Gus Malzahn announces 2017 DB signee did not qualify, CB to grad transfer and another position change
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Stone Mountain, Ga., safety Carlito Gonzalez signed with Auburn on National Signing Day, but he won’t be joining the Tigers this fall.
Gus Malzahn announced during his Monday media session that Gonzalez did not academically qualify and will head to junior college. The 6-foot, 190-pound safety chose Auburn over offers from Kentucky and South Carolina.
“Carlito Gonzalez did not make it,” Malzahn revealed during his press conference. “He’s in the process of looking for a junior college right now.”
That wasn’t the only loss to Auburn’s secondary depth chart that Malzahn announced. CB Michael Sherwood, a walk-on, will transfer upon graduation after the summer semester and seek to use his fifth year of eligibility elsewhere. Sherwood appeared in six games over the last two seasons, recording five total tackles.
“Mike Sherwood is looking to graduate and play his fifth year somewhere else, I don’t know exactly where that’s at yet,” Malzahn continued. “Mike has done a super job for us, he was an energy guy and we wish him nothing but the best.”
To make up for the loss of the depth in the secondary, Jason Smith and Jaylen McGriff are both moving from wide receiver to safety. Smith’s position change was reported earlier and confirmed by Malzahn at Monday’s media session. McGriff did not see any game action in 2016 according to his Auburn bio.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
