Auburn lands ex-Tulane CB Rayshawn Pleasant. Why did he choose the Tigers?
Auburn lands ex-Tulane CB Rayshawn Pleasant. Why did he choose the Tigers? Pleasant logged 35 tackles last season while posting 449 kick return yards at Tulane.
Auburn football lost a series of defensive backs to the transfer portal after spring practice, and has found a way to replenish the unit's depth by adding a talented, experienced transfer cornerback.
Rayshawn Pleasant, formerly of Tulane, announced Wednesday that he is transferring to Auburn. He visited campus on Monday, according to Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover, and made his commitment two days later.
Shared the three key reasons why he chose Auburn over USC in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover.
"Just because of the opportunity they have, the winning," Pleasant said. "The opportunity it is to play in the SEC. Being in a great city, great college town. Being around some great coaches who just care about you more than football."
Auburn's addition of Pleasant is quite impactful. Hugh Freeze lost two depth pieces at cornerback, JC Hart and Tyler Scott, to the transfer portal, and made up for the deficit by adding a two-year player in Pleasant, who started 12 games for the Green Wave last season. He notched 35 tackles last season at Tulane with one interception... that he returned for a touchdown.
According to PFF, he finished the season with a 65.1 overall grade, with his strong suit being coverage, where he graded 69.9. He missed nine tackles all season, and receivers caught 19-of-37 passes when covered by Pleasant.
Not only does he pair well with fellow Auburn corners Kayin Lee, Jay Crawford, and Raion Strader, but Pleasant is also a threat in the kick return game. He returned 13 kicks for a 34.5-yard return average with two touchdowns last season at Tulane. The potential of pairing him with Jeremiah Cobb, who returned 19 kicks for a 23.4-yard average last season, will be lethal to opposing kick coverage.
Pleasant is the fourth player to join Auburn's roster from the spring transfer portal window, joining fellow defensive athletes James Ash (Florida A&M), Caleb Wheatland (Maryland), and Jay Hardy (Liberty).
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