Harding Harper III joined the Auburn Football staff in December 2025. He serves as Executive Director of Recruiting.

Harper spent the 2025 season as Executive Director of Recruiting and Personnel at South Florida under head coach Alex Golesh as the Bulls posted a 9-3 record.

A native of Birmingham, he served the 2024 season on the staff at Vanderbilt as director of college scouting as the Commodores went 7-6 and won the Birmingham Bowl.

He returned to Nashville following one season as assistant director of player personnel at Alabama, where he helped the Crimson Tide secure the nation's No. 2 recruiting class in December 2023. He also served as assistant director of player personnel at Houston in 2022 following the 2021 season at Colorado in scouting.

Harper moved to Colorado following time at Lycoming College (linebackers coach), Missouri (graduate assistant) and Centennial High School in Atlanta where he was assistant defensive coordinator, coached linebackers and served as the school’s recruiting coordinator. He also spent time at Penn State as a visiting intern.

A two-time captain, Harper played linebacker for the Commodores from 2012-15, helping the program win nine games and a bowl game each season.  He prepped at Carver Montgomery High School before graduating from Vanderbilt in 2016 with a degree in political science.