Ellis '100% locked in' with Auburn
Earlier this month, Auburn's future center was putting in work at his future home.
Kail Ellis, the 6-foot-4 center out of Cartersville, Ga., was on campus June 9, where he got some private instruction from Auburn's offensive line coach Jake Thornton and analyst Peyton Cox.
"It was great, got to work with Coach Thornton, Coach Cox, had a great time," Ellis said. "Pushed through the work, worked on fundamentals, it was a good day."
Ellis, who committed to Auburn in November, has been working all offseason on improving his skillset. When he was on campus earlier this month, it wasn't the first time that he had worked under Thornton, but this time was different.
"I worked with him last year at camp, but this year was a lot more hands on," Ellis said. "With me being committed, I’m gonna want to get used to his coaching style and I really liked it today, so it was good."
Overall, the four-star won rep after rep, picking up little things from Thornton to work on, while also learning what he's doing well.
"He said my feet were pretty good today, just keep working on my angles and pass press," Ellis said. "Make sure I square up the guy and get in front of them."
One of the top offensive linemen in the 2026 class, Ellis knows that other schools are gonna push for him. He's hearing the most from North Carolina State and Florida State, but has been upfront with the programs about where he sits with his commitment.
"I let them know how locked in I am with Auburn," Ellis said. "I'm 100% locked in."
With plans to return next month for Big Cat Weekend, Ellis is ready to help recruit others to the Plains.
"I want to let them know just how much they’ll be loved here at Auburn," Ellis said. "Just how good they can be, how we can help them reach their best potential."
He's working to recruit plenty of guys in his class, but also been in contact with 2025 offensive linemen like Andrew Babalola, Malachi Goodman and Jacobe Ward, trying to bring them in as well. What does he tell them about Auburn?
"I just think the love and the family feeling that Auburn brings to them, that’s big for me as well," Ellis said. "I think just the connection you get to have with the players and the coaches is really big and I think that’s what puts them in front of all the other colleges."