Donovan Starr departed Auburn on Thursday morning with Auburn leading in his recruitment. By the afternoon, the 4-star cornerback announced his commitment to join Auburn’s 2025 class.
Standing at 5-foot-11.5 and 175 pounds, Starr is ranked as the No. 429 player, No. 35 cornerback, and No. 14 player from Tennessee by the 247Sports Composite. The 247Sports rankings list him as the No. 27 cornerback and No. 6 player from Tennessee. He boasts a 100-meter time of 10.56 seconds and a high jump of 6-9.
After being offered a spot by Wesley “Crime Dawg” McGriff in the spring, Starr quickly built a strong relationship with him and now commits to play under his guidance.
“Coach Crime is a great guy,” Starr said. “He’s been consistently supportive. Spending time with him, learning from him, and seeing how he cares for me and my family stood out a lot. I just arranged this visit a week or two ago. He told me I could come anytime. While other schools had restrictions, he made me feel like a priority.”
Starr had already visited Clemson and was planning to visit Missouri, Illinois, and possibly Tennessee. However, after his Auburn visit, he knew it was the right choice.
“It’s really about the people,” Starr said. “The people here are amazing. They show a lot of love. I spent a lot of time with Keionte, who was a great role model and taught me a lot. Seeing the interactions among the players was significant to me.”
Starr becomes the third defensive back commitment for Auburn’s 2025 class, joining fellow cornerbacks Devin Williams and Dante Core. He is the twelfth overall commitment for Auburn in this class.
Another significant factor in Starr’s decision was head coach Hugh Freeze.
“He’s a great guy too,” Starr said. “Meeting him for the first time was cool. He talked to my family, and it made me feel comfortable.”
