Listed at 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds, Ward is ranked in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite as the No. 682 player, No. 44 interior offensive lineman and No. 75 player from Georgia. The Benedictine Military School (Ga.) native is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 81 interior offensive lineman and No. 110 player from Georgia.

Despite his ranking, Auburn viewed Ward as an instant impact player at guard and someone that offensive line coach Jake Thornton pushed hard to get.

“Mainly it was just the environment of Auburn,” Ward told Auburn Undercover. “Just the coaches as well. I have a great relationship with all of the coaches, especially Coach Thornton. He just does the simple things that other coaches didn’t do. Me and Coach Freeze also have a great relationship. He also sat down and told me that I was a very huge impact on the team. He just sat down and kind of plays that father figure role, you know? He’ll always be there if you need to talk to him. He’ll always be on your side whenever you need him.”

From the beginning of the recruiting process, Thornton made sure to emphasize to Ward that he could be a Day 1 starter at Auburn should he join the 2025 class. For Ward, that played an important factor.

“That was the biggest part of my recruitment,” Ward said. “Just trying to find a place where I fit in at. Coach Thornton broke it down for me in every single aspect where I fit in at on the team.”

Ward first visited Auburn back in March and said the Tigers were his leader then. He took trips to see South Carolina, LSU and Tennessee after that, but when he returned in June he named the Tigers his leader again.

Following that official visit to Auburn, he went on other official visits to Tennessee and LSU, but from the first time he got to Auburn back in March he knew the Plains was where he was headed.

“Honestly I knew the first time I stepped foot in Auburn,” Ward said. “It just felt like home. Which I didn’t want to miss out on any of my other official visits because I just wanted to still experience it. But as soon as I walked in Auburn, it felt like home.”

Ward becomes commitment No. 16 for Auburn in the 2025 class, with Ward joining Tavaris Dice, Broderick Shull, Tai Buster and Spencer Dowland as the fifth offensive line commit. The class is ranked No. 11 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings.

Now officially in the class, Auburn’s newest addition is turning his attention to recruiting his teammate and a target that slipped out of Auburn’s grasp in Miami edge commit Herbert “Third” Scroggins.

“I’m most definitely recruiting some guys,” Ward said. “I’m still trying to get Third back with us currently. I’m still trying to get Third back, he’s my main target since he’s my dog. I’m trying to get him back for sure.”

Ward’s message to the Auburn fans now?