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re: 2022 State of Alabama Recruiting
Posted on 7/9/21 at 8:54 am to RollTide1987
Posted on 7/9/21 at 8:54 am to RollTide1987
quote:
Not too shabby. While we like to say that Auburn defies physics and somehow manages to win football games utilizing black magic, they have held their own on the recruiting trail for the last decade. However, that may no longer be the case if last year's class and this year's is indicative of a new trend. They're definitely going to be hurting with depth this season and next.
Yep - Malzahn specifically signed classes that were good enough to compete. They generally loaded up on one area or another to the deficit of other areas, so they ended up with very good position groups and then pretty weak ones, but he signed a whole bunch of high quality SEC players.
He generally got 1-2 really good in-state kids and then signed top-100 quality players from Georgia and Florida. Past that they tended to sign athletic tweener guys that seemed to find roles defensively. Guys like Igbinoghene (#290, WR), KJ Britt (#299), Jordyn Peters (#727), Jamien Sherwood (#257), etc.
Gus' staff had an ability to find guys who could compete in the SEC in that #250-500 ranked player range at most position groups (except OL, for whatever reason).
This post was edited on 7/9/21 at 8:59 am
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Posted on 7/9/21 at 9:05 am to RollTide1987
I'm pretty sure that Smoke Monday is still there. He's a pretty good player. Their defense is going to be tough I think but they don't appear to have the monster defensive tackles like Derrick Brown that they always seem to have. They're always solid on special teams as well. Plus the game this year is at Jordan Hare. Never underestimate them at that stadium. If you notice, they haven't won at Bryant Denny since 2010.
Posted on 7/9/21 at 9:09 am to SummerOfGeorge
Kevin Steele recruited some really good athletes on defense. They always had speed and terrific ability up front. If there is always a common denominator with Auburn it's that they always have had strong defensive lines and pass rushers. Also kicking game.
This post was edited on 7/9/21 at 9:12 am
Posted on 7/9/21 at 12:21 pm to RollTide1987
quote:
Not too shabby. While we like to say that Auburn defies physics and somehow manages to win football games utilizing black magic, they have held their own on the recruiting trail for the last decade. However, that may no longer be the case if last year's class and this year's is indicative of a new trend. They're definitely going to be hurting with depth this season and next.
For sure, this time does seem different. The new coach usually has something to work with….but you know what I’m saying. How many times have we thought “Auburn is finished” after a crappy year & coaching change and then they suddenly pull a 1993 or a 2013 out of their arse?
They’re certainly overdue for a journey into the wilderness.
Posted on 7/9/21 at 12:31 pm to FairhopeTider
Exactly what I was thinking. They always seem to come out of nowhere when people write them off. There is still some talent on their roster. Good defense, two talented running backs and a wild card at QB. Bama best be ready for a fight like always.
This post was edited on 7/9/21 at 12:32 pm
Posted on 7/9/21 at 12:51 pm to C Nite
Harsin doesn’t understand the work that will go into being successful in this state let alone the conference.
Boise State still recruits itself. Auburn recruits based off its rivalry with Bama.
“Don’t you wanna be the guy who leads us to knocking off Alabama?”
Harsin doesn’t understand that, but he will when we punch them in the mouth.
Boise State still recruits itself. Auburn recruits based off its rivalry with Bama.
“Don’t you wanna be the guy who leads us to knocking off Alabama?”
Harsin doesn’t understand that, but he will when we punch them in the mouth.
Posted on 7/9/21 at 2:12 pm to Shackleville
SEC Recruiting is a drunken knife fight. I know Saban was green to it when he walked into LSU but he’s the GOAT and had Louisiana to himself.
Harsin has never had to deal with that and I’m always skeptical when a coach takes over a major SEC program with little to no experience recruiting in the South.
Harsin has never had to deal with that and I’m always skeptical when a coach takes over a major SEC program with little to no experience recruiting in the South.
Posted on 7/9/21 at 2:24 pm to FairhopeTider
quote:
For sure, this time does seem different. The new coach usually has something to work with….but you know what I’m saying. How many times have we thought “Auburn is finished” after a crappy year & coaching change and then they suddenly pull a 1993 or a 2013 out of their arse?
The Vol trash have fallen off due to years of unchecked administrative and coaching incompetence, but by and large the Big 6 will maintain a certain level of talent but for sanctions due to having such deeply entrenched presences in the most talent rich region in the country.
In a typical year, Auburn will have an 8-9 win team on paper. When an otherwise successful coach has a bad season there they never give him a mulligan and hope he turns things back around though. They fired Tater Tot mid-season a year removed from a top 10 finish. They fired Tubbs after a 5-7 season despite 6 top 20 finishes in the 8 seasons prior. They fired Chizik a couple of years removed from a fricking national championship. For better or worse, they will cut bait quicker than any program in the country and they always have. Gus is really the only one they have ever given any leeway to, and that was solely because of his contract. If they didn't owe him $40 million they'd have fired him after the 2018 season and they won 8 games that year.
And then they never make a truly disastrous hire like Curly Hallman, Doolander, Dubose, etc. that completely fricks the program 6 ways from Sunday. Even an objectively horrible coach like Chizik managed to ride Cam to a championship while somehow avoiding sanctions before it all fell apart. That's really how they have managed to avoid getting lost in the wilderness all these years. They have avoided sanctions for a long time and they fire their coaches before they can drag the program down into multiple years of 4-6 win seasons and the empty recruiting classes that often go with them. However, the guy who comes in to replace the coach who got the quick hook tends to immediately rehabilitate the recruiting. Harsin has not so far, which is why they may finally get their decade of suffering if he doesn't put an exciting product on the field.
This post was edited on 7/9/21 at 2:27 pm
Posted on 7/9/21 at 2:41 pm to Robot Santa
It's weird that in their transition years Auburn never seems to have a drop off in recruiting (except maybe now - we'll see how Harsin finishes the 2022 class). After the 3-9 season in 2012 their recruiting class was still solid going into 2013. They then turned around and nearly won the NC. Most programs would feel serious effects from a season that produced a 3-9 record. Not Auburn though. Gus at least was a coach who was from the south and had been at Arkansas briefly. Harsin is the exact opposite but his assistants have SEC experience.
Posted on 7/9/21 at 3:52 pm to Robot Santa
quote:
they fire their coaches before they can drag the program down into multiple years of 4-6 win seasons and the empty recruiting classes that often go with them.
This is true. They usually don’t mess around after a bad year. Gus flirted with a few of them but was able to rebound immediately with a win over Alabama the next year.
The whole post is spot on.
Posted on 7/10/21 at 2:45 pm to RollTide1987
Did Gus just flat quit recruiting? Last rankings I saw was Bama #2, UGA #3, LSU #5. Auburn was sitting at 80-something (before they got the UGA WR transfer). Harsin may be a decent coach but it comes down to recruiting. He has to get talent on par with his three biggest rivals and it seems like he is in really big hole right now and the rest of the SEC West getting tougher. Auburn fans like to say his staff knows the South but this guy has no experience in recruiting this area or how competitive it is. The GOAT, Kirby, Coach O, Kiffin, Jimbo, Mullen all have deep experience recruiting in this league and it just seems like AU isn't in the mix for any big recruits.
This post was edited on 7/10/21 at 3:00 pm
Posted on 7/10/21 at 4:23 pm to Robot Santa
quote:I wouldn’t say that.
Harsin has not so far
The 2022 class currently is ranked low, yes, but he was able to salvage the 2021 recruiting class…which was awful before and right after Gus Malzahn was fired. It ended up being ranked #19 on 247, which was almost a miracle.
I would expect the recruiting to ramp up based on on-field results and recruiting relationships that are built in the coming year(s). That is, however, based on what happens during the games. If Auburn sucks, then no, the recruiting won’t be where it needs to be.
Auburn is realistically looking at a 4-1, 3-2 start — with an outside chance at 5-0. Then you have winnable games like Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State still on schedule. And I wouldn’t exactly mark down TAMU as a definite loss like I would Georgia and Alabama.
I’m okay with taking a wait and see approach.
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