A 10th member of Auburn’s 2021 recruiting class has chosen to leave the program.

Tar’Varish Dawson, a former four-star athlete who opened the season as one of Auburn’s starting wide receivers, announced Wednesday afternoon that he plans to enter the transfer portal when the fall transfer window opens in December. Dawson is the latest player to depart the program this season, joining defensive lineman Zykeivous Walker, wide receiver Landen King and cornerback A.D. Diamond.

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“First I wanna say thank you God for even letting me do something nobody in my family did,” Dawson posted in a graphic on Twitter. “I wanna thank Coach Ike (Hilliard) for believing in me and always fighting for me. He knows everything I been going through and I love him for being there for me. I appreciate (Bryan) Harsin and Auburn for giving me an opportunity to even play in Jordan-Hare Stadium. I wanna thank my teammates for being there for me, always kept a smile on my face when I’m with them. I had fun in the locker rooms, and we always made sure we check on each other outside of football, and that’s what I loved the most. That’s a real family.

“I just wish things could’ve been a little different on the football field. It hurts to leave but I really do thank you guys. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. So, with that being said, I will be entering the transfer portal with 3 of my eligibility years (remaining).”

Dawson appeared in five games during his two seasons at Auburn, with two starts to his name. He earned the starting job at slot receiver ahead of Ja’Varrius Johnson during fall camp and started each of the Tigers’ first two games of the season at that position while appearing in two others. Despite opening the year atop the depth chart, Dawson was surpassed by Johnson on the top line ahead of Auburn’s game against San Jose State in Week 2.

It was a similar story for Dawson last season, when he opened the year as the only true freshman on Auburn’s two-deep but was sidelined for the season opener against Akron and promptly fell out of the rotation. He did not make his collegiate debut until Auburn’s loss to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl.

He drew praise in the offseason, when offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said Dawson “might be the most improved young player” on offense during fall camp. His development at the position ultimately earned him a starting job to open the season.

After drawing starts against Mercer and San Jose State this season, Dawson did not see the field in either of Auburn’s last two games, losses on the road against top-10 opponents Georgia and Ole Miss. He finishes the season with two receptions for 30 yards and two carries totaling 10 yards.

He is now the 10th member of Auburn’s 2021 signing class — the first under Harsin — to leave the Plains. Four of the six four-star recruits in that class, which was ranked 19th nationally according to the 247Sports Composite team rankings, are now gone. Along with Dawson, the following four-star signees from that class have transferred from Auburn: defensive tackle Lee Hunter (UCF), safety Ahmari Harvey (Georgia Tech) and quarterback Dematrius Davis (Alabama State).

The other 2021 signees who have since left the program include King, who announced his intent to transfer Tuesday; Diamond, who was recently removed from the roster; three-star receiver Hal Presley (Baylor); three-star defensive lineman Ian Mathews (Missouri); and junior college cornerbacks Ro Torrence (Arizona State) and Kamal Hadden (Tennessee).

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.