Marlon Davidson to Auburn: Tigers Land 5-Star DE Prospect

Marlon Davidson, the star defensive end from Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama, made a decision about where he will play college football Friday, committing to the Auburn Tigers.

The SEC's official Twitter account confirmed the news. 

Davidson is the No. 2 strong-side defensive end and 24th-ranked player overall in the 2016 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. Growing up in Alabama, it's not hard to see why the site had Auburn, Alabama and Georgia listed as his top three choices. 

According to the site's Crystal Ball rankings, which featured predictions from 25 recruiting experts, Auburn was the heavy favorite after receiving every vote.

In February, Davidson was non-committal about his choice despite acknowledging his ties to Auburn during an interview with Drew Champlin of AL.com:

"Everybody thinks that (I'm going to Auburn)," Davidson said. "I'm looking to go anywhere in the country. If it's all the way in Washington, D.C., I'll be ready to go."

Scheme and system fit are crucial factors for any recruit, as it determines everything from ability to play right away to how they can develop. The good news is Davidson has shown plenty of growth potential throughout his high school career. 

The transformation that Davidson has gone through heading into his senior year has been remarkable, and it pushed him into the top tier of prospects for next season. He's a 6'4", 260-pound monster already, and he should get bigger as his frame continues to fill out. 

While it's not wholly indicative of Davidson's skills, Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports tweeted a Vine video of the defensive end at the Under Armour Elite 50 Experience in January:

Finding an elite edge-rusher is something that every college coach dreams about. Davidson will have to prove himself at the college level, but everything about him physically and mentally suggests that he's a special talent Auburn fans will love for the next few years. 

Davidson is the kind of talent who can also shape a recruiting class. He's got the kind of clout in his area, if not the whole country, to draw other top players to Auburn to play alongside him. The Alabama native can be the face of a Tigers defense that wins a national championship in the near future. 

All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports.