Auburn football: Tigers versus Longhorns in battle for Kaufman

Since losing several members of the Auburn football defense to the NCAA transfer portal, head coach Bryan Harsin and his staff have lost no time in beefing up the d-line. Just yesterday Southeast Missouri DB Bydarrius Knighten committed to the Tigers, and the day before that UAB grad transfer Tony Fair joined the roster.

Now, one of the Tigers’ main recruiting targets, Vanderbilt DB transfer Donovan Kaufman, has announced his final decision will come tomorrow, and it’s looking like it will come down to Auburn or Texas. Kaufman has been on Auburn’s radar ever since he entered the transfer portal back in April, which is probably due to the Tigers’ defensive coordinator Derek Mason, who was previously Vanderbilt’s head coach.

According to Auburn Undercover, Kaufman is struggling to choose between the two schools as they are both selling the whole atmosphere of the school and the conference culture rather than just the football program itself. The DB had virtual visits with both Auburn and Texas and has no more on his schedule.

The Tigers may have a slight advantage over the Longhorns in recruiting Kaufman due to the depth chart, according to BurntOrangeNation.com. Texas has Brenden Schooler, B.J. Foster, and Jerrin Thompson all battling for a starting position at safety while Auburn has Smoke Monday, Ladarius Tennison, and…. a couple of question marks.

In terms of coming into a program and establishing a starting role, Kaufman may have a better opportunity on the Plains where he already has a strong connection with the head of the defense. 247Sports’ Transfer Portal Crystal Ball has the safety choosing Auburn football, but he does have connections on the UT support staff, which is nearly as new as Coach Bryan Harsin’s.

As a true freshman in 2020, Kaufman played only two games before contracting COVID-19 and being ruled out for the rest of the season. In those two games, he racked up 15 tackles and one pass breakup, as well as five kick-returns for a total of 137 yards. Five of those tackles came during the season opener versus Texas A&M, and Kaufman held the team-high of 10 tackles versus LSU.