Auburn retains offensive lineman for final year of eligibility

Auburn’s offense received good news on Tuesday, as offensive lineman Nick Brahms — who just finished his fifth year with the Tigers — announced on Twitter that he will return to Auburn for the 2022 season, using his final year of eligibility.

“Thank you for the past five years,” Brahms said in a Twitter post addressed to Auburn. “It has been a dream of mine to play in the orange and blue. To my family, teammates and coaches, thank you for always having my back and supporting me. To the Auburn family, your support means the world to us when we suit up on Saturdays.

“I truly believe that Auburn’s best days are ahead and to be a part of that success, you have to be a special person,” Brahms wrote. “It’s a privilege to play here and I’m proud to wear these colors — I love Auburn with everything in me. I look forward to continuing my education in my master’s program and becoming a flight instructor this year while also coming back for my last year of eligibility!!! Let’s do it!!!”

Brahms, recruited as a 6-foot-4, 285-pound interior lineman, has since grown in size, at least according to Auburn’s roster page; he’s now listed at 6-foot-4, 302 pounds, providing a substantial size and experience boost to Auburn’s offensive line. A native of Navarre, Florida, Brahms was a four-star recruit in the 2017 recruiting class via the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 10 interior offensive lineman and the No. 25 overall recruit in Florida in the 2017 class.

Brahms enrolled early in 2017 and ultimately redshirted his freshman season that season. However, the next year, in 2018, he first began to contribute to the Tigers: Brahms took over as the starting center in the middle of the season, starting five consecutive games and anchoring the offensive line. He started semi-frequently at 2019, notching five starts in his second year of eligibility.

In 2020, Brahms was set to use his third year of eligibility. However, due to the COVID-19 blanket waiver, he was granted an additional year of eligibility. A returning starter, he continued high-level play in 2020, blocking for Bo Nix, and entered the season as a preseason third-team All-SEC honoree by some publications.

Brahms’ 2021 campaign was cut short. Though he played and started for the majority of the year, he underwent a knee procedure after the conclusion of the regular season, and he missed Auburn’s Birmingham Bowl loss to Houston.