Newkirk 'finally' an Auburn Tiger

AUBURN | Thirty months after committing to Auburn, Daquan Newkirk officially and finally will be a Tiger.

“Long. Very long,” Newkirk said of his wait. “It’s good for it to finally be over.”

Newkirk committed to Auburn on June 18, 2015. He was an under-the-radar recruit who had an impressive performance at an Auburn camp the summer before his senior year at First Academy in Orlando, Fla. The Tigers offered. Newkirk accepted. His journey to Auburn began, but it wouldn’t end soon.

Newkirk failed to qualify out of high school and was forced to attend Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. He redshirted his first year, played his second and never wavered on where he wanted to attend his third year.

“Georgia wanted me to come,” Newkirk said. “There were a lot of schools, but they knew how deep I’m in with Auburn so it was pointless.”

The Tigers also never wavered.

“Through my journey a lot of schools turned their backs, but Auburn didn’t,” Newkirk said. “That’s very special to me.”

Newkirk took an official visit to Auburn over the weekend. It’s a visit he didn’t leave. The big, defensive lineman, who now weighs in the 285-pound range, moved in to his dormitory on Auburn’s campus and will participate in his first practice on Monday.

“Overwhelming and also happy,” Newkirk said. “I’m still in shock. I’ll be nervous (at practice), but I’ll also be ready.”

He’s had 30 months to prepare.

“I definitely think I can get in the rotation very soon,” Newkirk said.

There’s no reason to doubt him. Newkirk, as a redshirt freshman at MGCCC, had 48 tackles, including 28 solos, nine tackles-for-loss, six quarterback pressures, an interception, a forced fumble and three pass breakups.

He expects to play a similar role in Auburn’s defense as Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe.

Newkirk will have three years to play three at Auburn, and that begins Monday. Finally.