As National Signing Day approaches, we will see many high school athletes that have enjoyed the fruits of healthy bodies.

Defensive tackle recruit Tashawn Manning was one of those guys, committing to Auburn back in June.

That all changed with the diagnosis he received on Thanksgiving Day: acute promyelocytic leukemia.

AL.com has a well-done feature on Manning, who is an Auburn commit, and the progress he has made since the diagnosis.

According to the report, Manning has lost approximately 45 pounds from his hulking 6-4 frame due to chemotherapy, but there is good news to report:

“As far as the leukemia cells that were in his bone marrow, before they were saying it was at 100 percent,” Tashawn’s father, Buck Manning, told AL.com. “Now he is down to zero leukemia cells. God bless. He’s been upbeat, he doesn’t do much moping around or feeling sorry for himself. He’s probably taken it way better than I probably would.”

The report says that Manning may need a minimum of two years to make a full recovery, and that he plans to try to enroll in school while he continues to fight the cancer and rebuild his body’s strength.

Auburn coaches have reportedly requested a freeze on his eligibility clock to give Manning a full chance at competing when his body is ready.

Gus Malzahn has been a busy man with National Signing Day approaching, but AL.com reports that he visited Manning as recently as last week.