Derrick Brown to Auburn: Tigers Land 5-Star DT Prospect

Defensive tackle Derrick Brown, a product of Lanier High School who hails from Buford, Georgia, announced Wednesday that he will play college football for Auburn.  

Barrett Sallee of Bleacher Report passed along the news of the 5-star Brown's commitment.

Brown is the fourth-ranked defensive tackle, the No. 9 overall prospect in the Class of 2016 and the most highly touted recruit out of Georgia, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Auburn has to be thrilled to land such a unique, gifted recruit like Brown to bolster its front seven for years to come.

Although he is listed at 6'3.75" and 317 pounds by 247Sports, Brown is quick enough to be a defensive end in a 3-4 alignment in addition to lining up on the inside, even directly over the center. This gives the Tigers the freedom to deploy him anywhere in the trenches.

The physical tools are present for Brown to make an immediate impact at the highest level of NCAA football. What he must focus on is playing lower so he can more effectively use his innate functional strength and win leverage battles at the point of attack.

What pops out most about Brown is how quickly he moves for a young man his size. He is able to blow up plays in the backfield and effortlessly shed blocks but can also string runs to the outside, close fast and meet ball-carriers before they cross the line of scrimmage.

Auburn had the fortune of having a brilliant defensive mind in coordinator Will Muschamp heading up its defense last season before his departure to become the head coach at South Carolina. Clearly, Muschamp's move didn't impact Brown's decision to join the Tigers.

It remains to be seen how soon Brown can see the field. As as long as he ultimately lives up to the hype, though, Brown figures to be of immense help to that area of the defense thanks to his explosiveness off the ball and closing speed in pursuit.

Making the transition to far more difficult competition will likely come with a learning curve, but Brown can expedite his ability to be a true difference-maker by working on the finer points of his game.

If Brown improves his motor and stamina while refining his technique, his ceiling is as high as anyone in the 2016 class.

It's feasible that Brown could become one of the more dominant defensive linemen in the country as an upperclassman should he fully realize his promising potential.

Recruit star ratings and rankings via 247Sports unless otherwise noted.