re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition

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Auburn hopes player-to-player edge helps with 4-star RB

DECATUR, Ala. — After A-Day, Auburn’s vocal recruiting leader made it well-known who the Tigers prioritized at the spring game.

Quarterback commit Joey Gatewood mentioned Justyn Ross, who has been a top priority of his since the beginning. But the Auburn point man mentioned another offensive skill player who actually was his biggest target throughout the A-Day festivities.

That was the state’s top running back target, Asa Martin.

“I probably spent more time with Asa than I did with anyone,” Gatewood said.

Martin noticed.

He spent much of the spring game alongside the future Auburn signal caller. The two shared Auburn visit experiences and watched intently as the Tigers flaunted a more pass-heavy offense, which encouraged the use of running backs in the vertical passing game.

Those conversations played a huge role in Martin confirming that Auburn closed the gap on Florida as his top school.

“They’re just contacting me to come be a part of it,” Martin said. “They think they’re going to do something special, and I think so, too. All the guys they have and the guys they have committed, including Joey, I really talk to him a bunch now.”

Gatewood wasn’t the only Auburn player who made a point to spend extra time with Martin at A-Day.

Auburn has done a particularly impressive job recruiting the north side of the state in recent recruiting classes. Jordyn Peters was the gem from the 2017 cycle, which will help play a role in the recruitment of Martin in 2018. Peters and Martin faced off against one another in region play during their high school careers. The two even joked pregame about a particular play in which Peters admitted Martin got the best of him.

That familiarity made Martin feel right at home inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“I was talking to Jordyn for a lot of it. We both came from the same area. Just going to play at Auburn together would be really fun, really special,” Martin said. “I really enjoyed mine and his conversation.”

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Auburn offers extended this week

With evaluation season underway, there will likely be plenty of Auburn offers sent out the next few weeks and months. Auburn coaches have been on the road early in the period, which has already resulted in a few decisions to extend offers. That included three within the last 24 hours or so.

Here’s a quick breakdown on each of those:

Miles Friday is a 2020 running back from Peachtree Ridge (Ga.) who already has offers from Alabama, Louisville, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Wisconsin and others. That’s the second running back — the other is Cartavious Bigsby — who Auburn has offered in the 2020 class. Friday is 5-foot-11 and 172 pounds.

As Auburn continues major receiver recruiting in 2018, Jeremiah Payton from Duncan U. Fletcher (Fla.) received an offer for the 2019 class. Payton holds offers from Florida, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Mississippi State, North Carolina and others. He will likely be a top-50 player once 2019 composite rankings are compiled.

Ja’Len Sims of Fultondale (Ala.) hasn’t completely emerged on the recruiting scene yet, but he’s fully on Auburn’s radar. The 6-foot-1, 210-pound inside linebacker received an offer from the Tigers shortly after his A-Day visit to the Plains. There will be many more to come for the 2019 prospect, but Auburn’s early evaluation and interest will go a long way.

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Quarterback (1)

4-star QB Joey Gatewood*, Bartram Trail (Jacksonville, Fla.): Auburn doesn’t have anything to worry about here. Gatewood has quickly become the vocal leader of the class and is actively recruiting for the Tigers’ 2018 class.

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Wide receiver (4)

4-star WR Matthew Hill, Brookwood (Snellville, Ga.): Hill grew up an Auburn fan in an Auburn fan family. He is high on Auburn and the Tigers have made his priority at wide receiver clear. Other schools can’t decide if he’s a receiver or a defensive back. Hill has a high chance of being one of the next guys to commit.

4-star WR Seth Williams, Paul W. Bryant (Cottondale, Ala.): Will Auburn grab a wide receiver out of Tuscaloosa’s backyard? I like the Tigers’ chances, especially if Auburn isn’t able to land Justyn Ross (as this projection suggests). Williams is a big-bodied option who catches everything that comes his way.

3-star ATH Kolbi Fuqua*, Cordova (Ala.): Fuqua is Auburn’s lone wide receiver commit so far. While he could project as a defensive back, we’ll leave him at receiver for his projection.

3-star WR Shedrick Jackson, Hoover (Birmingham, Ala.): It’s hard to envision Bo Jackson’s nephew playing anywhere other than Auburn, no matter what he says about taking his own path. Jackson will continue to climb the recruiting rankings.

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Offensive line (4)

4-star OG Jalil Irvin*, Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.): Irvin continues to be the centerpiece of Auburn’s offensive line class. He could play center or guard for the Tigers for many years to come.

4-star OL Dylan Wonnum, Tucker (Ga.): Wonnum and Irvin grew up best friends and have talked at length about playing together in college. Wonnum has been a regular at the Plains over the past two years. While Auburn has work to do to land Wonnum, the Irvin factor will help.

3-star OG Kameron Stutts*, Brooks (Killen Ala.): Stutts’ spring game commitment added another massive human being to the 2018 recruiting class. He quickly became another vocal leader and a regular Twitter recruiting presence.

3-star OT Jerome Carvin, Cordova (Tenn.): Carvin attended the Auburn and Alabama spring games. A Memphis-area product, Carvin will likely strongly consider both programs. He told SEC Country earlier this week that Auburn is a school he’ll be “strongly considering” all the way through his process.

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Defensive line (4)

4-star DE Daquan Newkirk*, Mississippi Gulf Coast (JUCO): Newkirk will suit up for the Tigers after a long process stemming from his 2016 signing with Auburn. He will be a versatile end/tackle option.

4-star DE Andres Fox, Mobile Christian (Mobile, Ala.): As noted a few times last week, Auburn is the team to beat for Fox despite the fact he grew up a huge Alabama fan. Fox fits into the Tigers’ Buck defensive end needs. Several of the state’s prospects told me last week they believe Fox is one of the five best players in the state.

3-star OLB Richard Jibunor, Athens Christian (Athens, Ga.): The best story of the 2018 class goes to Jibunor who evaded a religious crisis in Nigeria. Little did he know that move would turn him into one of college football’s most coveted defensive prospects. He has major love for linebackers coach Travis Williams and defensive line/associate head coach Rodney Garner. We expect those connections will elevate Auburn over Alabama, Notre Dame, Florida, Tennessee and others.

Unranked DT Allen Love, Huffman (Birmingham, Ala.): Here’s probably the biggest surprise of the list. Love hasn’t gained a ton of traction through recruiting, but that will change this spring. Mark our words. Lovee picked up a Louisville offer this week. More will come. He visited Auburn a handful of times just since last football season, so don’t be surprised if this under-the-radar prospect lands with the Tigers.

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Defensive back (4)

4-star CB Jalyn Armour-Davis, St. Paul’s Episcopal (Mobile, Ala.): Armour-Davis feels like an Auburn-Florida State battle, but Alabama could become a factor as it attempts to add a cornerback after not landing any in its 2017 class. Still, Auburn was the first team to offer Armour-Davis, and he has said that matters — which is why he makes his way into the projection.

4-star safety Myles Mason, Pleasant Grove (Ala.): This will be a classic Iron Bowl fight, but it is not clear how much priority Alabama will place on this Birmingham-area prospect. As a result, we think Auburn sits in the best shape with Mason as Greg Brown attempts to form his first full defensive backs class.

4-star safety Quindarious Monday, Carver (Atlanta): Monday has called Auburn his leader, and it appears the Tigers’ lead grew in recent weeks. He impressed at the Nike Opening regional in Atlanta with his willingness to lead defensive backs. Auburn would be getting a gem.

3-star ATH Cam Taylor, Park Crossing (Montgomery, Ala.): Taylor is a bit of an unknown because he was injured last season. Most college staffs want to go see him this spring to further evaluate. Taylor is an impressive athlete who plays quarterback for his high school, but he’ll likely play slot receiver or defensive back. We anticipate he’ll bounce back from injury well. He’s at Auburn a lot, so we like the Tigers’ chances.

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How an odd factor could help Auburn

Some of Joiner’s decision remains out of his control.

In a rare twist, we’ve found a next-level athlete with a new goal: He doesn’t want to grow.

At 6-foot-3, Joiner accepts that he’s almost too tall to be a running back. When asked who he compares himself to, his natural reaction is Derrick Henry because he’s the only other successful running back he thinks of who some deem to be “too tall” to play running back.

Joiner isn’t quite that tall yet. But if it happens, he said he might have to reconsider how he views his college decision, which is something I’d never heard of before.

“If I end up 6-4 or 6-5, I might have to move out to receiver, so I’d have to pick a receiver school,” Joiner said. “It could affect it a lot. I mean, it doesn’t affect (my priority) because I can catch the ball well, but I want to be a running back. … The doctors told me I’d stop growing last year, and I’ve grown like an inch.”

Joiner told SEC Country that if he remains 6-foot-3 through October or November, there’s a good chance he’ll go ahead and commit to LSU.

But if he grows, that will force him to look at rosters, depth charts and his own skill set differently. Joiner said he’s already played the hypothetical game. Auburn, Clemson and Texas A&M are the three schools he said interest him a great deal, if he were looking at it solely as a wide receiver.

For Auburn, that appears to be good news.

If he’s a running back, Auburn is in the hunt. If he’s a receiver, Auburn is in the hunt.

“It’s kinda both. It’s the same for running back and receiver. I’d alternate no matter what,” Joiner said.

So get your measuring sticks ready because this fall with Joiner could be an exciting ride. His commitment could come at any time — over the summer after he releases his top 5, during the season when he feels safe with his height or at the Army All-American Game.

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Prototypical tight end on Auburn’s radar

Since Chip Lindsey has come in as offensive coordinator, much has been made about a potential shift in how tight ends are used in Auburn’s offense.

Take his first few weeks on the job, for example. He reached out to and hosted tight end John Samuel Shenker — a hand-in-the-dirt and stretch-out-wide guy — who ultimately committed to the Tigers’ 2017 recruiting class. Fellow SEC Country Auburn writer Justin Ferguson and I have jokingly referred to Shenker as “The Prototype,” referencing what Auburn fans should likely come to expect from Lindsey and tight ends coach Larry Porter as they recruit future players at the position.

Right now, before Shenker arrives on campus, Auburn has only two tight ends on its roster. Jalen Harris, so far, has proven to be the blocking type who isn’t utilized much in the passing game. Salvatore Cannella, well, the spring game showed he might be better suited listed as a wide receiver.

So leave it to the 2018 class to try to resolve some of those personnel issues.

Porter hit the road the last few weeks to begin the evaluation period at high schools around the Southeast. As recruiting coordinator, Porter has recruiting duties outside of the tight end position. But he’s made at least one evaluation visit to see a tight end.

Porter went to Jacksonville, Fla., at the beginning of this week to swing by Nease High School to see 3-star tight end Zach Sheffer who, when he describes himself, sounds an awful lot like the prototype.

“I’m definitely a true hybrid tight end. I can line up in the backfield with my hand in the dirt like a fullback. I love to block. Or I can be flexed out wide,” Sheffer said. “Coach Porter just says I’d fit perfectly there, that they can’t wait to see how my season goes.”

Auburn isn’t the only program showing heavy interest in Sheffer.

At least five other programs went by Nease so far this evaluation period. Several others have said they’ll come by later this spring when the team goes full pads or for the Nease spring game. The next step in Sheffer’s recruiting process will be for the No. 21 TE with 30-plus offers to reciprocate those visits.

There are several schools on his top list of programs who he hopes to visit shortly after his spring circuit — Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida and Florida State. Those aren’t the only programs he’s communicating with, just the places he hasn’t seen and wants to before he narrows down his options.

In fact, when he named the three schools who are standing out to him most — based on regularity of contact — he said Ohio State, Virginia Tech and LSU with the Buckeyes the most common communicators following his April 1 visit.

Auburn’s conversations through Porter aren’t too far behind.

“I talk to him quite a bit. I probably hear from him once a week. The other schools I hear from are a couple times a week,” Sheffer said. “But he’s a really, really cool dude. That’s what stands out most about him.”

For a little Sheffer timeline analysis: He wants to commit by the end of the summer, but he has a lot to accomplish before then. First comes finishing spring football and taking visits. From there, he hopes to drop down to a top 3 or so that will allow him to focus more on visits and contact with those specific coaching staffs. A commitment will come soon after that.

Asked to put his Auburn interest level on a 1-to-100 scale, Sheffer surprised with his answer.

“I’d say they’re about a 90 right now,” Sheffer said. “Every school that has talked with me a lot, I have a lot of interest.”

Porter has talked with Sheffer about making it up to Auburn before, but the schedule hasn’t worked out. Sheffer expects that to change this summer when he gets on visits to a few different programs. To fit in his decision-making timeline, Big Cat Weekend on June 3 might be a good option. If not, expect to see this highly coveted tight end on campus as some point.

What will he be looking for from each of the schools?

“The coaching. If I just like the way they coach me, I like the way they do it. If they’re a guy that screams all the time, but definitely tells you you’re doing good when you’re doing everything right. I like to see the game day atmosphere and all the facilities and academics, as well,” Sheffer said.

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There are lists for ostensibly every facet of modern sports: lists based on recruiting, lists on every statistic ranging from points per game to ranking how players perform on their birthday.

Recruits are no different. They list, too. So it was legitimate news when Justyn Ross, a four-star recruit out of Phenix City, Ala., narrowed his list of potential schools to 11.

It was, not surprisingly, given his hometown, populated by SEC schools. Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU and Florida all made the cut for Ross’ final 11 schools.

The 6-foot-4, 197-pound receiver has no shortage of suitors, of course. He has received offers from more than 20 schools, including both teams in last year’s national title game.

Auburn has been reported as the leading candidate, particularly with quarterback commit Joey Gatewood recruiting Ross to be his favorite future target.

“It’s really important. You’ve got to have a good bond with your quarterback for y’all to play good. It stood out to me,” Ross said of Gatewood’s efforts on A-Day. “He just says that he wants me here with him, that he wants a long wideout.”

At 6-4, Ross would certainly fit the mold of a long wideout. But there is much time yet between now and signing day.

For now, it’s just lists, and Auburn seems to be at the top of this one.

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