The Auburn Tigers had a good day on Wednesday, landing yet another recruit from Maryland. DJ Durkin landed 4-star Annapolis EDGE Rion Jackson last week, and he expanded the blueprint in "The Old Line State" this week. Those Maryland Terrapins connections are still serving him well nearly a decade later.
It wasn't all victories for the Tigers, though. The Ohio State Buckeyes edged out Auburn for a 4-star cornerback whom the Tigers offered back in January. While AU hadn't been heavily linked of late, it was still a loss for the Tigers for a prospect playing at a school that's sent recruits to the Plains in the past.
Here was Tuesday's dose of recruiting news:
Auburn lands 3-star safety who loved DJ Durkin's energy
3-star DeMatha Catholic safety Knyair Crumb cited Durkin for why he committed to Auburn over the Terrapins, Colorado Buffaloes, and Penn State Nittany Lions. Crumb, like Tigers defenders over the past two seasons, bought into Durkin's energy.
"I loved his energy," Crumb told 247Sports. "When he came to visit me at DeMatha, he was all calm, cool, collected. I got down there on the official visit and we get in that meeting room, it's a completely different coach Durkin than what I saw here at DeMatha. ... I love the love he has for football. I can just feel it when he talks. He's intentional behind everything that he says. Same with (safeties) coach (Tim) Banks."
Crumb plays a physical style on-ball, making him a great fit in Durkin's unit and Tim Banks' room. He's a thumper downfield who could go sideline to sideline and possesses a high football IQ. Meanwhile, Durkin's track record includes dozens of former All-Americans. Linebacker Xavier Atkins just went from a 3-star recruit to an eventual All-American under Durkin, so you can't write off a single recruit from potentially achieving that off of star rating alone.
Ohio State beats Auburn for 4-star corner
It wasn't all good news for the orange and blue. Buckeyes CB coach Tim Walton won the connections game for 4-star St. Thomas Aquinas CB Jaden Carey, who made it clear why the Ohio State University was about to earn his commitment during an April interview.
"They've done an amazing job from showing me the development of what they have at my position," Carey told 247Sports in April. "Just continue to build that relationship as they're one of the first schools that ever invited me to come on a spring visit. Them having that belief in me since day one has really showed a lot to me."
It's likely that the Miami Hurricanes were closer to Carey's commitment than the Tigers, since Jaden's father, Marcus Carey, who passed away in 2020, was a former two-time national champion with "The U." Ultimately, the Buckeyes landed their second cornerback commit for the 2027 class. Auburn continues to look at adding CBs to the 2027 class alongside 3-star McEachern CB Nash Johnson III and 3-star Byrnes CB Aidyn Wiggins, who've both committed since the end of May.
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