Carl Lawson, the No. 21-rated recruit according to 247Sports, signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Auburn at a high school ceremony Wednesday morning. Lawson, who played for Alpharetta, Ga., Milton High School, chose the Tigers over Clemson and Tennessee, the two other finalists for his services.

Lawson had zeroed in on Auburn after also considering the the orange-and-purple Tigers and The Volunteers. He was a long-time commit to former head coach Gene Chizik, but after an awful 3-9 season and Chizik's firing, Lawson began to look around at other options. While some pundits expected the five-star player to decommit from Gus Malzahn's Tigers, he never did, reaffirming his commitment last Sunday after an official visit to the Plains.

Lawson was the top-rated defensive end in the 247Sports rankings and the No. 3 player from the state of Georgia. He joins an Auburn squad that has struggled on the defensive line over the last two years and should provide an immediate boost.