Recruiting Season Takes Front and Center
by Jay Coulter on Jan 19, 2010 1:00 AM CST
in Football
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With bowl season and the college coaching carousel finally ending, we can all focus more on recruiting and national signing day on February 3rd. If you've taken your eye off the ball, you're in for a pleasant surprise. This year's group of Auburn commitments may go down as the best in school history. Of course, nothing counts until the player signs on the dotted line, meaning the next few weeks will be as stressful for coaches as Thanksgiving at the Tiger Woods residence.
As I've said before, I'm not one to put a lot of stock in player rankings coming out of high school. You'll never convince me that you can rank with any accuracy, players from different states who run the same times in the 40 yard-dash and have the same build and comparable stats. For every Carnell Williams there's always a Leon Hart.
If national championships were won in February, Ray Goff would still be coaching at Georgia and Bob Davie wouldn't be annoying us on Saturday night. Web sites like Rivals and Scout do serve a purpose and they are often proven right. But at the end of the day it's all about coaching - something that's often forgotten during recruiting mania.
Even with all the variables, Auburn has reason for optimism. On Sunday, Marcus Lattimore, the top running back in the country according to Rivals, narrowed his choices to two, Auburn and South Carolina.
With Auburn already gaining the commitment of ESPN's top-rated back, Michael Dyer, many believed the odds of picking up Lattimore were long. The Dyer commitment seems to have had no effect so far. You have to like a kid who doesn't shy from competition. Lattimore plans to make his announcement the day before signing day.
If those two backs were not enough, Auburn remains in the hunt for Texas running back Lache Seastrunk. He's narrowed his choices to Auburn, LSU and Oregon. The odds of Gene Chizik landing all three are slim and most experts believe Seastrunk is the least likely to sign with Auburn.
In recent days, his stock has fallen quite a bit after a lackluster week at the Army Bowl in San Antonio. He came into the game ranked fourth overall in the 2010 class, but has fallen now to 26th in the Rivals 100. According to Rivals analyst Barton Simmons, Seastrunk still has what it takes to succeed. "He remains a five-star because he is still one of the biggest home-run threats in this entire class. With the right system and coaching in his corner, he can still become a special football player."
With several weeks remaining, Auburn is projected by Rivals to have the fourth best class in America behind Florida, Texas and Alabama. Should Seastrunk or Lattimore pick the Tigers, Auburn could be looking at moving higher before it's all said and done.
Until they line up in fall practice it all means nothing. It's ok to get excited and be optimistic for the future, but let's not forget that history says almost half this class will be gone before the start of their senior season. There's likely a three-star athlete in this class that will be better than all of them. Antonio Coleman is living proof that the "experts" often miss.
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think malzahn / chizik are leveraging a 2 back wildcat direction here … ala Darren McFadden and Felix Jones?…add a dynamic QB… watchout. you know where we’re headed…just try and stop it.
wappa
by buddy Ro on Jan 19, 2010 6:13 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
"Auburn has reason for optimism"
What a difference a year makes and… what a difference Gene has made .
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
by aubtigerman on Jan 19, 2010 7:32 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
You never know...
I was a walk-on of un-distinction at AU in 1970. Same class that included most of the guys responsible for the Punt, Bama, Punt game. I gues there were about 25 scholarship guys on our freshman team. Indeed, there are 5-6 great players but there were also about 10 that probably wouldn’t have started on my highschool team. Some others weren’t willing to pay the price. You just never know.
JB
by theboogins on Jan 19, 2010 11:06 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Welcome to a member of THE AMAZIN'S" !!!
… as Coach Jordan used to call that team … I didn’t miss a game in those years … home or away.
i was one of the guys in legion field that day in 1972 who wanted Coach Jordan to try to score a touchdown instead of kicking a field goal when AU was down 17-0 and finally made it to the red-zone in the 4th quarter.
Needless to say, no AU man I know ever questioned anything Coach Jordan decided to do after the way that game turned out. 17-16 — one for the ages!
by xotus on Jan 19, 2010 5:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Can't wait for signing day.
Wow if we get Cameron, Dyer, and Latimore (and the ones we already got) in the same backfield…It ought to be awesome. Either way I think Chzik & company are doing great.
by Im4Auburn on Jan 19, 2010 1:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
You do know...
that Cameron Newton has already signed on with Auburn and counts as a 2009 guy right? I’m also really sure that we’ll get Dyer but who knows on Lattimore. Either way, we’ve already got two of the three you just mentioned.
by Sparkey on Jan 19, 2010 2:19 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm being repititive I know,
but things are looking way, way up on the plains right now. I’m so excited about next season right now that I’m afraid of burning myself out. It looks like very good times ahead here in AU.
WAR EAGLE!
War Eagle
by WarEagle86 on Jan 19, 2010 2:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Cam Newton
Is going into beast mode next year, and the year after. Atlanta here we come.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
by Bestjagfan on Jan 19, 2010 4:22 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Guys...
I really think you might want to taper down your expectations for next season. I realize that Saban and Meyer turned things around really fast. You must remember that is still the exception to the rule. I’m not saying Chizik is incapable of doing that as well. I just think that the odds are against him. Yes, we’re getting in a great group of kids this year. It does take a little while, though for those players to come on strong. Remember, our cupboards are more dry than were Saban’s and Meyer’s so it will take longer. So guys, just calm down and don’t put too much on these kids this early.
by Sparkey on Jan 19, 2010 7:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Meyer certainly inherited a talent rich team......
that is without question. But Saban? Ehhhh…..not so much. Saban Built depth and built it quickly by recruiting fantastic classes and playing lots of underclassmen across the board. If anything Chizik has inherited as much talent and for certain has inherited a team with better character. And before any bammers start yapping remember Jimmy Johns, and DJ Hall as well as a number of other problem children that he either lost through graduation …….er exhaustion of eligibility and booting them off once he got his first good recruiting class? Saban as much as I hate to say it built his success at UA with recruiting and getting lots of youth experience in a rapid manner……I know there are Shula leftovers that are fantastic players but he has more players that are his that are contributing than are not. So far I see Chizik doing the same thing and I like it.
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
by Todd92 on Jan 20, 2010 9:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It's just nice to see us get this kind of attention for a change...
I’m not much for the recruiting hoop lah ….but it is important to have talent and it is a beginning to what could be an really great Auburn comeback. I dont think anyone can doubt we are headed in the right direction. Recruiting isnt the end all, but it can be a first step toward the end all.
by rn4au on Jan 19, 2010 8:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
not sure that this optimism is illogical or outside the realm of POSSIBLE... sparkey.
when a new staff can turn around a team the way this team has turn around this year,… and we have the players and staff back that we do next year… filling in with key new recruits as we are… it is entirely appropriate to get excited and expect good things.
got to get through the first 4 games…
WDE!
wappa
by buddy Ro on Jan 19, 2010 9:29 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I know I'm the ultimate pessimist...
and I’m really not trying to be one. I’m just saying, don’t push too many expectations on these young kids just yet. They are very young still and I want them to feel the full effect of the love that Auburn can give its people. If they happen to lose more than we thought they would, I don’t want too much grumbling to occur. That could hurt our chances with recruits next year and further down the line. At any rate, I too am optimistic about this team. I’m just saying we shouldn’t just think the team will go undefeated next year. That takes time and those kids have to learn before they’re going to pay those dividends we’re investing currently.
by Sparkey on Jan 19, 2010 9:40 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Good advice Sparkey...
…its good to be excited and supportive, but we need to be realistic at the same time. It is always better to exceed expectations than to miss them. While Chizik has set the bar high, we do not won’t to set them up for (like you said) too much grumbling.
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
by aubtigerman on Jan 20, 2010 7:29 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
not worried about the next year, and the year after that because of over expectations this year...
sorry, but that is crazy to me.
lets go get it…. THIS YEAR. these players’ commitments are beliefs in this year.
i don’t think it is unrealistic to be better next year in every piece…just as productive on offense,…and better on defense (overall). we certainly can improve on our outback D performance. (crossing fingers)
teams on our schedule are getting better too. early in the year we will be tested with physical teams that will for sure let us know what our new starting group can handle…especially the line play.
i am not expecting Atlanta like one of the other posts… but we’ll be able to compete for the West in a real way if we get thru the 1st 4…and gain some good rhythm with the new guys.
wappa
by buddy Ro on Jan 19, 2010 10:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
now we're debating whether it is irresponsible to have expectations?
maybe we are just talking too much. if a fan is worried about getting his / her hopes up only to have them disappointed… boo hooo, …if a fan can’t get up after the year we had and the recruiting we’re doing…
sorry guys… i don’t see it. i am a fan… guilty,… i run up expectations, and hopes, and wild paint on my face time to time… i say, who cares if the bar is high…might that push a “3 star” to play a 4?…who knows, who cares what is realistic, there are teams that play past that, underachieve and overachieve- goes both ways. all positives of last year and all commits point to AU Ws next year…another bowl for sure. you have fun being realistic(whatever that is..shit, that place must suck) and i’ll be blown up excited with some expectations for as many as will have me.
wappa
by buddy Ro on Jan 20, 2010 9:33 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I'll have you buddy...War Eagle
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
by aubtigerman on Jan 20, 2010 9:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Here Here!!!
Last time I looked thats what makes college football the best thing going in the south.
All of these kids want to play and perform, and would probably be PO’d if you said, “I don’t expect much of you…..so just do your best!” How Milksoppy is that!
I always look at the schedule and find a way to see us going 11-1, 10-2 or better. Unrealistic? Of course!! But you gotta believe!! I sure didn’t expect us to go undefeated in ‘04, but we did. Of course I didn’t expect us to get screwed out of the MNC game either but thats another thinkg to rant over.
WAREAGLE!! I can’t wait to see Tiger fly in 2010!!
On what day did the Lord create Bear Bryant and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
by Col.Angus on Jan 20, 2010 12:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Not sure what to make of this but......
Shurbutt (ESPN) has written that Eric Mack has committed to AU. Hope it’s true and War Damn Eagle!
I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU
by Todd92 on Jan 20, 2010 11:02 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Wow Great news on Mack.
Its too early to expect great contributions from this incoming class but we will need them to contribute to fortify what should be a solid team.
I think it is fair to have high expectations for next year given that Newton already has playing experience and is going to be a Junior, hopefully throwing to somebody besides Adams. Fannin, Smith, and Run OMC should be a formidable backfield spelled by Dyer. The O line comes back for the most part. The question of course will be how the Defense plays and whether we will have enough depth again. Next year might be asking too much to go to Atlanta, but I know I wouldn’t want to play us.
On what day did the Lord create Bear Bryant and couldn't he have rested on that day too?
by Col.Angus on Jan 20, 2010 12:01 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Do you remember?....
Ben Tate and Antonio Coleman both said that Auburn was “rising” fast. It starts with the players, and the fans, and then the press.
I can guarantee one thing, and one thing only. IT’S GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER!
"An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject"-Thomas Jefferson
by KoolBell777 on Jan 20, 2010 12:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
rivals has Mack to AU... i've been watching on and off all morning...
…was thinking the AU focus on RB was going to lead to O-Line interest / commits… hope this continues…
Mack is huge… 64, 315 i think i read earlier this week?
WDE!…
wappa
by buddy Ro on Jan 20, 2010 12:17 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Welcome Big Mack !
Glad you will be a Tiger.
aubtigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
by aubtigerman on Jan 20, 2010 12:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Erik Mack...
will be a huge gain both literally and figuratively. I’m not sure why the kid for TN wouldn’t want to come out here now and get instant playing time, but that’s his decision and I hope it turns out great for him just not as good as our guys. :-) I expect Lattimore and Whitaker also to come out to the Plains, I don’t like our chances on Byran Jones, though. He seems a little too hesitant to come out here. Lemonier I think will be a Tiger as well. War Eagle!!
by Sparkey on Jan 20, 2010 12:54 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Ambles
is apparently close to committing too. Though if we get him, we need to work to keep Reed as well.
by Sparkey on Jan 20, 2010 1:40 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Lemonier is waiting till signing day(per rivals)... what a splash if we had him sign then...
I actually thought he was leaning FSU?… http://www.auburnundercover.com:80/news/articles/2010/1/20/six-blue-chippers-near-decisions
not even going to talk more about reed and lattimore… those guys would be soooo sweeeeet…..
wappa
by buddy Ro on Jan 20, 2010 2:20 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
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