After many twists and turns in his recruitment, Auburn beats Ole Miss for DL Tavian Branch

Tavian Branch originally committed to Rutgers over Oklahoma before flipping to Penn State. But once the Nittany Lions dismissed James Franklin, he reopened his recruitment. That set up a late December battle between Auburn and Ole Miss, two SEC programs that had also undergone head coaching changes in the final stretch before Signing Day.

In the end, Alex Golesh and the Tigers won out, and the key was staff continuity on the defensive side of the ball.

Golesh’s decision to retain DJ Durkin as defensive coordinator and Vontrell King-Williams as defensive line coach proved pivotal.

“It has been a lot, but I knew God would lead me to the right decision,” Branch told Rivals. “I have been trying to figure things out — it was a lot — but Auburn is it.

“I have finally found my home and it is Auburn.”

King-Williams, in particular, made a major impression.

“Coach Vontrell was a big part of the decision. Him staying there was big for me. He made me feel like a priority, I knew he wanted me, and he knows how to develop defensive linemen. That defense is strong under Coach Durkin too.”

Branch made his first visit to Auburn this past weekend. He crossed paths briefly with Golesh as the head coach arrived on Sunday, and the two continued talking as Branch neared his decision.

“Coach Golesh is a focused man,” he said. “He is focused on Auburn and making it a great program again. He has a plan and we talked about it. I like what he is about and he is a coach who can do well at Auburn.

“We had a long talk on Tuesday night, and at the end, I knew it was a no-brainer.

While the coaching staff played a major role, the environment at Jordan-Hare Stadium may have sealed it.

“There is crazy energy in that stadium,” Branch said. “The fans are loud. The fans love their team and it is a great atmosphere to play in.”

After a whirlwind stretch of coaching changes and reevaluations, Branch is relieved to have things settled.

“It was crazy. There were so many things happening,” he said. “It just came down to the stability at Auburn and being developed under Coach Vontrell.”

I finally found my home… the environment… the coaches… the culture… he knows how to win…

Golesh called me Tuesday night… told me he needed me… no brainer…