One of Phillip Montgomery’s best players at Tulsa is joining him on the Plains. And it couldn’t be at a better position of need for Auburn.
Dillon Wade, who ranks as the No. 23 overall player in the 247Sports transfer portal player rankings and the No. 2 offensive tackle, has committed to Auburn. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
“I’ve heard the culture around here is really amazing, I like that,” Wade said. “And also, Auburn-Alabama. Ever since I was a kid Auburn’s been a school of interest and as I’ve gotten older, the opportunity came in hand and I feel like I could make something happen here.”
While Auburn had the connection between Montgomery and Wade to help get things going, it wasn’t an easy portal win. Wade also had offers from Colorado, USC, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Louisville, Duke, Cal, TCU, Ole Miss and Mizzou. He was one of the most highly-coveted offensive tackles in the transfer portal.
Arriving in the Class of 2020 as a low 3-star, Wade redshirted in 2020. In 2021 he played in five games. It was the 2022 season where Wade found his footing as an offensive tackle and started to thrive.
“Coach Montgomery is an outstanding person, he’s a great play-caller, I really appreciate him giving me this opportunity because he gave me the same opportunity out of high school,” Wade said. “I really haven’t took that for granted because he was one of the first people that made me feel like I can play at this level.”
A little smaller than a traditional tackle, Wade is listed at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, but is expected to be a tackle for Auburn.
The addition of Wade comes in a position room currently in the middle of a complete — but immediate — rebuild. Just Colby Smith returns from Auburn’s 2022 team, but Smith has not started a game and played minimally on special teams. Wade can instantly slot into a starting spot at left or right tackle.
On Signing Day, Auburn added JUCO offensive tackle Izavion Miller, but that was it. The addition of Wade is a big one for Auburn, especially after Alabama transfer Amari Kight committed to UCF on Friday.