1:34 pm July 23, 2009, by Chip Towers
The Auburn Tigers continue their long-standing tradition of stocking up on players from Atlanta as they received a commitment on Thursday from one of the best wide receivers in the South.
Antonio Goodwin, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound rising senior at Atlanta’s Booker T. Washington High School, has decided to sign with the Tigers, according to report Rivals.com. Rivals ranks Goodwin as a four-star recruit and the 37th ranked wideout in the country.
Goodwin did not immediately return messages seeking comment. But he reportedly visited Auburn this past weekend and that “sealed it with me,” he told auburn.rivals.com.
With Goodwin’s commitment, the Tigers actually have more recruits coming from Metro Atlanta (5) than they do the entire state of Alabama (4). He joins LB Jessell Curry (Buford), ATH Shaun Kitchens (College Park), DB Demetrice McNeal (College Park) and DB Jonathan Mincy (Decatur).
Auburn now has 12 commitments overall for its 2010 class.
I’ll update this report as soon as I hear back from Antonio or his coach.
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75 comments Add your comment
MattDawg
July 23rd, 2009
1:40 pm
1st.
Eric
July 23rd, 2009
1:55 pm
Great to see Coach Chizik and the staff continuing the tradition. WR sounds pretty good. I think we’re going to be pleasantly surprised this year. WAR EAGLE!
Rick S
July 23rd, 2009
2:10 pm
It is really difficult to understand why Recruits from Atlanta would want to play Football and live in Auburn, Alabama. Oh, I know it’s spelled G R A D E S! There you go War Eagle!
sswinfordawg
July 23rd, 2009
2:32 pm
Good luck kid. I was hoping UGA would snatch him out of atlanta. Good pick up for Auburn.
Hollywould
July 23rd, 2009
2:52 pm
Great pick-up/ on the way back.
War Eagle!!
Huh?
July 23rd, 2009
2:53 pm
Please allow me to translate Rick S’ post: I am a crybaby Techie and insanely jealous that legitimate football programs continue to steal local recruits from my mediocre pile of freaking crap football program.
Cry baby cry. What a disgrace.
RST
July 23rd, 2009
2:56 pm
Great pick-up! WDE!
Delusion in Athens
July 23rd, 2009
3:09 pm
45-42 huh.
Ali Akbar Allah
July 23rd, 2009
3:10 pm
Have fun in a second-rate program in a second-rate conference. Go Jacket!
MoDawg
July 23rd, 2009
3:16 pm
No surprise. Auburn always recruits Georgia well.
Good luck, Antonio!
Huh?
July 23rd, 2009
3:17 pm
I guess all the local recruits that continue to spurn Georgia Tech didn’t get the memo on 45-42. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play for a team that goes 9-4, gets humiliated in the Chicken Bowl, and beats the best team on its schedule once every 8 years? I just doesn’t make any sense. I am befuddled…
Good lord.
Try selling out a 55,000 seat stadium......
July 23rd, 2009
3:25 pm
And why can Georgia Tech not pick up kids in the Metro Atlanta Area?? Because the ACC sucks and they cannot sell out a 55,000 seat stadium, thats why. Copngrats kid, for picking the SEC. Look forward to the concussion UGA’s secondary will give you in the near future. To Hell with Auburn!
JD
July 23rd, 2009
3:27 pm
Ali, SEC second rate conference? Remember the last SEC team you played LSU 38 – GT 3. Wake Up
FDawg
July 23rd, 2009
3:31 pm
Good pick up for Auburn….Antonio, I wish you the best of luck every game of the year… except one.
JJ
July 23rd, 2009
3:32 pm
If Rick can’t understand why someone would rather play in Auburn than in the middle of a crime-infested mess where students get robbed every week, well, then,….Rick has a big problem.
ATLAuburn
July 23rd, 2009
3:36 pm
Ali- That second rate conference scored 80 points against your stellar defense in the last two games of your season last year. I would hate to see how many points a first rate conference would score on you guys!
Rick S
July 23rd, 2009
3:44 pm
Let me clarify that because I noted in my previous blog “Atlantans” does not mean I am a GA Tech fan but quite the contrary I am Bulldog all the way. Do you realize if it was not for the State of Georgia, Auburn would not even be able to field a mediocre team.
Eric
July 23rd, 2009
3:44 pm
Get real rick. Everybody knows all you have to do to get a UGA degree is drive slowly thru Athens. Auburn is a great place to go to school, get a great education and to live….not to mention the great history and tradition. A young man from Atlanta could not do better than Auburn. War Eagle!!!
Zach
July 23rd, 2009
4:07 pm
Rick,
Did you know that if it weren’t for our founding fathers there would be no constitution and no United State of America. Did you also know that people go to schools for different reasons other than just the football. I know its a hard concept to grasp, but people actually do care where they live. Another interesting development, people do actually care about the people they surround themselves with.
What a joke
knoxdawg
July 23rd, 2009
4:08 pm
I get tired of people ragging on a school when a kid decides not to attend their favorite school. To many good athletes in Ga. for both Tech and UGA to sign. The kind of education they get is up to them. No matter where they go they can get a good education that lasts a lifetime. Work hard in the classroom and on the field and good things will happen. Best of luck.
Try selling out a 55,000 seat stadium......
July 23rd, 2009
4:14 pm
Some Pittsburgh Steeler that used to play for Georgia Tech was just on 680 The Fan (didn’t catch his name and didn’t care to), and he closed his interview saying that “Pittsburgh has the best fans on earth”. It’s no coincidence to me that every offseason interview you see Hines Ward, a Pittsburgh Steeler and UGA alum, he is wearing his UGA hat and has never said anything close to Pittsburgh having the “best” fans on earth. I promise this kid will one day say “Auburn has the best fans on earth”, and this would have been true for any SEC team he chose. The ACC sucks, and cannot recruit in their own backyard, and submits absolutely NO pride in its players. TO HELL WITH TECH, TO HELL WITH AUBURN! GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ATLNative
July 23rd, 2009
4:17 pm
Hey Rick… what’s the 2nd closest SEC school to Atlanta? Look at a map, pup. Tell me, are you a Bulldog FAN or Bulldog GRAD? I’m guessing just a fan since UGA has such a renowned journalism program and you can’t figure out that your post should have ended in a “?”. Since you brought up grades… here’s a reminder from the final exam for UGA’s “basketball class”: “How many points is a 3-point shot worth?”
Another Dawg
July 23rd, 2009
4:21 pm
You’re right… A young man from Atlanta can’t do better than Auburn.
(with those kinds of grades)
AUinATL
July 23rd, 2009
4:32 pm
Antonio will be a nice addition to what is turning into a very good recruiting class for AU in 2010. Now all we need is to focus on getting a little deeper at linebacker and on the line. WDE!
“When you talk about the epitome of what the college football experience is all about … that’s it. Auburn is the epitome. You couldn’t possibly be unaware of the spectacle, even if you were trying to be unaware.” …
Ryan
July 23rd, 2009
4:33 pm
As an Atlanta native and Auburn alum, I wish this kid the best at AU. I can only he hope he enjoys his time at Auburn as much as I did. Like many Atlantans, I chose AU over UGA because I enjoyed the atmosphere/people there and UGA did not offer my major. Athens is a great place and so is Auburn. Unsure why any kid would choose to stay in the ATL over those two towns.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
July 23rd, 2009
4:34 pm
Glad to see Auburn pick up our loose change. Of the five they picked up from Atlanta, Goodman’s the only one we will miss but heck we are already stacked at the position. I’m sure these five are going to have Auburn back in the top 50.
Burdell
July 23rd, 2009
4:42 pm
What does Georgia and Auburn have in common? They both lost to Tech the last time they played them. In all seriousness, good luck to this kid, he made a good choice.
Bank Walker, Texas Ranger
July 23rd, 2009
4:43 pm
AUinATL, you misspelled enema, it is not spelled e.p.i.t.o.m.e. Or were you going after enigma?
no excuses
July 23rd, 2009
4:44 pm
Yeah, but who’s going to throw him the ball?
GPB
July 23rd, 2009
4:52 pm
I love how bulldogs have suddenly become so arrogant about academics – when those guys were in school, every idiot in the state could get in Georgia.
Bama Aaron
July 23rd, 2009
4:56 pm
Heck they had to go to the Atl to get their 4star. Because Bama just took the 4star RB that lived 10miles from their campus..LOL.
ROLL TIDE!
Ryan
July 23rd, 2009
5:02 pm
BamaAaron, Auburn is pushing hard and is very high on the list for two of the top five running backs in the nation. Grant is a good one who would have fit in better at UF. I think he knew he was not the back Auburn wants. War Eagle!
Sick of you too
July 23rd, 2009
5:51 pm
Look at all these Georgia Dawg fans on this “Auburn Tigers” blog. Why don’t you all go to your own blog sites. Don’t you have your own blog sites? Why do you have to come on “our” sites? Sorry, I just can’t help myself.
ROLLTIDE23
July 23rd, 2009
6:08 pm
37th on Rivals? Way to go Coach Cheetohs
Joel
July 23rd, 2009
6:21 pm
Great article ….. by Rivals. The AJC should hire Rivals for all recruiting stories.
James T Dawg
July 23rd, 2009
6:29 pm
Who cares. Most of those guys are mid level guys. Good luck.
Barr
July 23rd, 2009
6:59 pm
So GT beats UGA once or twice a decade and you’re talking smack? Oh what it must be like to pull for such mediocre program.
WDE!
Chip Towers
July 23rd, 2009
8:31 pm
I would love to make this a more interactive blogspace but it seems all anybody wants to do is bad-mouth each other in here. So if you have any questions or story suggestions, I’ll respond to them tomorrow (if not tonight).
Know-It-All
July 23rd, 2009
8:37 pm
If Auburn is back to depending on the state of Georgia to being the focus of thier recruiting then they are in trouble and Saban should be having a field day within the state of Alabama.
Trip
July 23rd, 2009
8:49 pm
Where did Roswell Ed go?
Clay
July 23rd, 2009
8:58 pm
Auburn sits 40 miles from Columbus. Auburn has always recruited well in the Columbus and LaGrange areas. Pulling a few out of Atlanta should be no surprise.
tiger7_88
July 23rd, 2009
9:53 pm
Know-It-All, Auburn historically has some of its best eras when they recruit well out of the state of Georgia.
Coach Richt does a good job “fencing in” the state for the Bulldogs, but even the best fences have their holes. Auburn is always, ALWAYS happy to pick some of the best high school players out of the state of Georgia since the quality of Ga high school football is so high.
Back when I was in school at Auburn (the early 1980’s), Georgia was on one of its best runs ever with Coach Dooley and Herschel, but Auburn was still picking a top-notch athlete out of the state of Georgia every now and again (Tracy Rocker, Ron Stallworth, Stacy Searels, Jeff Burger, etc.).
Welcome to Auburn, Mr. Goodwin!
RxDawg
July 23rd, 2009
10:12 pm
Grats on the pickup AU. My buddy (AU fan) called me tonight and was talking about this guy.
Will
July 23rd, 2009
11:43 pm
Funny I heard that they called the Au coach Chiz-Zook today. It will be along time before ALbarn is relevant in football. This WR needs to think about championships rather than Barn animals.
Chuck Uga
July 24th, 2009
12:23 am
Eric:
You are clueless. UGA is way more advanced academically than either Auburn or Bama. Everyone but you knows this. Also, how is Auburn going to suprise people this year with this WR? He cannot enter school until Fall, 2010.
The kid is smart. He sees Marlon Brown and AJ Green at UGA, two WRs that are going to start no matter who else signs. UGA will get their share of players (as usual). They are cleaning up already for 2010 in South Carolina, Florida and (of course) Georgia.
Friday morning buffet « Get The Picture
July 24th, 2009
6:29 am
[...] now, Auburn has more commitments for its 2010 class from the metro Atlanta area than it does from the entire state of Alabama. Sounds like it’s [...]
Dave
July 24th, 2009
6:34 am
Look out GEORGIA FANS AUBURN is coming your way!!! WAR EAGLE!
dd
July 24th, 2009
6:37 am
tech has ugly women
Dave
July 24th, 2009
6:39 am
Chuck Uga — I believe AUBURN is known for it’s ENGINEERING DEPT. Hmmmmmmm what is Georgia known for ??????.
Ga Boy
July 24th, 2009
7:12 am
Dave,
UGA is known for there Pharmacy school, Law School, and Business School. I am currently working for the Design department at MARTA. All of the engineers around me come from Clemson, GT, hell even Southern Tech. They usually laugh when they discussing Auburn’s program. Was in not Au that was providing grades for their football players recently? Don’t bring a stick to a gun fight. It won’t turn out well for you.
Cheers
Willie
July 24th, 2009
7:42 am
Ga Boy — I take it you are not aware of the best pharmacy school in the SOUTHEAST, AUBURN UNIVERSITY. Oh and we one of the best Business schools in the southeast as well. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Willie
July 24th, 2009
7:46 am
Georgia – MARTA —- OKKKKKK! There you go!
Brent Cunningham
July 24th, 2009
7:57 am
Why is an Auburn article filled with uga fans bashing Tech? Oh yes………………………….45……………to……………
Yellow River by I. P. Freely...
July 24th, 2009
8:12 am
What’s the big deal – a lot of regular students who do not get into UGA go to Auburn; so, it only follows that Georgia high school athletes NOT recruited by UGA would also go to Auburn.
corey
July 24th, 2009
8:35 am
UNC grad here…but I don’t think an Auburn fan should be comparing Pharmacy and Business schools to UGA…There are about 8 pharmacy schools in the SE that rank higher than AU’s (including UGA) and your business school is generally 3rd in the state of AL. Don’t just make up “rankings” because someone told you.
Another Dawg
July 24th, 2009
8:39 am
Auburn and Georgia are tied at 24th for Pharm school rankings. http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-pharmacy-schools/rankings
I guess when it’s all you’ve got, you have to claim the tie as the “best school in the southeast.” Of course, that would be ignoring UNC (2), Kentucky (T5), Florida (T9), Tennessee (Memphis) (T16), and Virginia Commonwealth (T21).
Georgia is ranked #55 for business schools. Auburn is “one of the best in the south” at their lofty ranking of “Unranked” http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools/rankings/page+3
I mean, this isn’t even football related, but Willie the Auburn fan desperately need a reality check. I dunno what koolaid they feed you with the alumni magazine (are you even an alum at all?) but you’re making it up at this point.
Deployed Dawg
July 24th, 2009
8:39 am
I know this story is about an Auburn commitment, so I apologize at the onset for the UGA question. Has anyone noticed a decline in the amount of GA players UGA has been signing in the past couple years? I get as excited as the next guy about pulling the top players from TN or FL, but I also wonder if we are burning some local bridges. Some of these local guys that go out of state have had some great success. I bet people were probably complaining years ago that UGA couldn’t pull any out of state talent, so I guess it evens out. Anyway, I hope this kid has success in Auburn (except when they play UGA) and makes the most of his college opportunity.
Hollywould
July 24th, 2009
8:43 am
I thought this was about football. You idiots worrying about who is the smartest school can go watch your boys in class. I will watch football. Great pick-up for Auburn. After the disaster of last year and Tubs not recruiting we are on the way back. I know Bama and UGA are having great classes but you can’t sign them all. War Eagle
SuperB
July 24th, 2009
8:59 am
It’s easy to see why kids would go to Auburn. Auburn has that small-town, out-of-the-way, in the middle of nowhere charm!
I’m from a town of 1,100 with one stop light– so I know about the aura of living in a place where the days are long and lazy and there are no distractions because there is nothing to do– like Auburn.
AuburnJoe
July 24th, 2009
9:04 am
Hey Ga Boy…it’s ‘their’, not “there”. How ’bout that Ga English Department!
GTDog
July 24th, 2009
9:28 am
Ugh! Rick S, UGA fan or Tech fan…please quit embarassing the rest of us.
Tiger of 92
July 24th, 2009
9:30 am
Why is it so hard to see why this kid would leave the state. Auburn is short on receiver talent at best. He is a potiential starter on day one on the plains. Georgia has a receiver corps is third in the SEC behind Florida and LSU and they may not be behind LSU. The last thing is Tech is throwing the ball 5 or 6 times a game. You’re going to have a hard time recruiting receivers when you run the ball 90% of the time, hence Auburn has been short on receiver talent and we were much more ballanced than Tech.
So why do you have to attribute it to grades. Maybe the kid just doesn’t want to be an engineer. I went to school as an engineer and opted out. If I had been at Tech I would be changing schools that is a tough thing to do as a football player.
It also doesn’t help that you can walk up the gate at Tech and by a ticket for that days game unless Georgia or Auburn are playing. Both of those schools fill Tech because half of the 90,000 season ticket holders will go the game at Tech. Of course half of the season ticket holders probably live in Atlanta which would mead a lot of people make the same decission.
GTDog
July 24th, 2009
9:41 am
I recall the days when Pat Dye was at Auburn and the Tigers (War Eagles?) were far too sucessful recruiting GA for my taste. Auburn has traditionally recruited well here and I would expect that trend to increase in the next few years. There’s too much talent in the state to keep it all at home.
As far as the atmosphere at AU goes, I have to admit that I never visited Auburn, Alabama. However, I had quite a few friends from my high school (Tucker) attend Auburn, and they seemed to enjoy the experience. I don’t recall any geniuses among them, but there certainly weren’t any dolts in the group.
As a parting shot…the season is close, let’s try to grow up a bit, and talk football?
Good grief, huh?
July 24th, 2009
2:23 pm
I wish your momma would change your diaper!
curious
July 24th, 2009
3:31 pm
Hey, Chip. Do you think Auburn will continue to recruit better, esp in GA, since Chizik is running things? Under Tuberville we had a terrible time getting receivers, but it looks like that is changing. The only thing that bothers me is it seems like the quality of defensive players we’re attracting is not as strong as years past. Do you think people have doubts about dc Ted Roof?
Kerry
July 24th, 2009
3:41 pm
To settle the “which school is better” debate, please reference The Princeton Review “Top 10 Best Value Public Colleges for 2009.” You will find one SEC school mentioned, UGA, at #9. For you Auburn folks, Princeton isn’t a tiny Prince, it’s an Ivy League school in New Jersey, so I’d believe them!
NRBQ
July 24th, 2009
8:53 pm
Enter your comments here
FSUTiger
July 25th, 2009
11:46 am
curious
I don’t think you can really say we’re having trouble attracting quality defensive players…We’ve gotten an excellent safety prospect, along with LBs, etc. The recruiting focus for Auburn this year is not defense with the exception of the DL. We need WRs, OL, DL, and probably a running back or two. Finally, Ted Roof will not be a liability. Mark my words. Kids may not remember him from his Tech days, or notice the difference he made in Minnesota his first year there, but they’ll take notice next year. Coach Roof will be brining in the best for the 2011 signing class. Watch.
WDE! Go ‘Noles!
curious
July 25th, 2009
1:18 pm
Hey, thanks FSUTiger. I’ve just been a little disappointed the past few yrs esp. on the offensive side. I know Chizik closed pretty well last yr and I’m hoping he’ll do even better this yr with a full season. And I truly hope he is not Ron Zook. Great recruiter, avg coach
For Certain
July 25th, 2009
3:28 pm
TO ALL YOU Georgia FANS !!! ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS WAR EAGLE!!!
AU vs uga
July 25th, 2009
3:33 pm
SCREAMING WAR EAGLE coming to a field near you!
Dawgs Drool - Tigers Rule
July 25th, 2009
4:17 pm
Wow, this board reads like a junior high playground. Are you kids going to start pulling hair and throwing dirt in each others’ eyes next?
Georgians, why not take the high road and congratulate one of your own sons for doing well in high school sports and moving up in the world? Can you not just put your own petty squabbling aside to say “nice job kid – good luck to ya!”
What a bunch of children. Sheeeesh.
And how did pharmacy schools end up in this mix? Doubt that degree is going to be worth the paper it’s printed on once we’re all suffering under the weight of government-run health care.
War Eagle.
David
July 27th, 2009
2:45 pm
To all the sourpuss Dawg fans: Jan Kemp much?
Tom
July 30th, 2009
3:12 pm
I think I should nip this in the bud here. The bottom line is the SEC is a very jealous conference. If something goes good for your rival then people immediately begin to bash the school any way they can. The reality is Auburn, UGA, and any other poster that chimed in pulls for good schools and quality football programs. To try and put down Auburn for their small town atmosphere is laughable. Auburn is completely enriched in tradition and quality of life on campus. It is by far one of the most beautiful campuses in the South and many people like the walking campus life, not to mention wonderful intramurals and other activities. As far as academics, no, Auburn is not the best by any stretch of the imagination. But they do have good schools in Pharmacy, Engineering, and Architecture. UGA fans should calm down. They seem to forget that the general public doesn’t forget that before the lottery anyone with a 2.5 could get into UGA. Just because the hope scholarship has allowed for you to have record applicants each year, and force the institution to up its entrance standards, doesn’t mean you can be academic snobs now. In my life, and growing up in Atlanta, more of my Auburn fans graduated than my UGA friends. That’s because at Auburn there is more to brag about that how many bars we have downtown.
As far as football, Auburn will always do well in GA. UGA acts like they own Atlanta or something. Hell, Auburn is almost just as close to Atlanta than Athens is. This is a free country son. Auburn can recruit wherever they want. And as far as Alabama fans claiming they steal all the Alabama talent. Well, congrats, name me the best player to come out of Alabama in the past 5 years, 10 years or even 20 years. Your answer will not have an impact. The point is Alabama has never been a recruiting ground that determined in state supremacy. Auburn also gets a majority of their players from Florida, and now, Texas. I mean, Alabama has dominated in state recruiting for the past 25 years, then why does Auburn have the series lead on Alabama in that time span? Why does Auburn have more SEC titles than UGA or Alabama in this time span? Your answer is because Auburn is a quality program.
Tom
July 30th, 2009
3:17 pm
Last 25 years….Auburn is 15-10 against UGA and 15-10 against Alabama. LOL. Why would anyone want to go to Auburn? Maybe it is because when our boys strap up and your boys strap up….uhhh…we win more.