Spencer Region smiled when he said it for the first time.

“War Eagle. Hey, that feels kinda good rolling off the tongue,” the Cullman High junior offensive lineman said.

The phrase may have rolled off his tongue well, but that didn’t make it any less surprising. It only confirmed the shocking decision made by the highly-touted offensive line prospect.

In front of a large crowd Saturday at Cummings Sporting Goods — one that was predominantly Alabama fans — Region spurned the program he grew up pulling for, decommitting from Alabama and changing his commitment to Auburn 90 minutes before he was scheduled to make his decision public.

“Due to changes, I am decommitting from Alabama and I am committing to Auburn,” said Region, a 6-foot-6, 341-pound offensive guard. “I just got off the phone with Coach (Jeff) Grimes (who coaches Auburn’s offensive line) and we feel really good about this decision.

“I feel like they really care about me at Auburn … feel like they have my best interest at heart. It’s family down there. They love me. I love them. Me and my family are really excited about this decision.”

Talk about recruiting drama, and the 2011 National Signing Day is still a 363 days away.

After visiting Auburn for a junior recruiting weekend last month, the Tigers became the first Southeastern Conference program to offer Region on Jan. 24.

And then the recruiting floodgates opened.

Ole Miss extended an offer later that week, followed by Alabama after Region attended a junior recruiting event in Tuscaloosa. The Bearcats junior also received offers from Florida State, Wake Forrest and UAB, along with an invitation to a recruiting weekend at Georgia later this month.

When Auburn became the first SEC program to offer, the Tigers were the early favorite. But that changed when Alabama offered on Jan. 30, according to multiple statements made by Region this past week.

Or at least that was the case until Saturday’s switcharoo.

Region had privately committed to Alabama before arriving at Cummings Sporting Goods. But at approximately 10:30 a.m., his decision had changed.

While Region wouldn’t go into specifics about why he changed his mind, he did say he felt more comfortable with the Tigers.

“I didn’t feel at home (at Alabama),” he said. “I didn’t feel they had the best interest for me. I didn’t feel like it was my family, and football isn’t anything without family.

“I’m still going to take my official visits at Ole Miss and Florida State later this year, and Coach (Gene) Chizik said he’s fine with that as long as I stay committed to Auburn.”

Genuinely excited about his decision, Region spoke with a group of reporters about his goals and expectations at Auburn.

“Me and my family are really, really excited about this,” Region said. “I’m going to work hard when I get there … I’m going to continue to work my tail off. Auburn is on the rise again, and I’m going to help them win SEC championships. I can promise you that.”

Region is expected to be one of the state’s top prospects in the 2011 class. The Cullman senior is the second player to give Auburn a commitment, joining Scooba, Miss., defensive back Izauea Lanier.

After transferring from Brewer following his sophomore season in 2008, Region helped pave the way for a Cullman offense that rolled up more than 5,000 total yards, with more than 2,000 coming on the ground. The Bearcats advanced to the Class 5A quarterfinals before falling to eventual state runner-up Russellville.

If Region honors his Auburn commitment, he will become the sixth Cullman offensive lineman to sign with an SEC program. All three of the Britt brothers — Wesley, Taylor and Justin — played at Alabama, while Zac Tubbs and Cody Green signed with Arkansas.

‰ Justin Graves can be reached by phone at 734-2131, ext. 257 or by e-mail at jgraves@cullmantimes.com