Former 4-Star QB Cord Sandberg Commits to Auburn After 6 Years with Phillies

The Auburn Tigers landed a late addition to their 2018 recruiting class Monday. 

Cord Sandberg, who was a 4-star prospect and the No. 8 dual-threat quarterback in the 2013 class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, announced his intentions to join the SEC program on Twitter:

Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports noted Sandberg was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies organization for six years, which delayed his entry into college football.

Sandberg also visited LSU, Auburn and North Carolina State, but Niebuhr pointed out the 23-year-old was given a full scholarship with the Tigers and was offered as a preferred walk-on at other programs.

However, Sandberg suggested the scholarship situation wasn’t the reason he chose Auburn, especially since the Phillies said they would cover his tuition if needed, per Niebuhr:

"When (Auburn coach Gus Malzahn) gave me a call maybe a month or so ago and said he would have interest in me, obviously the scholarship wasn't a deciding factor at all because if the best situation had been somewhere else that’s what I would have done. But when I talked to him and kind of knew playing quarterback at Auburn was a possibility, it was obviously something I grew up watching. The Iron Bowl is something pretty special and I grew up watching a lot of them. To have the opportunity to potentially play in one of those games and really all of the games that Auburn has a chance to play in and the venues the SEC has, it was definitely something that I knew was going to be tough to pass up. When I visited, (Sandberg and his fiance) were even more confident with the coaches and everything Auburn football is."

Sandberg previously committed to Mississippi State when he was a highly regarded high school recruit but ultimately chose baseball and the financial reward that came with it. He reached Double-A in the minor leagues but is now giving another shot to the gridiron at 23 years old.

While the NFL is an option at any time given he is three years removed from high school, he will have four years of eligibility at Auburn and will look to make his mark on a crowded quarterback room.

Jarrett Stidham, Malik Willis and Joey Gatewood are already on the roster, and playing time may be difficult to come by for Sandberg even if Stidham leaves for the NFL following the 2018 campaign.

Bo Nix is a 4-star prospect and the No. 1 dual threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports’ composite rankings, and is headed to Auburn for his collegiate career. He figures to be the signal-caller of the future while Stidham is the current answer, but Sandberg turned heads in his past on the football field as a recruit.

He will look to do so again in the SEC.