BREAKING: In-state linebacker D'Angelo Barber commits to Auburn: 'It just feels right'
In-state linebacker D’Angelo Barber has committed to Auburn football.
Barber, who is from Clay-Chalkville, announced his decision Tuesday on social media. He chose Auburn over Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Ole Miss, among many others.
“Auburn is just home to me,” Barber told Auburn Live. “I love it at Auburn. I love the coaches. It feels like home and I have felt welcomed and wanted by the whole coaching staff from Day One. The whole family feeling didn’t take me a long time to feel. It started from the first day.
“Overall, Auburn just feels right to me.”
Auburn coaches played major roles in Barber’s decision
Barber has a list of many reasons why he chose the Tigers, and it starts with the coaches.
“It starts with Coach (Hugh) Freeze,” he said. “He played a big, big role in me choosing Auburn. I like him a lot. I can relate to him because he’s a cool, calm and relaxed guy. He doesn’t show any signs of getting rattled by anything.”
Barber’s relationship with Freeze runs deep. The Auburn coach’s personal touch in recruiting stood out to Barber.
“I stay with my grandma and help take care of her,” he said. “She means the world to me. And when I first started getting recruited by Auburn, Coach Freeze got on the phone with her and talked to her. That meant a lot to me.”
Freeze isn’t the only Auburn coach that played a role in Barber’s decision. First-year linebackers coach Josh Aldridge did, too.
“Coach Aldridge, it’s been great with him,” Barber said. “Me and him, it didn’t take long for us to build a bond. We started talking on the phone, texting all the time. It didn’t take him long to get to know my family. After a minute, it became routine for him to call and ask about my sister and my mom.”
In-state LB ‘locked in’ with Auburn
Barber has set an official visit set to Auburn for Sept. 29-Oct. 1. The Tigers host Georgia on Sept. 30. He also plans to attend Big Cat on July 29.
“I’m locked in with Auburn,” he said. “I’ll be at Big Cat and then an official visit for the Georgia game.”
Barber said he plans to end his recruitment, but it won’t be easy telling one other SEC coach. He’s built a strong bond with Arkansas defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Travis Williams.
“I’m not going to lie, he made this decision hard for me,” Barber said of Williams, the former Auburn linebacker and linebackers coach. “He’s a great person and a great coach. The hardest part of committing to Auburn is turning him down.”
Barber is the ninth commitment in Auburn’s 2024 class and first linebacker. He’s listed at six-feet tall and 221 pounds and is ranked the No. 60 linebacker in the country and No. 24 overall recruit in Alabama.
