Top Junior College DL Deandre Butler Picks Auburn
Auburn has attacked defensive line recruiting in the 2020 cycle and its latest addition could be the most important.
On Sunday, following a weekend official visit to the Plains, junior college defensive line prospect Deandre Butler told SI All-American he verbally committed to Gus Malzahn's coaching staff. He later announced the news via Twitter.
In one of the most anticipated trips of the weekend nationally, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound Georgia native elected to shut down the process all together despite offers from more than 20 programs.
"I loved the atmosphere," Butler said. "Everybody on the staff kept it real with me and you don’t meet coaches like Coach Malzahn. He was real down to earth the entire trip.
"He kept it real with me and i respected that."
Butler -- who put together a final junior college season by registering 66 tackles including 22 tackles for loss, 11.5 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles -- picked the SEC West Tigers over Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Ole Miss and several others. He will sign with Auburn on February 5 and won't take any additional visits in between now and then.
"I'm done," he added.
Oregon was set to host the Independence Community College standout next weekend just before the dead period kicks in. The trip would have been set just days before pen met paper on National Signing Day. He is set to graduate from ICC in May and will then have three seasons of eligibility remaining considering he was technically a freshman during the 2019 season. He did not play during the 2018 campaign.
Malzahn celebrated one of his biggest recruiting wins of the cycle to date shortly after the news went public.
Originally a Tennessee-Chattanooga pledge out of Covington (Ga.) Newton High School, Butler was a long and lean edge prospect at that time. He has since grown into an interior talent and among the most coveted at the position regardless of class.
Rivals.com considers Butler to be the No. 1 junior college prospect in the class of 2020 regardless of position.
Auburn has put together a strong recruiting class on both sides of the ball and the addition of Butler to its defensive line group could make that position among the strongest nationally. He joins Early Signing Period additions Jay Hardy, Daniel Foster-Allen, Zykeivous Walker and Romello Height. The latter duo are already enrolled on campus.
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