Started By
Message
1
Posted on 6/9/17 at 4:53 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
2019 DE Derrick McLendon (Tucker, Ga./Tucker)
"We all know Georgia - Duh."
Posted on 6/9/17 at 4:53 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
TE John FitzPatrick (Atlanta/Marist)
"I think Georgia."
Posted on 6/9/17 at 4:54 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
DB Trey Dean (Hampton, Ga./Dutchtown)
"Georgia or Florida. I'm pretty sure he not going to Auburn."
Well frick you too Dean
FWIW he said Walker would not sign with AU so
Posted on 6/9/17 at 4:54 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
WR Kearis Jackson (Fort Valley, Ga./Peach County)
"Honestly, recruiting wise, I think Georgia leads. But Florida needs quarterbacks. Georgia has been recruiting him very hard. They want to get him and they are able to get him, but they are going to have to change the offense."
Posted on 6/9/17 at 4:55 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
Results
Georgia - 9
Auburn - 8
Florida - 5
FSU - 3
Not bad... Bottom line is no one seems certain just yet. Everyone likes their chances
I think it ends up AU/UGA but we will see. Distance plays a big role in this methinks
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:16 pm to ThaiTiger24
quote:
Wow, we aren't doing so well on the OT and DT front - we seem to be #3 and #4 at best for a lot of these top guys, except for Coynis Mil
When are we ever doing well on the DT front? Looking more and more like Jackson and Brown was a fluke, and hell Jackson is gone now.
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:19 pm to TigerPaw1
Why Justyn Ross’ most recent Auburn visit for Big Cat Weekend had special meaning (SECCountry)
quote:
Why Justyn Ross’ Auburn visit was special
AUBURN, Ala. — Justyn Ross is a regular at Auburn — as regular as any target in the 2018 class, in fact.
The 4-star wide receiver from Phenix City, Ala., has been at every recruit-heavy event that has taken place this spring, from junior days to spring games to Big Cat Weekend. So, his most recent trip to the Plains didn’t offer a groundbreaking, decision-changing moment.
But it was different from all of those visits for a critical reason:
His mother, Charay Franklin, made her first college trip with Ross since she returned from her yearlong deployment in Kuwait as a member of the National Guard. For the first time, he was able to experience Auburn — a program he’s as close with as any other — with her, as she begins to help him weigh his many top-tier options.
“It was great because I know she had a good time. I know she’s glad to finally be back helping me with my recruitment,” Ross said. “I was very excited [for her to be back]. I thought she was coming back the next week, but she surprised me and came back before Mother’s Day. It was a great day.”
Franklin has communicated with members of the Auburn staff in the past, but Ross was glad his mother finally got a face-to-face encounter: “She finally got the chance to talk to them,” he said.
Ross stands firm publicly that his decision is still up in the air. Alabama and Auburn still recruit him the hardest, but the standout Clemson visit sticks in his memory, as well. But it would be hard to imagine the No. 1 prospect in Alabama leaving the state when both programs are in prime form.
For some perspective, the 247Sports composite tracks player rankings since 2000. Only twice has the No. 1 player in the state not gone to Alabama or Auburn: Chad Jackson in 2003 and Jameis Winston in 2012. The state’s top programs just don’t miss on the state’s top player with any kind of regularity to make it worth believing it will happen.
But when Ross talks with his mother about his recruitment, he isn’t even able to narrow it down that far.
“We haven’t talked too much about it, but when we do talk, she’s always just asking me where I feel the most comfortable?” Ross said. “I can’t really even give her an answer right now. … I think she wants a place where she can drop me off and say, ‘I’m comfortable with him being here.'”
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:20 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
What I’m hearing with Justin Fields
The big, long-anticipated bombshell finally dropped Tuesday night: 5-star Penn State quarterback commit Justin Fields became a former Penn State commit.
Fields is the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the nation (No. 2 overall quarterback behind the nation’s top prospect Trevor Lawrence). He ranks No. 6 among overall prospects. There are plenty of people out there, myself included, who have speculated it could be worth having the “Fields vs. Lawrence” conversation for nation’s No. 1 player.
Fields is everything he’s hyped up to be.
And Auburn has a legitimate shot at him. There will be four programs included in the Fields conversation going forward. That’s Auburn, Georgia, Florida and Florida State. Penn State has a chance to stay involved, but it’s going to be hard for an already de-committed prospect from Georgia to re-select a team outside the Southeast.
Here’s what I know about the Fields situation in what will be a fascinating recruitment going forward:
- Florida and Florida State are believed to be in the best shape, for now. But with the recruitment fully open now, there will be no holding back from home state Georgia and Auburn.
- There is no question who Auburn wants more than any other prospect in this class. The Tigers offered Fields this spring on the same day it was relayed to me that Auburn will take two quarterbacks in the 2018 class. It’s not a coincidence those two events happened on the same day.
- Georgia is going to go after Fields hard, and don’t think because the Bulldogs have Jacob Eason and Jake Fromm that it excludes the Bulldogs. Fields has told SEC Country’s Chris Kirschner that he embraces the possibility of both redshirting and competition. While Florida (definitely) and Auburn (potentially) have more promising early playing time opportunities, Georgia won’t be eliminated for that sole purpose.
- Perhaps most interestingly: Two prospects (and I’ll keep them anonymous for now) who are strongly considering Florida and Auburn told me prior to the de-commitment that they’d entertain the idea of wanting to play alongside Fields in college. For what it’s worth, those are the two programs trending most commonly on the 247Sports Crystal Ball.
- Fields is expected to take a Florida visit within the next couple of weeks. I don’t have a confirmation on an upcoming Auburn visit, or a visit to any of the other programs he’s considering, but trips to the four aforementioned programs seems likely.
- I don’t expect this decision to drift into the football season, or late into the recruiting cycle. Fields will have a decision before summer ends.
- If Auburn isn’t successful with Fields, expect the Tigers to pick up their efforts with Ohio State commit Emory Jones.
Interesting note on Jones. Honestly I am not the biggest Emory Jones fan. I like Gatewood more than him
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:21 pm to TigerPaw1
Daquan Newkirk one step closer to living Auburn dream after roller-coaster journey (SECCountry)
quote:
AUBURN, Ala. — Prior to last weekend, Daquan Newkirk‘s most recent visit to Auburn dated back to Nov. 14, 2015.
That was his official visit as a member of the 2016 recruiting class. Auburn played Georgia that day. The result of the game was inconsequential. Newkirk, a kid from Orlando, Fla., was just cherishing the moment, envisioning himself soon on the brink of a college career on the Plains.
Fast forward to Big Cat Weekend 2017.
Newkirk spent the weekend reacquainting himself with the program and the coaching staff. He hit a few roadblocks along the way, slowing his Auburn arrival, but his first visit to campus in 18 months marked an important landmark for Newkirk’s career revival.
“It felt great because I’ve always felt like I was away from it it all. It just felt good to be back,” said Newkirk, a defensive end listed at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds. “Just getting to meet the coaches again, getting back under their wing, getting to meet the new players. I’m getting back acclimated with the new players. … [It was] refreshing. I haven’t been here in this great place in forever. Eighteen months is a long time.”
When Newkirk visited more than a year ago, the roster looked much different. On his return visit, he reconnected with Jason Smith and Tray Matthews, players he’d met on his previous visit. He spent some time with Marlon Davidson and Eli Stove, who were original classmates of his in 2016.
He also spent time with star defensive lineman Derrick Brown, as well as walk-on Chase Cramer, who has a high school connection to Newkirk.
“I hung out with a few guys. I hung out with my coach’s son [Cramer] because he went to the same high school as me. I’ve been at his apartment, and a couple players came over to play cards,” Newkirk said.
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:22 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
‘I didn’t come out of my dorm’
Newkirk doesn’t reject the obstacles that put him where he is today. Not anymore, at least.
That wasn’t always the case.
Shortly after Newkirk’s official visit to Auburn, heading into Christmas break, Newkirk’s worst nightmare started to surface. He’d missed more than a month of school, some due to sickness, some due to his own admittedly regrettable choices. He wasn’t going to have the grades necessary to graduate. He wasn’t sure if his dream of playing for Auburn would materialize.
But it was the Tigers who presented him with crisis management.
“When Auburn found out I had to do that [delay graduation], they gave a couple suggestions. One was to leave school, which I had to drop out and get my GED to go to junior college,” he said.
That’s what he did.
Instead of finishing his final semester at The First Academy in Orlando, he began taking a GED course. He set up a two-year plan with Mississippi Gulf Coast C.C. to play defensive end and get his grades right. But during the GED process, a history test slip-up created another roadblock.
Newkirk was forced to sit out his freshman year at Gulf Coast, which added insult to injury. Literally. He also had to undergo shoulder surgery.
“I was really depressed. I had to be away from football for a long time once I got to Gulf Coast. I had to go through a lot of events to get to where I’m at now. It was pretty depressing,” said Newkirk, who hasn’t played in a football game since the fall of 2015. “I didn’t come out of my dorm for a while. I didn’t want to talk to nobody once I realized I wasn’t playing. I was really just depressed. I didn’t even want to work out at all. I was low. Probably around the middle of the season, players and coaches started getting me out of my dorm room. I started working out again and got back right.”
The people closest to him saw the emotional cargo that came along with the discouraging life change.
One of his high school coaches, Curtis Cramer from The First Academy, accompanied him on the most recent visit. When Newkirk had to take the junior college route, Cramer — the father of Auburn walk-on Chase Cramer — was the first to step in to assist his former player.
“That immediate disappointment was a huge burden on him. It was as if someone has just dumped a load of weight on him,” Cramer said. “What he’s done, I think most kids would quit. School would be done. They’d go do their thing and work somewhere. But we’ve also never wanted him to see that there was another option. The degree is important. Having football to be able to pay for it, we all would love that. I wanted him to see that opportunity laid before him as a gift and go after it. That’s been the mindset. And his work ethic has been tremendous.”
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:22 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
‘I just want to … create a better future for us’
It’s never easy admitting mistakes. But it’s often a nice cleanser. It helps hit the restart button.
Newkirk knows as well as anyone.
“We really invested in the ‘Hey, look, this is where we’re at. It’s because of decisions you made. They were poor. The adversity is because of the adversity you brought upon yourself. But it’s fixable.’ We had a white board of the positives and the negatives,” Cramer said. “Here’s all the positives if you choose to turn right now. We filled the positive side of the white board up. There’s no negatives. There’s a boatload of negatives if you don’t choose to turn, but we just focused on the positives. I said, ‘Are you in?’ He said, ‘I am.'”
Newkirk had other factors driving him.
Sure, he’d always dreamed of playing college football and making it to the pros. But he’d never fully appreciated the why or how. Newkirk’s detour forced him to mature. It made him look at the entire process for more than one person. It’s the reason he slapped himself out of his early JUCO funk. It’s the reason he’s turned into a gym rat.
“My mom. My mom, for sure,” Newkirk said. “If I didn’t, I know that would really break her heart. During the whole recruiting process, as a mom, you tell your co-workers and your friends that your child is going to go here and play here. They ask about you all the time. I just want to be able to get here to create a better future for us.”
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:22 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
‘That means everything to me’
Newkirk’s self-motivation wouldn’t have been complete without Auburn’s faith.
Auburn never wavered with him. From the moment he admitted his academic mishaps, the Tigers stuck with him. They helped guide him through the backup options. They encouraged him through GED struggles, shoulder surgery and a freshman-year depression.
There were times even Newkirk wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to label himself as “Auburn commit,” or even better “Auburn student-athlete.”
“When times got tough in the classroom, I thought if I didn’t make it through, they might not wait for me. I was looking for escape routes and stuff like that, but I just knew my family, my parents, my coaches that were with me throughout high school would not let me do that,” Newkirk said. “I knew I had to persevere.”
Auburn stayed true with an inspiring message: “Stay focused. Just stay focused. It’ll be here soon enough,” defensive line coach Rodney Garner told him.
Garner has been there with Newkirk through it all. That’s what has Newkirk firmly committed in Auburn’s 2018 class with no interest in pursuing opportunities at other schools recruiting him.
“That means everything to me. They didn’t have to do that. That’s why I stuck to them,” Newkirk said. “They could’ve let me go easy when I had to take that route, so that’s huge.”
After Cramer’s son walked on, Cramer was able to see, from a parent’s perspective, just what the Auburn coaching staff does. Cramer had coached Auburn offensive lineman Calvin Ashley at The First Academy, so he’s familiar with what student-athletes receive from the Tigers’ tutelage.
Auburn has the coach’s seal of approval.
“These coaches are so legit. Yes, they’re great Xs and Os-wise,” Cramer said. “But what they bring, as men, for character, integrity, morality, all that. It’s unmatched. There’s not an amount of money in the world that I could repay them for what they do.”
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:23 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
‘I’ve got to impress the staff’
Through this roller-coaster journey, one thing has been absent: Newkirk’s presence on a football field. It will come this fall at Gulf Coast.
He can’t wait to return and show Auburn’s coaches he’s still got it. Newkirk said he feels like he has a point to prove. Here’s his self-scouting report.
“I’ve got to make plays. I’ve got to impress the staff. That’s one thing I know. They’re bringing me back in, so I have to re-prove myself,” Newkirk said. “I can do both, inside and outside. Gulf Coast kind of prepared me for that. I’m very explosive and quick off the ball, very agile. I can move. I know that for sure. I think that’s the thing that sets me apart, my quickness and agility off the ball.”
Coming out of high school, Newkirk was the No. 33 weakside defensive end in the country, which slotted him at No. 538 among overall prospects. That’s a 3-star status. Now further along in the process, his stock has actually grown. He’s now No. 1 among JUCO defensive linemen and No. 4 among overall JUCO prospects, which has him ranked as a 4-star by 247Sports.
Cramer’s description of Newkirk makes it obvious why Auburn would stick with the defensive end through such adversity.
“He has a tremendous motor. I mean, tremendous motor. He’s huge, as you can see. But as big as he is, he’s extremely quick and fast — and those are two different things,” Cramer said. “He does not have a quit in him. He’s high energy. He’s really high IQ on the football field. He really, really knows what to do when he’s taught it, and he does it well and with great energy.
“I think he’s learned a lot of focus and discipline being at JUCO, which has been great for him. It’ll really help him. Once he gets to Auburn, he’ll be really refined for coach Garner. And he’s very strong and powerful. He’s not afraid to go in the weight room. His work ethic is solid.”
How exactly Garner will use Newkirk remains to be seen.
“He actually hasn’t told me much, but I know he has a lot of plans for me based on what he asks me,” Newkirk said. “I’m pretty sure I’ll play inside some like Byron (Cowart) and outside some. He hasn’t seen me move in a while, so once he sees how I actually move, he might just keep me on the outside.”
Very interested in seeing how he does in JUCO this year. KN keeps saying the staff thinks Newkirk is a monster
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:24 pm to TigerPaw1
Andres Fox and his parents ‘really love all of the schools now’ after Big Cat Weekend visit to Auburn (SECCountry)
His parents have always scared me in this recruitment. His inner circle all wants Bama. Let's hope LSU isn't the compromise
quote:
Auburn has one less obstacle with Andres Fox
AUBURN, Ala. — After Big Cat Weekend, Auburn has one less hurdle to navigate in the Andres Fox sweepstakes.
The 3-star defensive end from Mobile, Ala., has always suggested his own Alabama fandom wasn’t something Auburn needed to worry about. He has hinted at another potential obstacle, however: his parents.
Fox’s parents aren’t making the decision for him, by any means. But they want him to be calculated in his decision. They’ve shown some slight pushback at times with his growing love for the Tigers.
But after Big Cat Weekend, Fox said he feels like that’s no longer a concern.
“I think they really love all of the schools now. They have opened up lately,” Fox said. “They feel like wherever I want to go, I can do that.”
In terms of his public stance, Fox isn’t picking leaders.
He is sticking with his original trio of Auburn, LSU and Alabama and would like to have a decision later this summer, if possible. He still has a few visits to take. Fox will go to LSU one more time with both of his parents. He’ll also travel west to see Southern Cal and Stanford because he has family in California.
But it would be a surprise to see either of those programs jump into the mix.
“I would say Auburn, LSU and Alabama are all tied for No. 1. I really like all of those schools,” Fox said.
Despite those comments, I’ve been given plenty of reason to believe Auburn remains the favorite.
RECRUITING: Why 5-star WR Justyn Ross’ recent Auburn visit had special meaning
Yes, he grew up an Alabama fan and admitted that’s something that matters. Yes, Ed Orgeron is personally recruiting the defensive lineman to LSU, and he’s recruiting Fox harder than anyone else. But Fox hasn’t forgotten which program really set off his recruitment with the initial offer after the state championship game in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
That was Auburn, and that might matter most.
“Auburn offered me first, and I have a really good relationship with them,” Fox said. “Some people say that the only reason why Alabama offered me was because of Auburn offering. I don’t know about that.”
His parents have always scared me in this recruitment. His inner circle all wants Bama. Let's hope LSU isn't the compromise
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:26 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
Coynis Miller considering moving up decision timeline
Keep an eye on Coynis Miller’s recruitment going forward.
The talented, in-state defensive tackle originally intended to take his time with his recruitment. He told SEC Country in the past that an end-of-season decision — potentially even a National Signing Day announcement — was possible. But he also announced two weeks ago that he might change his stance on that choice.
In fact, Miller is considering moving up his decision to the summer.
“I’m still thinking about it. After talking to my coach, he’s just telling me to take my time. There’s no need to rush anything. He did say that if I’m ready to make my decision, then I should do it. If not, then I need to wait it out,” Miller said. “I’m still trying to figure this out.”
There’s one thing to note about that discussion with his coach. Miller’s high school coach at Jackson-Olin in Birmingham, Ala., is Tim Vakakes. Vakakes was the high school coach of Auburn linebacker Tadarian Moultry, who has made it quite clear that the Jackson-Olin coach doesn’t put up with nonsense.
Perhaps No. 1 on that nonsense list is de-commitments.
That’s not something that will happen in Vakakes’ world, so it’s not something that will take place in Miller’s world either. So while he feels like he might need to jump in to fill up a spot, Miller isn’t going to rush into things because when he’s done, he’s done.
For now, Auburn and Alabama continue to be the favorites, but don’t rule out an out-of-state decision either. With that said, I’d be stunned if either program allowed him to leave the state.
This post was edited on 6/9/17 at 5:26 pm
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:26 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
Keep an eye on Auburn camp attendees
I don’t have a finalized list yet, but Auburn will host its first high school summer camp Thursday from 10 a.m. CT to 2 p.m. CT. Keep an eye out for a full list of attendees later in the day once everyone finishes up with check-in.
This camp will be an opportunity for Auburn to do some last-minute evaluations of 2018 prospects. I’ll keep you posted on any 2018 players who make any major noise at the event. It also allows coaches an early look at 2019 and 2020 prospects who will become firmly entrenched on the Tigers’ interest list.
Only one prospect has reached out to me to confirm he’ll be at the camp. That’s 4-star defensive end Richard Jibunor, who wasn’t able to make it to Big Cat Weekend.
Again, keep an eye out for another article with a complete list of campers.
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:28 pm to TigerPaw1
Next Generation: Auburn freshman Markaviest Bryant is ready to be Big Cat for the Tigers (SECCountry)
quote:
CORDELE, Ga. — In the months leading up to Markaviest Bryant’s arrival at Auburn, it happened repeatedly.
Strangers would approach the soon-to-be-freshman requesting he sign something. Often it was piece of paper. Other times it was the T-shirt someone was wearing.
On rare occasions it’s been an arm.
“People think I have a real good chance of being a superstar one day,” Bryant, who always smiles and obliges, told SEC Country on a visit last month. “They say, ‘You never know what might be coming or what this might be worth someday.’ ”
There’s one place, however, where the people have a good understanding of how valuable Bryant’s presence is.
It was clear when Gus Malzahn’s football staff crowded around a conference table on National Signing Day in February, and exploded into celebration after Bryant, 6-foot-4, 226 pounds, shocked many by putting an orange and blue baseball cap on his then-floppy hair.
Bryant, overwhelmed with emotion after his morning-of decision, saw the clip later in the day. It was more than he could have hoped for.
“It was big. That made me feel like I really made the best decision for me,” Bryant said. “I mean, I really made the decision for myself and my family. I think I put myself in the best situation to be great.”
See, rarely does Bryant, or anyone around him, use the word adequate.
It’s certainly not how coaches at Alabama, Georgia, LSU or dozens of other top programs chose to describe the 4-star defensive end when they offered him scholarships. Outstanding was a better descriptor.
Shelton Felton, Bryant’s head coach at Crisp County High School hates “to say perfect,” but admits “he’s close to it.”
The chance to start and play would have been there at many of the nation’s most prestigious schools. Yet after a back-and-forth recruiting process — the prospect wanted to attend Georgia and LSU before settling on Auburn — Bryant said he found the right fit about 125 miles from his hometown.
“I feel like Auburn would have a much bigger need for me,” Bryant said. “At other schools, I would have just been another player. At Auburn, I’m the player.”
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:30 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
Becoming Big Cat
Felton met Bryant in the hallway shortly after taking over as the Cougars head football coach in March of 2015.
When the sophomore introduced himself as Markaviest, Felton smiled.
“I said, ‘I can’t say that,” Felton recalled. “We’re going to call you Big Cat. And it just stuck with him.’ ”
Ironically, the nickname didn’t depict the player Bryant was at the time or had always been in the past.
The signs were always there. Bryant’s mother, Marcia, will never forget the message she received on her son’s first trip to the dentist.
“His teeth were so small,” Marcia said. “The dentist said, ‘Oh my goodness this is going to be a big boy.’ ”
And sure enough, over time, Bryant became the biggest kid in his class. By the time he was 5, his mom and stepdad recognized he needed to be playing sports and went to sign him up for flag football.
When the signup sheet was full, Marcia and her husband went in another direction, urging a coach to give him a shot playing contact football. And despite Marcia’s suggestion to give other sports, like basketball, a try, Bryant’s been on the gridiron ever since.
A different determination was always there, too. Like others, he grew and improved. But when no one thought he had a future in a football helmet, Bryant kept striving.
“A lot of people used to overlook me and say I wasn’t good,” Bryant said. “I used to be the first one to get picked just because I was bigger than everybody,” Bryant said. “But coaches joked that I wasn’t that guy. I didn’t have anything to prove really at that time.”
However, in the hours before school, Bryant worked out, telling himself one day he would provide for his mom and family.
Felton had a plan he wanted to implement in his first years at Crisp County. Bryant never doubted Felton, who was a Cougar himself, but it wasn’t always easy.
“We’ve had times where it’s gotten heated. Where I’ve just gotten really mad at him,” Felton said. “And he never did anything but shake his head and say, ‘Yes sir’ and ‘No sir.’ ”
Yet often that brave face only stayed on until Bryant got home from practice. Then he crumbled and the tears rolled.
“There used to be days where I didn’t think I wanted to play anymore, I used to be so mad,” Bryant said. “He called me tissue and other names all the time in front of everybody. It was terrible.”
Felton never let up, either.
“I had to get on him, I can be very demanding. ” Felton said. “In those times he knew it was best for him. It wasn’t anything but wanting the best for him and he understood that. One thing with him, he took hard coaching, he took aggressiveness and he’s done a great job with it.”
Big Cat had to earn his stripes. So he followed the “crazy man” and all his orders.
“Whatever he said to do, I was like I’m just going to do it,” Bryant said. “As I started getting serious and developing in the weight room, and then onto the field and he started teaching me things as a young man, all of that came together and I got better throughout the season. He told me what I had to do to become who I am today, and ever since then I’ve just been consistent and trying to stay with it in everyday life.”
For Big Cat, though, consistent was never enough.
As a senior, he totaled 102 tackles (36.5 for a loss) while leading Crisp County to the Georgia Class 3A semifinals. The defensive player of the year was named an Under Armour All-American, too. And stopping a single opponent was minimum—Big Cat wanted to be unblockable.
More often than not, he was.
“Once he learned and got better going into his senior year, when he understood the defense and how to play,” Felton said. “He shut down one side of the field.”
While Bryant admits he worked hard he’ll be the first to point to Felton.
“He helped me become that dog,” Bryant said of his coach. “The things I was doing before he came, I was physical, but I wasn’t as physical. As a football player you have to be tough. He kind of built that into me. … He’s taught me so much as far as just how to be aggressive, how to have that dog in you.”
Any physical, mental or emotional edge Big Cat can carry with him to campus this summer is going to be vital. Especially because Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner can’t be described as quiet or boring.
Intimidating, yes. In particular moments — say following a mistake during the suffocating heat of fall camp — the most appropriate adjective might be scary.
Still, Big Cat is prepared for how Garner may change when he’s a true freshman instead of a prized recruit. Similarly to Felton, Big Cat sees Garner as a father-figure. Besides, he started hanging on every harsh criticism a long time ago.
Posted on 6/9/17 at 5:32 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
‘What he needed to know’
The nickname “the closer” isn’t easily awarded. But few in college football question if Garner is deserving of it.
The longtime coach swears it’s a combination of qualities which allows players to separate themselves and become stars in the Southeastern Conference. Skill is a requirement, but “tenacity” and a willingness “to stick your face in the fireplace on every single snap,” he says, goes further.
Garner explains it as “dropping his players in the grease.” And you either “stay in there and cook and become good, or jump out of the pot.”
Others have tried and struggled to deal with his methods. Even third-round draft pick Montravius Adams, Big Cat’s cousin, admittedly didn’t develop as quickly as he would have liked.
Auburn-Auburn Tigers-Auburn Tigers football-Big Cat
So why might Big Cat be unique? Is he that much better suited to handle Garner’s wrath and contribute in his first year?
For starters, Big Cat sought tough love before he signed his National Letter of Intent. Where other recruits yearned for praise, Big Cat sought criticism. So defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and Garner offered it.
“Nowadays, recruiting is all about telling kids all about how great they are,” Felton said. “With coach Garner, coach Steele, they broke him down and told him how bad he really is, but also how great he can be at the next level if he fixes a couple of things. The thing about coach Garner, he told him the truth from Day 1. … He told him what he needed to know, how he was going to make him a player and then said he has a chance to be at the next level.”
Felton says Big Cat’s intelligence is an added bonus to his athleticism and work ethic.
“You can teach him something and show it to him on a board, he digests stuff fast,” Felton said. “He’s not a slow learner. Once he gets it, he reads it out and once he understands it, he’s got it. That’s the thing I love about him. He learns the game.”
Conversations about how Garner and Steele planned to use Big Cat were important moments in the recruiting process, even after Auburn’s significant 2016 defensive turnaround.
The senior walked away from his official visit adoring Garner and dubbing Steele “a genius.”
“I’m not going to lie I really saw a big improvement on the defensive side of the ball,” Big Cat said. “Coach Steele is doing a wonderful job over there. I really like his scheme and he kind of broke it down and already has a plan for me. It was just me coming in as a high school senior, I may have big shoes to fill, but at the same time I get that and I can get there.”
The beating players’ bodies take in a season has been obvious to Big Cat. Besides, while he agrees there’s nothing wrong with redshirting, filling an immediate need with the departure of Carl Lawson was a draw for the top prospect.
The belief Big Cat has in himself, and the one Auburn has showed him, indicates he might not have a choice but to play as soon as possible.
“That’s something he said when he chose Auburn,” Felton said. “He could have gone anywhere in the country, but he felt like there was a need for him at Auburn. And Auburn needed him. It was a good relationship. I think he’s going in with the mindset of playing. He wants to play now. I think he’ll do everything in his power to play.”
This post was edited on 6/9/17 at 5:33 pm
Page 151 of 549
Latest Auburn News
Popular
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News