Tigers pick up fifth commitment

The first return of Big Cat Weekend and Tiger Prowl was felt Friday when the state’s top wide receiver committed to the Tigers.

Springville’s Jeremy Richardson became Auburn’s fifth verbal commitment when he announced his pledge at a Birmingham hospital with his grandfather, who is sick with cancer, by his side.

“My granddad has always been an Auburn fan. I’ve always been an Auburn fan,” Richardson told AuburnSports.com. “The Auburn coaches preached about family and when I went down there I felt like I was a part of their family.”

Richardson, who claimed the Tigers as his leader from the beginning, chose Auburn over schools such as Alabama, Tennessee and LSU. He is ranked the No. 26 wide receiver in the nation (No. 1 in Alabama) and a top 250 overall prospect, according to Rivals.com.

Richardson, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound four-star, caught 61 passes for 1,228 yards last season, according to Rivals.com.

Richardson was one of about 20 of the nation’s top prospects to visit Auburn this past weekend for what became known as Big Cat Weekend. When Auburn’s coaches drove together across the state in a limousine during their first week of spring evaluations, which became known as Tiger Prowl, Richardson’s high school was one of the stops.

“They went out of their way. They did all of that stuff,” Richardson told AuburnSports.com. “They didn’t have to get the limo or do anything like that, but they did. Auburn was the only team to do things like that.”

Richardson joins kicker Cody Parkey (Pensacola, Fla.), wide receiver Shaun Kitchens (College Park, Ga.), linebacker Jake Holland (Pelham) and offensive lineman Shon Coleman (Olive Branch, Miss.) as the fifth member of Auburn’s class of ‘10. Some SEC schools, such as Alabama and Florida, have been in double digits since the early spring. Auburn’s coaches have stressed, though, that they aren’t in a commitment race.

Richardson’s Springville teammate, 6-foot-3, 290-pound offensive lineman Chase Hughes, visited Auburn this past weekend and told AuburnSports.com he received an offer and that Auburn was at the top of his list.

| 334-737-2561