Tigers add ‘elite competitor’

PIKE ROAD, AL | Granger Shook coached at Colquitt County in Georgia and both Prattville and Trinity Presbyterian in Alabama before taking over at Pike Road this spring.

He’s seen his fair share of Power 5 players and Malik Blocton ranks right up there among the best.

“Auburn is getting a very instinctive, elite competitor,” said Shook. “I’ve been fortunate enough and blessed to coach some SEC players in a short amount of time and he is definitely one of top guys that I’ve ever been around.

“His instincts, his hands, his feet — he just has a nose for the ball. He wants to be successful.”

Blocton, 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, committed to Auburn Saturday, choosing the Tigers over Texas, Alabama, Florida and Troy. He had more than 40 offers.

Shook plans to take advantage of Blocton’s versatility this fall, playing him at every position along the defensive line to try and keep opposing offenses guessing. He had 109 tackles, 37 tackles-for-loss and 12 sacks as a junior.

“There’s a lot of d-lineman that want to play on the edge — whether it’s a 4, 4i or 5 technique — but he’s going to play everything for us. And he wants to play everything for us as far as inside and 0 and all the way out,” said Shook.

“Just to have that flexibility with him and to have that want-to, he’s a special kid.”

Blocton’s leadership skills also stand out to Shook. He was elected to the leadership council by his teammates.

“That’s one of the first things I did coming in as a new coach,” said Shook. “I wanted to get the temperature of the room like, ‘Who are our leaders?’ I know some who I hope are leaders, but he was voted a team leader.

“He can bark when it’s time to bark but he can also have a good time and let loose. Those are special qualities.”

Having Blocton's brother, Marcus Harris, at AU was a big advantage for AU but other schools tried to use it to their advantage and convince Blocton to create a legacy at their program.

“I think he can create his own legacy at Auburn and I think he’s going to,” said Shook. “Auburn has had a lot of elite d-linemen and this is going to be another one.”

** Jay G. Tate contributed to this story.