Davin Bellamy wanted to visit Auburn for Big Cat Weekend with his best friend Arshad Jackson, whom he's known since 12-years old. But he couldn't make the trip.
So last Saturday morning, Bellamy received a text from Jackson saying the big tight-end prospect was thinking about committing to the Tigers. Bellamy and Jackson have long talked of attending the same school, so Jackson asked if he should wait?
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Bellamy told him to do what was best for him, so Jackson committed to Auburn hours later. Bellamy knew then he had to visit Auburn with his friend to see what the Tigers' program was all about.
"He told me when I go down there, I'm going to get a family vibe about Auburn," Bellamy said.
Bellamy, from Chamblee H.S. (Ga.), made that visit on Wednesday and left blown away.
"It was awesome. I would say definitely based on my visit, Auburn would be in my top five when it comes to making a decision," Bellamy said. "The coaching staff showed lots of love, I can just tell the coaching staff is a close knit family by the way they interact with each other. If the coaches are like that, you can imagine how the whole team is.
"That defensive coordinator (Brian VanGorder) they got from the Atlanta Falcons, he really knows what he's talking about. He knows what it takes to get to the NFL which is all our dreams. I was really impressed. That whole coaching staff is easy to talk to."
Auburn linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen is recruiting Bellamy to the Plains.
"I love him," said Bellamy. "He's a fun guy. His vibe when you're around him, he acts like an uncle. You feel like you can be yourself around him. I couldn't ask for a better recruiting coach."
Auburn is one of around 30 college offers Bellamy holds. AU and Georgia both offered in the last two weeks. Following his visit to Auburn, Bellamy places AU and Vanderbilt in his current top two.
"There's a lot of schools that I'm really interested in, but having spent full time at Vanderbilt and full time at Auburn, I really got a feel for those coaches and those programs. Those are close to my heart," said Bellamy.
"I have 31 offers right now, from now I can tell which school wants me by how hard they communicate with me. The last week of school Auburn was calling my coach's phone, coach Thigpen was making sure I was coming down on Wednesday. Last Saturday when A.J. went down there, the coaching staff was asking where I was. It showed me how much they want me."
With Jackson as Auburn's newest commit, what are the chances Bellamy joins his best friend in the Tigers' class?
"The chances right now are very high," Bellamy said. "I was tempted to commit, but I decided to wait until my date mid-season. I want to check out other schools. Definitely with A.J. being there, that gives Auburn a big bump. Me and A.J. are still going to take some visits and he's going to go with me and support me on my visits."
Bellamy plans to visit Alabama on June 6th, Florida on June 9th, and Vanderbilt on June 15th. He would also like to visit Tennessee and Florida State soon. Bellamy also said he would return to Auburn later this summer.