Montgomery Catholic coach Kirk Johnson knows exactly what Bryan Harsin and Auburn are getting in 4-star running back Jeremiah Cobb.
“An exceptional young man,” Johnson told AL.com.
Cobb announced his commitment to the Tigers on Friday, choosing Auburn over Clemson and Tennessee.
He is the state’s highest ranked senior running back and is No. 18 overall among the Class of 2023, according to the 247 composite rankings.
“Jeremiah is a high-level athlete with exceptional speed,” Johnson said. “He’s a guy who can put his foot in the ground and get vertical. He’s tough to deal with.
“He’s also very physical. He’s added so much weight over the last three years, and that obviously has been big in his college recruitment. He weighs 190 now and runs like he’s 220.”
As a junior a year ago, Cobb rushed for 2,163 yards and 22 touchdowns on 195 carries for Catholic – an average of 11.1 yards per carry. He also caught 24 passes for 561 yards and 8 TDs. The Knights went 13-1, averaging 45 points a game.
He made a believer out of Bayside Academy veteran coach Phil Lazenby during a 31-0 Catholic playoff victory last fall. In limited action, Cobb had 19 carries for 192 yards and two rushing TDs and also caught a 40-yard TD pass.
“He’s the real deal,” Lazenby said this week. “He has speed. He’s a tough kid. He has great vision. He is a really good football player. He will be tough for anyone to handle.”
Cobb played sparingly in the second half of that game and most others in 2021 due to the lopsided scores.
“He’s just so versatile,” Johnson said. “You can throw it to him out of the backfield. He’s a 3-down back. You can do so many different things with him. You can play him in the kicking game, as a punt returner. You can even snap it to him and let him throw it.”
Entering his senior year, the 5-foot-11 Cobb already has amassed 5,416 total yards and 63 touchdowns. Johnson said Cobb also is a high-quality person off the field.
“He’s not just a football player,” he said. “He doesn’t let football define him. He’s a great player, but he’s also a great kid, a great brother, an awesome son. He’s the whole package.”
How good can Cobb be at the next level?
“As good as he wants to be,” Johnson said. “That’s why recruitment is so important. Each athlete has to find the best fit for them. How does he fit into the offense? How are they going to use him? You have to ask the correct questions, and I know Jeremiah did his due diligence.
“In the right offense with the right coaches and the right support – he’s as good as they come. It’s not every day you get a kid like this.”
Earlier this year, Johnson compared Cobb’s game to that of New Orleans Saints’ running back Alvin Kamara.
It’s a big get for Auburn, which needed some recruiting momentum heading into July.
Cobb joins Auburn High lineman Bradyn Joiner in Harsin’s 2023 in-state class. The Tigers also have a commitment from 4-star safety Terrance Love of Fairburn, Ga.
With Cobb’s commitment, half of the top 20 players in the 247 composite rankings have picked their schools. That total will increase next week with Highland Home DL Keldric Faulk, Alabama Christian DB Avery Stuart and Thompson DL Peter Woods all set to make their choice.
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Updating where some of the state’s top prospects stand
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