Auburn was in need of new bodies on the defensive line with the departures of the likes of Marlon Davidson and Derrick Brown. The Tigers got a big pickup on Wednesday from a top defensive tackle recruit from the junior college ranks.

Marquis Burks announced on Twitter that he was committed to Auburn. Burks played at Iowa Central Community College and is a Chicago native. He is ranked the No. 4 JUCO defensive tackle, according to the 247Sports Composite. He actually signed with Auburn on Dec. 18, but didn’t announce it until Wednesday.

Burks, who is 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds, had 39 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss and 5 sacks while often facing double teams, according to 247Sports, and Auburn was the favorite as soon as the Tigers offered last fall.

His only other serious interest was apparently Texas Tech. But he ultimately picked Auburn because of defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

He’s also impressed with Garner’s track record for producing NFL talent.

“I like Coach G a lot, I really do,” Burks told 247Sports. “He seems like a guy who knows what he’s doing. But with him, it’s bigger than football really. When me and my parents sat down in his office, we weren’t talking about football at all. We were just talking about family and really so much stuff outside of football it made you appreciate what type of man he is.”

Here are his highlights from Hudl: