Former Auburn cornerback Jonathan Rose said he wanted a “real fresh start,” prompting a decision to leave the Tigers’ program and ultimately ending up at Nebraska.

Rose declined to share specific details regarding his departure from Auburn, but said he parted ways with the school at the beginning of the month and started searching for a new place to play soon after.

Now, he’s signed a letter of intent and he plans to be on Nebraska’s campus by early next week.

Why NU?

“I felt like it was a good move for me and my future,” Rose said.

Rose never took a visit to Lincoln, but he used the Internet to research the program and the school’s academic amenities. Liked what he saw.

He also had a previous relationship with NU secondary coach Terry Joseph, who originally recruited Rose out of Leeds (Ala.) High School. “Coach Joseph had my best interest in mind,” Rose said. “Icing on the cake.”

Rose also reached out to Husker sophomore Ameer Abdullah, a Homewood, Ala., native who played with Rose in several all-star games during their high school careers. “That made it easier,” Rose said.

On the field, he’ll have to sit out a year because of NCAA rules. He’ll have three seasons of eligibility remaining. But the 6-foot-2, 185-pound cornerback assumes that a year off will end up benefiting him.

“It’ll give me time to get in the weight room, allow me to do some good things academically and learn the system,” Rose said.

Check out Saturday’s edition of The World-Herald for more on Rose.