Brown closes deal, looks toward 2018

AUBURN | Greg Brown was hired by Auburn Jan. 7, which gave him just over three weeks to shore up his defensive back class.

And the veteran secondary coach did just that as the Tigers’ four commitments all signed on Feb. 1 in Carlito Gonzalez, Jordyn Peters, Traivon Leonard and Malcolm Askew.

“Overall, you're talking about a group that has good length on them,” Brown said. “They've got good athleticism. We've got some guys that are tough guys. We've got some big hitters in the group. Really excited to get these guys and get around them this summer, get to work and see what we can do with them.”

At the top of that list of big hitters is Gonzalez, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound safety out of Stephenson in Decatur, Ga. He had 74 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, three interceptions, six pass breakups and three forced fumbles as a senior. He returned both a fumble and a blocked kick for touchdowns.

Gonzalez committed to Auburn in August of 2015 and never wavered despite two changes at secondary coach.

“He’s your prototypical safety,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “He’s very physical. He can run. He’s got a nose for the ball. He plays fearless. He’s been very loyal to us, too.

“He’s been through three defensive back coaches, and he didn’t flinch. He stayed with us. We’re very excited about Carlito.”

Peters, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, could play safety, cornerback or nickel at Auburn. The Muscle Shoals native is one of 10 signees from the state of Alabama. He had 84 tackles, 13 pass breakups, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two blocked punts and an interception as a senior.

“He’s long. I think he’s going to even grow and get bigger,” Malzahn said. “He’s a very good tackler, a very physical guy. We’re very excited about Jordan and think he’s got a chance to be an outstanding player.”

Leonard, 6-foot and 190 pounds, is expected to play cornerback for the Tigers. He had 33 tackles and three interceptions as a junior at Oxbridge in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was limited as a senior due to an age limit and an elbow injury but finished with one interception and four pass breakups in six games.

Leonard was committed to North Carolina for six months before flipping to Auburn in December.

“A guy that’s been on campus a few times and just really connected. We just felt like he was an Auburn-type guy,” Malzahn said. “We think he’s got a very good skill set. He can run. He’s long. He’s a very good tackler. And he’s kind of one of those mature guys. I think he’ll have a chance to come in and help right off the bat, too.”

Askew, 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, played quarterback as a senior at McAdory in McCalla, Ala. He accounted for 1,774 yards and 20 touchdowns on offense, and 11 tackles and one interception in limited play on defense.

“A very talented young man that can run,” Malzahn said. “He's got a very good skill set. He played offense in high school and has very good ball skills.”

Askew, who enrolled in January, could play cornerback or nickel.

“I'm going to get after it in the weight room first while we're in the offseason,” Askew said. “Once spring practice comes I want to follow the veteran guys, take time and look at how they're doing things, get my feet wet and just see where it goes from there.”

While Brown didn’t have a whole lot to do recruiting the 2017 class, he has already put in a lot of work evaluating 2018 and 19 prospects and getting to know his new home.

“We're excited about getting after the 18s right now,” Brown said. “This place has got everything. It's set up to do everything that you want to do. Every goal, every aspiration that you have as a coach, it's right there in front of you.

“I could not be happier. This is the most exciting move I've ever made. I'm just bouncing off the ceilings.”