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

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and maybe Johnson can stay healthy/finally do something.

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2019 quarterback Bo Nix breaks down recruitment

As critical as Auburn’s recruiting momentum swing was last weekend for the 2018 class, it might’ve had a bigger pull for the 2019 class.

The juniors Auburn has been recruiting have sat through two seasons with coaching stability murmurs and complaints of mediocre seasons for the Tigers. That exterior noise is a big reason why there is only one person committed in the Class of 2019 (wide receiver George Pickens). Auburn’s win over Georgia put to rest many of those concerns, which enhances its opportunity with its top targets in the next recruiting class.

There isn’t a single prospect in 2019 who means more to Auburn than 4-star quarterback Bo Nix from Pinson, Ala.

Nix was blown away by the enviornment — and the result.

“It was good because they haven’t beat Georgia in a couple years. To do it in that fashion, with them being the No. 1 team, is very impressive. It was a good win for them,” Nix said. “Offense and defense were both working obviously. They were just overall impressive.”

Even with the win, it didn’t inch Nix much closer to a decision.

He wants to make his decision soon enough to help build a class around him, but he doesn’t want to rush himself. Nix hasn’t narrowed down beyond his top 8 released earlier this year, but few people envision a scenario where he chooses somewhere other than Auburn, though that kind of information has never come from the source himself.

Nix set a loose timetable for a decision.

“Probably between the seasons this year and next year,” Nix said.

Auburn’s biggest pull — aside from being a legacy as the son of former Auburn QB Patrick Nix — will be his relationship with offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

Lindsey, who took over this recruitment when he accepted the job, has done a stellar job forming a connection with Nix. He pinpointed Nix early in the recruiting cycle as the No. 1 need for the Tigers in this class, and it has affected the way Auburn recruits other Class of 2019 quarterbacks.

Nix notes his positive impression of Lindsey.

“He called a great game. He’s being doing a good job all year. The offense is improved from the past couple years. Overall, he’s a very solid coach. He does a great job with quarterbacks,” Nix said. “I knew him prior to being at Auburn as an offensive coordinator. I knew him when he was at Southern Miss and then here obviously he took over as a recruiter.”

Nix has been a regular at Auburn home games this season, and as you might expect, he’ll be back for the Iron Bowl.

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We’re back. You sent your questions. SEC Country answered them.

If you’d like to be a part of the next mailbag, send your questions to me on Twitter: @benjaminwolk.

Enjoy the mailbag.

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@EllitorAU: Has a clear cornerback option been identified after Christian Tutt?

The Tigers finally landed a cornerback in the 2018 class Tuesday when Christian Tutt chose Auburn over Ohio State.

It’s been quite a mystery this year trying to figure out who Auburn wants at cornerback, or who the Tigers feel like they have a realistic shot with at cornerback. Tutt’s official visit to commitment came in short order. But one thing is quite clear: Cornerbacks are intrigued by depth-chart availability at Auburn.

There are two names to keep and eye on right now, but I think that number could grow significantly now that Auburn has made such a major national statement.

4-star JUCO corner Saivion Smith: He’s an Alabama lean and has been throughout the whole year. Smith hasn’t visited Auburn yet, even though he’s been slated to do so. The Tigers will work to get him for the Iron Bowl and hope Greg Brown and Kevin Steele can make a similarly effective sales pitch to what they gave Tutt.

3-star Memphis commit CD Daniels: I really like this guy’s film, and apparently, Brown and Steele are a big fan of his playmaking ability, as well. Daniels feels like an offer is imminent, but it’s possible the win over Georgia altered Auburn’s talent pool it’s picking from.

This list is bound to grow in the next two weeks. There are guys such as Derek Turner who I’ve had in my class projections in the past. Does Auburn’s success hurt those chances? It’s possible, if the Tigers feel like they can approach higher-ranked guys at this point.

With cornerback depth taking a hit over the next two seasons, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Auburn take two more cornerbacks beyond Tutt. Smith and Daniels are a great place to start.

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@ToddPhillips16: What are Auburn’s chances of getting Jarren Williams or Emory Jones?

Right now, Auburn is probably the No. 2 team for both guys, likely even No. 3 for Emory Jones.

In Jarren Williams’ case, he’s fresh off an official visit to Miami. That visit resulted in Williams’ de-commitment from Kentucky. If you pay attention to Crystal Ball predictions, you’ll noticed they’ve been flying in for Williams to Miami. It’s possible Williams is telling something to the Miami staff that is reaching reporters, but it’s also possible there’s a little bit of recency bias there.

Williams will be at Ohio State this weekend for an official visit, which makes for an interesting subplot with Jones still committed there. After that, he’ll officially visit Auburn for the Iron Bowl. To me, it’s impossible to rule out any of the three until all of those official visits take place.

That brings us to Jones.

He visited Auburn for the Georgia game, but he’s been an even more regular visitor at Alabama this year. The Crimson Tide are the real team to watch here, but don’t count out the Tigers until he makes that final decision. Jones has visited Auburn so many times that it’s not out of the question. Still, it feels like Auburn sits behind Alabama and Ohio State for Jones.

In other words, I give Auburn about a 50-50 shot to land one of these two. If that doesn’t happen, maybe the Tigers circle back around on A.J. Curry.

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@KumarKelly97: Chances of Auburn landing Justyn Ross?

Those chances are growing, but it’s still a chase from behind.

Clemson is the team to beat. It’s been that way for quite some time. Those Tigers won’t be easy to jump either. Ross loves the campus and the coaching staff. He gives every visit a 5-star review. He has a strong relationship with 5-star quarterback commit Trevor Lawrence.

With that said, Alabama and Auburn will be in this one until the end. It’s likely a National Signing Day decision for Ross, and the more he sees Auburn’s offensive progress, he more the Tigers feel like they can reel this one in.

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Not your average recruitment

Christian Tutt has been a well-known commodity in the college football recruiting world for, well, about as long as his been in high school

The cornerback received his first offer as a freshman in high school, which caught the attention of every program in America. Auburn became a part of that interested group on March 10, 2015 when the Tigers became one of the first schools to extend an offer, in between Tutt’s freshman and sophomore season.

In the end, he received offers from three dozen programs, which led to his early recruiting ranking as a 5-star prospect.

Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Ohio State and others all became serious contenders for Tutt. As one of the best underclassmen cornerback prospects in the nation, Tutt had his choice of where he wanted to go. But as Tutt and other prospects developed, he — deserved or not — gradually slipped down the recruiting rankings, as well as the recruiting boards of a few other programs.

All the while, Auburn stayed true and continue to verbalize its want, but more importantly need, for Tutt.

So on Tuesday, he capped it off with the Auburn commitment.

“It’s a been a relief. Four years of the recruiting process, it’s a blessing, but it’s also hectic. It’s ups and downs to it. But the day means a lot to me. You know, getting the U.S. Army jersey and committing to Auburn. This is the best opportunity for me to be successful in the future. I just took it and ran with it,” Tutt said. “It’s been great. Going through this whole thing, getting my first offer in the beginning of ninth grade, it’s been a long road. I’m glad it’s over. I’m just ready to work. I’m ready to go in and do my thing.”

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In the end, why Auburn?

From what I can tell, the decision really came down to two key factors: Early playing time and proximity to home.

The latter was probably more of an incentive over Ohio State than the ultimate reason. Tutt hasn’t shied away from looking at places like Columbus, Ohio, and Lincoln, Neb.. But Auburn, Ala., makes it much easier for family to ride over to see him. It’s something Tutt brought up unsolicited when he left Auburn on Sunday and again after he committed on Tuesday.

“You know, it’s close to home, and I’m don’t want to be too far from home,” he said.

The major decider, however, was the cornerback depth chart.

Steele and Brown made it clear throughout the process there was a need. On last weekend’s official visit, they put the information right in front of him to let him see for himself just how desperate coaches feel they are at the cornerback position, which until Tutt’s commitment, was absent from the 2018 recruiting class.

Tutt didn’t hesitate when asked the simple question: Why Auburn?

“Basically the situation. We need cornerbacks to come into play. It’s SEC ball. I always wanted to play in the SEC,” Tutt said. “They’ve always been in it. I just wasn’t always so high on them. I really wasn’t communicating with them because I was looking elsewhere. But they stayed on it. The whole time, they stayed on it. They kept coming at me. That’s when you really start to appreciate the need.”

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