Alston: ‘I feel like this class is going to rise up’

AUBURN | Not long after Damari Alston made his commitment to Auburn public Sunday, the 4-star running back was already working to bring in more talent to the Tigers’ 2022 class.

“I feel like this class is going to rise up,” Alston said. “We’re pretty low right now but we’re going to keep coming. We’ve got some pretty good guys coming in soon. So I’m locked in and ready.

“I’m a recruiter now. You might as well call me a coach. I feel like my commitment shot a spark in some people.”

Auburn, with seven commitments, moved up 13 spots to No. 66 nationally in the Rivals team recruiting rankings after Alston’s commit. The Tigers are 26th in average star, which doesn’t take into account the number of commits.

Alston, 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds, actually announced his decision during Auburn’s Big Cat recruiting event, turning his commitment into a recruiting pitch of its own.

“Today felt good, man. It was a stress reliever,” he said. “Just coming here and seeing all the guys, speaking in front of everybody, committing in front of everybody, it was a good deal. I feel like I brought some attention to some of the recruits.

"It was a family atmosphere. All the coaches sat down and talked to my family and my mom, and that’s what we look for. Thats one of the reasons I committed."

Alston narrowed down more than 50 offers to Auburn, LSU and Northwestern before picking the Tigers.

“I’m not really into big names or anything like that. I’m not into Georgia or Alabama,” he said. “I want to beat those guys. I want to be at the top of the SEC.”

Alston should join a talented running back group a year from now that will include Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter.

“I feel like Jarquez and Tank can show me the path because they’re a little older than me and they’ll probably be going to the league,” Alston said. “When it’s my turn to step onto the field, I’m going to take care of business.”