The seemingly inevitable has come true.
After plenty of speculation and two more trips to Auburn, Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola linebacker Elijah Malendez has come off the board with a commitment to the Auburn Tigers.
The four-star did so while on The Plains for the third time since the summer. After backing off of his Miami commitment exactly two weeks ago, it was apparent AU would be the immediate beneficiary.
"I already know where I want to go," Melendez told Rivals after the decommitment. It was on the front end of his first game trip to AU and that sentiment remained with the big, physical 'backer through Saturday's decision.
"I've been through a lot with my (knee) injury and recruitment. I may as well end it now instead of waiting," he added.
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The last time the new Tiger commitment was in town, he spent time with many current AU pledges as if he was all but one of them. It included running back Alvin Henderson and tight end Ryan Ghea, two of the more outspoken peer recruiters on the Hugh Freeze commitment list.
That class sits within the top five of the Rivals team rankings.
Rivals Analysis
Melendez admitted he thought his skill set was best suited for SEC football and after another live evaluation earlier this season, it's hard not to agree. The new Tiger is every bit of 225 pounds and he plays with a downhill ferocity suited for the top competition always found in that league. It's why the finalists for the commitment came down to AU, Oklahoma, Georgia and others this time around.
After missing so much time in 2023 with the knee issue, Melendez was methodical in his rehab and appears to have come back stronger, with his typical range and physicality on display early on this fall. Where he appears to have matured is in pass coverage. He had a near viral interception in which he played the passing lane and picked off a fastball from Notre Dame commitment Noah Grubbs, and it wasn't the only play he made in space against the pass.
Should that three-down element continue to progress, combined with health and his physical gifts, then there is little reason to believe Melendez can't become an early contributor at an SEC program that seems relatively open to relying on youth at key positions. He is the fifth top 100 defender to have committed to AU to date.
