Ashley 'shutting it down,' will sign with Auburn

AUBURN | It’s a rarity for a top recruit to commit to a college before his junior season of high school and remain loyal through Signing Day.

But that will be the case for Calvin Ashley on Feb. 1.

That’s when Ashley, a Rivals100 offensive tackle who finished his high school career at St. John’s College in Washington, D.C., will end a 20-month commitment to Auburn.

“I’m done with all of it,” said Ashley, who committed to Auburn on May 31, 2015. “(My recruitment) has been over.”

Throughout Ashley’s recruitment, he’s had several colleges try and persuade him from Auburn, including both Maryland and Florida. Rumors were rampant earlier this month that he would switch his allegiance from the Tigers to the Terrapins. Ashley quickly shot down those rumors, tweeting “I am 110% committed!! Always have been and always will be!!!”

“(The tweet) was very important,” Ashley said. “Recruiting sometimes is very stressful. I love Auburn … I love it. It's a great place. I love the coaching staff. So I cleared it up on Twitter. Since I put that tweet out, I was like, 'I ain't answering any more schools. None of that stuff.'”

Ashley on Sunday reiterated his intentions to sign with Auburn. He said he would not take any other visits or entertain other coaching staffs in his home.

“No more,” Ashley said. “Nowhere next week. (I’m) shutting it down.”

Ashley’s comments came after spending the weekend in Auburn on an official visit. It was his first trip to Auburn since the summer.

“It was great,” Ashley said. “It was good to be back with my guys and stuff, just have a great time and kick it with them. It was fun just to hang around with the coaches; it just felt good to be back home.”

Ashley spent a lot of time during his visit with Auburn offensive line coach Herb Hand and primary recruiter Scott Fountain, as well as his player-host, Mike Horton.

“Me and Coach Fountain are very close,” Ashley said. “He's recruited me since I was a sophomore. We have a great relationship. And I’ve got a great relationship with Coach Hand. He's a great man. We can talk about anything. Outside of football, he's a great man. He's got a great family.”

Ashley also likes Hand as a coach.

“He's a great coach,” Ashley said. “He had the second-best offensive line in the conference. I saw the plaque on his desk. That's going to be No. 1 next year for sure. The bond with the guys is very strong. I feel like we're doing great things.”

Ashley will play left tackle at Auburn and plans to play the position early in his career.

“I'm trying to work very hard to come in and play early as a true freshman,” Ashley said. “That's the big for me. I want to make a name for myself early in my career. I know Coach Hand is going to give me plenty of opportunities to prove myself. I'm going to work. I'm going to come in working and try to earn a spot. I just can't wait to get here.”

Ashley will start his career in Auburn’s new offense, a unit that will be guided by Chip Lindsay, the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator. Lindsey was hired to take over for former coordinator Rhett Lashlee on Saturday while Ashley was on campus.

“Coach Lashlee, he's got to do what's best for him. He's a great man. Best of luck to Coach Lashlee,” Ashley said. “Coach Lindsey just came in, just talked to him. We've got a great relationship. He's a great coach. His background speaks for itself. I can't wait to get back to work here in the summer. It's going to be a great season for Auburn.”

Ashley will receive a final in-home visit from Auburn on Saturday before signing with the Tigers the following Wednesday.

It’ll be the end to his recruitment. Finally.