Former Auburn defensive lineman Byron Cowart has found a new home in the Big Ten.
Cowart, who left Auburn on Sept. 19, signed with Maryland on Wednesday.
The Seffner, Fla. native enrolled at Hillsborough Community College after leaving Auburn. Cowart will enroll early at Maryland and will be immediately eligible next season, according to the Washington Post.
"Byron is a tremendous player, a tremendous talent. I think everyone can see that," Maryland coach DJ Durkin said. "I think his maturity level, what he's all about, would impress anyone. You come away impressed. He's very engaging and mature. I think he'll come in here and do a great job."
At the time he left the Plains, Cowart cited his mother's health and playing time as reasons for his departure.
"If I'm going to be far from home, it has to be meaningful," he said in September. "I really need a shot to make it to league. I'm not asking for nobody to give me a starting job or anything like that, but I just felt like I was more than the 10 snaps or 20 snaps I was getting a game."
The No. 1 recruit in the country in 2015, Cowart had 15 tackles with 1.5 for loss in 26 games in his Auburn career. He was free to transfer anywhere outside the SEC and not on Auburn's 2018 schedule.
When Cowart arrived at Auburn in 2015 he had lofty personal goals and tremendous hype stemming from his recruitment, which culminated with a bizarre delay in his National Letter of Intent being faxed to Auburn hours after he signed it on National Signing Day.
On April 30, 2016, Cowart was among four players arrested for possession of marijuana. He was did not miss playing time and was later granted youthful offender status.
James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.