Auburn Recruiting: Three Reasons Byron Cowart is the Most Important Recruit of 2015

Oct 19, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Auburn Tigers taped football shoes on the field before the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Byron Cowart is Mature Beyond His Years

It’s a risk to praise an 18-year old for his maturity at this stage. After all, Jameis Winston was considered very mature early in his redshirt freshman Heisman Trophy-winning season until a series of scandals made him one of the most hated players in college football history.

But Byron Cowart seems like he truly gets it.

“When they say ‘family’, you really can feel it,” Cowart said after visiting Auburn. “It was like family for real. They take care of their guys, too. A lot of the people that work in (athletic department) played here.

“At least I know that if football doesn’t work out and I come here, I can always come back because they take care of their guys.”

Did you hear that? “If football doesn’t work out.” It might not sound like much, but that’s pretty advanced thinking for an 18-year old, especially a five-start recruit.

Not that Cowart is expecting it – he wants to graduate in three years so he can leave early for the NFL with his degree in hand – another sign of maturity, as well as confidence.

“My biggest thing is being able to start my major (journalism) as soon as I get on campus,” he said. “If I keep doing what I’m supposed to do on the field, I’ll be gone to the NFL in three years and I’m not going into the draft without my degree.

“That’s why I don’t want to waste time. I wanted to see that (Auburn) had a three-year plan written out for me and they did, which means they care about what I want to do and that means a lot to me.”

Cowart certainly has his stuff together. He knows what he’s looking for when he visits schools and he’s taking his time to make the right decision.

And because of that maturity, he shouldn’t be an academic or behavior risk on campus, which are the two biggest things that keep five-star players from developing into college All-Americans and first round NFL draft picks.

Watch his maturity yourself, courtesy of an interview with ESPN’s Derek Tyson:

Next: Is Auburn the Right Place For Byron Cowart?