Auburn inadvertently kicked off the recruiting trend of the summer

Recruiting is about many things, and one of them is brand. About positioning your brand in the best possible light relative to the competition. About associating your brand with other premier brands -- the NFL, a particular apparel brand, a celebrity. Or a gas station chain with a beaver for a mascot.

The fun began Friday when Ernest Campbell, a 3-star wide receiver in the class of 2024, tweeted this graphic.

For those unfamiliar, let's play a little catch up.

Bucc-ee's is a gas station chain, but it's a gas station chain in the same way that Disney is an animation company. I'll let "CBS Sunday Morning" explain.

Bucc-ee's was founded four decades ago near the Gulf Coast of Texas by Arch Alpin III. He named the store after his dog, Buck, and its mascot was based off his childhood nickname, Beaver. 

Bucc-ee was a Texas staple -- most locations are in the Houston area -- until a few years ago, when the chain launched an invasion of the Southeast. Which is where Auburn comes in to the story.

The graphic above is a clever bit of recruit of recruiting by the Tigers. For one, Campbell is from Refugio, Texas, not far from the first Bucc-ee's, in Clute, Texas. There aren't any Bucc-ee's in Campbell's hometown, but he'd undoubtedly drive by a number of stores on each trip to Houston. By sending him the graphic, Auburn is making its campus seem a little less far from home.

It's also smart because, well, did you see that graphic? The self-seriousness of it sets a comedic tone. You get the feeling the player is winking at you from behind his darkened visor. 

The graphic was so delightfully ludicrous that once the @NoContextCFB account tweeted it out, others couldn't help but join in. 

If you happen to find yourself in the instantly-CFB Internet-famous Auburn Bucc-ee's, grab yourself a brisket sandwich and some homemade potato chips. You won't regret it.