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Posted on 5/7/18 at 8:01 pm to AU24
Yep. Not much reason to ever sign many from anywhere else. So much talent in thise states.
Posted on 5/7/18 at 8:51 pm to AU24
Gotta get MS kids when they are having big years like 2019. Think we get at least one, and more likely two.
Posted on 5/8/18 at 5:08 am to RandySavage
quote:Didn't say nor imply it was a whim. He sees AU starting to trend w/ Booth & is trying to be out front to maximize his points score. Nothing wrong with that.
Not saying you're wrong but I feel like Wolk doesn't usually CB guys to AU just on a whim. Hopefully he heard/knows something. That would be such a huge pickup.
Posted on 5/8/18 at 7:52 am to ellitor
4* S Cortez Andrews put us in his top 5 yesterday. Not sure how big a threat we are to actually land him
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:10 am to TigerPaw1
I'm loving being in the mix for all of these 4* and 5* secondary prospects. Definitely a huge need, because of Steele's preference of man coverage.
Posted on 5/8/18 at 9:16 am to jvilletiger25
quote:
I'm loving being in the mix for all of these 4* and 5* secondary prospects. Definitely a huge need, because of Steele's preference of man coverage.
The biggest change I have seen this recruiting cycle is just the number of blue chip prospects who are giving AU a look. Obviously we need to close on these guys for it to matter but odds obviously increase when there are more options. Seeing it at almost every position group right now which is a positive sign. But for recruiting to take that next step from backend top 10 to a legit top 5 class means winning more of these battles for top 100 players. Think AU has a real chance of doing that this cycle as long as we don't collapse during the season
Posted on 5/8/18 at 10:19 am to TigerPaw1
Trikweze or die
Posted on 5/8/18 at 12:24 pm to RandySavage
quote:
Trikweze or die
Don't think your boy is gonna make it into AU's class this year unless we miss on some other guys
Posted on 5/8/18 at 2:16 pm to RandySavage
quote:Welp
Trikweze or die
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:17 pm to ellitor
Could one 5-star defensive commitment lead to another at Auburn? (SECCountry)
Gimme Booth, Stevenson & Sheffield to add to our current DB haul & let's call it a day
quote:
Andrew Booth has been a popular topic in the last week.
When 5-star outside linebacker commit Owen Pappoe spoke with SEC Country last week, he named 5-star cornerback Andrew Booth as one of his top recruiting targets. He took that same approach to Twitter when fellow commit Jaylin Simpson asked him the question: “Who’s next?”
The simple way to answer @BrandonBurns6’s question: It certainly can’t hurt.
It took Booth less than four days — his first weekend — to bring his entire family back to Auburn for a Saturday trip. Booth had interest in Auburn already. He’d been on three visits to the Plains prior. But it’s not a coincidence Booth was on campus shortly after Pappoe’s commitment.
Booth admitted he’d known for a while Pappoe was committing to Auburn, so the decision didn’t come as a surprise. Still, having a prospect in the class he’s close to of Pappoe’s caliber adds more intrigue to a program Booth already liked.
The reality is, however, as cliché as it sounds, most prospects are making their own college decisions. Friendships and package deals are great in theory, but they rarely work out. Take a look at Grayson (Ga.) tackle Wanya Morris. He knew Pappoe was choosing Auburn, and while he considered the Tigers, he still chose Tennessee. That was a decision Morris had to make for Morris, regardless of Pappoe.
Booth said he’ll take a similar approach. Here’s the Pappoe effect in Booth’s own words.
“It helps, but at the end of the day, we’re two different guys,” Booth said. “But you know, his position helps my position, and I help his. At the end of the day, it comes down to what’s best for me. He told me to do what’s best for you, but you know what it is.”
Gimme Booth, Stevenson & Sheffield to add to our current DB haul & let's call it a day
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:19 pm to TigerPaw1
WR target Ramel Keyton recaps final Auburn visit prior to May 16 commitment decision (SECCountry)
Still think he ends up at Tennessee
quote:
Ramel Keyton makes one last Auburn visit before decision
AUBURN, Ala. — Ramel Keyton has seen almost all there is for a recruit to see at Auburn.
The 4-star wide receiver from Marietta (Ga.) has been to the Plains countless times in the last two years, including games, recruiting events and solo visits. That’s given him an opportunity to check out the football facilities, dorms, academic buildings and all the other parts of campus that will help him make his decision.
Keyton has met with coaches in the past — Gus Malzahn, offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns — and had many conversations with all of them. On his junior day visit earlier this spring, Keyton and his family spoke with linebacker Deshaun Davis about the student-athlete experience well past the conclusion of the event.
Still, after Keyton’s most recent visit to Auburn — likely to be his last recruiting visit before committing May 16 — he felt like he took something away from the experience he hadn’t gotten on previous trips.
“We really went into depth about growing up to be a man. We talked about managing family finances, how to prepare for the future, stuff like that,” Keyton said. “It’s about making me into a man, a better person, growing up. It’s not just about football with them. It’s about life. I just wanted to come down one more time and get a better feeling. Last time I was here, it was a long time ago, so I wanted to get a better feeling of it.”
Keyton confirmed his decision is down to two schools: Auburn and Tennessee.
Sometimes he feels like he knows which one he’ll pick, but he’s waffled enough that he wants to take the next two weeks to sort out those emotions. Keyton will announce his decision at the Marietta High School auditorium at 2:45 p.m. ET on May 16.
His connection to Auburn coaches will play a big role in that decision.
“I like getting to talk to Coach Malzahn. I’ve been up there a lot. It’s the relationship with the coaches,” Keyton said. “It’s really like the same thing [as at Tennessee]. I have a relationship with everybody. It’s really about which one I like the best. They’re kind of like tied up.”
One fact can be confirmed: Keyton is a take for Auburn.
The Tigers’ plan all cycle has been to take two wide receivers. George Pickens is the only wide receiver committed so far. But let one thing be clear: There are a few wide receivers who would force Auburn to reconsider the number to take in the 2019 class. Georgia commit Jadon Haselwood is the first to come to mind.
So yes, Auburn will gladly take Keyton now, and that would solidify the two-receiver class. But that won’t deter the Tigers’ efforts to get a prospect of Haselwood’s caliber if the opportunity presented itself.
That’s a good problem to have — and one that won’t present itself until Auburn wins the Keyton recruiting battle with Tennessee, which isn’t finished yet.
“The school I choose will probably be just because I want to be here. It’s that easy. That’s what it’ll really come down to is where I feel I want to be at,” Keyton said.
Still think he ends up at Tennessee
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:22 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
New commit Tyler Fromm’s role in Auburn’s offense
Tyler Fromm committed over the weekend, which led many to make the same overplayed joke: Congrats to another tight end Auburn won’t use.
It’s been a popular topic to poke fun at in recent years. The Tigers have rarely used their tight ends as receivers the last couple seasons.
Ever since Landon Rice’s dismissal, Auburn hasn’t found a true passing game threat at tight end. Jalen Harris has seen increased reps, but almost exclusively as a blocker. Sal Cannella hasn’t made the most of his limited opportunities, but coaches hope he can capitalize in 2018. John Samuel Shenker hasn’t had any real playing time after a redshirt season.
It’s not coach-speak to say Auburn hasn’t had the personnel it wants at that position. It’s the truth. Rice was the Tigers’ guy at tight end. And then he wasn’t. Auburn hasn’t had a playmaker of his caliber since, and it’s been hard to convince recruits they could be the person when the on-campus personnel doesn’t allow for any proof.
Fromm is willing to take a leap of faith, and he’s exactly what Auburn needs.
At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, Fromm is much more a receiving type than a blocking type. That fits with Auburn’s plans coming into the cycle. The Tigers wanted to land a true receiving option and another who makes a living blocking in the trenches. Fromm fills the receiver role. Ideally, Sean Brown or Luke Deal will be the other style of tight end to join Auburn’s class.
One source described Fromm’s ball skills as the most similar to Phillip Lutzenkirchen as anyone Auburn has recruited at the position since the legendary Tigers tight end was courted to the Plains.
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:23 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
Father of Mississippi DE to help Auburn’s chances?
Auburn is in the hunt for multiple Mississippi defensive linemen — Nathan Pickering, Derick Hall, Jaren Handy, Byron Young and Charles Moore. The Tigers have a shot with all five, but it’s never easy to beat out Ole Miss and Mississippi State for prospects within that state. In Moore’s case, if Auburn wants a shot at him, the Tigers will have to win out with him already committed to Mississippi State.
That makes the task that much tougher.
One factor, at the very least, gives Auburn a slight boost for the top-100 prospect who committed to Mississippi State before the coaching change.
Moore’s father has been placed in Opelika, Ala., for work the next few months, one source said. That allowed for Moore’s father to swing by last week to make a solo visit to Auburn to meet with coaches and staff and see the program for himself. Again, Moore remains committed to Mississippi State, and this visit from his father was nothing more than a get-to-know experience, but it still can’t hurt Auburn’s pursuit.
It’s not like there isn’t already some interest there from both sides.
Moore visited Auburn twice this spring with Handy. Those two are close friends. Moore checked out a Tigers spring practice, so he knows what to expect from defensive line coach Rodney Garner’s coaching style. Auburn has a legitimate chance for Moore.
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:24 pm to TigerPaw1
Will Tyler Fromm’s commitment affect Auburn’s pursuit of other tight ends? (SECCountry)
quote:
Auburn finally landed a tight end. Tyler Fromm committed to the Tigers over the weekend to become the first tight end pledge in the last two recruiting cycles. It hasn’t been an easy sell for Auburn given the personnel it has on its current roster.
Fromm bought in, however, and it’s a big receiving option at tight end for the future.
It’s unlikely he’ll be the last.
There are two tight ends Auburn has its eyes on closely: Sean Brown and Luke Deal.
Brown is scheduled to announce his commitment decision on May 12. It’s been a while since the Rome, Ga., prospect visited the Plains. There was a point earlier this spring when it looked like Auburn was the expected landing spot for Brown. Then he visited Tennessee, and the Volunteers took over in that recruitment.
Auburn isn’t ruling Brown out, but the Tigers have turned their attention to another priority tight end: Luke Deal.
Deal took his fifth, and final, official visit to Auburn two weeks ago. It was by design for that to be Deal’s last visit before making his scheduled May 25 announcement. Deal took note of the Fromm commitment over the weekend, but he told SEC Country that decision will in no way deter interest in the Tigers.
“No, it doesn’t hurt them at all [taking another tight end],” Deal said. “Every school has other tight ends. Wherever I go, I’ll compete.”
In Auburn’s perfect world, the Tigers will bring in Fromm and Deal.
Those two offer such different skill sets that it would make for a nice complement. Fromm is a true pass-catcher. Deal has the flexibility to detach from the line of scrimmage, but he’s built to bang in the trenches with defensive linemen. That tandem of skill sets would replenish Auburn’s tight end position to what coaches want it to be.
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:44 pm to TigerPaw1
Offensive line coach J.B. Grimes outlines recruiting plans at position in latest class (SECCountry)
Honestly not sure who we end up with at OT right now. I think we get Keiondre Jones at guard tho
quote:
J.B. Grimes outlines offensive line plans for 2019 class
J.B. Grimes feels the same way as most Auburn fans.
The new offensive line coach wants more offensive linemen — especially tackles. Auburn didn’t take any pure tackles in the 2018 class, which forced the Tigers to get a grad transfer option in Jack Driscoll from UMass. Grimes said he knows he can’t go another recruiting cycle without several big, athletic tackles.
“We’ve got to sign some tackles,” Grimes said. “Here’s the thing: You always want to sign tackles. It’s hard for a guard to step out and play tackle, but a tackle can step in and play guard. So you got to get these long guys.”
Auburn’s 2019 recruiting efforts haven’t gotten off to a promising start on that front.
The Tigers’ top 3 recruiting targets in their territory — Amari Kight (Alabama), Pierce Quick (Alabama) and Wanya Morris (Tennessee) — have chosen other destinations. Auburn will work hard to flip Morris, but the Tigers can’t count on a flip. They have to find other tackle targets, likely outside of their normal Alabama-Georgia-Florida territory.
Darius Thomas, Xavier Truss, Devontae Dobbs and others will be the names thrown around by Auburn coaches, but spring evaluations likely will prove to be crucial in that process.
One of Grimes’ most important evaluations is body type.
“I think y’all probably know me well enough that I don’t like to go out and recruit overweight guys,” Grimes said. “I’m more of a guy that likes athleticism. We’ve got a good-looking group. When we jog on the field, we look good. We don’t have a bunch of fat guys, and I like that. It’s kind of funny, but it’s true. We’ve got a good-looking group.”
Outside of tackles, Auburn already has one offensive lineman committed in 2019.
That’s Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) center Jakai Clark.
Auburn will chase a few interior linemen, including but not limited to Keiondre Jones and Clay Webb. If Grimes has it his way — though he knows it’ll be up to Gus Malzahn — Auburn will take as big of an offensive line class as possible.
“Probably five. That’s what I think. That’s obviously a head coaching question, but right now, we’d like to sign five,” Grimes said. “Me, I want six. But hey, I can’t get more than my share.”
Honestly not sure who we end up with at OT right now. I think we get Keiondre Jones at guard tho
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:47 pm to TigerPaw1
Why 4-star WR, Alabama fan Seth Williams is leaving Crimson Tide’s backyard to play for Auburn (SECCountry)
quote:
COTTONDALE, Ala. — Seth Williams’ high school — located just outside of Tuscaloosa city limits — is named after legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.
A portrait of Bryant and his wife is displayed prominently in the front office of Paul W. Bryant High School. It sits behind a trophy case that includes an Alabama 6A basketball title and runner-up trophy that Williams helped deliver.
Bryant’s school nickname is the “Stampede,” itself a reference to the elephant mascot of the massive university located 8 miles west.
And yet Williams is just a few weeks away from enrolling at Auburn.
“I have nothing against Alabama,” Williams told SEC Country. “I grew up an Alabama fan. But I felt like I needed to get out of the area of Tuscaloosa and widen out with my ability to play football. I just didn’t want to stay here the rest of my life.”
For Williams, that means going to Alabama’s hated rival on the other side of the state. Auburn signed the 6-foot-3, 4-star receiver in December, less than a month after he committed to play for the Tigers.
Alabama wanted Williams. So did Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and South Carolina. And Alabama fans wanted Williams to pick the Crimson Tide.
“There’s all kinds of pressure,” Williams’ high school coach Eldrick Hill told SEC Country last summer. “I was in the grocery store the other day, didn’t even know a guy. He came up to me. He knew I was the head coach. He said, ‘You better make sure that kid goes to ‘Bama.’ Things like that are regular … Cottondale is basically Tuscaloosa.”
But Williams decided to go to Auburn — a decision he felt comfortable making from the first time he went to campus.
“I just knew that it was the school for me, and I needed to be there,” Williams said. “They were just the right school. The first time I went there, I knew that was the opportunity for me. I wanted to be there. It just stood out from the first time I got onto campus.”
At Auburn, the recruiting victory was massive. Williams was ranked as the No. 5 player in the state. Auburn hasn’t had a letterman from Tuscaloosa since the 1970s. No other former Tigers have called Cottondale their hometown.
“He’s a great athlete from Tuscaloosa,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said in December. “We haven’t gotten many guys from there in the past.”
Since Williams made his decision, he hasn’t had any problems with Alabama fans. The comments he gets are lighthearted in nature.
Those rival fans include his parents — an Alabama fan mother and an LSU fan father who “just cheers for the SEC,” according to Williams.
Williams’ family, along with the Cottondale residents who know him best, are happy to see Williams get an opportunity to play SEC football.
“The Alabama fans all around here, there wasn’t too much grief on me,” Williams said. “They were really just excited that I went somewhere and did something with it.”
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:49 pm to TigerPaw1
Kameron Stutts brings 2 more track and field titles to Auburn football’s athletic 2018 class (SECCountry)
quote:
KILLEN, Ala. — Auburn football’s freshman track and field phenoms aren’t limited to the speedsters in Florida. The Tigers are also bringing in a two-time champion from the northwest corner of Alabama.
Kameron Stutts, a 3-star offensive lineman from Brooks High School in Killen, Ala., is fresh off winning his second straight Class 5A state championship in shot put. He’ll enroll at Auburn later this month as one of two offensive lineman signees in the Class of 2018.
Stutts set a personal best at 50 feet, 10.75 inches in achieving victory. He competed and took the medal stand in Gulf Shores while wearing a white Auburn visor:
“It’s just a lot of hard work in the offseason,” Stutts told SEC Country. “Just a lot of hard work in the offseason and getting there and finishing, showing out. … It all just came together.”
Stutts said he spent last week competing in the field events in the Alabama meet while keeping an eye on Twitter to see what future teammates Anthony Schwartz and Shaun Shivers were doing in Florida.
Competing on Brooks’ track and field team has connected Stutts with a lot of top athletes across the state, including incoming Auburn wide receiver Seth Williams.
“I saw a bunch of people at the state track meet that I know from the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game,” Stutts said. “So I talked to a bunch of them down there. And I saw Seth and a couple of other people. I’ve talked to Anthony a bunch about his times that he’s been running, because it’s just crazy.”
Stutts has been a part of the track program at Brooks since the eighth grade. He skipped his sophomore year, but he came back for his final two years.
That year off didn’t slow him down at all, as his two state shot put titles show.
“You see him and think, ‘Man, he’s a track kid,'” Brooks football and track coach Brad Black told SEC Country. “He can throw the shot put and throw the discus and all this stuff. … Kam could’ve easily went that route if he wanted to. But his thing was football.
“Anything the kid’s ever done, he’s made himself successful at it. It didn’t come easy to him. He made himself successful at football, basketball, track and field, and just being a student. He was A/B honor roll. He’s excelled through work, and that’s what you want to see.”
Stutts says participating in track and field, along with basketball, has made him a better offensive lineman.
“Track is a lot of footwork and stuff,” Stutts said. “I threw discus, too, so I had to do the little spin. That’s a lot of practice and shadow work. It helps you a lot with ankle mobility, hip mobility. You have to do specific things to be able to get the most power out of your throw. It’s a lot of footwork.”
That multisport work has made Stutts an extremely athletic player for his size — 6-foot-4 and 330 pounds. Stutts most likely will play guard at Auburn, where he’s excited about the potential of the Tigers’ pull-heavy scheme.
“I love pulling,” Stutts said. “We run kind of the same offense here that Auburn does. That’s really cool that I get to go there and do that. It’s not that hard of a transition. I really love pulling and getting out and getting on the little guys. I feel like I can move pretty good. That’s one of my strengths.”
Together, Auburn’s incoming 2018 recruiting class could stand on its own as a championship track and field team. Including Stutts, 10 freshmen starred in track and field during high school.
All that athleticism has Stutts pumped for the future on the Plains.
“It’s really exciting, just to get to see all the different people that are coming in and who is going to be able to contribute and help out our team,” Stutts said. “It’s going to be really cool when all of it comes together.”
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:50 pm to TigerPaw1
Alabama-Auburn: Who will strike next in recruiting Iron Bowl? (Rivals)
quote:
Alabama and Auburn are two of the hottest schools in the country when it comes to football recruiting. Since April 5, the Crimson Tide have picked up nine commitments. Auburn has added six since April 10, including three in May already. Both are hot and competing for a lot of the same prospects.
Five of the last nine Alabama commits have come from prospects in their home state. Auburn has done some damage in Georgia recently. The schools that compete in the Iron Bowl each November are expected to pick up more commits in the coming weeks, so who could be next?
Experts from BamaInsider.com and AuburnSports.com name three prospects that could make a decision much sooner than later.
Posted on 5/8/18 at 8:50 pm to TigerPaw1
quote:
AUBURN: Jeffrey Lee, AuburnSports.com
"Auburn has picked up commitments from four players in the past 11 days, all from the state of Georgia, and the Tigers’ next commitment likely will continue that trend. Jashawn Sheffield, from Frederica Academy in Saint Simons Island, Ga., has Auburn firmly atop his list of favorites and could commit at any time. His teammate and close friend, four-star cornerback Jaylin Simpson, committed to Auburn on April 30. Sheffield might not be far behind.
"Auburn added a tight end (Tyler Fromm) to its class on Sunday, but is looking for one more at the position with Luke Deal being one of the top remaining targets. Deal took his last official visit in April, which was to Auburn, and the Tigers appear to be in a good spot here. Deal is scheduled to announce his commitment on May 25. Should Auburn get a non-Georgia commitment soon, its best chance lies with Deal.
"Ramel Keyton is set to announce his commitment on May 16. He’ll decide between Auburn and Tennessee. The Vols could hold a slight edge, but Keyton and his mother both visited Auburn on Saturday. Keyton is close with Auburn wide receivers coach Kodi Burns, which should make this announcement worth watching for Auburn fans." – Lee
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