Tigers steal pass rush from Ole Miss

The Auburn Tigers added a big piece its defensive front on Saturday afternoon by signing Ole Miss transfer edge Da’Shavn Womack, a move that bolsters a position group that has been hit hard by departures from the 2025 roster. The signing comes a day after the NCAA Transfer Portal was closed to new entrants, although players already on the portal are still eligible to sign.

Womack joins Auburn with one year of eligibility remaining after a collegiate career that already included stops at LSU and Ole Miss. He was one of the top defensive end prospects in the 2023 recruiting cycle, rated as the No. 3 tight end nationally and a consensus top-100 recruit. On3 ranked him 12th overall in that class, while 247Sports later listed him as a four-star transfer with a 92,000 grade.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Womack played high school football at St. Francis Academy, a national powerhouse that became a significant conduit for the Tigers’ defense. Auburn currently has multiple former St. Francis players, including Bryce Dees, Blake Woodby, Darion Smith and Wayne Henry. The Tigers also employ Wayne Dorsey, now an assistant coach, who coached Womack for four years at St. Francis, a relationship that played a decisive role in Womack’s decision to sign with Auburn.

Womack has shown consistent production over three SEC seasons. During his two years at LSU (2023–24), he appeared in 20 games and recorded 21 total tackles, 10 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also added four pass deflections, five quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery during his time in Baton Rouge.

After transferring to Ole Miss for the 2025 season, Womack took on a bigger role and put up career-best numbers. In 15 games, he finished with 27 tackles, including 14 solo tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and one forced fumble. He pressured opposing quarterbacks seven times and contributed seven tackles during Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff run, including four in the first-round matchup against Tulane.

Over his full college career from 2023-25, Womack had 48 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, four pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. At 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, he brings size and experience, having played exclusively in the SEC since coming to college.

For the Tigers, the timing of the pass is key. Auburn lost its top two defensive tackles and two top linebackers from the 2025 roster, including Keldrick Faulk, Amaris Williams, Kairon Crawford and Chris Murray. Womack’s chameleon ability to line up as a defensive tackle or linebacker gives first-year head coach Alex Golesh’s staff significant flexibility.

Womack is Auburn’s 29th freshman transfer and ranks as the third-highest rated transfer in the class, trailing only quarterback Byrum Brown and tied with running back Bryson Washington.