Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn at the Peach Bowl hotel on Dec. 27. Matthew Stevens
ATLANTA – Even multiple days after the early signing period has ended, Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele felt like he’d won a recruiting battle.
When Dontavius Russell announced on Christmas evening that he’d be returning to Auburn for his fifth and final season despite investigating a possible declaration for the NFL draft, Steele wasn’t about to downplay that significance.
“Huge,” Steele said. “People talk about recruiting and signing day and early signing day but now there’s another day that is important and that is declaration day.”
Before Auburn was finished with on-campus practices for the upcoming Peach Bowl against No. 10 Central Florida, Steele discussed with media what he thought would be difficult decisions for some juniors on his defense including the 310-pound Russell.
“If you can get your juniors to return for the right reasons and you’ve heard me say this before, if it is right thing for a guy’s career to leave early then you want them to (declare for the draft),” Steele said. “What you want more than anything is for them to make a good, educated decision with all the facts from the right people. When you see guys do it the right way, which (Russell) did, then it’s good.”
What’s also undeniable by everything around Auburn’s defensive resurgence, including Steele on Friday morning during his media availability, was how difficult it was going to be in a few months to scheme around next having No. 95 in the middle of the line.
“From the standpoint of the football on the field grasp…that’s a huge thing,” Steele said. “At the level he’s playing at and what he does down in and down out for us, I have to honestly say it would’ve been a challenge to replace that.”
More: Auburn DT Dontavius Russell says he’ll return for his senior year
Russell, who has 36 career starts and started all 13 games this season, said Friday morning his decision was primarily predicated on his desire to obtain his degree at Auburn before turning his full focus to professional football.
“I was really waiting for something to change my mind and it didn’t happen,” Russell said. “I’m happy with my decision and that’s all that really I wanted when it was done.”
Early entry candidates have until Jan. 15 to declare for the draft and Auburn still must wait on the decisions of defensive end/linebacker Jeff Holland, cornerback Carlton Davis and tailbacks Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway in that regard. Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said the program will address those answers following the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day (11:30 a.m., ESPN).
"For me, the narrative of college football is always you're a student-athlete first. I didn't want that narrative to change for me given the success and how I've played at Auburn," Russell said. "You've got to think which reward comes first. I think the degree is what comes first, and that's what I'm trying to accomplish with coming back."
Russell confirmed Friday that he was one of the five players that Auburn submitted as possible early entry candidates for scouting review to the NFL’s College Advisory Committee. While he didn’t outright admit this in his media conference, Russell indicated he got feedback to suggest he should return to Auburn for his fifth season. The committee will submit three grades to the prospect which are: first round projection, second round projection or third round or lower with the recommendation to return to school.
More: Kevin Steele expects some Auburn juniors to consider NFL draft
Russell had 41 tackles with 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble but will likely be handed a major leadership role on a vastly talented and experienced defensive line for the upcoming 2018 season. Malzahn said Wednesday that Russell’s decision to return to the Tigers program for his fifth and final season of eligibility was “a big statement” for an upcoming year where Auburn is expected to be a preseason Top 10 team with national championship aspirations.
“He is one of the best players in our league,” Malzahn said. “He has got great experience. He plays the run extremely well. He rushes the passer extremely well. Like I said, he is one our leaders. He is on my leadership committee and just a high character young man with a great family. He is an impact player.”
Since 2015, Auburn has had 12 players drafted but only three (Carl Lawson 2017, Shon Coleman 2016 and Sammie Coates 2015) decided to forego their final year of eligibility. Lawson stayed four years at Auburn but returned for a fourth season after having the opportunity to leave following an injury-plagued 2015 season. While he said he didn’t ask them specifically for advise, Russell said watching Lawson and Montravius Adams stay four years at Auburn and increase their draft value in their final year of college football might have subconsciously influenced his decision.
“I know they decided to come back because they felt had more to do here and I still have more to do here so I guess they influenced me in some way even though I didn’t think so initially,” Russell said.