker from Osceola High School in Florida, announced Saturday that he has committed to Auburn. The news comes hours before the Tigers’ homecoming game against New Mexico at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Melendez broke off his commitment to On3’s Chad Simmons, explaining that Auburn fans’ love for their university played a role in his decision to commit to Hugh Freeze’s program.

“It’s amazing because the fans don’t just love Auburn football,” Melendez said in an interview with On3. “They love Auburn. They love everything about the school and the football team. It feels like the fans enjoy everything about Auburn. The atmosphere is amazing.”

Melendez also told Simmons that he thinks Auburn is a good fit for him culturally, citing the city of Auburn as well as the coaching styles and personality traits of the men who will one day lead it.

“Auburn is a college town and they’re an SEC program,” Melendez said. “They’re on the rise. (DJ Durkin) is about energy, passion and playing hard. (Hugh Freeze) is about belief, self-belief and believing in things. That’s where I fit in.”

Melendez is a four-star linebacker according to On3, Rivals and ESPN. He is the fourth overall linebacker in the 2025 cycle according to ESPN and Rivals, and ranks as the No. 20 recruit in Florida in 2025.

Contact us/Follow us @The Auburn Thread on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

This article was originally published on Auburn Wire: Four-star LB Elijah Melendez announces commitment to Auburn ahead of New Mexico game