re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition

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PubeCrab

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I’ve been recruiting for 18 years

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Auburn has added another important piece to the 2018 recruiting class.

Four-star defensive end Kayode Oladele of Hialeah (Fla.) Champagnat Catholic committed to the Tigers on Sunday during his official visit to the school.

"I just felt like this was the place to be," Oladele said.

The 6-feet-4, 235-pound Oladele is the No. 11 strong-side end nationally in the 247Sports Composite. He is Auburn’s 20th commitment and third commit on the defensive line.

Oladele plans to sign with Auburn on Wednesday, the first day of the new early signing period.

Oladele is the second Nigerian native on the commit list, joining 4-star buck linebacker Richard Jibunor. The Tigers already have two Nigerian-born players on the roster.

Oladele was unable to play in 2017 because of a visa issue. He said that issue has been resolved.

He will enroll at Auburn next summer.

Oladele chose the Tigers over Ole Miss. At one time, he was committed to Florida State.

Auburn has the No. 9 class in the 247Sports recruiting team rankings. The Tigers have an estimated five spots left to fill.

"I committed because it feels like home here," Oladele said. "It feels like family. Every time I’m down here, it’s just really nice."

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Daquan Newkirk and Auburn define the oft-used recruiting term “commitment.”

It’s an overused phrase, really, hence the regularity of the term de-commitment. Newkirk had many moments over the last two years to go in a different direction. Auburn could’ve easily done the same. But the 4-star junior college defensive lineman and the Tigers’ coaching staff stayed true to a word made in the Class of 2016.

It’s finally paying dividends in the Class of 2018.

Newkirk wrapped up his official visit Sunday to bookend a whirlwind junior-college detour. He will move in and participate in bowl practices, starting Monday.

Maybe then the buzz of actually being an Auburn Tiger will wear off.

“It will hit me on Monday. Overwhelming and also happy. I’m still in shock, but it’s all a good feeling,” Newkirk said. “[It’s been] long, very long. As you guys can tell, very long. It’s just good for it to finally be over.”

Newkirk originally joined the Tigers in 2016 as a lesser-known prospect from Orlando, Fla. He was part of a class that included Marlon Davidson, Derrick Brown, Nick Coe, Antwuan Jackson and Paul James III. But Newkirk’s academic status forced a redirection to Mississippi Gulf Coast C. C.

As Newkirk describes, he was just an “under-the-radar kid trying to get offered” during high school and junior college. Auburn was always there, however, and the Tigers never wavered on their commitment to him, which made his choice simple once other programs started showing interest the last few months.

“[Auburn’s commitment was] very important because through my journey a lot of schools turned their back but Auburn didn’t. That’s very special to me,” he said. “As you can tell no one really knows about me. Every time I got offered by a big school I didn’t post it on Twitter. I was just a humble guy throughout my whole process. I didn’t really communicate with a lot of people, I just stuck to myself.”

Now Newkirk wants to come in and compete. He wants to be a part of the nationally-acclaimed defensive line that includes most of his original 2016 class members. Newkirk has the versatile ability to play defensive tackle and defensive end, much like Davidson and Coe.

He’s motivated to crack the rotation immediately with three years of eligibility remaining.

“Definitely. I can get in [the rotation] very soon,” Newkirk said.

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Asa Martin made a major splash when he committed to Auburn over Alabama just before the start of his senior season.

The 4-star running back from Decatur, Ala., was the most sought-after running back in the Yellowhammer State, and it came down to the Tigers and the Crimson Tide. Martin was one of the biggest recruiting wins of the 2018 recruiting cycle for Gus Malzahn & Co.

Here’s all you need to know about the feature running back of the 2018 class:

4-star running back Asa Martin

247Sports composite ranking: No. 9 running back, No. 6 prospect in Alabama, No. 195 overall

Hometown: Decatur, Ala.

School: Austin

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 200 pounds

Offers: 24, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Baylor, LSU, Michigan, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oregon, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, TCU and Wisconsin.

Commitment: Aug. 24, 2017

Early enrollee: Yes

Senior season stats: 2,228 rushing yards, 33 rushing touchdowns, 399 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns and 2 passing touchdowns.

Where he fits at Auburn: The Tigers have a history of churning out 1,000-yard rushers in the Gus Malzahn era. Martin’s role will be to fulfill that legacy. The question now is when his time will come. A lot will be dependent on the upcoming NFL departure decisions from Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson. Martin likely will find his way into the rotation in some fashion during his freshman campaign. Because of his footwork and patience, Martin is likely to hear a lot of Kerryon Johnson comparisons during his time at Auburn. He won’t shy away from those lofty expectations.

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Asa Martin
Shedrick Jackson
Josh Marsh
Christian Tutt
Daquan Newkirk
Quindarious Monday

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Does Newkirk have 2 or 3 years of eligibility?

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