Boom! 3-Star Defensive End Colby Wooden Picks Auburn Over Clemson

Rodney Garner is wasting zero time preparing for life without guys like Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson, Dontavius Russell and Andrew Williams. Earlier this summer he landed a pair of studs from the state of Mississippi in 4* Jaren Handy and 3* Jamond Gordon. Today, he returned to his familiar stomping ground scooping up a big time prospect out of Georgia.

3* DE Colby Wooden announced in front of his school this afternoon he plans on being an Auburn Tiger.

Wooden has long been one of Auburn’s top DL targets this cycle. He boasts one of the more impressive offer lists you will see for a 3* prospect and narrowed his finalists down to probably the two best defensive lines in the country this year in Auburn and Clemson. Unlike his teammate 5* CB Andrew Booth, Wooden elected to suit up for the properly shaded Auburn Tigers.

Highlights

Scouting Report

Wooden is a disruptive force off the edge. He’s got long arms that allow him to keep would be blockers at bay. He’s also got a deadly combination of hands and quickness that allows him to consistently beat offensive tackles off the edge and blow by offensive guards in the interior. You can see his athleticism displayed in this tape considering how he pretty much lines up everywhere along the defensive line. Most importantly, he looks like a kid with a high motor that plays hard every snap and to the final whistle. Wooden will need to get stronger, specifically in his lower half to be a stronger run defender in the SEC. He could play either Buck or defensive end in Auburn’s system though I suspect he will bulk up a bit and end up at SDE. Wherever he ends up playing along Auburn’s front four, I expect him to be a big time contributor for the Tigers in the near future.

The Class

Auburn now has three defensive line commits and will more than likely take two more, with one being a Buck. I would keep an eye on 4* Buck Derick Hall and Tennessee commit 3* DT LeDarrius Cox as the most likely suspects to join Auburn’s current trio. There’s also Mississippi State commit 4* Charles Moore but he’s looking more like a long shot these days.

The Tigers defense will lose a lot after the 2018 season. The good news is the staff has done a good job of bringing in outstanding talent and that’s continuing in this 2019 class. Wooden and Gordon are the only defensive commits not rated a 4* and that could very well change in the coming months. Auburn’s defense will get younger in 2019 but it could stay just as talented.

War Eagle Colby!