Auburn football: What was the key in Jeffrey M’Ba’s commitment?

Auburn football has risen in the national recruiting rankings like a phoenix in recent weeks, finally reaching critical mass in landing the nation’s #1 JUCO recruit, Jeffrey M’Ba.

‘Thanos’ joins the Tigers during a time when Alabama and Georgia have created a stranglehold in recruitment in the southeast. After a 6-6 season, that’s many levels of impressive on the part of Bryan Harsin and his support staff.

So what was the key element that M’Ba couldn’t deny when it came to recruiting one of college football’s most intriguing (and fear-inducing) interior defensive prospects?

Auburn football DL coach Nick Eason was the key in Jeffrey M’Ba’s recruitment

Jeffrey M’Ba directly referenced Nick Eason as someone he admired in a piece he penned for Sports Illustrated regarding his decision to choose the Plains over both Missouri and Tennessee:

"When I visited the other schools, it just was not the same as Auburn. It did not feel like they were as confident about what they had, and I didn’t really like that. I really like coach Nick Eason there, and I could see myself fighting for him and playing hard. I felt like the coaches were different over there, all of them, Coach (Bryan) Harsin, and I just love it there."

Given the heat Harsin and co. have gotten over the past year–between Mike Bobo’s inability to get Tank Bigsby involved enough in the offense/his questionable fourth down and end zone play-calling, and Derek Mason’s inability to consistently get stops in the second halves of ball games down the stretch–this is yet another win on the recruiting trail for a group that could clearly add top-line talent.

Eason joins Harsin, Mason, and Trovon Reed in getting credit for a transformational turnaround this month. The Tigers now have the #13th ranked 2022 recruiting class due to that group.