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

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Where Auburn’s class ranks

Auburn’s 2018 class is ranked No. 33 in the nation and No. 10 in the SEC. Three of the Tigers’ 11 commits are 4-star recruits. Eight of their commitments are 3-star prospects. Auburn doesn’t have any 5-star commits to this point, however, there is time to make a rise in the national and conference rankings.

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Latest news

Matthew Hill will announce his college decision in the next “two or three weeks, maybe before that,” he told SEC Country. Hill is down to three programs: Auburn, Alabama and South Carolina. Hill, who grew up an Auburn fan, has been a Tigers lean since early summer, and that doesn’t appear to have changed, though the Crimson Tide and the Gamecocks have managed to make it interesting. Keep an eye out for the Georgia-based wide receiver to join Tigers’ class soon.

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Position breakdown

Here’s a breakdown of the number of commits by position and how many are projected to be signed:

QB: 1/2 (Gatewood)
RB: 1/2 (Shivers)
TE: 0/1
WR: 1/4 (Jackson)
OL: 1/4 (Stutts, Irvin)
DL: 1/4 (Newkirk)
LB: 1/2 (Harris)
CB: 0/2
S: 4/4 (Monday, Sherwood, Marsh, Fuqua)

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Andres Fox closes in on decision

Andres Fox once looked like a guarantee to land in Auburn’s recruiting class. He said on numerous occasions the Tigers were the most likely team to secure his commitment. Fox has contended his closest coaching relationships are with defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

I’ve said for a while, it was only a matter of time before Fox chooses Auburn.

But Fox spoke with SEC Country’s LSU reporter Sam Spiegelman who left the conversation confident enough to flip his Crystal Ball pick from Auburn to LSU. I’m not ready to do so yet. Auburn’s side has confidence with Fox, though it’s been tempered from the original high hopes.

No matter where the defensive end chooses, Fox told SEC Country he’s closing in on a decision.

“I already have a plan of where I want to go, but I’m just giving it a little time and I’m waiting,” Fox told SEC Country. “I’m undecided on the other two, but I’m keeping them just in case and seeing who’s real. It’s all about the fit. Where do I belong at? I was looking at the environment and stuff like that.”

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Auburn continues chase for South Carolina lean

Auburn and others have been in a non-stop catch-up game for linebacker Channing Tindall.

The No. 2 player in the state of South Carolina has long called the Gamecocks his favorites. Nothing new has emerged on that front. South Carolina is the favorite, and it’ll be hard to top the Gamecocks for his services.

Tindall spoke with SEC Country’s South Carolina reporter Hale McGranahan about his rise to the top of recruiting rankings after tame early expectations.

On the recruiting front, South Carolina holds a big lead. One source used the word “slim” in reference to the chances another school would have of stealing him away from the Gamecocks. With that said, my intel also suggests there are three programs who have the ability to do it — Auburn, Florida State and Florida, in that order.

It’s unlikely Auburn can grab Tindall away from Will Muschamp and the home-state school. But the Tigers might have as good of a shot as any.

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The initial Class of 2020 rankings

247Sports released its introductory Top247 for the Class of 2020. It’s a long way off, but Auburn has handed out 23 offers in the recruiting class that is two cycles away. Many — 15, to be exact — cracked the initial top-100 rankings.

Here are the Auburn targets in the ranking.

No. 6 Leonard Manuel
No. 10 Porter Rooks
No. 21 Kobe Hudson
No. 24 Darin Turner
No. 27 Tank Bigsby
No. 28 BJ Ojulari
No. 34 Sheridan Jones
No. 36 McKinley Jackson
No. 41 Tate Ratledge
No. 46 Dazalin Worsham
No. 68 Brad Johnson
No. 74 Drew Pyne
No. 78 Ashaad Clayton
No. 87 Altrique Barlow
No. 92 Miller Merriweather-Lewis

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