4-star safety Sylvester Smith commits to Auburn

Munford (Ala.) four-star safety Sylvester Smith had been committed to Tennessee for nearly eight months before taking an unofficial visit to see Auburn on Saturday.

Smith decomitted from the Volunteers last night and has now announced his commitment to the in-state Tigers.

“In the beginning of all this, I grew up an Auburn fan, grew up with Auburn my dream school,” Smith told On3.

The old coaching staff at Auburn led by Bryan Harsin was extremely inconsistent in their recruitment of Smith, pushing him away from Auburn and towards Tennessee.

But then head coach Hugh Freeze was hired, and Freeze brought along new assistant coach Wesley McGriff.

“I ended up going to Tennessee, not thinking or really believing that Auburn will get another coach and change things around,” Smith said. “But that changed pretty quick.”

McGriff reached out, and once again Auburn was a competitor in the race.

The visit yesterday wasn’t just a formality. If it did not go well, Smith wouldn’t have committed to the Tigers.

But he did have a really good feeling about it.

“Going down there, I pretty much had it in back of my mind thinking there’s a really good chance that this does go good and there is really big chance they may be my last day committed to Tennessee,” Smith said.

He is the 12th commit in the 2023 Auburn recruiting class.