John Broussard is one of the most athletic overall recruits in the Class of 2016. A 6-foot, 164-pound speedster, Broussard had his choice of top collegiate programs, with the exception of his home state Alabama Crimson Tide. No bother. As he made clear in announcing his commitment on Thursday, Broussard already knew where he wanted to go.
Sitting at a table in the school gymnasium with hats for three SEC West powers, Broussard chose the school that was closest to both his heart and home, deciding to become a member of the Auburn Tigers rather than join either LSU or Mississippi State. For the Central High native of Phenix City, the decision was apparently a no brainer, even if he had some stressful nights in the prior two weeks coming to the conclusion.
And he made the announcement with more than just the traditional hat choice; Broussard also unzipped an all-black warmup jacket to reveal an Auburn jersey.
“(Will Muschamp is) a great defensive mind and most of his defenses were ranked in the top 10,” Broussard told AL.com at his announcement. “I hear from him, Coach T-Rob (Travaris Robinson) and Coach (Gus) Malzahn a lot. I just like the love I get when I come up there. Auburn wasn’t really known as a defensive school, but now that they have some great defensive coaches, they’re going to be pretty good.”
It’s hard to underestimate how big a pickup Broussard is. He is a top-10 recruit at his position, with the upside to be much, much more, as he showcased at The Opening recently.
Whether he will come good on that potential remains to be seen. For now, he’s just happy to be on his way and have his recruiting process finished.