Staying in his hometown and playing for a team that just made a BCS Championship Game appearance didn't sway Rashaan Evans.
Evans, a five-star linebacker from Auburn, Ala., chose Alabama on Wednesday over Auburn and UCLA. He is the No. 1 linebacker in the country according to Rivals and the No. 14 recruit overall.
His commitment to Alabama was viewed as a bit of a surprise given his local ties and Auburn's success under coach Gus Malzahn. How much of a surprise? Well, Auburn had a placeholder page built out on its website for him before he made his announcement official. (via OutkickTheCoverage.com)
However, after he pulled an Alabama hat out from underneath the table, Evans cited his friendship with Crimson Tide LB Reuben Foster, who is also an Auburn native. You may remember Foster as the 2013 recruit with the Auburn tattoo who abruptly changed his commitment before last year's National Signing Day and signed with Alabama (after originally picking the Tide in the first place).
Both Auburn and Alabama coaches were in attendance at Evans' grandfather's 80th birthday party over the weekend. With his selection of the Crimson Tide, do we now have the answer to the question that we asked Monday? Sadly, there was no dancing at Evans' announcement, probably because of how close the decision actually was.
Rashaan Evans' father: "It was down to the wire. He could have pulled the Auburn hat out and we would have been just as happy."
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) February 5, 2014
His commitment to Alabama solidifies the Tide's spot atop Rivals' 2014 team recruiting rankings. Alabama has five five-star commitments, the most of any school, amongst its 25 recruits.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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