Relationships and opportuinty to play SEC football help Auburn land safety Knyair Crumb
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Auburn‘s recruiting momentum continued this week as the Tigers landed a commitment from Severn (Md.) DeMatha Catholic safety Knyair Crumb.
The three-star chose Auburn after a recruitment that featured more than 20 scholarship offers and a final group that included several Power Four programs.
The Tigers did not enter the picture early. In fact, Auburn wasn’t even part of Crumb’s original official visit plans.
“It was definitely a little later in the process when Auburn got in,” Crumb told Rivals. “Auburn was not in my initial top four official visits. At the time, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Penn State and Syracuse were the top four.
“Everything changed when Auburn offered. When they came in, that’s kind of one of the ones that got a little bit of pop to them. It was nothing but to have a conversation with my dad and my agent. They kind of gave me the logistics of everything, and it opened my eyes to what Auburn would have to offer.
“Things changed quickly from there.”
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The Tigers offered in the spring after defensive coordinator DJ Durkin visited DeMatha and defensive backs coach Tim Banks continued building the relationship.
One phone call in particular left a lasting impression.
“I remember I was at my cousin’s house when Coach Banks called me and offered me. I kind of gravitated towards him right then and there.
“A lot of times coaches get on the phone and give you an hour talk before they throw the offer. With Coach Banks, it was five or 10 minutes and he got straight to the point. That’s kind of how I’m wired. He connected with me right away.”
As Auburn continued recruiting him, the Tigers steadily climbed his board.
By the time he arrived for his official visit, Crumb already had a strong feeling about where things were headed.
“I would say Auburn definitely took the cake on the visit,” he said. “I planned to take all of my official visits, but I had a thing made up in my head that I did want to go there and play there,” Crumb said. “The official visit was needed to confirm things. I wanted to confirm the relationships I was feeling were real and that everything wasn’t just based off a high-emotion moment.”
The visit accomplished exactly that.
Rather than committing before leaving campus, Crumb took time to think about everything he experienced.
“I came home, slept on it, and woke up the next day,” he said. “I couldn’t shake the feeling or what I felt. After that, I called Coach Golesh and told him for the next three to four years, I would like to play under him.”
Three factors ultimately separated Auburn from the competition.
“Opportunity, relationships and the stage were big in my decision. Being able to go down there and see it for myself was big,” Crumb said. “You can tell me everything you want on the phone, but until I see it, I can’t speak for myself.
“When the bright lights go away and everything, you get down there and it’s real life and it’s back to football. What everyone told me, from the players to the coaches, it felt real. It felt like no matter what, I was going to get the best from the coaches.”
The SEC also appealed to the Maryland standout.
“I think what I have pent up in my head is SEC football,” Crumb said. “I feel like that’s the best of the best. It puts me on possibly the biggest stage in college football where I can compete against the best guys out there.”
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