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re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition
Posted on 5/7/17 at 8:27 pm to TigerPaw1
Posted on 5/7/17 at 8:27 pm to TigerPaw1
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ATH/QB target updates on Auburn recruitment
Gerry Bohanon remains a hot commodity in the recruiting world.
Georgia, Baylor, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Alabama, Memphis and, of course, home-state Arkansas have been in regular communication with the quarterback from Earle, Ark., who could play a number of positions at the next level. For now, nobody stands out from the pack.
“Really everybody is still pushing hard,” Bohanon said.
Since Bohanon left his three-day Auburn visit, his communication with the Tigers has remained constant.
When mentioned the schools in contention, he listed out the aforementioned programs, but he threw in a “they’re pushing hard” when talking about Auburn. The Tigers are one of a few schools who tell Bohanon that they intend to give him a shot at quarterback, which differs slightly from what Arkansas was telling him originally.
Plus, his Arkansas roots resonated with other former Arkansas guys like Gus Malzahn and Tim Horton.
“I actually have a good relationship with them. I like them,” Bohanon said. “There’s some good coaches down there and they have a lot of people from Arkansas on that staff.”
He hopes to start narrowing down his options soon.
Bohanon has been considering enrolling early, but he wants to make sure he takes his five official visits, calling the chance to do that a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” that he doesn’t plan on passing up. He expects to narrow his list to five before the summer ends, however, and those will be the schools Bohanon will officially visit and consider.
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Posted on 5/7/17 at 8:33 pm to TigerPaw1
Incoming Auburn OT Austin Troxell should be ready for fall camp after 2nd ACL tear in 2 years (SECCountry)
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New Auburn football offensive tackle Austin Troxell knew what to expect this time.
Troxell tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee last September, early in his senior season at Madison (Ala.) Academy. But the road to recovery was easier for him than most, as he came back from an ACL tear in the same knee in the 2015 season.
“I was just blocking this dude and my knee just kind of hyperextended,” Troxell told SEC Country. “I tore my ACL and my meniscus. It was a big blow, coming back the first time and all that. I had worked hard and for it to happen again, it really hurt.
“But I’m back now, and it made me stronger.”
Troxell said his right knee “feels really good” after his second rehab process in as many years. The 6-foot-7 tackle added he “should be able to” participate in his first fall camp for the Tigers.
“I got cleared a while back,” Troxell said. “I’m just working my way back up to where I was before, but I feel really good about it.”
Troxell said his second tear didn’t feel anything like the first one. He didn’t believe he suffered that serious of an injury for quite some time.
“I was in denial of it happening, because I could walk on it and everything,” Troxell said. “It didn’t feel like the first one I had. I was kind of in denial all the way up until the day of the surgery. It was just another setback, another obstacle I had to overcome. It made me a lot stronger than I was before.”
The knee injuries gave Troxell additional time to work on his upper body strength, which he took full advantage of during the last two years.
Troxell is a self-described lover of run blocking, as he helped pave the way for current Auburn running backs Kerryon Johnson and Malik Miller during his high school career.
In 2014 — his last fully healthy season — the Mustangs scored a record 70 points in a state championship win over Dale County.
That state title win for Troxell, Johnson and Miller came inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The next time Troxell steps on that field, he’ll be an Auburn Tiger — and a healthy one at that.
“It’s going to be great,” Troxell said. “I’m just looking forward to getting on the practice field and working with all the guys down in Auburn. I’m working to get back on the field.”
Posted on 5/7/17 at 8:35 pm to TigerPaw1
Auburn WR signee Noah Igbinoghene defends 7A state title in long jump (SECCountry)
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Noah Igbinoghene just needed one good jump.
The Auburn wide receiver signee, admittedly, didn’t put forth his best long jump performance at the AHSAA 7A state meet. Until his final jump, Igbinoghene — the defending state champion in the event — trailed Murphy (Ala.) long jumper Maurice Robinson whose 23 feet, 8.5 inches topped Igbinoghene’s best jump of the day to that point by 6.25 inches.
In his final jump, Igbinoghene got the surge he needed. He leaped 23 feet, 11 inches to become a two-time champion in the event at the state’s highest level.
“It just feels so good, man. I had to fight for that one, so I’m pretty proud of myself. I just had to relax. I had to trust my run up and do what I do. That’s what I did. It was a good feeling at then,” Igbinoghene said after the win. “All you need is one. That’s all it takes, and it happened.”
Igbinoghene took the tough road to the championship.
He received a foul on his initial attempt of the event. His next four attempts only had one jump eclipse the 23-foot mark, which was well below the 25-foot bar Igbinoghene set for himself before the meet. After his final jump — and his opponent’s foot foul to end it — Igbinoghene looked at his coaches and father with a smile on his face: “That was one of the worst events of my life,” he said.
That’s a pretty high standard the future Auburn student-athlete has made for himself, which likely has something to do with the 7A state record he set in the event last year at 24 feet, 7 inches.
“It’s just life, man. It just didn’t go as planned. My run ups were messed up. The wind was blowing. There were a couple things that happened that I wasn’t expecting to happen,” Igbinoghene said, “but I put it out in the end, which is all that matters, I guess.”
Igbinoghene will become known as a speedy wide receiver at Auburn, but that won’t be his only role with the Tigers. He’ll also be a part of the track and field squad as a triple jumper and long jumper. He also runs the 100-meter dash at the high school level and qualified sixth for the finals, which will take place Saturday.
He has a strong chance at adding to state-title resume Friday morning in his best event — the triple jump.
Posted on 5/7/17 at 8:38 pm to TigerPaw1
Auburn signees, commits, targets shine in Day 1 of AHSAA state track meet (SECCountry)
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Auburn, Alabama prospects at state track meet
GULF SHORES, Ala. — I’m not on vacation, I promise.
I’m down at the Alabama High School Athletic Association state track meet in Gulf Shores to check out some of Auburn’s top football talent in a non-football setting. The biggest star here is probably Auburn wide receiver signee Noah Igbinoghene, who repeated as long jump state champion Thursday night. He also will compete in the triple jump Friday morning, which likely will result in another championship — and maybe even a national record.
On top of that, the future Auburn wide receiver and track star will compete in the 100-meter dash on Saturday morning. He qualified sixth.
But Igbinoghene isn’t the only Auburn signee, commit or target down in Gulf Shores for the meet.
Auburn’s most recent offensive line signee Kameron Stutts claimed the state championship in the shot put Thursday, and it wasn’t much of a competition. He’ll try to add a second gold medal to his AHSAA medal count in 2017 when he throws the discus Friday morning.
Kolbi Fuqua, who like Stutts committed to AU on A-Day, will participate in the high jump on Saturday.
Auburn sent out an offer earlier this week to Lee-Montgomery (Ala.) cornerback JaKorey Hawkins, who has been laser-timed at a 4.38-second 40-yard dash. He will play an integral role in Lee’s star-studded 4×100 relay squad. Hawkins also participates in individual events, posting a time of 11.57 seconds in the 100-meter prelims.
The final prospect to mention isn’t an Auburn commit or target, but he’s someone people on the Plains will become quite familiar with: Alabama wide receiver wide receiver signee Henry Ruggs.
Ruggs is a freak athlete who has a basketball highlight tape as impressive as his football film. He’s no slouch on the track, either. He joins Hawkins as the anchor leg on Lee’s 4×100 team that qualified for the finals. But he’s the real star when he’s running the 100 meters on his own.
Ruggs qualified first overall with a prelim time of 10.77 seconds, which was a full two-tenths faster than the second qualifier. It’s safe to say he’s the favorite to win the state championship in the event on Saturday, but it’s possible he could touch some state records.
Posted on 5/7/17 at 8:40 pm to TigerPaw1
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Auburn sends out more offers
The evaluation period is in full swing.
Auburn has been all over the Southeast to check out the top talent in its pipeline. It resulted in another day of offers — three from the same school.
Take a look at the newest offer recipients.
2019 CB Cam’Ron Kelly, Oscar Smith (Va.): To this point, Kelly’s offer sheet has been relatively tame. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound cornerback is rated as the No. 11 CB in the 2019 class by 247Sports. He holds seven offers from the likes of Maryland, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State and Tennessee. With Auburn’s offer Thursday, it’s a sign that many other programs are soon to jump on board.
3-star 2018 TE Chris Carter, South Dade (Fla.): He’s been committed to South Florida since April 15, but as Auburn searches for its tight end options in the 2018 class, it seems the coaches like what they’ve seen from this 6-foot-3, 230-pound prospect.
3-star 2018 DE Patrick Joyner, South Dade (Fla.): Auburn’s pit stop at South Dade included more than just a USF TE commit. The Tigers also showed heavy interest in a Florida State commit. Joyner also received a Miami offer Thursday. He’s the 40th-ranked weakside DE in the nation by the 247Sports composite.
3-star 2018 CB D.J. Ivey, South Dade (Fla.): Earlier in the week, the Tigers offered three prospects from the same St. Louis high school. South Dade in Florida joined the list of three-peat offers. Ivey is also already committed, as he chose Miami last June. Ivey is ranked as the No. 48 cornerback in the country.
Posted on 5/7/17 at 8:41 pm to TigerPaw1
Auburn WR signee Noah Igbinoghene posts state 7A record on way to triple jump title (SECCountry)
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Noah Igbinoghene wasn’t going to let this triple jump championship get away at the Alabama High School Athletic Association 7A state meet.
It is, without a doubt, the Hewitt-Trussville (Ala.) senior’s best event. He’s eclipsed the 50-foot mark on multiple occasions in practice. Igbinoghene already had won an indoor state title in the event, and he ranks second among high school athletes nationally in the triple jump.
But he also remembers his 2016 state meet. Dealing with a nagging ankle injury a year ago, Igbinoghene narrowly lost the triple jump in surprise fashion, as the eventual champion set the state record at 48 feet, 7 inches.
On Friday, in Igbinoghene’s return to the event, he surpassed the state-record mark on three separate occasions — 49 feet, 8 inches; 49 feet, 8.25 inches; and in his last attempt of the day, 49 feet, 10.5 inches.
“I just needed to complete all my phases. I needed to focus on myself most importantly,” Igbinoghene said. “When I didn’t win last year, I was just shocked. I knew I needed to come through this year.”
With the championship, Igbinoghene added his second state title of the weekend after claiming the long jump crown Thursday. The Auburn wide receiver signee now owns six state track championships — two indoor long jumps, two outdoor long jumps, one indoor triple jump and one outdoor triple jump.
Igbinoghene’s first attempt of the day went for 46 feet, 5 inches. Aside from one foot foul, it was his shortest leap of the day.
Still, it would’ve been good enough to win the 7A state championship.
But his eyes were on the state record — and more.
“At that point, I didn’t care about winning. I was looking at my distances, and I did a little better each jump,” Igbinoghene said. “I’ve jumped farther before. I think I could’ve gone farther. I just messed up my landing a little bit. I kinda had a bad head wind. There were a couple of factors that went into it.”
His work at the AHSAA state meet isn’t complete. The 100-meter final will take place Saturday. He qualified sixth, but said Friday he feels good about his chances of finding the podium.
Alabama wide receiver signee Henry Ruggs was the top qualifier in that event.
Posted on 5/7/17 at 9:11 pm to TigerPaw1
Auburn OL commit Kameron Stutts claims first state title with personal record in shot put (SECCountry)
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If it wasn’t obvious already, Kameron Stutts is a strong young man.
The 6-foot-4, 320-pound Auburn offensive line commit shows it with his hard-hitting highlight film. At the AHSAA state track meet, he proved it in the field throwing events.
Going into the 5A shot put, Stutts’ personal-best throw travelled 48 feet, 3 inches. But he knew that wasn’t going to be good enough. There were a few other participants in the event who topped the 50-foot mark with regularity throughout the season and in sectionals.
That was the goal he set for himself.
RELATED: Kameron Stutts chooses Auburn during A-Day pregame festivities
On his second-to-last toss of the state championship: 50 feet, 5 inches. It was a personal record.
“I knew I could. I really feel like I can do anything when I put my mind to it. In shot put, I knew I had a chance. I was throwing pretty good. When I came out, I was throwing 48 consistently. I was thinking, ‘I’m throwing pretty good today.’ I got my hips into one and got to 50,” Stutts said. “I was just praying the other guys didn’t catch me. Some of the other guys throw 50 consistently, so it took some hard work and a little bit of luck.”
The luck came when the other top qualifiers couldn’t reach their prior marks, and more importantly, Stutts’ 50-foot, 5-inch effort. Stutts became the AHSAA shot put state champion in 5A.
The Brooks (Ala.) cheering section erupted after Stutts’ PR throw and did so again when the championship went final. Stutts snagged his first-career state championship in any event or sport. He was instantly bombarded by high school teammates and coaches who were out in full force to cheer on the Auburn football commit.
“It was so cool. Everyone was hugging and congratulating,” Stutts said. “I have a really good support group with the guys and girls I go to school with, so it was really cool to be able to share that with them and watch everyone else compete. It’s really awesome.”
Stutts also competed in the discus, though he knew that would be a taller task.
He aimed to top his personal-best, 142-foot throw in that event. It was close. Stutts used his second-to-last throw to launch the discus 136 feet, 3 inches, which put him on the podium. Another competitor managed to top that by a little more than a foot on his final throw.
Stutts finished fourth in that event.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 5:58 am to TigerPaw1
How top Auburn football prospects fared at AHSAA state track and field meet (SECCountry)
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It was a successful weekend at the Alabama High School Athletic Association state track and field meets for many Auburn football prospects.
Between Gulf Shores and Cullman, six signees, commits or targets put in strong state championship performances — many of which resulted in gold medals. Take a look at how many of the state of Alabama’s top football players performed in a track and field setting over the weekend.
Auburn fans will enjoy the versatile athleticism the Tigers could be adding to their repertoire.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 5:59 am to TigerPaw1
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4-star WR signee Noah Igbinoghene, Hewitt-Trussville
One of the biggest field stars of the weekend, Noah Igbinoghene came into the state meet with lofty goals. He wanted to win state championships. He wanted to set new records.
He did both.
Igbinoghene defended his state championship in the long jump with a best attempt of 23 feet, 11 inches. It came in dramatic fashion, as he needed his final jump to move into first place.
He also got revenge on a major triple jump upset from the year before and did so in record-setting fashion. Igbinoghene set a new state record of 49 feet, 10.5 inches. In fact, three of his six jumps on the day broke the state record set the year before by his competitor in the heartbreaking defeat.
Auburn will be getting an SEC-caliber prospect in football and track and field.
“I just needed to complete all my phases. I needed to focus on myself most importantly,” Igbinoghene said. “When I didn’t win last year, I was just shocked. I knew I needed to come through this year.”
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:00 am to TigerPaw1
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4-star CB target Jalyn Armour-Davis, St. Paul’s Episcopal
Jalyn Armour-Davis, the top defensive prospect in the state of Alabama, showed why he has programs drooling over his athleticism, putting in gold medal performances in both running and jumping events on the final day of competition.
He started off his Saturday with a first-place performance in the triple jump, and he didn’t even use his last two available jumps because he’d already lapped the field and the event overlapped with the 5A 100-meter dash (more shortly). Armour-Davis’ worst triple jump of the day — 44 feet, .75 inches — would’ve won him the gold.
But his best went for 44 feet, 5.5 inches.
Back to the 100 meters, which turned out to be a non-contest for Armour-Davis. He flashed his 4.4 speed with a 10.87-second run — the only person in 5A to break the 11-second barrier. The race gave Armour-Davis his second gold medal, which were his first two individual state championships in his career.
“It was good to get the wins. I wanted to set some personal records. Unfortunately I didn’t, but it’s always good to get gold,” Armour-Davis said. “It was my first time winning any individual events. It feels good. I’m glad I have another year to do it.”
Armour-Davis added a new event this year. He tried the long jump. He found success in his first year competing in the event, placing fourth with a best jump of 21 feet.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:02 am to TigerPaw1
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4-star WR target Seth Williams, Paul W. Bryant
At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, Williams shouldn’t be able to do some the athletically gifted things he’s able to do. The 4-star wide receiver from Tuscaloosa flashed his top-tier athleticism over the weekend in running and jumping events.
Williams’ two best performances of the weekend came in the individual jumping events.
He started his weekend with a bronze-medal showing in the high jump. Williams cleared the bar at 6 feet, 6 inches. The winner of the event jumped 6 feet, 10 inches.
Williams also fared well in the long jump. While he set a 24-foot standard for himself, the wind patterns challenged that. Ultimately, his best jump of the day went 21 feet, 1.25 inches, and the eventual winner — the same participant who bested him in the high jump — cleared 23 feet, .5 inches.
He also played a role in the 4×400 relay team that missed the podium but finished in 3:29.38.
While Williams would’ve like to have won one event, here’s the most impressive part of this all: This was his first year every competing in any track event.
“This was my first year doing track, so those were my first medals. I couldn’t be mad about not getting first because this was my first year. But now I’ve seen what I need to get better at and learn so I can finish on top next year,” Williams said.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:02 am to TigerPaw1
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3-star OL commit Kameron Stutts, Brooks
Auburn’s newest big man flaunted his strength at the state meet.
Stutts started his weekend on a high note when he claimed his first state title in any sport or any event. He set a personal record in the shot put when he launched it 50 feet, 5 inches — the first time he’d ever topped the 50-foot mark.
While other participants had a track record of besting 50 feet, Stutts’ surprise throw couldn’t be matched by any others, leading to a goal medal for the 6-foot-5, 320-pound offensive lineman.
He also competed in the discus. Though narrowly missing the podium in fourth place, Stutts showed his impressive combination of footwork and strength with a throw of 136 feet, 3 inches on his fourth attempt. For two more turns, that stood at a bronze-medal throw, but one competitor’s final attempt edged Stutts out.
Still, it was a weekend to treasure the shot put state championship.
“It was so cool. Everyone was hugging and congratulating,” Stutts said. “I have a really good support group with the guys and girls I go to school with, so it was really cool to be able to share that with them and watch everyone else compete. It’s really awesome.”
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:03 am to TigerPaw1
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Other notable competitors
- 3-star ATH commit Kolbi Fuqua tied for ninth in the high jump by clearing the 5-foot, 8-inch mark. He noted after the event that his junior-year transition from 170 pounds to 210 pounds knocked his best attempts down from around the 6-foot mark.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:04 am to TigerPaw1
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- 3-star CB target JaKorey Hawkins was the first leg of Lee-Montgomery’s third-place 4×100 relay team. He also qualified for the 100-meter dash semifinals.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:04 am to TigerPaw1
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Not at the Gulf Shores meet, 3-star DE target Andres Fox came in second place in the javelin by throwing it 152 feet, 3 inches. In the discus, Fox came in 11th with a best throw of 110 feet, 2 inches. He took 20th in the shot put with a throw of 36 feet, 1 inch.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:04 am to TigerPaw1
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3-star ATH signee JaTarvious Whitlow won the 200-meter dash with at time of 22.52 seconds. Whitlow also won the triple jump by hitting 43 feet, 10.75 inches. He placed third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 51.26 seconds. Whitlow came in second in the long jump after a best jump of 20 feet, 7.75 inches. With the wins, Whitlow added his eighth and ninth state championships of his career.
Posted on 5/8/17 at 6:05 am to TigerPaw1
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Bonus: 4-star Alabama WR signee Henry Ruggs isn’t an Auburn signee or commit, but he’s a name the Tigers will hear a lot of in coming years. He joined Hawkins on the relay team, but his claim to fame from the weekend was breaking the 7A 100-meter dash record with a 10.58-second championship run.
Posted on 5/9/17 at 10:57 pm to TigerPaw1
LSU offered 3* OT Cameron Wire today. I thought might be someone AU pushes for with other top targets leaning elsewhere but will be hard to get him out of LA now
Posted on 5/11/17 at 11:36 am to TigerPaw1
Bama has offered Gatewood
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