4-star center Dylan Cardwell commits to Auburn

Bruce Pearl has struck again.

Pearl on Thursday added another piece to his 2020 recruiting class when four-star center Dylan Cardwell announced his commitment to Auburn.

“I love it at Auburn,” Cardwell said. “I love the coaches and the campus. It feels like home.”

Cardwell, who attended McEachern in Powder Springs, Ga. as a senior but did not play because of transfer rules, chose Auburn over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Miami and Tennessee, among others.

Cardwell is no stranger to Auburn. He’s visited campus several times and has family at Auburn.

“My cousin goes to Auburn and my older cousin graduated from Auburn,” Cardwell said. “My aunt graduated from Auburn and my uncle is the defensive line coach at Auburn (Rodney Garner).”

Cardwell also is close to assistant Wes Flanigan, who has recruited Cardwell for the past two years.

“I’ve been talking to (Flanigan) for a while now,” Cardwell said. “He’s a solid guy, a great father figure. I like how close he is with his son (Auburn freshman Allen Flanigan) and how his son has actually developed a whole lot under his and (Pearl’s) wings. He got a whole lot of playing time over the season as a freshman.”

Cardwell is the fifth player in Auburn’s class and the fourth ranked in the top 125. Five-star point guard Sharife Cooper is the highest-ranked at No. 20, followed by J.T. Thor (56), Chris Moore (103) and Cardwell at 125. Justin Powell, a sharpshooter from Kentucky, is the lone three-star of the group.

Cardwell will reunite at Auburn with Cooper, Babatunde Akingbola, Devan Cambridge and Isaac Okoro, although Okoro could leave for the NBA. All played together on the AAU circuit for Athletes of Tomorrow (AOT).