re: 2017 Football Recruiting Thread ["N$D Bryant" Edition]

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K.J. Britt and his younger brother, Keenan, were driving one day in July when a life-altering event took place.

A drunk driver rear-ended Britt, a star linebacker at Oxford High School. He hurt his back a little bit, father Kenney Sr., said. Nine-year-old Keenan took the worst of it as his head hit the windshield and he suffered a concussion.

A few weeks later, K.J. Britt was set on committing to Georgia. Auburn's response to the wreck changed things.

The Tigers' coaching staff reaped the benefits of a strong personal relationship with the Britt family when the 6-foot, 231-pound middle linebacker announced his commitment to the Tigers on Monday. Britt is a four-star recruit regarded as one of the top inside linebackers in the country.

"They sent a whole bunch of cards from each coach, signed," Britt said. "They called me as soon as it happened. Every coach on the coaching staff checked on me. They checked on my brother. They were good to my brother."

Kenney Britt Sr. was a big Alabama fan, but he, his wife and youngest son Keenan were donning Auburn T-shirts after K.J. Britt made his formal announcement in front of classmates Monday afternoon.

"Not just K.J., but they reached out to Keenan after the accident," Britt Sr. said. "I guess the love for a brother, he saw that if they reached out to his little brother, that was a turning point in his life."

Britt is a big part of an Oxford team that's 10-0, ranked No. 2 in Class 6A and has state championship dreams. The Yellow Jackets host Muscle Shoals, which also has an Auburn commit in safety Jordyn Peters, on Friday in the first round of the playoffs.

"I think he's ranked as a four-star player," Oxford coach Ryan Herring said. "They're getting a five-star human being. They're not going to sign anybody who's got more character and who's a better kid. He's going to be an A-plus for the locker room. They're getting a real, real winner."

Herring spoke on Britt's faith and his Christian upbringing. Britt is very strong in his faith and felt the wreck helped place him where he needs to be.

"That definitely did something to me," Britt said. "I think God does everything for a reason. Maybe that wreck was for a reason. I was sold on going to Georgia. Before that wreck, I was going to commit to Georgia on Aug. 6. I was set in stone. After that wreck, it made me realize that maybe God doesn't want me there."

It's fitting that Britt's commitment announcement was a Bleacher Report Halloween-themed video.


He knew Auburn was the place for him about three weeks ago, but took official visits to Stanford and Ole Miss just to see if Auburn was the best place for him.

It was. Bleacher Report filmed the video last week at Britt's house during a Halloween party. It took about three hours to film, but no one at the party knew where he was going.

The party attenders were in a back room during the scenes with trick-or-treaters. Keenan Britt was the Florida trick-or-treater. Herring's sons represented Georgia and Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn.

Britt handed "Coach Gus" an oversized Hershey's bar with the words "official commitment" on it.

"He didn't even know himself (who he was choosing)," Britt said. "As soon as I handed it to him, I told him I had to take it back."

Britt was overcome with emotion as he tried to convey his feelings to his classmates at the commitment ceremony.

"God's been blessing me forever and I can't do anything but thank him," Britt said.

There's no more Roll Tide for Britt Sr., and that's OK.

"He knew I was an Alabama fan from the get-go," Britt Sr. said. "I told him it was his decision.

"Alabama was not in his top five. It was not a school for him. He didn't like the vibe he got when he first went there, so he never went back on another visit. He's my son, but he's got to take the path that's best for him and he did that."

Britt will enroll at Auburn in January. He'll play with close friend T.D. Moultry, a linebacker at Jackson-Olin. The two teams could meet in the Class 6A playoffs.

"He was pumped," Britt said. "I was pumped. We're ready to go to work."

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K.J. Britt’s commitment announcement took place where he built his high school legacy. His pledge to Auburn took place inside of the star linebacker’s surprisingly large high school located in the in Oxford, Ala., population 21,232.

Family, friends, teachers and classmates were present, and the choice of an in-state institution was met with the applause one would expect from people in a football-crazy state. His decision was a big deal, and the importance of the moment wasn’t lost on Britt.

That much is certain. Britt became emotional while making his announcement in front of bleachers full of onlookers, but was collected enough afterward to break down his decision.

"I used to pray just for God to give me a chance to go to college," Britt said. "Now I'm her doing this."

"This summer, I wanted to go to Georgia. I thought that was going to be the place for me, but I prayed at took my time."

The four-star prospect chose Auburn over offers from a long list of other major programs. Georgia was a finalist, as were Ole Miss and Stanford. There was no shortage of interest in his commitment. Make no mistake, this was a massive recruiting win for an Auburn program that has spent the fall exceeding expectations.

“I was really sold a couple weeks ago, when me and my family took a visit it just hit me that Auburn was the place I needed to be," Britt said.

Britt announced his choice as part of an assembly in the school’s gym. A video played on a projection screen and his choice was revealed at the end of the production. Following the reveal, Britt’s father, a self-proclaimed “big Alabama fan” ended the ceremony by saying “as of now, War Eagle.” The newest Tiger then the addressed the media in attendance.

“It was just the vibe and the feeling with Auburn," Britt said. "I just knew."

A four-star prospect, Britt is the No. 5 insider linebacker and the No. 117 overall prospect in the class of 2017. Britt will graduate high school early and join Auburn for spring workouts.

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Reminds me more of Deshaun Davis, with a little better quick twitch movement.

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“as of now, War Eagle.”

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