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

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Why a rival’s WR plan should help Auburn recruiting

I wrote extensively two weeks ago about Auburn’s plan at wide receiver going forward.

With Kyle Davis’ dismissal, the Tigers were out a big-bodied receiver. Fear not, there are three left in the 2018 class — Justyn Ross, Seth Williams and Tommy Bush — who have interest in Auburn, and that sentiment has been reciprocated by the coaching staff.

But with all three, especially Ross and Williams, the insecurity of in-state recruiting battles with Alabama creeps in. Ross, Williams and Bush have been linked to both Auburn and Alabama.

Ross is in for an Auburn, Alabama and Clemson battle down the stretch, though it’s actually the out-of-state school favored. Williams has been a mystery. The Tuscaloosa native hasn’t visited Auburn this season despite the Tigers feeling like their the likely candidates to land him. Bush is trying to figure out which schools want him as much as he wants them.

In all three cases, Alabama and Auburn are major factors. But the Crimson Tide could end up doing the Tigers wide receiver recruiting favors as the cycle closes down.

So far, Alabama has one wide receiver committed — Shaun Shivers’ high school teammate Xavier Williams. If you count athlete Slade Bolden, that’s two. In Alabama recruiting reporter Chris Kirschner’s mock recruiting classes, he has Alabama taking two or three wide receivers. Even if you leave Bolden as an athlete, it doesn’t look like there will be much room left at wide receiver.

Jaylen Waddle is set to visit Alabama this weekend, and the Crystal Ball trends show the Crimson Tide look like a heavy favorite. With Jim McElwain’s departure from Florida, a Jacob Copeland flip from Florida to Alabama seems likely. There are others suich as Joshua Moore who are also high on the Crimson Tide.

But Waddle, Copeland, Bolden, Moore and others fit a similar build. None of them are the 6-foot-4 or taller type like Ross, Williams and Bush. Whether or not that’s a preference by Alabama or its new offensive staff is unknown, but it looks like they’re keying in more on the smaller, quick-twitch wide receivers than the big-bodied guys.

Auburn already has two of the quicker-twitch type players committed with Shedrick Jackson and Matthew Hill (though they’re both around 6-2). But for the rest of the class, aside from 4-star WR Anthony Schwartz, Auburn is only in the market for the tall, physical type of receiver. With Ross and Williams especially, it’s a boost for the Tigers that their in-state recruiting rival appears to be mostly in the market for the different style.

With Ross, I’ve been told Alabama and Auburn both believe he’s a Clemson lean at this time. Auburn feels it can pull it off down the stretch with a strong finish to the season. The Alabama receiver trend has to signal positive news for Auburn with Williams. As for Bush, Auburn’s best shot will be to score an official visit, which may be more likely to Auburn than Alabama if the Crimson Tide add Waddle or Copeland soon.

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