Auburn already has commitments from four linebackers this summer, but it’s looking for more. And one who is getting attention is D.T. Shackelford, 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds from Austin High School in Decatur.
Shackelford, who has plenty of options, says he has not siginficantly narrowed the field.
“Basically, all of the schools are recruiting me about the same,” Shackelford told AuburnUndercover.com. “Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Ole Miss and some other schools are all recruiting me pretty hard.
“… I don’t have any favorites right now. I am still looking at all of the schools that are giving me a lot of attention.”
But Shackelford leaves little doubt that he has good feelings about Auburn and linebackers coach James Willis.
“I like Auburn,” Shackelford said. “I’ve been going to their camps ever since I was little. One thing that stands out to me about Auburn is how the coaches and people there are like a big family.
“Coach Willis is a real cool person. I like talking to him. We can talk about everything, not just football and recruiting, and that is real cool.”
Shackelford says he wants to be comfortable with his surroundings and fellow players before he decides where he will sign. And he wants to play early.
“One main thing that I am looking at when I look at schools is the coaches that I am going to be with every day and the players that I’m going to be around,” Shackelford said. “I’m looking at how the coaches are going to coach me and interact with me, plus I’m looking at my position and whether or not I can have the chance to play early. I feel like I have the talent to step right in and start competing and earn some playing time.”
Shackelford says he will make his decision when it feels right.
“I’ll make a commitment pretty much whenever I feel like it is the right place for me,” Shackelford said. “God will give me guidance. I’ll go to all of the colleges and see how I like them, and if I visit one place and I know that it is the right place for me, then I’ll go ahead and commit. I’m not going to wait around and try to hype myself up, I’ll just commit.”
As a junior, Shackelford was in on 112 tackles, had seven sacks and recovered five fumbles. He says those numbers come from playing hard on every snap.
“Intense,” Shackelford said. “That pretty much sums up my game in one word. I always play with intensity and with high emotions. I just love the game of football.”
ESPN.com and Scouts Inc. have not evaluated Shackelford.
