Ze'Vian Capers breaks silence, goes public with Auburn commit
Ze'Vian Capers has committed to Auburn and the four-star wide receiver out of Alpharetta (Ga.) Denmark may have announced it today, but he made the decision a while back.
It started with a visit for Junior Day. Then Capers was there for spring practice. Big Cat weekend was next. The visit he committed to Gus Malzahn was after a camp workout early in June.
“I told the Auburn coaches I am committing to them on my fourth visit there on campus," said Capers. "Upon the end of camp, coach Malzahn summoned me to his office and we had a great discussion.
"Coach Malzahn was coaching me the entire time that day, so I got a feel of what he does and a sense of what his offense looks like. Him saying now that he has a core group of quarterbacks and receivers and that he is going to further commit to the passing game really peaked my interest a whole lot more.
"I then committed to him and he said he was really excited because he knows the type of player and wide receiver that I am. He is excited to get this rolling and to others guys in too.”
Florida, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Tennessee were the others Capers was considering at the time. The commitment is something he and those close to him feel good about.
“I feel like it is a family environment at Auburn. Me and coach Malzahn click on a different level and I could see myself making a big impact there my freshman year.
“When we were up there for Big Cat, my family really enjoyed the atmosphere too, and my mother really played a role in my decision to commit. I have never seen her have that big of a smile on her face like she did a few weeks ago.”
Auburn started to make their move earlier than some know. It was on the second visit that the Tigers really grabbed Capers' attention.
"When I was there for an unofficial visit, they did a solid day of one-on-one with me. They went over film and discussed how I fit into their plans moving forward. Coach Malzahn and Kodi Burns spent their entire day with me going over my recruitment package and everything.
"They quickly invited me back to Big Cat and this is when I saw the other side of the Auburn coaches. They were around my parents and meeting all my family members. It just felt different. I felt like that was the place I need to be. I believe Auburn can develop me on and off the field.”
This is the second commitment for Capers, so fans are going to wonder what is different this time compared to when he committed to Arkansas in February.
It was not an east decision to make.
“Arkansas is going to be a first class program when it is all said and done under coach Chad Morris. Him and his staff are excellent recruiters and even better people. It was a hard decision to make because I have so many close family members living there and on staff at the program.
"It was hard, but at the end of the day, I needed to evaluate and assess where I wanted to be in position and accomplish by year three. Auburn checked all the boxes in all that. It was more of a timing thing than anything.
"With those boxes being checked, I feel that Auburn is the place to be. Auburn has a great environment to cultivate my skill set and it is a place I can see myself being for three to four years."
Capers is still expected to finish out his five official visits, so this one may not be completely over yet, but Malzahn's program is in a very good place now with one of the top receivers in the South.
"At the end of my recruitment, I am confident that I have completed my five official visits and Auburn will stand alone as my official committed program," said Capers. "War Eagle!"