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

Nicholas Ian Allen
Nicholas Ian Allen

Fly War Eagle

Jan 2, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Team Highlight defensive end Byron Cowart (99) rushes Team Armour quarterback De Andre Johnson (9) during the first half of the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game at Tropicana Field. Team Highlight defeated Team Armour 46-6. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Signing defensive end Byron Cowart would be a huge boost to the Auburn recruiting class (or anyone else, for that matter). There are three reasons why is the most important recruit of 2015.

Byron Cowart is a special player. In fact, he’s the most important recruit in the 2015 class. And believe it or not, it’s not just because of what he can do on the football field.

The five-star defensive end from Seffner, Florida is a consensus five-star prospect that is ranked No. 1 overall in the ESPN300 and in the Rivals100, and is a top-five prospect on just about every other recruiting service.

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    • However, at least on the surface and through his interactions with the media, Cowart hasn’t let the pressure that comes with being the nation’s most sought-after 18-year old affect him – and that’s a great sign for his future, as well as whatever school signs him.

    According to most analysts, Cowart has trimmed his list of schools to Florida, Florida State and Auburn (UPDATE: Cowart told ESPN Thursday Auburn and Florida are his final two). He made an official visit to Auburn last week and said he felt at home on the Plains.

    “Me and Coach Muschamp are real locked in, and he made everything feel at home,” Cowart told Jeffrey Lee of AuburnSports.com. “I was comfortable. I had fun. There wasn’t any stress and I didn’t have to worry about anything. This is the first time of going on a visit and just relaxing. I really felt at home.”

    Cowart also mentioned an appreciation for the family atmosphere at Auburn and the fact that several members of the football coaching staff, as well as Athletic Director Jay Jacobs, played for the Tigers.

    Will that family feeling be enough for Auburn to land one of the nation’s best players? It’s too early to tell, especially since he’ll be in Gainesville this weekend and Tallahassee January 30, the final weekend prior to the February 4 National Signing Day.

    But, whichever program lands Cowart, they’ll get the nation’s most important recruit. Here’s why.

    Next: Byron Cowart Will Make an Immediate Impact

    Nov 30, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back T.J. Yeldon (4) is brought down by defensive back Ryan Smith (24) and Auburn Tigers defensive end Carl Lawson (55) during the second quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

    Byron Cowart Will Make an Immediate Impact on the Field

    First things first, Byron Cowart can play.

    Cowart is listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, and has a 40-yard dash time in the 4.6-second range, according to his 247Sports profile.

    To put that into perspective, fellow Auburn target John Burt, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound four-star wide receiver, has a 40-yard dash time of 4.59 seconds listed on his ESPN.com recruiting profile.

    Of course, the 40-yard dash isn’t exactly the best measure of a football player, and the time a player takes to run that distance is just a number.

    However, it’s a small measure of the explosiveness and burst Cowart possesses as a pass rusher. He’s quick enough to get around the edge and get to the quarterback before larger and slower offensive tackles can block him.

    But he’s not just a speed rusher; he’s also a physical presence. Cowart fires off the ball with a lowe center of gravity and has terrific and powerful hands that he uses to shock pass blockers. Plus, he makes good use of secondary moves like rips and swims to get past them.

    And, if all else fails, he is strong enough to go right through them:

    That’s Kennan Walker getting abused by Cowart in the clip above – a four-star prospect from Arizona considered to be the ninth best offensive tackle in the country by 247Sports. The video was taken at an Under Armour All-American Game practice. Cowart won MVP honors in the game itself.

    Simply put, Cowart already has a lot of tools at his disposal that will translate well to the SEC (and Auburn specifically) immediately.

    Auburn struggled on defense in 2014 and one of the biggest problems the Tigers faced was producing a consistent pass rush. With Carl Lawson injured, defensive end DaVonte Lambert and linebacker Kris Frost tied for the team lead with 3.5 sacks. Overall, the Tigers ranked 94th in the nation with 20 total sacks.

    Even with Lawson returning from a torn ACL, Cowart has the ability to start from day one. He’s this year’s Myles Garrett – who set an SEC freshman record and finished second in the league with 11.5 sacks in 2014 – and Cowart might be even better.

    Next: Byron Cowart Will Bring Other Players With Him

    Jan 4, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Army All-American Bowl West Team celebrates its 28-6 victory over the East during U.S. Army All-American Bowl high school football game at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

    Byron Cowart Will Bring Other Highly Touted Players With Him

    In addition to his on-field ability, and perhaps augmented by it, some of the nation’s top recruits want to play college football with Byron Cowart. Two notable ones are CeCe Jefferson and Jeffrey Holland.

    More from Auburn Football Recruiting

    “Me, CeCe and Jeffery all liked it,” Cowart said of his Auburn visit last weekend. “And we’ll all stick together. We’ll all play at the same school because we know we will make an impact. One guy, even if you’re a great player, can’t make an impact by yourself. You need some guys to go with you to change the whole program around.”

    Jefferson was considered a long shot for the Tigers, and frankly Auburn wasn’t even on the map for the five-star defensive lineman from Glen Saint Mary, Florida until head coach Gus Malzahn hired Will Muschamp as his new defensive coordinator.

    But, now that Muschamp is on board, the Tigers have a shot. And if Cowart want to play at Auburn, it sounds like Jefferson – a 6-foot-2, 275-pound consensus five-star player – might too.

    Despite those package deal promises, Jefferson is reportedly still considering Ole Miss and LSU in addition to Florida and possibly Florida State.

    Jefferson doesn’t have an official visit scheduled in Gainesville, but he’s had visits with the Florida staff and is familiar with the program. He’ll be in Baton Rouge on January 30.

    The key to it all may be Holland, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound top ten linebacker from Jacksonville. Auburn appeared to be Holland’s leader in December (and he said so), but the four-star prospect has been quiet recently and didn’t speak with reporters following his Auburn visit last weekend.

    Still, Florida is very much in the mix for the trio, and they would definitely have a chance to help build the Gators back into a national powerhouse under new head coach Jim McElwain.

    Next: Byron Cowart is Mature Beyond His Years

    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?

    Nicholas Ian Allen

     Is Auburn the Right Place For Byron Cowart?

    So, those are the three specific reasons why Byron Cowart is such an important player: (1) He’ll contribute immediately, (2) he’ll bring other talented players and (3) he’s got his head on straight, which should keep him out of trouble and on track in the classroom.

    But is Auburn the right place for Cowart? From an outside perspective, yes.

    More from Auburn Football Recruiting

    I won’t claim to know what Byron Cowart or any other member of the 2015 recruiting class is thinking, but based on the comments Cowart has given over the past few weeks, Auburn seems like a perfect place for him.

    From a football standpoint, it makes total sense.

    Take this recent interview with a Florida recruiting site for example:

    “He has a lot of guys,” Cowart said of Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins recently. “I can’t remember the names, but a lot of guys at Mississippi State that play that Dante Fowler position. That’s what I call it. Lot of people call it the hybrid, stand-up defensive end position. But he has a lot of guys that played that position. Third down, he sees me getting in there, rushing the quarterback and standing up.”

    Well, if Collins has had guys that play the “Dante Fowler position,” aka the Buck, Auburn has the guy that created it and coached Fowler himself. Tigers defensive coordinator Will Muschamp sees Cowart as the second coming of Fowler, and he would be a perfect fit at the Buck position in Muschamp’s defense.

    Plus, he’ll also have a chance to help rebuild a struggling defense, and with a solid offense in place, the Tigers have a better chance to win SEC championships during his career than Florida does.

    In terms of bringing other big time recruits with him, there’s plenty of room in the 2015 Auburn recruiting class. With the recent defection of cornerback Chris Westry to Kentucky, the Tigers have 20 commits in this year’s class and roughly eight open spots.

    That means if Cowart wants to play his college ball on the Plains, he can bring Jefferson and Holland, plus there’s still plenty of room for five-star offensive lineman Martez Ivey, defensive end Arden Key, wide receiver Ryan Davis, and a couple of other playmaking prospects.

    As far as the university itself, Auburn outlined a three-year graduation plan, they’ve got a quality journalism department, and he likes the family atmosphere. That should also please his mother, who Cowart has often said has input in his college choice.

    Byron Cowart is a special player. He’ll succeed wherever he goes to college. Hopefully, it’s Auburn. If not, someone else will have the unique opportunity that comes with signing the nation’s most important recruit.

    Next: Auburn Ranked No. 3 in Sports Illustrated Way-Too-Early Top 25

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    Nicholas Ian Allen

    Nicholas Ian Allen