Scout.com: QB Verbal: Cotton Picking Tigers
Mobile, Ala.--Raymond Cotton, a 6-4, 218 quarterback from Faith Academy, is Auburn's latest verbal commitment for the 2009 signee class.
Cotton picked Auburn over Kentucky, Purdue, UAB, Troy and was being recruited by LSU, Alabama and others.
“I was feeling good about everything so I thought I might as well go ahead and commit,” Cotton tells Inside the Auburn Tigers. “I really like the campus and I really like the coaches. I didn’t see why not (to go ahead and commit). I want to go there and play for Coach (Tommy) Tuberville and Coach (Tony) Franklin. It seems like a good fit for me.”
Franklin is Auburn's quarterback coach and offensive coordinator.
“The facilities and just being able to play for a good school like Auburn,” Cotton says were more reasons why. “I think the offense is perfect for me. They think it’s perfect for me so that’s a plus for me. I’m pretty much done now. That’s all I needed. I don’t need to go anywhere else.
“I’m going to work on my footwork a whole lot,” Cotton adds. “That’s basically what I have to improve for whenever I get a chance to play for Auburn.”
As a junior he threw for 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding 670 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground for Faith Academy. He is expected to be one of the state’s top prospects this season as Faith moves into the public school classification as a 5A school.
His dad, Raymond Cotton Sr., says, “He called them up today and he said that’s where he wants to play his football. He feels comfortable there. It’s a great offense and he’s happy to be able to both run and pass.
"A lot of offenses don’t like quarterbacks to run," Cotton's father says. "That offense is going to allow him to run and stretch the field. He’s a big, strong kid so we think it’s a perfect fit for him.”
The father and son made a trip to Auburn on Saturday for Auburn's annual spring football A-Day Game
“The trip went real well,” the 6-4, 218 quarterback says. "It was a good atmosphere. I got to see what the offense had in store. I wanted to see how they threw and what routes the wide receivers were running and how the offensive line blocked. I got to meet the coaches as well.
“I liked the routes the wide receivers were running and how the offense was spread out,” Cotton adds. “It lets the quarterback run and throw. It’s pretty exciting to see. I feel like I could fit perfectly in that offense.”
Part of Auburn’s draw for Cotton is his relationship with the coaching staff. Having a chance to talk with them on Saturday made for a relaxing time for Cotton and his family, something he feels like is important when looking for a school.
“I talked to Coach (Tommy) Tuberville, Coach Franklin and Coach (James) Willis,” Cotton says. Already having a relationship with Willis because he handles the Mobile area for Auburn, Cotton says he enjoyed meeting the other coaches. “Coach Tuberville was a real cool guy. He was real down to earth. I like how he coaches. I can trust him. Coach Franklin gets to the point, especially with his offense. He’s real exciting. He likes to throw it. He likes a quarterback to do both, but he likes a guy that can throw it.”
Cotton has several camps scheduled for the coming months with the first coming up on April 27 when he will be back in Auburn along with many of the top players in the region for the Scout.com Elite Camp. He’ll also take part in the Elite 11 camp on May 2 at LSU.
QB Verbal: Cotton Picking Tigers 
Hybrid Mode
