TAMPA, Fla. — Five-star quarterback Cameron Newton has committed and will sign with Auburn, according to AuburnSports.com and other scouting services.
Newton, a 6-foot-6, 245-pound double threat, chose the Tigers over Mississippi State and Oklahoma. He had previously announced that his decision would come after the new year, but apparently had a change of heart.
Newton, who plans to enroll for classes in January and will be available for spring football, should be considered a major player in next season’s open competition to replace Chris Todd.
Auburn originally did not plan to recruit a quarterback for 2010. Newton will compete against senior Neil Caudle, sophomore Barrett Trotter and redshirt freshmen Clint Moseley and Tyrik Rollison. Wide receiver Kodi Burns may also get one more shot at the job.
Rollison, arguably Auburn’s biggest signee from 2009 and Auburn’s potential quarterback of the future, was suspended in early December for an unspecified violation of team rules. It is uncertain if he will be back with the team for spring football.
Newton spent two years backing up quarterback Tim Tebow at Florida before he was kicked off the team last year after he was arrested for stealing another student’s laptop computer. He subsequently transferred to Blinn Community College in Brenham, Texas, where he led the team to the junior college national championship, threw for 2,833 yards and 22 touchdowns and ran for 655 yards and 16 more scores.
The charges against Newton have been dropped, according to published reports.
Newton is the fifth recruit who plans to enroll in January, joining defensive end Craig Sanders and linebacker Jessel Curry — both high-schoolers — and junior-college transfer offensive tackles Roszell Gayden and Brandon Mosley.
All five will count back against last year’s signing class. The Tigers have 22 current commitments for 2010.
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