Widely expected to become a Gator throughout his recruiting process, 4-star running back Devan Barrett stunned Florida fans on Thursday, committing instead to SEC adversary Auburn.
In an announcement on Twitter, Barrett showed himself wearing a Tigers jersey and explained his decision:
It’s official! #WDE 🐯🔷🔶 pic.twitter.com/X1cX8GZvUX
— Dev (@Devan_Barrett5) July 28, 2016
Barrett, who is heading into his senior season at Tampa Catholic, is the 17th-ranked running back in the class of 2017, per 247Sports. He’s No. 222 nationally and No. 35 in the state of Florida.
For most of his recruitment, Barrett was expected to attend Florida. At one point, 247Sports’ crystal ball gave him a 100 percent chance of landing in Gainesville. South Carolina and Auburn were also among the early favorites.
Listed at 6’1″ and 190 pounds, Barrett busted out with a huge junior season. He rushed for 1,891 yards and 21 touchdowns and hauled in 15 receptions for 218 yards. Deceptive with his quick feet and upfield burst, Barrett makes most of his moves with his vision and home run skills.
“It’s nothing really to it, if I see it, I’m just going to take it,” Barrett said, per Anthony Brown of The Left Bench. “I don’t really have power in me. With my elusiveness, speed and vision, I try to get in and out of there.”
The next level will be a transition, mostly because Barrett needs to add weight. He’s not going to dominate SEC play with his current body type. If Auburn is looking for him to play as a freshman, it’ll probably be in a limited third-down role.
Luckily, Barrett is a bit of a late bloomer. He wasn’t a full-time starter at running back until last season and may rocket up recruiting boards with a big senior season. As it stands, coach Gus Malzahn has another young talent to add to his stable and an early piece to his recruiting class in 2017.
Malzahn is the mastermind of a run-heavy, uptempo Tigers offense, which should be in good hands with improved quarterback play and a steady influx of ball-carriers like Barrett.