(1:24 p.m.) Auburn's final target, Andrew Williams, has rounded out the Class of 2014 by announcing his commitment to play for the Tigers.
The 4-star defensive end from McDonough, Ga., picked Auburn over Clemson and Georgia in a ceremony broadcast on ESPN3.com. Williams, who is rated as the No. 13 defensive end in the nation, was selected to play in the Offense-Defense Bowl after his senior season at Eagle's Landing Christian HS.
"Auburn was the best decision for me to help grow as a man...everything was right for me there," Williams said.
Williams is the final commitment of the day, rounding out Auburn's class of 23 with 18 NSD signees and five early enrollees.
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(10:58 a.m.) Auburn's last commitment prior to Signing Day, Markell Boston, has sent his official letter of intent to the Tigers.
Boston flipped from East Carolina to Auburn on Monday. A 3-star from nearby Newnan, Ga., Boston will provide depth to an Auburn secondary that is missing several starters due to graduation.
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(10:47 a.m.) The Tigers' top target for National Signing Day is not staying on The Plains.
Rashaan Evans, a 5-star outside linebacker who has been called one of the best overall recruits in the country picked Alabama over the hometown Tigers and UCLA at a ceremony during at Auburn High School's gymnasium.
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(10:25 a.m.) Auburn's busy 10 o'clock hour has started with a bang as highly ranked offensive guard Braden Smith has committed to the Tigers.
Smith, a 4-star lineman chose Auburn over Texas A&M and TCU in a ceremony at his high school in Olathe, Kan. He is known as a "weight room warrior," as video of him bench-pressing more than 500 pounds went viral on recruiting websites last month.
"The reason I chose Auburn was because of the opportunity when Greg Robinson left for the NFL," Smith told ESPNU. "I could get that opportunity to play early, and the style of offense they run is similar to the one we run here. I also liked all of the coaches there...they're top of the line people."
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(10:20 a.m.) Another Mobile commitment, De'Shaun Davis, has officially signed with the Tigers.
Davis is a borderline 4/3-star linebacker from Vigor who committed to Auburn last April. He was an 6A All-State selection as both a sophomore and a junior and is rated as the No. 13 inside linebacker in the country.
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(9:40 a.m.) The Tigers' first surprise pickup of the day is Ike Powell, a 2-star long snapper from Tift County HS in Chula, Ga. According to Auburn's official website, Powell, who was originally committed to Vanderbilt, will be a preferred walk-on at Auburn.
We are about an hour or so out from some major announcements, including 5-star linebacker Rashaan Evans and 4-star guard Braden Smith.
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(9:12 a.m.) Auburn's 14th signee of the day is now official: Dontavius Russell.
Russell is a 4-star defensive tackle from Carrollton, Ga., who flipped from Georgia to Auburn in December. Auburn also beat out Alabama, Clemson, Florida and Florida State for the 300-pounder's commitment
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(8:55 a.m.) The national letter of intent is in from Auburn's biggest offensive commitment of the class, Racean "Roc" Thomas.
The 5-star Oxford native was Mr. Football for the state of Alabama this past season, giving Auburn back-to-back Alabama Mr. Football honorees (Jeremy Johnson won the award in 2012) for the first time since 2000 and 2001 (Carnell Williams and Brandon Cox). The Under Armour All-American ran for 2,211 yards and 32 touchdowns in his senior season for the Yellow Jackets.
Thomas is the No. 4 running back and No. 23 overall player in the country, according to 247Sports's Composite Rankings.
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(8:25 a.m.) The first 5-star signing of the day is official. Tre' Williams is going to be an Auburn Tiger.
The 5-star linebacker from St. Paul's Episcopal in Mobile racked up several major awards in his high school career: Under Armour All-American, first-team 247Sports All-American and two All-State selections. He is rated as the No. 2 overall inside linebacker in the country, with several outlets calling him the top ILB in this year's class.
Williams was another one of Dameyune Craig's Mobile commitments who stayed true to Auburn since his announcment last May.
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(8:20 a.m.) While many Auburn fans will spend Signing Day interested about the signing of 5-star linebacker Rashaan Evans, another son of a former Auburn player has signed to the Tigers --- Myron Burton.
The son of Myron Burton, Sr., a defensive end on Auburn's 1993 undefeated team, Burton was listed as an athlete by most recruiting services. However, the 3-star Suwanee, Ga., native is expected to stay at wide receiver when he arrives on Auburn's campus.
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(8:05 a.m.) Auburn is now at 10 signees as 3-star defensive tackle Devaroe Lawrence has faxed his letter to The Plains.
Another signee from Georgia Military College, Lawrence stands at 6-foot-3 and 278 pounds. Auburn grabbed his commitment last May, beating SEC West rival Mississippi State for his services.
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(7:54 a.m.) The in-state train keeps chugging along for Auburn as Stephen Roberts and Jakell Mitchell from nearby Opelika have signed their Letters of Intent.
The four-star Roberts was originally committed to Alabama, but he flipped to Auburn shortly after his unofficial visit to the now-legendary Auburn-Georgia game from this season. He also played quarterback for the Bulldogs this season, but he is projected to play safety for the Tigers.
Mitchell is a versatile player who played several different positions at Opelika, from running back to linebacker. The three-star is expected to play tight end in Malzahn's offense. Mitchell missed his entire senior season at Opelika with a torn ACL injury he suffered during a summer on 7-on-7 camp, but Auburn still honored his commitment.
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(7:35 a.m.) Auburn officially signs its first in-state commitments of the day, 4-star defensive end Justin Thornton from Vigor HS in Mobile and 3-star running back Kamryn Pettway from Prattville.
Thornton, a feared pass rusher off the edge, is ranked as the No. 6 defensive end in the country and was named a second-team All-American by 247Sports. He was an early commitment out of the Mobile area, the old stomping grounds of No. 1 ranked recruiter and Auburn assistant coach Dameyune Craig.
Pettway was another early commitment to the Tigers who stayed true through his entire senior season. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the 6A powerhouse Prattville Lions and is described as a solid, all-around runner for the Auburn backfield.
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(7:16 a.m.) Two more signees are official for Auburn, and they are four stars: Nick Ruffin and DaVonte Lambert.
Ruffin is the Top-10 cornerback in the country and hails from St. Pius X in Atlanta, Ga. At 6-foot-1, he is a bigger cornerback who could be an instant boost for the Auburn secondary that will be missing Chris Davis. He played the 2014 Army All-American Bowl.
Lambert was a former Tennessee commitment from the JUCO ranks, but he flipped to the Tigers in December on JUCO Signing Day. The defensive end is from the Georgia Military College, who also has several other Auburn commitments in this class.
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(6:48 a.m.) The only quarterback in this year's class of signees, Sean White, has officially signed with Auburn.
White, a 4-star pro-style quarterback from the University School in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is coming off a senior season full of accolades. The 6-foot-2 signal caller was the MVP of the Under Armour All-America game and was named to the Elite 11 Class of quarterbacks following his performance at Nike's Opening scouting combine.
White is the No. 6 pro-style quarterback prospect in this year's class according to 247Sports.com's Composite rankings (our go-to rating system here at The Plainsman). While most people think of dual-threat quarterbacks like Cam Newton or Nick Marshall when they think of Malzahn's offense, White is a skilled passer who has been described as highly mobile inside the pocket.
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(6:44 a.m.) Auburn's first two NLIs of the day are in: Kalvarez Bessent and Raashed Kennion.
Bessent is a 4-star cornerback from Camden County HS in Kingsland, Ga. and chose Auburn over Alabama, Florida and Florida State. He was an Under Armour All-American after picking off six passes in his senior season at Camden County.
Kennion is a 3-star weak side defensive end from First Coast HS in Jacksonville, Fla. Kennion was originally committed to former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati. He stands at 6-foot-6, already making him one of the Tigers' biggest defensive players.
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(6:37 a.m.) As we wait for the first Letter of Intent to arrive on the fax machine at Auburn, here is a look at the five Class of 2014 signees who are early enrollees and are already on campus:
WR D'haquille Williams (4-star WR)
6-foot-3, 200 pounds
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Williams was rated as the No. 1 overall junior college prospect in the country this season and should provide an instant boost to Auburn's passing game next season. He had 733 yards and nine touchdowns in his sophomore season at MGCCC, a solid follow-up to his 17-touchdown freshman season at the junior college powerhouse.
S Derrick Moncrief (4-star S)
6-foot-3, 226 pounds
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
The Tigers also grabbed a letter of intent one of Williams' most sought-after teammates in December. Moncrief was rated as the No. 1 safety from the junior college ranks and is a graduate of 6A state powerhouse Prattville. The former Lion has been described by many recruiting experts as a hard-hitting defensive back that could step in immediately into an Auburn secondary that lost a few key players to graduation.
Stanton Truitt (3-star ATH)
5-foot-10, 185 pounds
Monroe (Ga.) Area HS
Truitt had almost 4,000 all-purpose yards and 60 touchdowns in his senior year of high school as a dual-threat quarterback, but he will most likely play wide receiver or defensive back for Auburn in the future.
Chris Laye (3-star TE)
6-foot-6, 240 pounds
Lambert HS (Suwanee, Ga.)
Although Auburn has several playmakers already at tight end, the 6-foot-6 Laye's early enrollment could give him an advantage in the race for early playing time at special teams and certain offensive packages.
Xavier Dampeer (3-star C)
6-foot-4, 300 pounds
Copiah-Lincoln Community College
One of the highest rated offensive line prospects from the junior college ranks, Dampeer provides immediate depth to a center spot that will be vacated after next season with the graduation of veteran starter Reese Dismukes.
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(6:00 a.m.) We are officially live from the Auburn Athletic Complex for National Signing Day 2014. Auburn currently has 21 commitments for their 2014 recruiting class, and recruits can start sending in those coveted letters of intent starting right now.
The Plainsman will have live updates from the Complex and Auburn High School, where 5-star linebacker Rashaan Evans is expected to make his announcement at around 10:45 a.m.
If you will be following the Signing Day action on Twitter, make sure to follow @TheAUPlainsman, sports editor @JFergusonAU and sports writer @AUMcKinney.
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Here is the most up-to-date list of Auburn signees from today:
- Racean "Roc" Thomas (5-star RB from Oxford)
- Tre' Williams (5-star ILB from Mobile)
- Kalvarez Bessent (4-star CB from Kingsland, Ga.)
- DaVonte Lambert (4-star DE from Georgia Military College)
- Stephen Roberts (4-star CB from Opelika)
- Nick Ruffin (4-star CB from Atlanta, Ga.)
- Dontavius Russell (4-star DT from Carrollton, Ga.)
- Braden Smith (4-star G from Olathe, Kan.)
- Justin Thornton (4-star DE from Mobile)
- Sean White (4-star QB from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla)
- Andrew Williams (4-star DE from McDonough, Ga.)
- Markell Boston (3-star S from Newnan, Ga.)
- Myron Burton (3-star ATH from Suwanee, Ga.)
- De'Shaun Davis (3-star ILB from Mobile)
- Raashed Kennion (3-star DE from Jacksonville, Fla.)
- Devaroe Lawrence (3-star DT from Georgia Military College)
- Jakell Mitchell (3-star TE from Opelika)
- Kamryn Pettway (3-star RB from Prattville)
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