re: 2017 Football Recruiting Thread ["N$D Bryant" Edition]

I think pretty much every SEC coach, except for maybe Saban, Smart and the most recent hires, will all be on the hot seat next year. Good time for the other conferences to pounce.

So what's the class ranking look like if Ashley flips and we miss on Hunter

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Why does it matter in the long run?

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In the long run, they will be the upperclass foundation and it is nice to have a large quality class

Some people like recruiting star counting. Means something to them. I personally don't think it is super important as long as we have a solid class that fits needs.

KN has recruiting insider up as well

- It appears the 3* WR Marlon Williams decommit was a mutual parting of ways & not surprising. He claims that LSU & Tennessee are recruiting him the hardest right now. KN believes that if AU offered he would land with the Tigers. Because of that we are slow playing as we have other guys ahead on the list & only want really 1 more WR

- Nothing new but Stanford & AU appear to be top 2 for 4* DE Ryan Johnson. The question is can Johnson get into Stanford. Unclear at this time. KN says AU source close to program doesn't think he goes out west

- 3* LB Thomas Johnston does plan to officially visit AU though KN says no date has been set (even tho Johnson tweeted he would visit this weekend). Apparently we are also evaluating him as FB & he wants might want to play baseball

- AU will sign one more OL but not clear yet who it will be. Sounds like mainly between 2 guys: 3* OT Jordan Tucker & 3* Matthew Tanner. Recent Washington State decommit 3* OT George Moore could be in play as well. Tucker plans to officially visit January 27th. Probably smart to do it last weekend as AU will probably know for sure by then which they will take

- With things not looking so good with 4* S Devon Hunter, KN checked with 3* ATH JaTarvious Whitlow who says that he has not spoken with AU since Christmas. He has some grad concerns but has always liked AU

Auburn commit Alaric Williams warns Clemson about Harvey Updyke, Alabama fans (SECCountry)

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In some senses, Alabama and its fans have probably forgotten what it’s like to lose.

The Crimson Tide won every game this season before the National Championship and hadn’t lost since week 3 of the 2015 season against Ole Miss. Given that, we can’t be sure how Crimson Tide fans will react to last night’s last-second loss.

Auburn commit Alaric Williams, a 4-star athlete from Ashville, Ala., decided to have some fun with Alabama’s misery on Twitter early Tuesday morning, reminding Clemson fans to be wary of Alabama fans like Harvey Updyke, the infamous Toomer’s Corner tree poisoner after Alabama lost to Auburn in 2010.

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Auburn’s newest QB commit Malik Willis joins Jordan Tucker recruitment party (SECCountry)

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With that said, on Monday, Tucker replaced his planned Jan. 14 official visit to Louisville with an OV to North Carolina. He is also scheduled to take an official visit to South Carolina the following week on Jan. 20. That leaves an open weekend in the final month of the recruiting calendar, which could be used for Louisville — or Auburn.

So why the wait?

For starters, there have been a few offensive line pieces drop during the dead period, including Cesar Ruiz and Adrian Ealy. Neither were likely lands for the Tigers, but these recruitments often go up to the final moments, so it’s possible Auburn felt it had a chance and waited.

Now the contact period is about to resume. The Malzahn staff — Hand, in particular — is the in-person type. Meaning, he makes a lot of his ground work when you’re with him, hearing and seeing what he has to say up close and personal. An in-home visit with an offer early in the contact period would go a long way to 1) securing a Jan. 28 official and 2) helping Auburn work its way up to the leaderboard.

Another worthy explanation for the Tigers’ hesitance with Tucker is just the nature of the offensive line class right now.

Calvin Ashley and Austin Troxell are tackles, though both have the versatility to play guard, if asked. With the smoke around Ashley’s commitment, I can understand the concern of floating an offer out to yet another tackle. Auburn has been on the hunt for primarily inside guys throughout the fall, hosting players like Ruiz and Jordan Agasiva.

But there is something to say for strength in numbers. Ashley is a competitor and likely wouldn’t be concerned with an offer out to another talented, big-bodied tackle. Stepping into hypothetical territory for a second: a Troxell, Ashley, Tucker, Nick Brahms O-line class would be massive in size and talent.

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Spanish Fort linebacker Thomas Johnston sets final 2 visits, nears decision (AL.com)

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"I don't want to say a whole lot right now," he said. "I just want to get these last two visits in and I think then I'll be ready to make my decision."

Johnston also visited Arkansas and Iowa before Christmas. He said he would not take his fifth and final official visit. Johnston said Ole Miss coaches are also scheduled to come to Spanish Fort for lunch on Friday before he leaves for Auburn.

"I just thank God every day for blessing me with the opportunity to go to these great schools," he said. "I've enjoyed the whole process and I am excited to make my decision. After I go to Ole Miss, I'll come home, talk with my family a lot, pray about it and see what the future holds."

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Johnston finished his five-year high school career as the state's all-time leading tackler with 675 stops. He finished his senior season with 195 tackles and was named the AL.com Coastal Alabama Player of the Year. He is also one of three finalists for Class 6A Lineman of the Year. That award will be presented Jan. 18 in Montgomery.

Auburn seems to be trending in the right direction for Johnston. He played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game with several Tiger commits (T.D. Moultry, K.J. Britt and Malcolm Askew). Former teammate Tre Threat is in his second year at Auburn, while former rivals Tre Williams (St. Paul's) and Deshaun Davis (Vigor) are Auburn's starting linebackers.

"I know a lot about Auburn," he said. "I've been up there a lot. I just want to see their game plan for me and their scheme. At Ole Miss, I want to ask them about the NCAA situation there and what may become of that, and I also want to see the town and the campus. It will be my first visit there."

Johnston said LSU and Iowa are in contact with him the most at the moment with Auburn right behind. His older brother Tyler, the reigning Mr. Football in Alabama, is a freshman at UAB.

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Sounds like it. That's not uncommon, especially at smaller schools (but SF ain't small).

Pretty sure tim Castille was playing for briarwood as fifth grader (not really but it seemed He was there forever

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Just saw on the rant that Bama's14 early enrollees (like they needed them) would be ranked number seven in the country by themselves.

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So if we win 4/8 NCs and consistently top 5 in the country, we'll recruit well?

Calvin Ashley on Twitter:

"No more visits. No more entertaining other schools. Time to get ready for Auburn!"