Who can Auburn turn to after losing a member of their 2021 recruiting class on Monday?
Auburn’s 2021 recruiting class took a substantial hit this week as three-star offensive tackle J’Marion Gooch decommitted from the Tigers and flipped to the Tennessee Volunteers.
Gooch, a 6-foot-7, 358-pound OT from Seymour, Tennessee, had been committed to Auburn since April 16. As a Tennessee native, Gooch’s flip to the Vols seemed like a move that was on the horizon for a while.
Thank you to the Auburn Community, and coaching staff for all of the support during this process. After much thought and consideration, I have decided....@CoachTBarr @TKACoachSellers @CoachJPruitt @JimChaneyUT @CoachWillFriend @aspicer19 pic.twitter.com/gGT3EsRVcF
— Jmarion Gooch (@GoochJmarion) August 31, 2020
The King’s Academy product is rated as the No. 790 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 68 offensive tackle in his class. However, at his size, Gooch had incredible potential to develop into a legitimate weapon for the Tigers.
Gooch’s decommitment cuts Auburn’s number of offensive lineman in the 2021 class from four to three and leaves four-star Florida product Caleb Johnson as the only offensive tackle committed to the Tigers.
Looking to build further depth and talent in the trenches for the future, Auburn likely isn’t done pursuing offensive tackles for the 2021 class. So, with Gooch now a Volunteer, who are some players the Tigers can look at to fill his spot?