Dontavius Russell was a 4* recruit out of Carrollton, Georgia. The tackle was only the #12 DT in the 2014 class, but he was viewed by multiple scouts to be someone with the physical skills to contribute early in his career. He was also an Under-Armour All-American, and had offers from all of the big players in the SEC.
Russell committed to Georgia in April of 2013. After attending the best football game of all time, though, Russell decommitted from the Bulldogs, and committed to Auburn a few weeks later. Rodney Gardner always gets his man.
Russell redshirted for the 2014 season, as is common with defensive line recruits.