Jalil Irvin took his official visit to Auburn the weekend before Herb Hand left for Texas.
It left Auburn looking for a new offensive line coach and fortunately for Irvin, one of two offensive line signees for the Tigers in 2018, J.B. Grimes was someone he was familiar with.
Grimes and former Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee had offered Irvin while they were at UConn and that existing relationship helped put the three-star offensive lineman at ease.
"It's a business. I can't hold anybody back. It is what it is. (Hand) has to do what's best for him," Irvin said. "I already knew coach Grimes. He recruited me at (UConn). ... After it happened I felt pretty comfortable."
Irvin was one of the first commitments to Auburn's 2018 class and had previously committed to Michigan, where his family is from, before changing to the Tigers in March 2017.
The 6-foot-3, 295 pound Irvin is expected to play either guard or center for the Tigers and is looking forward to arriving on campus in three weeks.
"I would like to play this year, but if I have to redshirt I'll redshirt," Irvin said. "When it is my time to come and play, be ready to take the opportunity and do my best with it."
What was the biggest takeaway from the recruiting experience?
"Building relationships. Every school was different. I got to experience a lot of things in different states and see a lot of different campuses. It was really cool. I really enjoyed the process."
What made you want to commit to Michigan as early as you did?
"What made me commit was the chance to play back at home close to family. What made me open back it up was I needed to enjoy the process, make sure I was making the right decision. I had to make sure I was doing the right thing for me."
When did you know Auburn was the place for you?
"My comfort level there. The coaching staff, family vibe, I felt like it was the right decision academically and on the field. Plus, you're in the SEC so can't go wrong with that. I just felt like that was the right spot for me to land. I felt like it was the right time to close it down too."
Do you have any regrets about the recruiting process?
"I'm pretty set with the process. I enjoyed it. I think I went everywhere I was recruited and I had a chance to play."
What was the most stressful part of the recruiting process?
"Picking the school that was for me. Making sure I know the background of the coaches, the program academically, football. See what was the best fit for me."
What do you hope to accomplish at Auburn? How do you see yourself fitting in?
"I hope to play. Really I just want to play, get my degree after four years and contribute to the team as best as I can. I would love to contribute and make the team better, leave my mark on the program and get my degree."
James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.
from Auburn Sports Impact http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2018/05/jalil_irvin_comfortable_with_a.html
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