Sealing the deal
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AUBURN, Ala. | As his area recruiter and future position coach, Dameyune Craig played a key role in landing Rivals100 wide receiver Elijah Stove.
But Niceville (Fla.) High coach John Hicks credits Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn for sealing the deal.
"I think the first time he met Coach Malzahn, that was the difference," Hicks said. "I don't want to take anything away from Coach Craig, but Eli liked the way Coach Malzahn is a fairly soft-spoken guy, not a real over the top type person. I thought that was as big a key as anything."
Malzahn's laid back personality, at least off the field, meshed well with Stove's makeup.
"In a time where a lot of big-time players can be very selfish, I think (Stove) is a very unselfish person," Hicks said. "He's a great teammate. His teammates really like him and aren't jealous of him because he's kind of a quiet and humble person."
On the field, that unassuming personality blossoms into a brash, lightning-fast playmaker with the ability to score from anywhere on the field. That was more than evident in a Class 7A quarterfinal matchup against Oakleaf last fall.
"We handed it to him on a jet sweep and he busted for about 75 yards," Hicks said. "It was incredible. We played a team that was undefeated and had great team speed defensively, and he just split them in a seam and left everybody."
Stove, 6-foot and 177 pounds, finished his junior season with 54 receptions for 719 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also had 30 carries for 325 yards and two touchdowns.
Hicks used Stove on jet sweeps, screens and deep passes, and thinks he can have that same versatility at Auburn.
"I think anyway they can get the ball in his hands, he can be dangerous. I think he's definitely one of those guys they can use on the jet sweep and they can move him around and do some different things. They may move him outside and let him run a post route because he can fly."
Hicks said Stove runs a 40-yard dash in the mid to low 4.4 seconds. While he expects Stove to play receiver at Auburn, he has the potential to be a standout on the other side of the ball.
"I could see him easily being one of the best corners in the nation or receiver," he said. "He's smooth enough to do both, either backing up or coming forward, and he's just really explosive."
