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Posted on 12/13/17 at 8:49 am to lowspark12
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Bryan Matthews was speculating on his podcast that Nate Watson was getting a look as a possible TE/H-Back for this class.
Makes sense to me. I would be cool with that. He's a good looking athlete, I just don't think he's a WRPosted on 12/13/17 at 8:52 am to TigerPaw1
Former Colorado offensive line commit Walker Culver receives ‘very special’ offer from Auburn (SECCountry)
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Former Colorado OL commit receives Auburn offer
The offensive line dominoes began to fall Monday night.
Trey Hill committed to Georgia, which should set the stage for Auburn’s busy offensive line recruiting to come. Shortly after that decision, former Colorado offensive line commit Walker Culver from Chattanooga, Tenn., announced he’d received an offer from the Tigers on Monday night.
Culver has camped at Auburn in the past and visited this summer, so this isn’t a guy freshly on the Tigers’ radar. In fact, SEC Country caught up with Culver on Monday night, and he said the communication has been fairly constant since his freshman year.
“I talked to Coach [Chip] Lindsey on the phone. Ever since freshman year, I’ve been communicating with Auburn coaches and going to camps. I think I’ve been on their radar for quite some time,” Culver said. “I think they recently had a spot open up, unexpected numbers is what they said. They went ahead and reconsidered my film and made an offer to me on a phone call.”
Culver has received double-digit offers throughout his recruitment. Ohio State and Virginia Tech are the two programs heavily involved right now, but he also holds offers from Colorado, North Carolina, Mississippi State and others.
It’s not going to be easy to jump the Hokies and the Buckeyes, who both played a key role in Culver’s Nov. 28 de-commitment from Colorado. But if any program can do it, it might be Auburn.
When Culver tweeted his Auburn offer, the attached pictures were slightly different than most. He posted the obligatory logo, stadium and campus photo, but Culver also added a little personal touch to his announcement. Culver included a childhood photo of himself with family members wearing Auburn gear in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
In the photo, he’s with his father, Dennis Culver, and older brother, Matthew Culver. Both are Auburn alumni.
“I grew up around Auburn and an Auburn fan,” Culver said. “It’s definitely very special to me personally. I’ve worked at this for a long time. I grew up in an Auburn family, so it’s definitely something I was very honored to receive.”
At 6-foot-6 and 273 pounds, Culver is listed as an offensive tackle. He said he’d be willing to play tackle or guard at the next level. The Tigers’ staff hasn’t had that conversation yet about where he’d fit into the offense.
There are several discussions the Culver family will have this week.
With the early signing period quickly approaching, this Auburn offer will force some pause. Initially, Culver looked ready to make his decision between Virginia Tech and Ohio State soon. He was planning to sign early. Now that Auburn has entered the picture, it will be tough for him to choose the Tigers and sign in less than 10 days without having taken an official visit.
When he spoke with Lindsey on the phone, they had preliminary official visit conversations. Auburn coaches told him he could take it this upcoming week or wait until January, though that would make his early-signing decision for him.
It’s all moving fast for now.
“We’re still looking around, and we’ll definitely need some time to sit down and talk about everything,” Culver said. “We’ll definitely have to talk as a family. We’re trying to map everything out, and with the early signing period, it complicates things and puts a little time crunch on decision-making. That’s still something we’re discussing. The clock is getting eaten up. We’re trying to find time.”
Posted on 12/13/17 at 8:54 am to TigerPaw1
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Trey Hill explains how the Bulldogs beat the Tigers
After committing to Georgia on Monday night, Trey Hill finally confirmed something that had been speculated for a while.
His decision came down to Auburn and Georgia.
Hill listed a top four of Auburn, Georgia, Florida and Florida State, but if you took the follow-the-visits mentality seriously, then it became somewhat obvious the Tigers and the Bulldogs were the front-runners. Hill finally said as much Monday night.
“I narrowed it down to Auburn and Georgia. It came down to them two,” he said.
During the in-home visit period, Auburn and Georgia coaches were the two that went to his house. Florida and Florida State coaches met up with Hill at his school. Auburn coach Malzahn went to the Hill household on Sunday night after Hill’s official visit to Athens.
Hill didn’t end up telling Malzahn his decision until Monday, and he admitted it was one of the more difficult conversations he’s had to have.
“It was very hard. Auburn was recruiting me very hard. I’ve been going down there since ninth grade,” Hill said. “It was super hard. I just had to call him man-to-man, just so he’d respect me.”
Posted on 12/13/17 at 8:54 am to TigerPaw1
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Australian punter Arryn Siposs on official visit
Auburn’s potential punter of the future is on campus for his official visit.
The former Australian rules footballer — who I wrote about in more detail here — received an offer from Auburn within the last month. While he claimed in the past he was committed, nothing has been made official yet. It’s certainly possible for all of that to be finalized Tuesday.
Siposs will wrap up his official visit Tuesday afternoon, so there should be more details to give about Siposs’ status in the Class of 2018.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 8:56 am to TigerPaw1
BREAKING: Australian punter Arryn Siposs commits to Auburn on official visit (SECCountry)
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AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn football found its punter of the future. Arryn Siposs has made his commitment official.
The former Australian rules footballer received his Auburn offer last month, and as expected, turned that into a commitment less than a month later. Siposs took his official visit from Sunday to Tuesday. That’s when he finalized his decision.
Siposs trains with a program in Australia called Prokick Australia, which links up Australian punting prospects with American colleges. With Auburn’s growing need at punter — having used walk-on punter Aidan Marshall for the last half of the year — the Tigers seemed to be a perfect fit for Siposs.
“Prokick speaks to schools they think are the best fit for each individual,” Siposs told SEC Country last month. “Their focus was Auburn, and I have been lucky enough to have them interested in me and offering me a scholarship.”
Siposs becomes Auburn’s 19th commitment in the Class of 2018. It doesn’t do much to Auburn’s recruiting team ranking because there haven’t been many evaluations done on Siposs during the recruiting process.
Prior to becoming a punter prospect, Siposs had a career as an Australian Rules footballer. He played professionally for five seasons. Siposs was drafted into the Australian Football League with the 75th overall pick in the league’s 2010 draft. He played for a club called St. Kilda in Melbourne, Australia, from 2011-2015. He scored 22 goals in his 28 games.
Siposs will bring a much-needed skill set to the Tigers’ roster.
Auburn ranked No. 103 in yards per punt in 2017, which was the second worst in the Southeastern Conference. Each of the last five Ray Guy Award winners — given to the best punter in the country — has come from Australia and, more specifically, were connected to their American colleges through the Prokick Australia training program.
Siposs does not plan to enroll in January.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 8:57 am to TigerPaw1
Recruiting question of the day: What position does Auburn need most in Class of 2018? (SECCountry)
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To me, there are two parts to answering this question.
There’s the before, and there’s the after.
Let’s start with the before.
At the start of the recruiting cycle, there was a clear-cut answer to that question. Auburn had two senior starting safeties in Tray Matthews and Stephen Roberts, whose departures would leave a major gap at the position in 2018.
Auburn saw that early and emphasized the safety position in recruiting. The Tigers landed a commitment from Kolbi Fuqua at the spring game. It was just the beginning.
Later in the summer, Auburn made one of its biggest recruiting splashes of the cycle when Quindarious Monday — someone who could crack the rotation in 2018 — surprised with his commitment to Auburn over Clemson. Jamien Sherwood, who has seen a major rankings rise this fall, followed suit. The same goes for in-state defensive athlete Josh Marsh, who is likely to be in the defensive backfield.
By the end of the summer, safety was no longer a concern in the Class of 2018.
That brings us to the after.
There are two key positions Auburn has to hit in the last two months of the recruiting cycle: cornerback and offensive line.
At cornerback, the Tigers have an immediate need with the potential NFL departure of Carlton Davis. The only cornerback in the class so far is 4-star recruit Christian Tutt, so the Tigers have more pieces to add. Auburn has a few in-state options — CD Daniels, Cam Taylor and Roger McCreary (offered Tuesday). Plus, it’s a great opportunity to go the junior college route.
Along the offensive line, there are some concerns with depth in the class going forward. Only two prospects are committed. Kam Stutts and Jalil Irvin are both interior linemen, so it would make sense for the Tigers to add two tackles and potentially another guard after missing on Trey Hill on Monday.
Check out a more detailed look at who Auburn could at on the offensive line, plus a breakdown from a recently offered offensive lineman from Tennessee.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 8:58 am to TigerPaw1
Auburn earns commitment from 2020 RB Deondre Jackson (SECCountry)
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Make that two commits for the Auburn Tigers in the class of 2020.
After lineman Andy Boykin made his commitment official in late November, Auburn got another commitment for that class on Tuesday night, as Georgia running back Deondre Jackson made his pledge to Gus Malzahn’s program in a tweet:
Though Jackson and the rest of the 2020 class have not received their star rankings just yet, Jackson’s offer list is already very impressive, with scholarships from Alabama and Florida on his list, in addition to the Tigers.
According to 247Sports, Jackson currently stands 6’0, weighing 195 pounds. He plays his high school ball for Stephenson in Lithonia, Ga.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:06 am to TigerPaw1
AL-MS All-Star Tuesday top performers (247)
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HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The first day of Alabama-Mississippi All-Star practices kicked off on Tuesday with a two-a-day session. 247Sports was on hand to see both the Alabama and Mississippi teams practice on the first day and we bring you our top performers
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:06 am to TigerPaw1
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Alpha Dog
Tank Jenkins, OG, Alabama
Jenkins has been trending down some in the rankings but he put a stop to that with his Tuesday performance. It didn’t look like anybody was more motivated or excited to be there than Jenkins based on his performance. He had multiple pancake blocks during the inside run period and was physically dominating every defender that was put in front of him. He looked like much more than just a road-grader in pass protection, showing some reactive quickness and control. He may not have the same ceiling as some other prospects in attendance but he was the best football player on either roster on Tuesday. Auburn, Louisville, Oklahoma and Ole Miss are the top four for Jenkins who plans to sign in February.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:06 am to TigerPaw1
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Next five from Alabama
1. Seth Williams, WR – The Auburn commit was as consistent as any prospect over the two practice sessions, flashing his athleticism in the process. Williams comes out of his breaks well at 215 pounds and can stop on a dime. Though not a seasoned route-runner, his catch radius and strong hands make him a target who can make up for less than perfect passes.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:06 am to TigerPaw1
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2. Nathaniel Watson, WR – Watson is a hybrid that plays wide receiver but could project as a move tight end or H-Back offensively as he adds weight to a thick frame. We loved the way he made himself big and available for his quarterbacks, showing consistent hands and deceptive speed throughout the day. He’s committed to Mississippi State but Auburn is emerging as a factor.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:08 am to TigerPaw1
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3. Kevontae' Ruggs, S/LB – Ruggs worked out with the defensive back group but the Alabama team is using him in a strong safety role that keeps him around the line of scrimmage. That’s likely Ruggs’ best position, some sort of hybrid linebacker spot. He’s very good in those underneath spaces in pass coverage and he’s got a great frame with some unique burst moving forward. His teammates even went so far as to marvel at him as a “freak”.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:08 am to TigerPaw1
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4. Justyn Ross, WR – He was playing injured with a bum ankle but in the afternoon session, Ross was really impressive finding open areas in zone coverage and being a consistent big target for his quarterbacks. Clemson, Alabama and Auburn remain his top three schools with a February decision scheduled.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:08 am to TigerPaw1
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5. Carlos Davis, RB – Particularly in the afternoon, every time an Alabama back broke off a big run, it was Davis. He showed legit burst out of the backfield and is a tough guy to handle in space. The Muscle Shoals product has an FCS offer list.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 9:09 am to TigerPaw1
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This and that
**The common theme around the practices at both Alabama and Mississippi is that an early signing period is unnecessary, and that’s putting it lightly.
“I hate it,” said Jeffrey Johnson who plans to sign early with Tulane. “It seems like it’s not going the right way. It’s strange to me.”
“I think it’s bull,” said Brad Cumbest, a Mississippi State commit. “No need to change something we’ve done for a long time. It don’t affect me any but I don’t think it was necessary at all.”
The consensus was strong among the players I’ve talked to in Hattiesburg. The early signing period only complicates things for these guys.
**One of the highest ranked prospects on the Mississippi squad is Kwatrivous Johnson, a massive 6-foot-7 offensive tackle. There’s no question when he gets his hands on a defender, they’re in trouble. But don’t expect the Mississippi State commit to make some instant impact. He’s still extremely raw in his pass-set and opened up the gate regularly to get beat inside. The skillset remains elite but Bulldog fans should exercise some patience.
**Both quarterbacks for the Alabama roster, Jack West and James Foster, had strong afternoons. Though there were the expected miscommunications and timing issues you see in all-star settings, both guys made some really crisp throws and looked the part of major college quarterbacks. West is committed to Stanford and Foster has emerged as a high priority for the likes of LSU and Texas A&M.
**Kickers are often very inconsistent at these types of events but Evan McPherson a former Mississippi State commit who flipped to Dan Mullen at Florida certainly looked like a major college kicker. He got great lift and looked consistent in the opportunities he was given on Tuesday.
**Qvaius Currie reminded me of O’Bryan Goodson from last year’s game. Goodson was an undersized but active defensive tackle for the Mississippi squad that flew under the radar but was one of the best true freshman in the country on the defensive line this fall for Memphis. Currie doesn’t have the same power and strength as Goodson and probably has a lower ceiling but he’s still extremely active as an undersized interior guy and as a penetrator was causing a lot of problems.
Posted on 12/13/17 at 10:27 am to TigerPaw1
Kipp Adams CB'd Oladele to AU. Something interesting is someone CB'd James Foster to Bama. He's the QB out of Montgomery. Bama is thought to be the leaders for flipping Emory Jones. So that guy either knows nothing or maybe there's a different leader for Jones... Or he's not flipping 
Posted on 12/13/17 at 10:51 am to TigerPaw1
Well Orgeron just lost his leader of recruiting. Austin Thomas heading to Knoxville. He was basically in charge of LSU's recruiting operation and was a big reason they pulled that 5* out of Tennessee. That's gonna be a big blow to LSU & a huge win for the Vols
Posted on 12/13/17 at 11:14 am to TigerPaw1
Can we get Badora now?
Posted on 12/13/17 at 11:18 am to TigerPaw1
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Kipp Adams CB'd Oladele to AU. Something interesting is someone CB'd James Foster to Bama. He's the QB out of Montgomery. Bama is thought to be the leaders for flipping Emory Jones. So that guy either knows nothing or maybe there's a different leader for Jones... Or he's not flipping
I don't think Jones flips.
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