Truitt finds the right fit
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MONROE, Ga. | The day after Auburn landed one of the southeast's best quarterbacks in Sean White, they landed one of the southeast's best athletes to play alongside.
Monroe Area (Ga.) athlete Stanton Truitt made his commitment to the Tigers known after initially notifying Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and receivers coach Dameyune Craig of his decision on Sunday.
"Everybody that's involved at Auburn is so great," Truitt told AuburnSports.com. "When I visited Auburn last, there must have been most of the team working out in the weight room on a Saturday. That shows the dedication they are putting into the team trying to turn this thing around. And from talking to the players, they were welcoming me with open arms. Those things stood out to me."
Truitt chose Auburn over offers from Arkansas, Cal, Florida, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Stanford, UCLA and many more.
Truitt finished last season with 2,458 yards as the athlete of the year in Region 8-AAAA, he scored a total of 28 touchdowns lining up as signal caller.
Truitt's decision to commit this past Sunday came one day after his visit on Saturday. It was that visit that netted him an Auburn offer and made a lasting impact.
"I don't have receiver film so most coaches don't get to see me catch and run routes," Truitt said. "That's the big thing with them, with a championship mentality, you can't just throw out offers to anyone. I respected that. They were patient to offer, but when they did, they thought I could be a superstar.
"They wanted me in the program. I went home after landing that offer and talked to my dad and we looked at every option. We sat down and looked at what everybody had to offer and we felt like at the time this was the biggest offer I could get as far as being in a great system and doing a variety of things for me."
Truitt stands 5-foot-10, 180-pounds and was one of Auburn's top targets at the athlete position. Auburn projects Truitt to play wide receiver and wildcat quarterback on the Plains.
The unquestioned success of Malzahn's offense and ability to create opportunities for skill-position players was key in Truitt's thought process and ultimate decision.
"They showed me how they used Darren McFadden and Felix Jones at Arkansas and how they started the wildcat," Truitt said. "The offense is proven and Coach Malzahn has proven it everywhere he's been. From Cam Newton at Auburn to Arkansas State, it's proven. It has everything I'm looking for."
Craig was Truitt's lead recruiter. The pair had been talking since earlier in the spring and have built a relationship that grew stronger during Truitt's visit to Auburn last weekend.
Craig's intimate knowledge of Auburn and the football experience proved significant in Truitt's view of the Tigers' program.
"Him telling me about the tradition at Auburn, he's been there and played there, he knows the place like the back of his hand," Truitt said.
"Coach Craig told me if I chose Auburn, it wasn't going to be easy. Everybody worked for a spot and nobody's a favorite. You work and whoever works the hardest is going to play. He never guaranteed me anything and that spoke out about his personality and character."
Truitt noticed the commitment of White on Tuesday. Truitt desired to speak out in congratulations, but worried that may tip his hand. Instead, Truitt watched film of White and came away impressed.
"I was excited. I did my background and watched his film. That was a big-time get and that will definitely help me. I really like him," said Truitt.
Truitt still plans visits as the recruiting process moves forward, but states that his commitment is a firm one.
"I'm going to hit some more schools this summer and fall, but I feel like I'm all in and 100 percent with Auburn," Truitt said. "I felt like in my heart it's the best situation. I found the best place for me and I'm sticking with this."
Now, Truitt will turn his attention towards recruiting high-profile prospects to join Auburn's class. He already has three in mind.
"Dante Sawyer, Myles Autry and Elisha Shaw," Truitt said. "Auburn is in the mix with all those guys and I'm cool with those guys. I've played against those guys and with them in the Georgia All-Star game. I think Auburn has what they are looking for."
Truitt holds a 3.3 GPA and is on track to graduate early and enroll at Auburn in January. Truitt's older brother attends MIT.
Rivals.com currently ranks Truitt the nation's No. 29 athlete.