Carter: 'I just stayed with what I love'

Over the last month and a half, DeAndre Carter made a difficult decision.

Should he flip his commitment from Auburn to Texas, or should he stick with the Tigers? Both schools had a strong message that Carter had to take into consideration, but when it came down to it, he decided that his heart was with Auburn.

"Texas was trying really hard to flip me," Carter said. "I just stayed with what I love and fell in love with at Auburn. All the coaches, the relationships, the family feel, the players, the education and everything I just loved about it. The new program and everything."

Carter took an official visit to Texas at the end of September and into October, and in the weeks following, it appeared that the Longhorns had made quite the impression. Texas walked through its vision for Carter in the program, explaining how they'd utilize him and how big he'd be for the Longhorns if he were to flip.

"I was definitely giving them a thought after my visit for sure," Carter said. "It was a lot. A lot of pressure and it was a hard decision."

The decision came in early November, when Carter reaffirmed his commitment to Auburn via social media.

Head coach Hugh Freeze was an immense influence on his final decision, especially the authenticity displayed by the first year Auburn coach in conversation.

"Me and him, the couple times we’ve spoken in person, it was just so natural," Carter said. "I definitely trust him and the program he’s building."

That trust extends to offensive line coach Jake Thornton.

"He’s definitely proven himself with everything he’s done so far and I love how he coaches," Carter said.

Freshman Connor Lew is a testament to Thornton, as Lew's stepped into the starting center role with the injury of Avery Jones. Lew earned SEC Freshman of the Week a couple weeks back, which serves as a motivating factor for Carter.

"It just makes me feel motivated, makes me feel like I can do that too," Carter said. "I remember coming in and the coaches talking very positively about him. He got his spot and he’s doing really good. It’s just kinda motivating me going in."

Carter will make his first trip since July to Auburn next week, for the Tigers' game against Alabama in the Iron Bowl. It will be his first Auburn game day experience,

"I’m super pumped for it," Carter said. "I’m just really excited to see them in action in person."