Jeffrey Whitaker Announcement: Four-Star DT Commits to Auburn

Defensive lineman Jeffrey Whitaker committed to the Auburn Tigers at a conference at his high school today.

The Tigers beat out the Miami Hurricanes and the ailing Georgia Bulldogs for Whitaker's services on the defensive line.

Whitaker, who visited Miami this past weekend, said the decision came down to where his "heart" is, where he "felt comfortable." He admitted that the Hurricanes were a close second and that the visit had gone well, but that he had been "feeling Auburn" for some time.

Whitaker becomes either the 28th or 29th commitment (depending on the status of offensive lineman Shon Coleman, who is a soft verbal) in Gene Chizik's second recruiting class as head coach, his first with a full season behind him at Auburn.

The Tigers have been on a roll since landing JUCO quarterback Cameron Newton, luring offensive lineman Eric Mack from South Carolina, and making Marcus Lattimore's final list.

The four-star defensive tackle is Auburn's 15th player with a star ranking at or above four. His commitment will almost certainly bump the Tigers into the top five classes in the country.

Most of the recruiting services have Auburn behind SEC rivals Alabama and Florida, but much will depend on whether Alabama can keep safety Keenan Allen from heading to Clemson.

Keep abreast of all the breaking recruiting news at MaxPreps football recruiting home page .