2021 QB Aaron McLaughlin commits to Auburn
Auburn has landed its second commitment of the 2021 class.
Aaron McLaughlin, a 6-foot-5, pro-style quarterback from Denmark High School (Alpharetta, Ga.) announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers on Tuesday. He appeared at Auburn's annual War Eagle Picnic recruiting event last weekend.
"They want me; they need me," McLaughlin told reporters Saturday. "It feels good to be wanted and needed."
McLaughlin was in town last Friday for a camp with the Tigers. The 3-star QB said he felt he did enough to impress coach Gus Malzahn with not only his pocket presence and arm strength, but also his mobility as a bigger quarterback.
"I think it went really well," McLaughlin said of the camp. "They said I did great, that I threw really well, move really well."
McLaughlin also holds offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Arkansas, South Carolina, NC State, Florida State, Florida and USC, among others. The No. 14 2021 QB in the country said his bond with new Auburn offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham has played a pivotal part in pushing Auburn to the top of his recruitment.
"Coach Dillingham, we're very comfortable," McLaughlin said. "I really like him a lot. We have a good relationship."
Ranked as the No. 27 overall prospect in Georgia for 2021, McLaughlin is teammates at Denmark with current Auburn 2020 wide receiver commit Ze'Vian Capers. The 4-star receiver had been working to attempt to sway his quarterback toward Auburn because he believes McLaughlin has the tools to become the next big-time gun-slinger on the Plains.
Capers noted that despite McLaughlin's massive stature, the QB's mobility is up there with some of the elite talent in the nation. Capers claims McLaughlin runs a 4.6-second 40-yard dash.
"He's a great leader," Capers said of McLaughlin. "He's a guy that can make plays using his arm and using his legs. He's a natural-born leader. He's got a strong arm and I can't wait to see what we do this season (at Denmark)."
McLaughlin joins 4-star running back Armoni Goodwin (Trussville, Ala.) in Auburn's 2021 class.
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More on McLaughlin from Rivals recruiting analyst Chad Simmons:
THE BEGINNING
"Auburn first started recruiting going into my freshman year. I was talking with coach Chip Lindsey (Troy head coach), the old offensive coordinator, and he got me on campus early. I threw for them then, and that is really when it started for me and Auburn.
"I watched Auburn growing up, so I was always aware of Auburn and what type of team they were. I remember watching Cam Newton win a National Championship, so I knew about their history early on.
"They offered me in the spring of my freshman year, so we have been talking a lot. I was at Auburn that season when they beat Georgia and Alabama at home, and it was awesome. I knew Auburn was a great school then, and sitting in the stands at those games made me feel that I could really see myself here.
"I fell in love with Auburn back then. That is really when I started to get serious about Auburn. It started earlier than people thought."
THE TURN
"Auburn was always up there, but people didn't know it. I didn't really talk about it much, but I visited Auburn a lot more than people knew. I have always had a great relationship with Gus Malzahn, so Auburn has been high on my list for a long time.
"When I visited in the spring for spring practice and quarterback meetings, I knew Auburn could really be the school for me. I was thinking then that Auburn could be it for me. That is really when I started to think about it.
"Then I was back in June and I made my decision. That visit in the spring pushed them to the top, then I camped there in June and I knew it. I thought about it a little longer, but in my mind, I felt Auburn was where I was going."
THE FINALE
"I committed to coach Malzahn and coach Dillingham Saturday on the visit. I knew going into the visit that I was going to commit.
"I thought about it after the camp in June, and I knew then that Auburn was the school, but I just wanted to think about it more. My plan was always to go into my season, take a little more time, but the more I thought about it after the visit in June, the more I knew Auburn was the school.
"I knew I wanted to go there, so I was ready to commit and I did it. I always had that comfort level there like I was at home with the coaches. All the coaches are great people and makes it feel like family.
"Auburn beat out Arkansas, Alabama, NC State and Ole Miss.
"This commitment means a lot to me. I am done with recruiting and I do not plan to visit anywhere else. I am shutting it down. I have no reason to go anywhere else."
