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Auburn Recruiting: Gus Malzahn Discusses National Signing Day 2015

By Nicholas Ian Allen

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At 3PM Central on National Signing Day, head football coach Gus Malzahn met with the media and discussed the official Auburn recruiting class, including the 27 players that signed national letters of intent to officially become Auburn football players.

Video via Justin Hokanson:

Here are some of the highlights:

On Five-Star Defensive End Byron Cowart:

“We feel good about him coming in immediately and rushing the passer. Our defensive staff did an excellent job recruiting that young man. You’re talking about the best player in the country, he’ll have a chance to compete immediately with his skill-set.”

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Cowart is unquestionably an instant impact player. A Florida native, Cowart chose the Tigers over Florida live on ESPNU this morning and waded through about seven hours of controversy that ended moments before Malzahn took the podium.

RELATED: Three Reasons Why Byron Cowart is the Most Important Recruit in the 2015 Recruiting Class

A 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end ranked No. 1 overall in the ESPN 300 and third in the 247Sports Composite, Cowart should help a pass rush that struggled in 2014. He may emerge as a starter as a true freshman.

Cowart and 2013 Freshman All-American Carl Lawson would give new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp a pair of former five-star defensive ends that have future first round talent.

On Fullback/H-Back Chandler Cox:

“From Apopka High School, very versatile and will play the 3-back position. He played a similar position in high school. He’s one of the better all-around players in the country. He fits our offense well. We give that position flexibility, and Chandler is a very tough, physical guy. He can block, he has receiver hands, he played running back, he’s old-school. You turn on his highlight film, and he’s impressive. He will fit in Auburn-type football.”

Another player poised to make an immediate impact, early enrollee Chandler Cox will step in and attempt to fill the shoes left by graduated senior tight end/H-Backs C.J. Uzomah and Brandon Fulse. He was a quarterback in high school, and therefore has a high football IQ. Cox is an exciting prospect that will probably fly under the radar because of the position he’ll play for the Tigers.

On Safety Tim Irvin:

“Very good football player, tough, good tackler. Coach Travaris Robinson had a great relationship with him and he came on board in a short period of time.”

“…Our defensive staff did an excellent job recruiting that young man (Cowart). You’re talking about the best player in the country, he’ll have a chance to compete immediately with his skill-set.”

Irvin is also already enrolled and has an opportunity to play early in the secondary and in special teams.

RELATED: What Impact Will Tim Irvin Have in 2015? 

On Five-Star JUCO Running Back Jovon Robinson:

“The number one junior college player in the country. He’s a big, physical guy that can run that has a chance to be an elite player, we feel like. He has a spring under his belt under Coach Horton, the blocking scheme up front, working with Coach Ryan Russell, he can be a special player.”

Expect Jovon Robinson to emerge as the primary ball carrier for the Tigers in 2015. He’ll compete with Roc Thomas and Kerryon Johnson for playing time, but Robinson has a chance to be a very special player – even a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate.

On JUCO Athlete/Quarterback Jason Smith:

“We’re going to start out and he’ll have the chance to play quarterback. That’s why we recruited him, he’ll start at quarterback and he’s athletic enough that he can play other positions. We’re very excited about Jason, he can be a special player. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands, wherever that is.”

Jeremy Johnson is the odds on favorite to start behind center for the Tigers in 2015, and though Smith is very capable of playing quarterback, Johnson is a special talent. For Smith to contribute in 2015, he’ll probably need to switch to wide receiver.

On Scholarship Punter Ian Shannon:

Feb 4, 2015; Seffner, FL, USA; Armwood High School defensive end Byron Cowart tells the media his decision to go to Auburn University at a press conference at Armwood High School. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

“We had a few issues in our kicking game and we feel he will have the chance to compete for the job. He has a big leg, can do all the kicking duties, too. He will compete for the punting job.”

Daniel Carlson handled all the kicking duties for Auburn last season, and Shannon is expected to help lighten the load. Scholarship punters don’t sit on the bench, so expect to see Shannon emerge as the team’s top punter in 2015.

On Raw But Über-Talented Defensive End Prince Tega Wanogho Jr.:

“He’s a guy that came on our radar early in the season. We feel like this young man has unbelievable potential. He’s only been playing one year, he’s got a motor and we’re very excited. Rushing the passer was an emphasis and we feel like he can help us with that. He came to one of our games, he has the wow factor. It’s his first year of football, he has great potential. Our coaches have seen that, he’s driven and focused, and there’s very few with his skill-set. We think he has the chance to be something.”

Prince Tega suffered a major leg injury in a January basketball game, and has only played one season of high school football, but it’s no exaggeration to say he could contribute in 2015 and may emerge as a first round NFL draft talent. A very, very intriguing prospect.

On Offensive Lineman Mike Horton, Who Flipped From the Florida Gators:

“We’ve been recruiting this young man for a long time, and he visited this last weekend. He had a relationship with Coach Robinson and Muschamp at Florida. He’s a guy that we feel like can be a special player. He’s very big and thick, he can move.”

Horton may not contribute in 2015, but he’s a solid prospect with a bright future. His signing is important for other reasons however. Auburn doesn’t play Florida in the regular season until 2019, but they met often on the recruiting battlefield in 2015. Expect more of the same in future recruiting clashes.

On Four-Star Linebacker Darrell Williams:

“I’m very proud of this young man. He was extremely loyal, he had the chance to take lots of visits, but he chose to come back here and help us recruit. That’s two years in a row that we’ve had elite guys — come back and hep us recruit. That means something to the Auburn family. Darrell has a unique skill-set.”

On Tight End Jalen Harris:

“From St. James High School, Philip Lutzenkirchen coached him. He can put his hand down, he can move back and forth, he gives us flexibility and versatility. We are very excited about him.”

Like Cox, expect to see Harris on the field in 2015 because of the need at tight end/H-Back.

On High School Quarterback Turned Receiver Recruit Ryan Davis:

“Receiver, we lost Sammie Coates and we felt like we needed a couple of receivers and he was one of those guys. He had a relationship with Will and T-Rob, we started recruiting him really hard the last month. He plays quarterback and we’ve had great success with quarterbacks moving to receiver, we feel good about Ryan.”

A personal favorite of mine in this year’s Auburn recruiting class, Davis has huge upside despite his small (5-foot-9, 173-pound) stature. He’s electric with the ball in his hands and should fit in well in the slot position Quan Bray, Ricardo Louis and Corey Grant have played in recent seasons.

On Alabama Mr. Football Kerryon Johnson:

“Mr. Football in our state, he’s one of the more versatile players in the country. He’s going to play running back. The last player I saw with his skill-set was Darren McFadden. With our offense, we can get creative with him. We really think this young man has a chance to be an elite, special type player. We are very excited to add him to our offense, he will have the chance to be an impact player coming in immediately.”

Malzahn coached Darren McFadden at Arkansas. All McFadden did for the Razorbacks was become a finalist for the Heisman Trophy finalist before becoming a first round NFL draft pick.

No pressure Kerryon.

On Four-Star Defensive Back Carlton Davis:

“Big, long, tall defensive back that Coach Robinson, one of the first guys he wanted to go after. He was committed to another school, that relationship helped. He came on a visit and felt at home, this guy has the chance to help us right off the bat.”

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 182 pounds, Davis may grow into a safety before he leaves the Plains, but he and fellow signees Jauntavius Davis and Jeremiah Dinson will have an opportunity to compete for playing time immediately at corner – one of the biggest positions of need in the 2015 Auburn recruiting class.

“Mr. Football in our state, he’s one of the more versatile players in the country. He’s going to play running back. The last player I saw with his skill-set was Darren McFadden. With our offense, we can get creative with him. We really think this young man has a chance to be an elite, special type player.”

On High-Profile Linebacker Jeffery Holland:

“Family that used to play basketball here. We’ve been on him a long time, Coach Garner, Coach Robinson, Coach Muschamp, already knew him, he’s a pass rusher. We feel like he can help us in the pass rush. He has flexibility and he’s a good tackler, too.”

One of the more intriguing prospects of this year’s class, not only for his playing ability but also because of the chatter that he and Cowart (and Florida commit CeCe Jefferson) wanted to play together in college.

He’s got the talent to challenge for playing time immediately despite the depth returning at the linebacker position.

On Georgia Flip Darius Slayton:

“Family associated with Auburn. Initially, we were recruiting as a defensive back, he wanted to be a defensive back. Then he transitioned into a receiver and we started recruiting him and the last five weeks we recruited him extremely hard. He’s a big guy that can really run, we feel like he can help us next year. We’re very excited about him.”

Like cornerback, the Tigers really needed to sign a wide receiver or two in this year’s class. Slayton is a very good one, and flipping him from Georgia Tuesday night allowed Auburn to begin National Signing Day with great momentum.

On Ace Recruiter and Four-Star Safety Jordan Colbert:

“Big defensive back playing safety, been committed to us for a long time. He did a good job of helping us recruit over the past year and he’s got the physical set to play right off the bat.”

One of the most vocal players in this year’s class, Jordan Colbert played a big role in helping the Tigers attract some of the top-notch talent that make up this top ten class.

Overall, with 27 signees, the Tigers made a huge statement to the nation by landing the best overall player and a handful of immediate impact players. It wouldn’t be a shock to see at least three and as many as five players emerge as starters in 2015 for the Auburn football team.

It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger. War Eagle!

Next: Complete 2015 Auburn Recruiting Class Player Profiles

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