TAR HEEL — One of college football’s signature rivalries will soon get a taste of Bladen County.
Tar Heel’s Brandon Council, a team MVP for former head coach Russell Dove at West Bladen High School, announced on Twitter late Thursday night he is transferring to play this season at Auburn University. He’ll have a chance to play in the Iron Bowl when the Tigers visit Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Thanksgiving Saturday, go against reigning national champion LSU the week before that, and there’s a Sept. 12 date in Atlanta against North Carolina.
LSU was among several schools that courted the son of Angel Jones and Robert Council. Others included Southern Cal, Iowa State, Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Rutgers. Auburn offered Feb. 25.
In his tweet, he wrote, “It’s time to announce that I will be officially continuing my football and academic career at Auburn University!! FIRED UP!! #WarEagle”
Since leaving the Knights, he’s played offensive line for Jireh Prep in Charlotte in 2015, redshirted at Akron in 2016 and started 24 games for the Zips since, including all 12 last year. Because he only played the first three games his junior year due to a season-ending injury, a petition for a medical redshirt may be possible. The graduate transfer majored in sport management at Akron.
Council is 6-foot-4, 325 pounds, and considered a versatile addition to the Tigers. In last year’s 0-12 season, he started seven times at left guard, twice each at center and right tackle, and once at left tackle. In 2018, the Zips went 2-1 with Council starting the first three games at right tackle before a season-ending injury. That included an upset victory at Big Ten Conference member Northwestern. The team finished 4-8.
Council had nine starts at left guard in 2017, when the Zips won the Mid-American Conference East Division, played in the Boca Raton Bowl and finished 7-7.
In an interview with Woody Wommack of Rivals.com, Council said, “The main reason is because it’s a place not only that offers me a great chance to showcase my talent and play at the highest level and prepare myself for the next level; it’s also a place that I can further myself in education. They have a great program to offer for me to do what I want to do when football ends, because it doesn’t last forever.”
Four starting positions are open on the Tigers’ offensive line. Center Nick Brahms returns for his junior season. The Tigers lost seniors Prince Tega Wanogho, Marquel Harrell, Mike Horton, Jack Driscoll and Bailey Sharp.
In the Rivals interview, Council said confidence in the Southeastern Conference won’t be a problem. He’ll turn 23 years old next month.
“I’ve played against schools like Illinois, Northwestern, Penn State and I dominated those games,” he said. “They want me to come in and be a leader and start and compete. Nothing will be handed to me but me personally, my confidence, I’m ready to go. I know I can go in and start and I know what I’m capable of.”
Head coach Guz Malzahn met with reporters in a Zoom conference recently. He lamented the lack of spring practice, referring specifically to missing the chance to have the offensive line evaluated.
In addition to Council, Auburn has returning juniors Brodarious Hamm, Austin Troxell, Tashawn Manning, Alec Jackson, sophomores Jalil Irvin, Kameron Stutts, redshirt frosh Keiondre Jones, and junior college signees Kilian Zierer and Brenden Coffey.
At West Bladen, Council was a lead blocker for a Knights’ team that averaged 33 points per game and went 6-5 — the only winning season since back-to-back winning seasons in 2007 and 2008. West Bladen produced 345 yards of offense nightly. On defense, he made 55 stops. The team was ineligible for the playoffs because of a fight in an October game with Trask, and it also dealt with the death of teammate Lennon Lacey that August.
In addition to being football MVP, Council earned the Knight Award for the boys basketball team his senior season and was named Best in Field for the track squad.
As a junior in 2013, he helped West Bladen to a 5-7 football record and a playoff berth — a significant step from an 0-11 season the prior year. The Knights have been to the playoffs just once since.
Brandon Council announced on Twitter that he has chosen to finish his collegiate football career at Auburn.
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