Auburn began its 2017 edition of National Signing Day expecting a relatively average turn of events. Having already picked up a commitment from JUCO tight-end John Samuel Shenker on Sunday and with plenty of confidence in their verbal commits, all signs pointed to a moderately peaceful day for the Tigers.
The nature of Auburn football, however, knows no such tranquility.
Leading off the morning was the commitment of three-star defensive tackle Tyrone Truesdell to the Tigers. Truesdell’s recruitment was reportedly neck and neck between Auburn and Jim McElwain’s Florida Gators. The 6 foot 3 defensive line anchor cemented the afternoon’s theme of bolstering and reloading on the defensive end.
Four-star linebacker Tyler Taylor headlined Auburn’s couple of expected notable announcements, paired with the declaration of four-star defensive end Markaviest Bryant. Taylor’s choices had been narrowed to Auburn, LSU and Oklahoma. LSU was considered the overwhelming front-runner and, not surprisingly, Ed Orgeron’s Tigers were able to secure the Buford, Georgia native.
Bryant’s recruiting story, on the other hand, was far more fascinating. Auburn became a player for “Big Cat” Bryant late in the recruiting game, as the defensive end more heavily embraced the courting of Georgia and LSU for most of the recruiting season. Bryant’s last minute visit to the Plains just a weekend ago must have done the trick. A huge get for Kevin Steele’s defense, Bryant’s athletic ability looks to eventually replace defensive-standout Carl Lawson, who led the Tigers in sacks last season.
Just minutes before Markaviest Bryant’s big decision, Gus Malzahn was gifted another unexpected luxury. Local all-around athlete JaTarvious Whitlow announced he would be signing with the Tigers. Whitlow, a three-star athlete from Lafayette High School, was apparently persuaded by the deadly Kevin Steele-Chip Lindsey tandem.
“I was about to sign with Tulane,” Whitlow said. “I asked God to show me a sign. All of a sudden, I got phone call from Coach Steele. He told me ‘the new OC wants you.’ I knew, that’s got to be it.”
Lindsey reportedly expressed interest in the three-star athlete’s playmaking ability on both sides of the ball. “He (Lindsey) said he watched film,” Whitlow said. “He wanted me, so I knew this was the place for me.”
Following Bryant’s signing, Auburn announced the commitment of three-star defensive back Carlito Gonzalez, the 13th and last of Auburn’s expected signees.
Approximately two hours after Bryant’s big decision, Auburn assistant coach Scott Fountain tweeted that Bryant’s choice was a “great way to finish signing day at Auburn,” suggesting that any further signings would be of monumental astonishment to the coaching staff.
Insert Jarez Parks to spice things up. The four-star defensive end’s commitment to Alabama was publicized in a video released by Bleacher Report around 11 a.m. CST, after rumors had swirled that Parks was considering a flip to either Auburn or Georgia. The narrative thickened, as sources close to Alabama claimed that Parks had not officially signed with the Crimson Tide and was in fact still uncommitted.
It remains to be seen if the possibility of Parks flipping to in-state rival Auburn is factual or simply fool’s gold.
Gus Malzahn’s official Signing Day press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. CST at the Auburn Athletics Complex. Per 247Sports, Auburn’s current 2017 class ranks 9th in the nation and 4th in the SEC, behind rivals Alabama, Georgia and LSU.
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