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

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In Travis Williams' first year at Auburn, he helped turn a group of relative unknowns at linebacker into one of the Tigers' strengths. The Auburn linebackers coach also helped sign an impressive class of three linebackers that included four-star prospects K.J. Britt and T.D. Moultry, as well as three-star linebacker Chandler Wooten. 

Williams, however, doesn't have time to assess his body of work in Year 1 as an assistant coach. He's already looking toward 2018 -- both on the field and on the recruiting trail. 

"This thing is funny, because nobody really cares about last year," Williams said in March. "Really, nobody cares about the last recruiting class. What are you doing this year? Everybody has short-term memory, and you could become a bad coach overnight. You got to stay humble and keep working and don't feed into bad or good." 

Williams understands Auburn has to get better -- at linebacker and on defense collectively -- and build upon the success of 2017. While he's excited about the group he will have on the field this fall, he also wants to outperform his 2017 success in recruiting as Auburn looks to sign another solid linebacker class. The Tigers are hoping to sign three more linebackers with their 2018 class. 

"We've got to out-recruit the ones we did last year," Williams said. "That's every year. We have to get better." 

Auburn does not have a linebacker committed to its 2018 class currently, with just six players overall committed to the program. That's not to say the Tigers' prospects are limited at the position, though. 

Auburn is in the mix for a quartet of out-of-state four-star linebackers, including top target Michael Harris. 

Harris is a 6-foot-2, 213-pound linebacker out of Tucker, Ga. He's rated as the nation's No. 11 inside linebacker, according to the 247Sports Composite, and Auburn is among his top choices; he also visited campus during Big Cat Weekend earlier this month. The biggest hurdle for the Tigers is Ohio State, which is favored to land a commitment from Harris. 

He visited Ohio State's campus this past weekend, but left without announcing a commitment, which should bode well for Auburn. 

The Tigers are also in the mix for four-star linebacker J.J. Peterson out of Colquitt County in Georgia. Peterson is the nation's No. 2 outside linebacker, and while Alabama is the favorite to land his commitment, the Tigers were his No. 2 choice as recently as Big Cat Weekend. Auburn will have a lot of work to do to keep the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder from its in-state rival, however. 

Another linebacker the Tigers have an outside shot at is four-star prospect Channing Tindall out of Columbia, S.C. The Gamecocks are the favorite for the hometown product, who is rated as the nation's No. 8 outside linebacker, but Auburn isn't far behind. His relationship with Williams--who attended the same high school, Spring Valley, and still owns school records there -- certainly helps in Auburn's favor. Tindall visited campus for Big Cat Weekend, and he said the Tigers have an edge over the Gamecocks when it comes to scheme and relationships with the coaching staff. 

Perhaps the linebacker most likely to join Auburn's 2018 class is four-star outside linebacker Zakoby McClain out of Valdosta, Ga. The 6-foot, 205-pounder is rated as the nation's 14th-best player at his position, and he is high on Auburn, though LSU is closing in. 

Other options include four-star prospect Richard Jibunor, though he projects as a Buck defensive end at Auburn, as well as three-star Maplesville prospect Nathaniel Watson, who could project at tight end or defensive end in college. 

"We're going to try to get the best kids that fit Auburn," Williams said. "First, you've got to have a good skill set, but you've got to be good people. We've got a good room. I don't want anything to mess up what we have going. We have good kids that love football, so I'm not just going to get anybody. I've got to get a guy that fits our room and fits our coaching. That's what you're looking for."

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Ohio State Mod CB'd Joseph Scates to Oklahoma. I know Saint loves this Kid

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The Auburn Tigers have six commitments and the No. 49 class ranking at the moment.

No new pledges have come in more than two months, but that dry spell should be about to end.

Based on the latest intel, there are somewhere around 17-18 spots remaining in the 2018 Auburn recruiting class -- although that number will be fluid right up until the very end.

The bottom line: There is much work ahead to fill the class between now and National Signing Day.

Today, we ask the question on everyone's mind: Who could be next to commit?

Here are the most likely candidates.

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Andres Fox, DE: Fox visited Auburn for four days last week and afterward said a commitment decision would come in the next couple of weeks. It's between Auburn, LSU and Alabama with Auburn and LSU being his co-leaders at this time. The LSU threat is real and that program is starting to like its chances more and more largely because of Fox's relationship with coach Ed Orgeron. Auburn's recruitment is being led by linebackers coach Travis Williams (his area recruiter), though defensive line coach Rodney Garner and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele also have been extremely active. It's a coin toss right now. Some at Auburn feel good. Others are cautiously optimistic.

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Per Georgia insider Rusty Mansell of 247Sports, four-star defensive back Kyler McMichael will announce a commitment on Friday morning.

It will not be a press conference, so the likely assumption is that it will occur via Twitter.

McMichael (6-1, 196) has a top six of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, and Tennessee.

The Atlanta (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian product most recently visited Tennessee last weekend. Prior to that, he visited Clemson on Saturday, June 10.

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For the fourth straight season under Gus Malzahn, Auburn has a new defensive backs coach on the staff. This time, it's journeyman Greg Brown, who joined the program back in January. 

On the recruiting trail, that means yet another new position coach trying to court defensive backs for the Tigers. 

With the addition of Brown, who helped shore up the 2017 class in the weeks leading up to signing day, Auburn will look to add at least three defensive backs to the fold with its 2018 recruiting class. Brown is no stranger to recruiting, and after nearly four decades in the coaching ranks, he understands how to sell recruits on his program. 

"Everybody's got something to sell," Brown said in March. "As far as myself, players, their attraction toward myself as a recruiter would be, 'You know what, this guy has been there at these places, especially in the NFL, then maybe he's got something that I can take from him and learn.' You try to sell whatever you've got." 

Along with his wealth of knowledge coaching defensive backs, a selling point for Brown this recruiting cycle is sure to be an opportunity to see the field early -- especially for prospective safeties. Auburn loses its top three safeties -- Tray Matthews, Stephen Roberts and Nick Ruffin -- after this season and will have only two true safeties, 2017 signees Carlito Gonzalez and Jordyn Peters, as well as a nickelback Daniel Thomas on scholarship for 2018. 

Obviously, safety is a priority for Auburn this recruiting cycle. 

The Tigers do not officially have any safeties committed to the 2018 class, though three-star athlete Kolbi Fuqua likely projects as a safety at the next level. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder out of Cordova has said Auburn likes him at receiver, and that's where he plans to start -- but a move to the defensive side is a distinct possibility. 

Auburn remains in the mix for a handful of key safety prospects this cycle, with four-star recruit Quindarious Monday among the team's top targets. The 6-foot-3, 175-pounder out of Atlanta's Carver High is rated as the No. 10 athlete in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite, and he has a penchant for being a "brutal hitter" in the defensive backfield. While Auburn appears to lead for Monday, Clemson and several other schools are in the mix. 

Other safety targets for the Tigers include three-star prospects Jamien Sherwood and Joseph Foucha. Sherwood, out of Jensen Beach, Fla., visited Auburn for Big Cat Weekend earlier this month, and the nation's No. 31 safety said he could see himself signing with the Tigers. Foucha, a product of New Orleans, is the nation's No. 30 overall safety, and he visited Auburn last month and recently declared that both Auburn and Alabama would "for sure" be among his top five finalists. 

As far as cornerbacks go, Auburn will return more depth there than at safety in 2018, so the position isn't as high of a priority. Auburn's top targets at the position are four-star prospects Kyler McMichael and Jalyn Armour-Davis, three-star prospect Juanyeh Thomas and unrated defensive back Charles McClelland, who has received offers from Auburn and LSU in the last three weeks. All three targets were on campus at the start of the month for Big Cat Weekend. 

McMichael, the nation's No. 13 cornerback recruit, was making his third visit to the Plains when he arrived for Big Cat Weekend. The 6-foot, 196-pounder out of Norcross, Ga., left impressed and has the Tigers among his leaders -- which also include Alabama, Clemson and Florida State. Both Auburn and Clemson have approached McMichael about possibly seeing time on offense as well. 

Armour-Davis, from St. Paul's in Mobile, is the nation's No. 15 cornerback and the No. 3 player in the state of Alabama. Auburn is a finalist for Armour-Davis, who was reportedly on campus last weekend for an unofficial visit, but Alabama is the favorite for the 6-foot, 160-pounder. 

Thomas is a former high school teammate of current Auburn receiver Eli Stove, and the Niceville, Fla., product is rated as the No. 146 cornerback in the 2018 class. The 6-foot-2, 204-pounder returned to campus last week for a camp, and Auburn is the favorite for his services. He plans to make a commitment in August between Auburn, Florida and Georgia Tech. 

McClelland was under the radar until his recent offers from Auburn and LSU. The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder out of Homerville, Ga., played running back and safety as a junior, but Auburn sees him as a cornerback at the next level. He will likely wait until after his senior season to make a decision, but Auburn is currently the favorite to land him. 

"Everybody looks for guys that are big, fast, strong, can run, tackle and make plays," Brown said. "You're looking for guys who are productive, you turn on film and you want to see people that are productive, especially if they can be productive on both sides of the ball if their high school system allows them to play both ways and if it allows to play in the return game. 

"You're looking for clues like, can this guy run an angle? Does he have vision, does he have ball skills? Does he have toughness? You're always looking for the complete package." 

It's Brown's hope that, among this group of defensive backs, he'll find a few that fit the description for Auburn's 2018 class.

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