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re: 2018 Football Recruiting Thread -- Final OP Update Edition
Posted on 3/25/17 at 8:53 pm to TigerPaw1
Posted on 3/25/17 at 8:53 pm to TigerPaw1
Stockbridge (Ga.) duo highlight four key Auburn visitors, including two new offers, leading up to spring scrimmage (SECCountry)
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A critical few days are ahead on the Auburn recruiting trail.
The Tigers will return to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday for a scrimmage, which means visits galore in the recruiting world. It’ll be an opportunity for several top targets to see Auburn in live action inside the stadium. There will be plenty of updates to come on that front, but the Tigers aren’t waiting until Saturday to make an impression.
They hosted four key targets on Thursday. Here are the most important tidbits:
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Posted on 3/25/17 at 8:54 pm to TigerPaw1
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The Stockbridge (Ga.) tandem
Brenton Cox and Marquez Ezzard are two of the most desired prospects in the Southeast. The two 2018 recruits are teammates from Stockbridge High just outside of Atlanta. Cox and Ezzard returned to the Plains on Thursday as the two biggest visitors of the day.
Cox is one of the top recruits in the nation. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound defensive end is the No. 54 overall prospect (247Sports composite) in the nation, which puts him at No. 4 among defensive ends. Cox holds offers from everyone imaginable — Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Florida and so on (27 offers in all).
Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State get the most talk as it pertains to Cox, but Auburn isn’t out of the picture, especially with yet another visit to the Plains.
Ezzard projects as a wide receiver at the next level, but he’s listed as an athlete by recruiting services. He fares well there, coming in as the No. 16 athlete and No. 266 overall prospect nationally. He, too, holds offers from the Big Three referenced with Cox. With Ezzard, Georgia and Auburn have been the most visited.
When the prospects visited for the Texas A&M game in the fall, they received special treatment. Cox and Ezzard were brought to midfield by Gus Malzahn himself. Those head coach encounters at the 50-yard line in pregame are typically reserved for commitments and the highest-priority targets in the current cycle. Cox and Ezzard received that honor despite being 2018 recruits during the 2017 cycle.
The Tigers know that securing one will help snag the other. Cox and Ezzard are a package deal.
“I’m talking 10 times out of 10. We’re going to play together. I’m talking about 10 times out of 10. For real. That’s happening,” Cox told Dawgnation’s Jeff Sentell earlier this month. “That’s my boy right there. He’s a great player. We grew up together. He’s like my brother.”
Posted on 3/25/17 at 8:55 pm to TigerPaw1
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Two visits, two offers
Aside from the dynamic duo above, Auburn hosted two other key targets Thursday: Darius Thomas and Caleb Tannor.
Both entered their visits without offers and left campus with them.
For now, Tannor is an unranked prospect who stands 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds. He’s listed as strong-side defensive end by most services, but he identifies himself as both a defensive end and linebacker, which might make him a good fit for Auburn’s Buck linebacker position. Most of his communication runs through Travis Williams and Rodney Garner, which suggests Auburn recognizes his versatility.
The Auburn offer was Tannor’s 21st, which is inordinately high for a prospect with zero stars. The college coaches are showing heavy interest, however.
Auburn inserted itself into the Tannor discussion Thursday. He also holds offers from Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee and West Virginia.
“I don’t have a top list yet, but they’re definitely up there,” Tannor said. “I love the campus. Their message is if I come prepared to work, I’ll survive here. I’m very thankful and appreciative for the opportunity.”
Thomas — a 2019 prospect — also arrived on Auburn’s campus on Thursday offer-less. He departed a proud offer holder.
Thomas, like Tannor, has an offer sheet that doesn’t quite match his underwhelming recruiting service ranking. College coaches appear to be quicker to the punch with Thomas than recruiting service scouts. The 6-foot-6, 281-pound offensive tackle received his Auburn offer Thursday, which added to a list of offers from Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Memphis that have also rolled in recently.
It’s still early for the 2019 target, but Auburn made its presence felt early for the young offensive tackle.
Took a peak at Tannor's tape. Looks like a perfect fit for Buck
Posted on 3/25/17 at 8:56 pm to TigerPaw1
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Greg Brown eyes West Coast CB
Of all Auburn coaches, secondary coach Greg Brown has been the most reserved with early offers. He sent out a few in his first days on the job but has since spent more time making evaluations.
It appears he likes what he sees from a West Coast talent because he passed out an offer to cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart, who is one of the finest talents at any position in the entire class.
Taylor-Stuart plays defensive back for St. Augustine in San Diego. He’s the No. 28 overall prospect in the nation, per the 247Sports composite rankings. Among cornerbacks, Taylor-Stuart ranks No. 4 in the country. Auburn became the 34th offer for the 6-foot-2, 190-pound cornerback.
The other offers include Alabama, USC, Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, Nebraska, LSU, Notre Dame and several other perennial Power 5 programs.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 8:58 pm to TigerPaw1
Auburn football: Cal grad transfer Aaron Cochran visiting this weekend (SECCountry)
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Auburn football could be in the market to add a giant tackle prospect who can come in and play right away.
SEC Country’s Benjamin Wolk has confirmed that Cal grad transfer Aaron Cochran, a 6-foot-8 350-pound offensive tackle, is visiting Auburn this weekend. This news was first reported by Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports.
Cochran is expected to graduate in May and thus will be eligible to play right away for whichever schools he picks. Per ESPN’s Jake Trotter, Cochran’s three finalists are Auburn, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Cochran has started 16 games over the past three seasons for the Golden Bears.
The offensive line product will be in Auburn from Friday through Sunday.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:00 pm to TigerPaw1
Offensive lineman Christian Armstrong likes that Auburn is ‘moving in the right direction’ (SECCountry)
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Christian Armstrong was one of Auburn’s biggest spectators during the team’s first spring scrimmage.
The 6-foot-5 offensive lineman from Warner Robins (Ga.) made his second unofficial visit to the Plains since the start of 2017. Armstrong, who’s being recruited by the Tigers at offensive tackle, was impressed by the team’s offensive line in the Jordan-Hare Stadium scrimmage.
Likewise, he likes what Auburn is selling him on the recruiting trail.
“I like Auburn. They’re moving in the right direction as far as they’ll be a national power next. That’s one thing I like about them,” Armstrong said. “The offense as a whole, you see a lot more passing than you did last year. But they still ran the ball really well. The offensive line did a good job protecting the quarterback and run game-wise yet.”
Armstrong also holds offers from Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Penn State and South Carolina. He referenced Florida State, Tennessee and Penn State — along with Auburn — as the schools heavily in the mix.
He hasn’t created a top list of schools yet, but Auburn continues to be a factor. Armstrong hopes to make a decision before the start of his senior season.
“I don’t have a leaderboard just yet, but I really like Auburn,” Armstrong said. “I probably need to visit some more schools, some schools I haven’t been to yet, some schools I’ve been but want to go to again. I need to meet the staff of some schools.”
Armstrong communicates with offensive line coach Herb Hand on a daily basis. That relationship has played a big role in Armstrong’s early Auburn interest.
He plans to return at least once before he makes a decision.
“Coach Hand, he’s a real personal guy. He talks to me like every day. He’s a real personal guy. That’s what I like about him,” Armstrong said. “They’re trying to get me to the spring game … I will most definitely return to Auburn.”
Armstrong is a 4-star offensive lineman who is ranked the No. 19 offensive tackle in the nation, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:02 pm to TigerPaw1
Personal relationships are key in 2020 DB Lejond Cavazos' recruitment (Rivals)
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2020 Cibolo-Steele defensive back Lejond Cavazos name is pronounced lej•end. Commit that to memory now, because it’s going to be coming up a lot over the next few years.
Cavazos has created quite a stir this spring after picking up five big-time offers in short order following a Freshman All-America Bowl performance in January and a few eyebrow-raising testing sessions during camps. He picked up an offer from Tennessee this week, but already had Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M in-hand before that.
For a young prospect that has gotten his recruitment off to such a fast start, Cavazos seems to have a pretty good handle on what he’s in for. He’s visited some schools and scheduled trips to others because he’s already forming opinions for when it comes time to decide which schools he’d like to take official visits to.
Even though the Sooners were officially the first team to offer Cavazos, it seems his opinions of LSU and A&M are strongest due to some previously formed relationships with the respective coaches. In the Aggies case, his friendship with 2017 quarterback signee, Kellen Mond, is also an early influence on him. Prior to finishing his high school career in Florida at IMG Academy, Mond established himself as a top prospect out of the San Antonio area.
“He loves it,” Cavazos said of Mond. “He’s always talking about getting me up there - he’s always like ‘When are you coming? When are you coming? When are you coming?’”
Cavazos will be in College Station for the Aggies’ spring game and said that his rapport with head coach Kevin Sumlin had already been established. These days, he said that Sumlin and Ron Cooper are both personally working on him.
IN HIS WORDS
On Texas A&M
On if past visits with sister while she was recruited as a track athlete factor into his opinion
“That made me a little bit of a fan, but she signed with (Texas) Tech, so that doesn’t have anything to do with it,” he said. “The fans are great - I love the fans. And it’s a beautiful campus too. I know that they would help me to be successful in my life after football.”
More on his relationship with Kevin Sumlin
“I’ve known Coach Sumlin for a while now, but never known him as a coach of mine,” he said. “I didn’t think I was going to get this big in football … but we have had a relationship already before I became a recruit.
On LSU, where he visited last week
“The whole staff knew my name - even Coach (Ed Orgeron),” he said. “I was like ‘Oh! This is good’ and he introduced me to the team. In a team meeting as a 2020 freshman? It was great.”
“I went into their defensive backs meeting and (Corey Raymond) treats everyone the same,” he said. “He doesn’t care if you’re a freshman, if you’re a four-star, a five-star, or a zero-star when you get there, he’s going to treat you like he does everyone else … He’s going to keep it 100 every second of every day. He’s not going to sugar-coat anything.”
On early relationship to Ole Miss
“It’s a good campus and the coaches are genuine,” he said. “They’re not going to be fake with you. There’s just something about Ole Miss I like; the coach wasn’t just talking to me about straight football, he wanted to tell me about academics, wanted to know what I wanted to major in, it wasn’t just a football call.”
On Oklahoma, where he plans on attending an upcoming spring practice
“I just hope that when I go I enjoy it,” he said. “I don’t want it to be like a serious trip, I just want to get to know the coaches more because I don’t know them that well. I’m just trying to build a relationship with them because I don’t know them at all yet.”
RIVALS REACTION
Although Mond is now towing the line for the Aggies, he did share a little bit with Cavazos about Auburn.
“I haven’t been there yet but I have heard a bunch of stuff about it from Kellen,” he said. “It’s a great campus from what I hear and Coach (Greg) Brown seems like a great guy, and I need to get out there.”
Otherwise, it appears as though A&M has always had a head-start with him. Although he’s going to be on the field for the first time as a recruit for the Maroon and White game, he knows what to expect from the gameday atmosphere at Kyle Field. That doesn’t seem to make him any less excited for it.
“I haven’t visited another stadium like A&M’s,” he said. “That Kanye West thing they do, that really gets you.”
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:04 pm to TigerPaw1
RCS Analysis: Florida State commit Charles Strong (Rivals)
Video in link. AU still a player for Strong
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Rob Cassidy breaks down Charles Strong's performance at the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in Orlando, presented by adidas.
Video in link. AU still a player for Strong
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:06 pm to TigerPaw1
Auburn trying to flip Florida State running back commit Charles Strong (Rivals)
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The Latest: Class of 2018 Florida State commit Charles Strong has been in the fold with the ‘Noles for more than a year, but that hasn’t stopped other programs from trying to catch his eye. The bruising back is from the Gainesville area so it makes sense that the Gators have come calling, but Strong recently said another SEC school, Auburn, has been showing him a lot of attention. Rivals.com caught up with him at the recent Orlando stop of the Rivals 3-Stripe Camp Series to get the latest on his recruitment.
In His Words: “It’s been good with Florida State. I’m still feeling the love and I’m taking my visits. The last time I went up there was last month. I’m trying to get some of my boys there with me but we’ll see.”
On other schools: “I just got an offer from Auburn last month and I went there not too long ago. Florida and Auburn are really the schools trying to make me flip. The SEC teams have really been on me, coming to my school and talking to me a lot.
On his Auburn visit: “It was a junior day. It was good. It was a nice experience. I’ve never been to Auburn before so everything was new and I liked it. They told me they would use me as a running back and not a fullback and that’s important to me. I think I’m a running back. Some people think I’m a fullback but both FSU and Auburn tell me I’m a running back and that’s what I see myself playing in college.”
Rivals Reaction: Strong reiterated that he’s 100 percent committed to the Seminoles but it’s clear he’s going to take a look around and at least see what other schools have to say. Right now the Tigers make a compelling case and can point to backs like him having success at the school in recent years. Flipping him will be a tough proposition but it will worth watching to see if Strong makes it back to Auburn over the summer.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:07 pm to TigerPaw1
Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Miami: Five players to watch (Rivals)
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The third installment of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Series presented by adidas will get under way in Miami this weekend, and the crop of athletes set to compete packs plenty of star power. Today, we take a look at the five highest-ranked players set to attend the event and examine the colleges in the mix to land them on National Signing Day.
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5* RB James Cook
The younger brother of Florida State star Dalvin Cook, James is in the process of building his own legacy. He certainly has the size and he’s performed well at every event he’s attended. If Cook shows up like he normally does, he’s a near lock to be invited to the Rivals Five-Star Challenge. The five-star running back has been committed to Florida State for some time, but is listening to pitches from other schools. Alabama, USC, Florida and Auburn remain involved.
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4* CB Al Blades Jr
The son of the deceased Miami star of the same name, Blades has all the physical tools to be a star at the next level. His plight has been reaching his potential. Blades is becoming better in coverage, but may well be better suited to play safety on the next level. His athleticism and size make him versatile, however, and he’s capable of playing multiple spots on the field. Blades holds a long list of offers, but is considered a near lock to attend Miami, the school at which his father became a star.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:10 pm to TigerPaw1
Preview of Top 2018 Offensive Prospects Expected to Compete at Sunday's UnderArmour Dallas Camp (scout)
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QB/ATH Gerry Bohanon, Earle (Ark.)
Bohanon is a big-bodied quarterback who could potentially play multiple positions in college. The 6-foot-3, 211-pounder is one of the top overall prospects in the state of Arkansas and owns offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Mississippi State, and Mississippi, among others.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:10 pm to TigerPaw1
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:12 pm to TigerPaw1
Scout Previews Offensive Standouts Expected to Compete at The Opening Atlanta Regional Camp (Scout)
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Quarterback:
The headliner of the quarterback group scheduled to compete on Sunday is four-star Ohio State commit Emory Jones. The Franklin (Ga.) Heard County standout, who is the 10th-ranked signal-caller in the country, committed to the Buckeyes last July.
Other 2018 quarterbacks to watch are McClellanville (S.C.) Oceanside Collegiate and Wake Forest commit Sam Hartman, Montgomery (Ala.) Lanier's James Foster and Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes' Michael Barrett, who holds offers from LSU, Maryland and Georgia Tech among others.
A talented trio of underclassman are expected to be on hand. The list includes four-star 2019 Pinson (Ala.) Pinson Valley's Bo Nix, as well as 2020 prospects Harrison Bailey out of Marrietta (Ga.) and Max Johnson out of Watkinsville (Ga.) Oconee County, who will be two of the best in their class.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:13 pm to TigerPaw1
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Running Back:
The running back group will be well-represented in Buford. Scout 300 member and Alabama commit Dameon Pierce from Bainbridge (Ga.) leads the way. Two other four-star 2018 prospects expected to be in attendance are Decatur (Ala.) Austin's Asa Martin and Anthony Grant from Buford.
Other rising seniors to watch include Zion Custis from Lovejoy (Ga.), Nuru Tinch from Newton (Ga.) Covington, Christian Malloy from Snellville (Ga.) South Gwinnett, Minnesota commit Nolan Edmonds from Alpharhetta (Ga.), Harold Joiner from Mountain Brook (Ala.) and Ladamian Webb from Opelika (Ala.) Beauregard.
Four talented underclassman are also scheduled to compete. Four-star 2019 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy and Alabama commit Trey Sanders, 2019 Loganville (Ga.) Grayson's Ronald Thompkins, 2019 John Emery from Destrehan (La.) and 2020 Cartavious Bigsby from Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:13 pm to TigerPaw1
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Wide Receiver/Tight End:
There will be a star-studded wide receiver group at Buford High School. Eight Scout 300 members are scheduled to compete. They are Justyn Ross from Phenix City (Ala.) Central, Seth Williams from Cottondale (Ala.) Paul W. Bryant, Jermaine Eskridge from Tampa (Fla.) Thomas Jefferson, Marquez Ezzard from Stockbridge (Ga.), Kearis Jackson from Fort Valley (Ga.) Peach County, Josh Vann from Tucker (Ga.), Matthew Hill from Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood and Manchester (Tenn.) Coffey County Central's Alontae Taylor, who is committed to Tennessee.
In the 2019 class, three of the best receivers in the South are slated to be on hand. They are Jadon Haselwood out of Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove, Dominick Blaylock from Marietta (Ga.) Walton and Lance Wilhoite from Nashville (Tenn.) Franklin Road Academy.
The tight end group will be led by Jacksonville (Fla.) Providence's Will Mallory, who No. 1 in the South at the position. He will be joined by talented duo of underclassman in 2019 four-star Kennesaw (Ga.) Kennesaw Mountain's Ryland Goede and 2020 College Park (Ga.) Woodard Academy's Arik Gilbert, who already has offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan and Tennessee among others.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:14 pm to TigerPaw1
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Offensive Line:
There will be a lot of talent in the trenches on Sunday. Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic offensive tackle Cade Mays, who is the 16th-ranked prospect in the country and committed to Tennessee, is the headliner. Two other four-star 2018 offensive tackles -- Dylan Wonnum from Tucker (Ga.) and Christian Armstrong from Warner Robbins (Ga.) -- are prospects to watch.
The offensive guard spot looks like it will be impressive. Jamaree Salyer from Atlanta (Ga.) Pace Academy, Trey Hill from Warner Robbins (Ga.) Houston County, James Ohonba from Stockbridge (Ga.) Woodland and Christian Meadows from Montezuma (Ga.) Macon County are all four-star prospects.
Rounding out the list is a talented group of underclassman that includes 2019 Oxford (Ala.) center Clay Webb, 2019 Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville offensive tackle Pierce Quick, 2019 Baton Rouge (La.) Southern University Lab offensive tackle and LSU commit Kardell Thomas, 2019 Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway offensive tackle Keiondre Jones, 2019 offensive tackle Warren McClendon from Brunswick (Ga.) and 2020 Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian offensive tackle Myles Hinton.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:17 pm to TigerPaw1
Scout Previews Defensive Standouts Expected to Compete at The Opening Atlanta Regional Camp (Scout)
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Defensive Line
As per usual at the Atlanta stop, the defensive front has a bevy of talented prospects expected to compete. Two of the top four trench talents in the Peach State are slated to participate in Scout100 four-stars Brenton Cox, who holds nearly every major regional offer, as well as interior standout Robert Cooper, who made an early pledge to the Florida State Seminoles. Fellow Georgia four-star defensive tackle Darnell Jefferies is also expected in the class of 2018.
Outside state lines, Tennessee is poised to make a splash led by four-star and top 10 defensive tackle Greg Emerson and fellow four-star D'Andre Litaker, who each hold nearly every SEC offer in the book. Alabama's top defensive lineman, Birmingham (Ala.) Jackson-Olin's Coynis Miller, headlines the Yellowhammer State group along with up-and-comers Malik Langham and Jalen Cunningham, still two of the hottest prospects in the state despite being little known recruits during the bulk of the 2016 season.
The class of 2019 will be well represented Sunday as well, particularly in the state of Georgia. A trio of early Scout four-stars in Christopher Hinton Jr., Trevon Walker and Dante Walker are expected to compete. Hinton is slated as an offensive tackle early on, but he's working on the other side of the ball at this event. The rising juniors combine for more than 20 scholarship offers already.
2019 talents expected to rise in the rankings once they are expanded include Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout Tru Thompson and Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville's D.J. Dale, who each hold a handful of early extensions in the SEC.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:18 pm to TigerPaw1
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Linebackers
The highest-ranked defender on Scout slated to compete in Atlanta is Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County outside linebacker J.J. Peterson, who checks in as a top 40 overall prospect regardless of position in the class of 2018. Ranked among the top five outside linebackers in America, Peterson has a handful of early offers to his name including the reining national champion Clemson Tigers.
But few linebackers in the South have had the 2017 Richard Jibunor has had thus far. The Athens (Ga.) Christian standout had picked up Alabama, South Carolina, Kentucky, Utah, Louisville, Syracuse, NC State and several others over the last three months. A fellow three-star at linebacker hot on the trail expected include Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Hillcrest inside 'backer Jacquez Jones, who has picked up steam ever since Michigan kicked off the process for him in 2016.
In the class of 2019, four-star outside linebacker King Mwikuta is one to watch. He holds an early offer from Alabama and Auburn, among several others.
Big chance for Jibunor to earn a bump in his ranking
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:19 pm to TigerPaw1
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Defensive Backs
The secondary may be the most loaded position on the defensive side of the football, particularly in the host state. Eight of the top nine defensive backs in Georgia are slated to compete, headlined by Scout 100 cornerback Myles Sims, known as 'spider' by many for his coverage ability (video above).
A couple of the top defensive back prospects from the Peach State have already made their commitments like four-star safety Derrik Allen, to Notre Dame, and Otis Reese, to Michigan. Other blue-chips like cornerbacks Christopher Smith, Kyler McMichael, Tre Douglas and Christian Tutt, along with safety Trey Dean, remain undeclared.
It's not all about Georgia, though, as several out-of-state standouts are also expected to compete. Louisiana, despite holding The Opening New Orleans just last weekend, has a pair of three stars slated to participate including Kansas pledge Aaron Brule and Damien Tate, who holds a handful of early offers.
Among the underclassmen, Alabama may be sending the top group led by soon-to-be big time safety prospect Trikweze Bridges, a name out of Lanett (Ala.) many will know following a standout sophomore season as an All-State football player and state champion on the hardwood. Louisville has broken the ice on his offer sheet.
Posted on 3/25/17 at 9:21 pm to TigerPaw1
Pac-12 grad transfer OT officially visiting this weekend (247)
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Aaron Cochran, a starter at left tackle last season for Cal who announced earlier this year he was transferring, is officially visiting Auburn this weekend, AuburnUndercover has confirmed.
He arrived Friday and stays through Sunday.
Per Jake Trotter of ESPN.com, the Tigers are in Cochran’s top three, along with Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.
The 6-feet-8, 350-pound Cochran appeared in 28 games with 16 starts at Cal.
As a graduate transfer, Cochran is eligible to compete immediately. He will graduate from Cal in May and arrive at his next stop this summer.
While at Auburn, Cochran will get to watch the Tigers scrimmage Saturday.
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