Coming into signing day, the vast majority of Rivals.com prognosticators had Byron Cowart penciled in for The Plains.
Wednesday morning, they nailed it.
At a very low-key press conference , Cowart, Rivals.com’s top prospect in the Class of 2015, simply donned both a huge smile and an Auburn baseball cap, signalling his intention to sign with Gus Malzahn‘s Tigers. While the defensive end had been uncommitted, he was considered a significant AU lean for much of the latter portion of the recruiting process.
Cowart’s other finalist was reportedly Florida. The Gators’ former head coach, Will Muschamp, is now AU’s defensive coordinator. Florida State was also in the mix until the defensive lineman cancelled a visit last month.
Cowart reax. Malzahn shouted "We just got better!" Muschamp answered "A lot better!" #SigningDay #WDE pic.twitter.com/G4QIqFd0mG
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) February 4, 2015
Not only is Cowart the top-rated player in this class by Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN.com has him on the same lofty perch as well. 247Sports.com has him rated as the No. 3 player in the country.
Cowart’s commitment could be the start of a huge day for the Tigers, who came into the day No. 12 in the team recruiting rankings but could very well end up deep into the Top 10.
(Photo credit: Rivals.com)