Tag: Malik Blocton

Four-star DL Malik Blocton commits to Auburn

Blocton becomes Auburn’s 10th commit of the 2024 cycle after choosing the Tigers over Texas, Alabama, and Florida.

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn coaching staff will end the week on a high note, as they have locked in their 10th commitment of the 2024 cycle.

[autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag], a four-star defensive lineman from Pike Road High School, announced Saturday that he has committed to Auburn. He chooses the Tigers over Texas, Alabama, Florida, and Troy.

The decision to stay close to home is a win for Freeze, as Blocton stated that he would like to win SEC Freshman of the Year, and felt that Auburn or Texas would be the top programs to help him accomplish that goal.

Blocton told Christian Clemente of 247Sports that the main thing that stands out to him about Auburn is that has made sure to make him feel like a priority.

“What sticks out about Auburn is they’ve been consistent. No matter who was the coach, who was the D-line coach, they always been there, they always been pushing for me hard. Now with this new coaching staff, Coach (Jeremy) Garrett, he offered me back at Liberty so me and him already had a connection. It feels like a good spot for me.”

Blocton is the No. 24 prospect from the state of Alabama and the No. 43 defensive lineman for the 2024 class. He stands 6-4 and weighs 275, and is the first lineman to commit to the Tigers for this cycle.

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Auburn DL target Malik Blocton finalizes commitment date

He is down to Auburn, Alabama, Troy, Texas and Florida.

One of Auburn’s top in-state targets is ready to announce his commitment. Four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag] will be committing Saturday at 3 p.m. CT he Tweeted out on Tuesday.

Blocton has a final five of Auburn, Alabama, Troy, Texas and Florida, with Auburn and Texas seen as the top two contenders to land the Pike Road product.

While he officially visited Texas on June 16, the 6-foot-3, 268-pounder is the younger brother of Auburn defensive lineman [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and has visited Auburn countless times.

Blocton is the No. 424 overall player and No. 44 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 24 player from Alabama.

He made 54 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss and forced one fumble last season for Pike Road High School.

Defensive line coach [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag] quickly worked to build a relationship with Blocton once he came to Auburn and has made him a priority.

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247Sports predicts Malik Blocton will commit to Auburn

The three star DL from Pike Road is set to announce his commitment on July 8.

One of Auburn’s highest priorities for the 2024 season is three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag].

Blocton is a native of Pike Road and is the brother of Auburn starter Marcus Harris. Auburn has used this as advantage when recruiting him, and it may pay off later this summer.

Blocton recently told Auburn Undercover that he is down to two schools, Auburn and Texas. Auburn has had a high chance to secure Blocton’s commitment for a while according to On3, but 247Sports has given Auburn a shot. Christian Clemente dropped a crystal ball prediction for Blocton and gave it to Auburn.

Following a recent appearance at a 7v7 camp at Auburn, Blocton said Hugh Freeze and defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett are working hard to assure him he is a priority for the 2024 class.

“It was really cool getting to have some one-on-one time with coach (Jeremy) Garrett and seeing how much he knows about the game and how much he wants me to be at Auburn,” Blocton tells Auburn Undercover. “That has been really important now that I’m on the stretch run, just to see how much they want me.”

When it comes to Texas, Blocton feels that he will see significant playing time due to the number of defensive linemen that the Longhorns have lost recently.

The battle between Auburn and Texas will end on July 8, as that is the day that Blocton will reveal his commitment.

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Four star DL Malik Blocton’s decision is down to two schools

The Pike Road product will announce his commitment on July 8, and Auburn is still in the mix.

[autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag] has several goals he wants to achieve as a college football player. One is to win SEC Freshman of the Year.

To do that, he will need to sign with a program that can promise him early playing time. He believes two programs have the best chance to make those dreams come true: Auburn and Texas.

After competing in the Auburn 7v7 camp last week, Blocton told Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover that he had another great day on The Plains.

“It was really cool getting to have some one-on-one time with coach (Jeremy) Garrett and seeing how much he knows about the game and how much he wants me to be at Auburn,” Blocton tells Auburn Undercover. “That has been really important now that I’m on the stretch run, just to see how much they want me.”

Blocton has enjoyed building a relationship with the new staff and appreciates how consistent they have been in their recruiting efforts. On the other side of the equation, Blocton explains why Texas has a great shot at landing him as well.

“Texas is graduating four defensive linemen and they only brought one person in for the 2024 class,” he said. “I feel like if I go to Texas I’m going to have a spot to play.”

Blocton is set to announce his commitment on July 8. There are zero crystal balls for Blocton from 247Sports at the time of this post. On3 has given Auburn an 89.5% chance to land Blocton according to its recruiting prediction machine.

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Local defensive line target Malik Blocton sets commitment date

The in-state target will be announcing his decision in July.

Defensive lineman [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag] revealed his top 10 schools back in April and the Pike Road native is ready to make his commitment.

On Monday, the four-star prospect announced that he will be committing on July 8 and the Tigers are in a great spot.

Not only is he from right down the road, but he is the younger brother of Auburn defensive lineman [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] and has visited Auburn numerous times.

Blocton is the No. 420 overall player and the No. 42 defensive lineman in the 247Sporte Composite ranking. He is also the No. 24 player from Alabama.

While he hasn’t trimmed his list down from the 10 he announced back in April, Auburn, Florida and Texas are the three schools that appear to be leading the pack.

He is set to visit each of them before making his decision but the Tigers are currently the favorites with an 87.2% chance to land him according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

The 6-foot-3, 268-pounder made 54 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks and forced one fumble in 11 games last season for Pike Road High School.

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Auburn DL target Sean Sevillano Jr. announces commitment

The three-star prospect picked Notre Dame over Auburn, Ohio State and Miami.

Three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Sean Sevillano Jr.[/autotag] is originally from Canada but thanks to training with former Auburn running back Tim Jessie he had plenty of interest in the Tigers.

That interest was mutual as the Tigers offered him a scholarship and hosted him for an unofficial visit in May. Sevillano Jr. included the Tigers in his final group alongside Ohio State, Notre Dame and Miami.

While they made the final cut, the Tigers were not the pick as he announced his commitment to Notre Dame Friday.

He is the No. 920 overall player and No. 87 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite ranking. He is also the No. 125 player from Florida.

He was extremely productive last season for Clearwater Academy International, making 75 tackles, 21.0 tackles for loss and 19.0 sacks in 11 games.

The Tigers may have missed out on Sevillano Jr. but they are still in contention for several promising defensive linemen. Most notable is [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag], who the Tigers are the favorite to land.

They are also set to host four-star defensive lineman [autotag]LJ McCray[/autotag] for an official visit on June 12.

Auburn currently has five commitments in the 2024 recruiting cycle with the group being led by four-star quarterback [autotag]Walker White[/autotag].

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Local DL target Malik Blocton projected to Auburn

He has taken numerous visits to Auburn and is the younder borther of Marcus Harris.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Auburn have been cleaning up in the transfer portal, landing top targets at key positions as they work to overhaul the Tigers’ roster ahead of his first season on the Plains.

While recruiting transfers is a key part of roster building, the recruitment of high school prospects is still the top priority, and Auburn has also done well on that front.

They boast the nation’s No. 15 ranked recruiting class in the 2024 recruiting cycle according to On3. The class is led by four-star quarterback [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], a top 100 recruit and the No. 11 quarterback.

White may be from Arkansas but three of Auburn’s commits are from Alabama and they could be adding a fourth soon. Cole Pinkston of On3 logged an RPM pick for defensive lineman [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag] to wind up in Auburn’s class.

His prediction gives Auburn a 91.7% chance of landing Blocton according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine.

A three-star prospect, Blocton is from Pike Road, Alabama, and is the younger brother of current Auburn defensive lineman [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag].

Blocton has taken numerous visits to Auburn and included them in his top 10 schools on April 10. The 6-foot-3, 255-pounder also included Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson, Texas, Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Oregon.

He is the No. 443 overall player and No. 40 defensive lineman in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also the No. 25 player from Alabama.

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Gators in top 3 for coveted Cotton State defensive lineman

Florida football gets closer and closer to bringing in this blue-chip DL into the Orange and Blue.

The Gators are in the running for coveted four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag] out of Pike Road (Alabama) in the 2024 recruiting cycle, who recently told Gators Online’s Corey Bender that the Gators are “probably top three” among his preferred collegiate programs.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 255-pound lineman has made two trips to the Swamp since receiving an offer last fall, with a visit coming in January — his first visit to an SEC school — along with another in late March. Florida’s coaches have also made the trek to visit him in Alabama, fronted by defensive line coach Sean Spencer with a strong assist from defensive line assistant Kali James Jr.

“Everything is going good with them. Coach Spencer just came down to the school last week,” Blocton told Gators Online. “They play in the SEC and I would be going against the best competition. Also, I like how good of coaches coach Spencer and coach James are. They are both really good coaches and really qualified. I can see the players getting better.”

While the rising high school senior did not reveal his top schools, the Auburn Tigers, Oregon Ducks, Georgia Bulldogs and Texas Longhorns are also among the institutions that have grabbed his interest.

Blocton is rated four stars and ranked No. 414 overall and No. 40 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him rated three stars and ranked at Nos. 442 and 40, respectively. Auburn is in the lead for his recruitment according to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine with a 52.1% chance of signing him, while ‘Bama (13.5%), Clemson (11.5%) and Florida (9.6%) follow behind.

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Florida football coaches drop in to check on blue-chip offensive lineman

Florida’s football staff is back on the road hitting the recruiting trail.

Florida football is back out on the road again this week as the coaching staff continues its tireless task on the recruiting trail ahead of the summer months. On Wednesday, Gators assistant and defensive line coach Sean Spencer is scheduled to visit Pike Road (Alabama) defensive lineman [autotag]Malik Blocton[/autotag], a four-star recruit in the 2024 cycle, at his high school during the spring evaluation period.

The 6-foot-3-inch, 255-pound lineman was offered last fall and has made numerous trips to campus since. Along with Spencer, defensive coordinator Austin Armstrong and assistant AD of recruiting strategy Katie Turner have spearheaded the efforts to get the Cotton State standout into an orange and blue uniform, according to On3.

The Gators are one of 10 programs pushing the hardest for the rising high school senior, joining the Auburn Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Arkansas Razorbacks, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Clemson Tigers, Oregon Ducks, South Carolina Gamecocks and Texas Longhorns.

Blocton is rated at four stars and ranked No. 413 overall and No. 40 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking has him rated at three stars and ranked at Nos. 440 and  39 respectively. On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Auburn with a solid lead for his commitment at 52.1% while Alabama (13.5%), Clemson (11.5%) and Florida (9.6%) follow behind, respectively.

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Friday Night Notes: Florida lands 5-star DB, Malik Blocton names his top 10 schools and more

The most significant recruitment of the week happened Thursday, when the Florida Gators got a commitment from one of the top safeties in Texas.

USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2023 to ’24 and beyond.

The Florida Gators earned themselves the biggest recruiting prize of the week on Thursday when they got a commitment from one of the top-ranked defensive backs in the recruiting class of 2024.

Here’s how McKinney (Texas) five-star safety Xavier Filsaime announced that he’s on his way to the swamp.

Filsaime had offers from 32 other programs, including Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss and Pitt.

Asked why he picked the Gators, he told Hayes Fawcett at On3 he feels close with Billy Napier’s staff and likes how they plan to use him.

“What really stood out is the vibe and chemistry I had with the coaches when I first met them in person… I’m close with a few guys… Coach CJ, Joe Hamilton, and coach Armstrong are the main guys I really talk to on a regular basis. But the way the plan on using me in their defense is not really much different from my high school coaches. Playing man, zone, and a lot more blitzing with me.”

Going by the composite rankings, Filsaime (6-foot-1, 180 pounds) is currently No. 2 among safeties in his class behind Buford (Ga.)’s uncommitted star, KJ Bolden. He’s also the No. 7 ranked recruit in the state of Texas and No. 36 overall in his class.

That makes seven hard commits for Florida’s class of 2024. Filsaime is the second-highest ranked prospect behind Willis (Texas) five-star quarterback DJ Lagway. This group ranks No. 6 in the nation.

For more Florida football news, follow USA TODAY’s Gators Wire.