Gus Malzahn will have a solid anchor for his defense in his first year at Auburn.
No. 3 defensive tackle and No. 11 overall prospect Montravius Adams committed to Auburn on Wednesday, adding to a solid and growing 2013 haul for the Tigers.
It's mostly because of my family, where I think will be the best fit for me for the next 3-4 years," Adams said.
Adams -- of Dooly County High School in Vienna, Ga. -- said he considered a different school after Auburn's offseason coaching upheaval, which saw Malzahn replace head coach Gene Chizik. In the end, though, Adams stuck with it.
Two other major recruits announced for Auburn earlier on Signing Day -- four-star defensive end Carl Lawson and four-star defensive end Elijah Daniel.
Adams' choice was somewhat of a surprise. Clemson and Georgia had appeared to be the recent favorites, though Auburn was on top of his list prior to Chizik's firing.
The trio of defensive line commits paints an optimistic picture for the future of an Auburn program that is just two years removed from winning the BCS title. The Tigers, though, stumbled to just a 3-9 record in 2012.
Adams is No. 2 to only top overall prospect Robert Nkemdiche in Scout.com's rankings. National Recruiting Analyst Chad Simmons expects Adams to play as a freshman but thinks there's still room to improve.
"(Adams) has been dominant over the last two seasons at Dooly County High," Simmons said, "but he is still so raw. As he progresses in technique, improves his consistency, and adjusts to the speed of the game, he could really blossom into one of the best."