The nation’s top defensive end, five-star recruit Byron Cowart, picked Auburn over Florida on National Signing Day.
Cowart announced his decision Wednesday at Armwood High School in Seffner, Fla. The 6-foot-4, 258-pounder could make an immediate impact for Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, the former Gators head coach.
Cowart finished the 2014 season for Armwood with 11 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
Cowart did not single out Muschamp as being the deciding factor, but the top-ranked player did say that the reason he ended up taking an official visit to Auburn was because Muschamp convinced him to come once he signed on as defensive coordinator. Cowart said he made up his mind right after that visit on Jan. 16.
“(The visit) put the icing on the cake,” Cowart said. “I was considering Auburn before, and it was a coincidence they got Coach Muschamp. I wasn’t going to take a visit. He helped them to get me to take a visit. After that, I was able to see everything for myself, and I’m like, ‘OK so you guys were telling the truth.’”
In other key signings around the nation:
— Five-star defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr., after official visits to Florida State, Auburn and Ohio State, announced he was staying close home to play for Missouri.
“I just followed where my heart told me to go,” said Beckner of East St. Louis (Illinois) High School.
Beckner was ranked the No. 2 player in the senior class by some services.
— Running back Soso Jamabo, out of Plano (Texas) West High School, signed with UCLA over Texas. Jamabo announced his choice by placing two hats on a table at his press conference. One was blue, one was white. Both were scripted “UCLA.”
Jamabo also visited Notre Dame and Texas A&M and had scholarship offers from more than 40 other programs.
Over the past three years, Jamabo rushed for more than 5,000 yards and had 78 rushing touchdowns. He also had almost 1,000 yards receiving and seven touchdown receptions in his high school career.
— Florida landed five-star offensive tackle Martez Ivey (6-5, 275) out of Apopka, Fla.