Fifth OL joins class

Jake Thornton just got another one.

Four-star offensive lineman Broderick Shull out of Bixby, Okla., announced his commitment to Auburn Friday, becoming the fifth offensive lineman in the Tigers' 2025 class. The commitment comes fresh off of Shull's official visit to the Plains.

Auburn beat out Nebraska, Texas A&M and Texas Tech for Shull.

Shull is just a few days removed from his official visit to Auburn, which appears to be all he needed to make the decision. Auburn had been in heavy pursuit of Shull for a while, Thornton had made the midwesterner a priority for months — even traveling to Shull's hometown to watch him in the school play.

"He had work, but he was able to take the time to come see me and that really shows me that he wants me and so does the school," Shull told Rivals.com in the spring.

However, the official visit set Auburn apart from the rest.

“The most important part was bering able to see the players, mainly because you can see what they’re really like off campus and see if that’s really a fit for me," Shull said. "And these guys are pretty awesome. They fit me well. They’re responsible, they’re mature guys.”

It wasn't just important for Shull to see Auburn once again, but his official visit gave his father a chance to see the school as well.

"I was talking to him how impressive this all was and was like, ‘Whatever,’ because, of course, he didn’t believe it,” Shull said. “Then I showed him and he literally was impressed. This trip was worth it.”

He's the fifth offensive lineman in the class, joining Spencer Dowland, Tavaris Dice, Tai Buster and Carde Smith. Other commits in the 2025 class include defensive linemen Malik Autry and Jourdin Crawford, linebackers Jakaleb Faulk and Tyler Lockhart, tight end Ryan Ghea and defensive backs Devin Williams, Dante Core and Donovan Starr.

With his commitment, Auburn moves up to the No. 11 recruiting class in the country.