Auburn Football Recruiting: Montravius Adams Is Tigers' Biggest Priority

It's been a bittersweet past few days for Auburn as the program looks ahead to national signing day.

Auburn was able to convince 5-star defensive end Carl Lawson to stay, per Kipp Adams of ESPN.com.

On the other hand, 5-star inside linebacker Reuben Foster decommitted from the Tigers on Monday, only to commit to rival Alabama. This was after 4-star defensive tackle Dee Liner and 4-star inside linebacker Trey Johnson had already decommitted since the firing of Gene Chizik.

Now the focus shifts to 5-star defensive tackle Montravius Adams, who is currently undecided.

The 6'3", 281-pound Georgia native is ranked No. 10-overall in the class, according to 247Sports.com. He not only has the size to man the interior of the line, but also great burst and explosiveness. He needs some work on his technique, but he's a dynamite athlete who should have no trouble competing with the big boys in the SEC.

Auburn and Georgia are largely regarded as the front-runners for Adams. He's visited both schools in the past couple of weeks and Auburn was his last stop.

Even after the decommitments of Foster, Liner and Johnson, Auburn still sports the No. 16 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports.com. The Tigers still have Lawson and a total of six 4-star recruits, a credit to new head coach Gus Malzahn.

Malzahn's work since the firing of Chizik offers some hope for the Tigers that they will be able to steal Adams on national signing day. That work includes hiring Rodney Garner as defensive line coach. Gardner spent the past 15 years coaching at Georgia and Adams knows him well.

Adams said after his visit to Auburn, via ESPN:

"

The Auburn official went pretty good. It was weird seeing Coach [Rodney] Garner because I am used to seeing him red and black with a G on his shirt. Now he has AU on there instead, and he wants me to be a Tiger instead of a Bulldog. He told me Auburn was the place to be, and that I could come right in and play. 

"

Adams has also said that his family will play a part in his decision. He noted that his mother enjoyed the visit to Auburn, according to the ESPN report.

In the end, Malzahn's hiring of Garner may be the tipping point for Adams. If that is the case, Auburn fans should be thankful for the work Malzahn did during recruiting season.

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