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

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We had a strong OL recruiting class a couple of years ago I thought. Yeah. 2015. We signed (5) four star guys to the OL (if you count Prince as an OL and not a DL). Where the frick are those guys?

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OL grad transfer Casey Dunn, who will join the program later the spring, is at Auburn today and tomorrow to watch the spring game.

Believe he finishes up class later this month.

Told me he's excited to get down to Auburn and get to work.

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To say the least, the last few weeks have gone pretty well for running back Harold Joiner of Birmingham (Ala.) Mountain Brook.

In addition to his recent move into the top 100 of the 247Sports rankings, more offers have poured in.

Now, a big honor has come his way.

On Friday, the 6-feet-4, 218-pound Joiner, a top Auburn target, was invited to compete in the 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas.

“It’s exciting,” Joiner said. “I’ve always watched this game.”

Joiner quickly accepted his invitation but plans to make it official via Twitter on Saturday.

“I’m honored,” Joiner said. “I’m happy to be apart of it. I’ve always wanted to be apart of this.”

Joiner is the No. 55 recruit nationally in the 247Sports rankings. He has an unofficial top five of Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss.

Joiner will attend Auburn’s A-Day game Saturday.

The 2018 U.S. Army All-American Bowl is January 6, 2018.

“I’ll be pretty excited,” Joiner said. “It’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be a great experience.”

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Is back on campus this weekend for A-Day. Just arrived about an hour ago.

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4-star DB target wants to reconnect with Auburn

Auburn recruiting fans should give this piece by Dawgnation’s Jeff Sentell a read. It’s an up-close look at 4-star defensive back Trey Dean from Dutchtown (Ga.). There are some worrisome parts of the article — notably the fact Dean wants to play with Quay Walker, who Dean doesn’t believe will end up at Auburn.

Let’s add some context to that conversation. Dean and Walker are close. Both have expressed their desire to play alongside one another at the college level. These conversations happen from time to time in recruiting. Sometimes it happens; sometimes it doesn’t.

Right now, however, there isn’t a chance for Dean and Walker to play together at Auburn.

Why? Dean doesn’t hold an Auburn offer.

He wants that to change. Dean told SEC Country a few weeks back his communication with Auburn was nonexistent, but that he “really, really” liked the Tigers. He hopes that level of contact changes in the near future, though he’s already starting to form some of his own decisions.

Last weekend, Dean talked more about the Auburn contact. He hasn’t been in communication with Auburn’s staff since Wesley McGriff was still at Auburn. Since McGriff left for Ole Miss, Dean and Auburn haven’t been a pair.

“Not even a little bit,” Dean said.

Right now, the schools in contention are Alabama, Georgia, UCLA, South Carolina, USC, Oregon and “a bunch of others.” Basically, if you’ve offered Dean, you’re still in the race at this time. Auburn hasn’t offered, so the Tigers aren’t a part of that conversation.

But they can be.

“That’s why I’m trying to get back up there for a practice or a visit,” Dean said. “The game atmosphere was great. I just like the coaching staff and the way they do things. I think they’re going to be great in the next couple years. … If they were to offer, it depends on what they say and the interest they show me, but I’d consider them.”

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Dean is the No. 23-ranked safety in the 2018 recruiting class.

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Harold Joiner, the state of Alabama’s No. 2 running back from Mountain Brook High School, picked up an offer from the Crimson Tide on Wednesday. But from the sound of it, the chances he goes to Alabama aren’t high right now.

There are two reasons for that.

The first reason is Alabama’s scholarship offer to Joiner was as an athlete. While talking to SEC Country on Wednesday night, Joiner was adamant about wanting to play running back in college — something LSU is pitching. While talking to Nick Saban on Wednesday, the five-time national champion mentioned running back, H-Back, wide receiver, linebacker and safety as potential positions he could play if he were to commit to the Tide. Saban compared him to Tim Williams, who obviously didn’t carry the ball for Alabama.

“I want to play running back,” Joiner said. “I want that to be my primary position. The only position I would think about switching to would be wide receiver, but I want to play running back first.”

Because Joiner is set on being a tailback in college, Alabama doesn’t present the greatest opportunity for an easy path to guaranteed early playing time. The Crimson Tide are loaded in the backfield. Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, B.J. Emmons, Najee Harris and Brian Robinson make the case for the deepest position at Alabama. Those guys were all blue-chip prospects as recruits.

Joiner was honest about his feelings when asked if that depth would impact Alabama’s chances at getting a commitment from him, which he says could happen in December or National Signing Day.

“Yes, that is something that would hurt their chances,” Joiner said. “All of those guys are really good. They have a ton of depth and they may bring in some more. I’m willing to compete anywhere, though.”

That doesn’t sound like someone whose recruitment dramatically shifted after picking up a scholarship offer from the in-state power. The only thing that changed in his recruitment: Alabama is now planted in his top 5, but it’s clear the Tide are no higher than third.

Just last year, however, another highly touted recruit told SEC Country that he was concerned about depth: freshman linebacker Dylan Moses. Moses told SEC Country last summer that he was ‘iffy’ about Alabama because of the amount of linebackers Alabama already had on campus and the ones they had committed. He eventually changed his mind about that, which is something Joiner will have to do as well.

LSU appears to be the frontrunner to land Joiner’s services primarily because the Tigers are pitching to the 6-foot-4, 218-pound prospect to be their lead back in the Class of 2018 and the chance to play as a freshman. LSU running back Derrius Guice will likely leave for the NFL draft after this season because he’s expected to be a first-round pick next year, so a starting spot will be open. The Tigers didn’t sign an elite running back in the Class of 2017, so the chance to play early is real at LSU.

While visiting Baton Rouge, Joiner said he’s had that sense of seeing himself wearing the purple and gold one day. He hasn’t felt that anywhere else.

“I’ve had that feeling at LSU,” Joiner said. “They have great coaches who are ready to compete for championships. They said I would see the field my freshman year. They have a downhill offense, which I like.”

Auburn, which is where he’ll be this weekend for the Tigers’ spring game, is also associated with Joiner because, like LSU, the Tigers want him to play running back and a little wide receiver. But it’s clear that Auburn’s plan for him, if he did commit there, doesn’t exactly match Joiner’s wishes.

“Those are the two schools — more so LSU — that tell me that I can play running back there,” Joiner said. “They also communicate with me every day. LSU strictly wants me at running back. The coaches there told me that I could switch positions only if I wanted to.”

Now, compare that to Saban’s message to Joiner on Wednesday and you’ll see why it’s currently unlikely he chooses Alabama.

“He was telling me that I need to come to camp to see which position I could play later on,” Joiner said. “He doesn’t know which position I would play right now if I went there.”

Alabama already has a commitment at running back from 4-star prospect Dameon Pierce, but he hasn’t visited Tuscaloosa in several months. It’s very possible he eventually departs the class as other schools pursue. But, unlike Joiner, when Pierce committed to the Crimson Tide, the one thing he wasn’t concerned about was depth.

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Top-10 prospect in 2019 visits Auburn

The 247Sports recruiting service released its top 247 prospects in the 2019 class on Thursday. Two wide receivers made the top 10. Key Auburn target Dominick Blaylock was one of them. He came in at No. 8.

Blaylock has been on Auburn’s campus a lot over the course of his recruitment. He visited last weekend with Goede. For Blaylock, it was more of the same at a school he is quite familiar and comfortable with.

“I like the campus here, I like watching them practice — it was another good experience for me to see Auburn again,” Blaylock said. “I like (Kodi Burns) a lot. He’s a good receivers coach. It was cool to meet him, too, for the first time.”

Most of Blaylock’s communication goes through Tim Horton, his area recruiter, hence the initial meeting with the Auburn wide receivers coach.

Those relationships with Auburn need to start building in a hurry. The 6-foot, 180-pound Blaylock doesn’t expect his recruitment to carry on much longer. He has, more or less, narrowed his recruitment to three programs — Auburn, Georgia and Clemson. Most believe Georgia is the leader and that the decision is imminent.

Even Blaylock confirmed he’s on the verge of a commitment.

“I’m probably going to have where I’m going to commit this summer and probably announce it later on,” Blaylock said. “(With Auburn), I like their facilities, I like their academics here, the coaching staff and how long they’re going to stay here. I like it a lot.”

Blaylock is considering a return to take in the spring game. If not, he’ll be back over the summer prior to his final decision.

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