Auburn Recruiting: Biggest Signing Day Surprises

Cyrus Kouandjio, 2011

It’s no surprise that many of Auburn’s most surprising Signing Day events also include Alabama, but one of the most unique was Cyrus Kouandjio committing to Auburn on national television, only to later decide not to send in his letter of intent to play for the Tigers and sign with Alabama instead three days later.

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Kouandjio was the nation’s second ranked recruit in 2011, so his commitment was highly sought after. The Tigers had just won the BCS National Championship and were riding high on the recruiting trail in the months after. They landed Reese Dismukes – who went on to become an All-American and Remington Award winner – and Christian Westerman and Thomas O’Reilly, who were both ranked in the nation’s top ten on the offensive line.

Then they added Kouandjio, which made for the best class of offensive linemen in the country…

“One of the major reasons I picked Auburn was because of all the guys they already had on the line,” Kouandjio said after he announced the decision to sign with the Tigers. “I got to play with O’Reilly, Westerman and Reese in the Under Armour Game, and I really connected with those guys. I think we’re going to leave a mark in Auburn history.”

Wait… no… the 6-foot-7, 325-pound Maryland native never sent the fax to Auburn. Instead, he joined his brother Arie at Alabama.

Video from ESPNU:

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