re: Class of 2018 Recruiting MEGATHREAD: So Long Old Friend Edition

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Matt Corral

Corral decommitted from USC on Saturday, and has a top three of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. All three programs are likely to receive a visit from the five-star U.S. Army All-American. UGA has jumped out to an early Crystal Ball lead after having hosted the 6-foot-2, 196-pounder on campus earlier this spring.

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Tanner McKee

McKee's recruitment is interesting in the fact that he's technically a 2020 recruit as he plans to take a two-year Mormon mission following his high school graduation. Alabama has seemed to support this idea in its pursuit of the Top100 signal caller. The 6-foot-6, 220-poudner visited Tuscaloosa earlier this spring, and considers the Tide one of his top schools.

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James Foster -- Missouri commit

Alabama pulled the trigger on an offer for Foster earlier this spring, shortly before he committed to the Tigers. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder has continued tweeting new offers, and has been expected on campus at Alabama on multiple occasions since his decision. It's not likely the in-state signal caller ends up staying in state, but it's a situation to continue monitoring nonetheless.

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1. Justin Fields, QB: Even though Auburn already has a quarterback on the commit list (Joey Gatewood), the recent transfers of backups Woody Barrett and Tyler Queen have made it important to land another. Fields is the top target. He recently de-committed from Penn State and our intel suggests Auburn, Florida, FSU and Georgia are the four to watch. Is he trending in any direction? Nobody really knows for sure. All of those programs have gotten good vibes and like their chances. Fields visited Auburn last week and could return later this summr. He'd like to pick a college before football season begins. Working in Auburn's favor: He grew up a Tigers fan, is close with Auburn offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and is coached during 7-on-7 season by Tigers legend Cam Newton.

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3. Richard Jibunor, Buck: Auburn looks like the team to beat for the 4-star pass rusher at this time largely because of the strong relationships the Tigers have built with him. That said, Jibunor wants to visit more schools so he could have a busy summer. Having two Nigerian natives on the roster at Auburn could help with Jibunor, who moved to Georgia from Nigeria three years ago. Auburn needs pass rushers and that's what the Tigers think Jibunor can be. Tennessee has emerged as possibly the biggest threat but the Tigers like their chances. He plans to announce his choice in August.

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4. Justyn Ross, WR: Auburn-Alabama-Clemson-FSU battle. Ross has visited Auburn at least six times this year that we know of -- more than all his trips to the other three in 2017 combined. The question is, are those visits more because of his interest in Auburn or because of his proximity to the school? The word is, Alabama is confident right now and Clemson's confidence is growing. Meantime, the Auburn staff is cautiously optimistic and probably doesn't feel as good about this one as it once did. That said, with Ross not expected to decide for awhile a big offensive season from Auburn could help.

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7. Asa Martin, RB: Auburn is battling with Alabama and Florida for the 4-star in-state back who probably sits on top of the board. Martin made two recent visits that apparently gave the Tigers a nice boost. That said, it's still very tight at the top. It could go either way, but Auburn is said to like where it sits at the moment. Martin will announce Aug. 24.

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t10. JJ Peterson, LB: Peterson is the No. 2 outside backer in the country and a top Auburn target. Alabama leads but Auburn appears to be a solid No. 2 at the moment. The main reason: His relationship with linebackers coach Travis Williams. Peterson has visited Auburn twice in recent months and the Tigers hope to get him back on campus in July.

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When it comes to defensive line play in the Southeastern Conference, Auburn's Rodney Garner finds strength in numbers.

So, after signing a smaller, three-man defensive line class in 2017, the Tigers' veteran defensive line coach is hoping to add more numbers with Auburn's 2018 recruiting class.

"This one will be a bigger class," Garner said in March. "We're saying big -- four, five, if I'm blessed. Obviously, I want as big as I can get, but you got to make everything fit within."

Garner likes to rotate as many as 10 players on the line, so reloading with talent on the recruiting trail is always a priority. So far, Auburn has one defensive line prospect committed to its 2018 class: four-star defensive end Daquan Newkirk.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Newkirk originally committed to Auburn's 2016 class, but after failing to qualify academically, he enrolled at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and has remained strong in his commitment to the Tigers. He visited campus earlier this month for Big Cat Weekend for the first time in more than a year, and he called his time on the Plains "refreshing."

After redshirting at MGCCC last year, Newkirk plans to graduate in December and enroll at Auburn in January, so he'll be able to go through spring practices before the 2018 season.

With one spot on the defensive line shored up, Auburn has its eyes on several other top prospects up front on that side of the ball. Among them: four-star Jackson-Olin defensive tackle Coynis Miller, three-star Mobile Christian defensive end Andres Fox and four-star outside linebacker Richard Jibunor, who could project as a Buck defensive end at the next level.

Both Miller and Fox were on campus earlier this month for Big Cat Weekend, while Fox returned for an unofficial visit late last week. Miller has Auburn high on his list of top programs but the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Under Armour All-American plans to release a top eight soon. The 6-foot-4, 232-pound Fox has Auburn in his top three along with in-state rival Alabama and LSU.

Jibunor didn't make it to Big Cat Weekend, but the Athens, Ga., prospect made it to campus almost two weeks ago for camp and a visit with the coaching staff. The Tigers are considered the favorite for Jibunor, who is close friends with Auburn offensive lineman Prince Tega Wanogho.

Three-star Theodore defensive tackle Timaje Porter is also high on Auburn. He was originally planning to commit in March but pushed his decision back indefinitely. The Tigers remain in the mix for four-star defensive end Caleb Tannor out of Lithonia, Ga., with other prospects still possible during the second half of the cycle.

While five signees in 2018 would be ideal for Garner, Auburn will sign at least three defensive linemen, with four a likely scenario.

"If I was able to get five, that would be unreal for me," Garner said. "I'd love to get two true ends, one Buck and maybe two tackles, but we just got to see how that goes."

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