Greenville, Ala., defensive end committed Friday. (Photo: 247Sports.com).
Marlon Davidson, the No. 24 recruit in 2016 class according to 247Sports.com’s composite rankings, committed to Auburn Friday afternoon in a ceremony at Greenville, Ala.’s gymnasium.
In a post announcement press conference, Davidson brought out a picture of his late-mother, citing her as a major reason for his commitment to Auburn, on top of his relationship with coaches and the program’s tradition. Davidson also mentioned that he still plans on taking his scheduled official visits to other schools, saying the door “isn’t completely closed.”
Davidson, a 6-4, 260-pound defensive end, had 69 tackles last season with nine sacks while playing for Carver (Montgomery, Ala.) and was named to the American Family Insurance ALL-USA preseason defensive team.
He had tried to keep his decision a secret, though last week he cut down his schools to a final seven:
If he follows through with his commitment, he will be the third brother in his household to play college football. His oldest brother, Kenneth Carter, is an assistant coach at Auburn and played for the Tigers from 2010 to 2014. Another brother, Marvin Davidson, is a sophomore offensive lineman at Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, Miss.
In Greenville’s first regular-season game this season, Davidson helped lead the Tigers to a 34-13 defeat of Valley. The Tigers play their second game Friday night at Booker T. Washington (Tuskegee).
Davidson played at Greenville as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to Carver last season. He transferred back to Greenville for this season to be with family after his mother, Cynthia Carter, whom he had been living with in Montgomery, died last winter.