Auburn never backed down in its pursuit of Shamar Arnoux.

In a rollercoaster of a recruitment, Auburn is the final destination.

The Rivals250 cornerback out of Carrollton, Ga., flipped his commitment from USC to Auburn Thursday morning, the fifth major flip for the Tigers this cycle.

"Just how close to home and how they make me feel as a staff," Arnoux told Rivals on why he flipped. "And the opportunity to play early."

Arnoux's spent most of his recruitment committed to a program. He made an early pledge to Tennessee in the spring of his sophomore year, before backing off of the pledge in February of this year.

Over the next four months, Arnoux took a close look at several schools, eventually narrowing things down to either Auburn, Florida State or USC. He announced his commitment to USC at the Rivals Five Star event in Jacksonville, Fla., back in June, but continued to keep his options open.

Auburn remained a constant in his recruitment, even with a pledge to the Trojans.

He returned to Auburn's campus in July for the Tigers' Big Cat Weekend and made multiple game day visits in the fall. Auburn cornerbacks coach Wesley "Crime" McGriff even drove to Birmingham earlier this year to watch Arnoux play, among others.

"I’m trusting my gut," Arnoux told Rivals. "I’ve been able to build a real relationship with the staff and my gut tells me it’s right."

On the field, he liked what he saw from a defensive perspective on his latest visit for the Vanderbilt game.

"What I like about Auburn is the defense," Arnoux said. "I like what they’re building around that defense."

Arnoux, 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, is set to return this weekend for Auburn's home game against UL Monroe. With less than three weeks until early signing day, he's made his final decision and it's time to shift his attention away from recruiting.

"I'm locking in and focusing on making this state championship run in the highest classification in Georgia," Arnoux said.