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re: 2019 Football Recruiting Thread - Auburn Goes 4/7 & Land Brothers
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:25 am to TigerPaw1
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:25 am to TigerPaw1
Auburn 'feels like home' to Tennessee d-tackle commit (Rivals)
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AUBURN | Tennessee defensive tackle commitment Le’Darrius Cox visited for Big Cat on Saturday and left with one more thing to consider in his recruitment – an Auburn offer.
Cox, from McGill-Toolen, received the news after meeting with Auburn defensive coordinator and his area recruiter Kevin Steele.
“It felt good … being from in-state it felt real good,” Cox said.
Cox received an evaluation visit from Steele in the spring and since has received increased interest from Auburn. It culminated with the offer on Saturday.
Cox was one of 31 recruits at Big Cat. He spent time during the visit with Steele and defensive line coach Rodney Garner.
“(Big Cat) was about building relationships and getting to know them more,” Cox said. “I spent a lot of time with Coach Garner. He’s a real cool guy, a funny guy. I had fun with him.”
Cox plans to return to Auburn either later this month or in July. Auburn is and will be a big factor in his recruitment.
“It feels like home,” Cox said. “It’s close to home. I enjoy the coaching staff and have good relationships with them. I love it.
“I’m committed to Tennessee, but my recruitment is still open. I’m blessed to have every offer I got and am open to anything.”
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Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:27 am to TigerPaw1
Big Cat makes big impression on Hall (Rivals)
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AUBURN | Gulfport (Miss.) athlete Derick Hall II took his fourth visit to Auburn on Saturday, but it was unlike any of his previous three.
Hall was one of 31 recruits at Auburn’s Big Cat event, which featured games, contests and scavenger hunts instead of tours, game film and recruiting pitches.
“It was the first visit like that for me and I enjoyed it a lot,” Hall said. “It was a laid-back day, not too much focus on recruiting. We didn’t talk about recruiting. It was just about having fun and meeting new people.”
Hall spent time during his visit with Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, defensive line coach Rodney Garner and area recruiter Marcus Woodson. Hall has developed strong bonds with each of them, most notably with Malzahn. Auburn’s head coach has taken a more active role in Hall’s recruitment.
“The relationship I have with Coach Malzahn is the best I have out of all the coaches,” Hall said. “The last time I was (at Auburn), we sat and just talked for an hour. He’s a high-character guy.”
Coaching stability is important to Hall. It helps Auburn that Malzahn signed a new seven-year contract in December.
“He just signed a new contract so I know there is going to be some stability here,” Hall said. “I know he’s going to be at Auburn, and Coach Garner is going to be here, too.”
Hall left Big Cat with Auburn high on his list.
“Auburn is definitely, definitely up there at the top,” Hall said. “Auburn is a great place. They aren’t focused just on football, but life after football, being a family and getting you prepared for life after football.
“It’s Auburn and Mississippi State right now. Those two are really pulling out from the rest. They are at the top and everybody else is behind them.”
Hall plans to return to Auburn in the fall for an official visit, most likely the weekend of the LSU game (Sept. 14-16). He is not locked in on a timetable for making a commitment.
“It could be a summertime decision,” Hall said. “But it also could be in the season or in December.”
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:29 am to TigerPaw1
Who are contenders, pretenders for four-star Warren McClendon? (Rivals)
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Rivals250 offensive tackle Warren McClendon only has five schools remaining on his list, but are all those serious contenders? He hopes to commit early in the fall. He could take a couple official visits this summer, so things could change, but at this time, there looks like there are four true contenders for the Peach State star.
As we enter the summer, we take a look at the schools who should label themselves as contenders or pretenders for McClendon.
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:30 am to TigerPaw1
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AUBURN
McClendon is planning to visit Auburn this week, and that will be a pivotal visit for both parties. McClendon will likely know after the visit if Auburn could be a contender or if it is a school fourth or fifth on his list of favorites. Gus Malzahn hiring JB Grimes to coach offensive line has McClendon’s attention, and he also sees other top prospects in Georgia giving Auburn a hard look or committing to the Tigers. This visit will be very important.
The verdict: Pretender
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:30 am to TigerPaw1
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FLORIDA
Florida got McClendon on its campus earlier in the spring, and he wants to get back to the Swamp. John Hevesy and Dan Mullen made a strong impression on McClendon and that visit really pushed the Gators toward the top of his list. What could a second visit do? We know a couple of schools Florida plays each season are in this, and it looks like the Gators are right there, too.
The verdict: Contender
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:30 am to TigerPaw1
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GEORGIA
His uncle (Willie McClendon) and his cousin (Bryan McClendon) played for Georgia, so the four-star knows all about Athens and the history between the hedges. This one is about Georgia assistant coach Sam Pittman, though. He has really built a strong relationship with McClendon and that, combined with UGA being a school he grew up following, has put Georgia in a good spot.
The verdict: Contender
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:31 am to TigerPaw1
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SOUTH CAROLINA
Not one, but two McClendon’s work in Columbia, so is that enough to push the Gamecocks to the end? Bryan McClendon is the offensive coordinator and Brent McClendon is a new graduate assistant, so there are some strong connections there. The staff as a whole has done as good of a job as any and they’ve have never let off the gas. McClendon has felt like a priority from day one.
The verdict: Contender
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:31 am to TigerPaw1
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TENNESSEE
McClendon is intrigued by Jeremy Pruitt and the staff he has put together in Knoxville. McClendon knew Pruitt from his time at Alabama and Georgia, and the same goes for offensive line coach Will Friend. McClendon is planning to spend a day or two in Knoxville this summer and an official visit to Tennessee this month is a possibility. It appears that Tennessee has some real ground to make up in this race.
The verdict: Pretender
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:31 am to TigerPaw1
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THE WRAP
McClendon has three visits scheduled — Auburn this week, Florida on June 8 and South Carolina on June 14-15. Will he get to Knoxville? That is very important if the Vols want to make a run at this Rivals250 offensive linemen. He knows Athens like the back of his hand, so a visit to UGA this summer is not as crucial for the Dawgs like it is for some other schools. Right now, the sleeper is the Gators. We know Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp are at the top, but this battle is not over with yet.
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:32 am to TigerPaw1
Southeast Spotlight: Biggest questions before new rankings release (Rivals)
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The Rivals Analyst Team starts the process of updating the Rivals rankings of the 2019 and 2020 classes this week following a busy spring evaluation period that included, among other events, 13 Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Series presented by adidas events. Today we look at some of the biggest questions to answer in the Southeast going into those meetings.
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:32 am to TigerPaw1
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How many five stars are in Alabama?
Clay Webb is currently the only prospect in Alabama with a fifth star on his Rivals profile. That was not hard. The No. 1 center in America who is being pursued by Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and others was a very easy call months ago.
There question is: should there be more?
What about Auburn quarterback commit Bo Nix, the No. 2 prospect in the state? Some thought Pierce Quick, an offensive tackle committed to Alabama would be one already. Speaking of offensive tackles, Amari Kight was about as impressive as any at his position on the Rivals 3 stripe Camp presented by adidas circuit this spring. He is also committed to the Crimson Tide.
Scroll down to No. 7 in the state of Alabama 2019 rankings and you will see George Pickens, another prospect that has joined the five-star discussion. After seeing him a few times this spring, he has played like a five-star. He definitely won’t be ranked No. 7 in his state any longer, but how high should he, or will he go this update? The Auburn commit has shown he is one of the best in the country at his position.
Quick is coming back from an injury, so he did not get to compete this spring, but the others around him did — and all did at a high level. There will be a lot of discussions, not only this rankings update about Alabama prospects, but moving forward once we get into the 2018 season too. It is a very strong cycle in Alabama and it looks to only be getting strong.
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:36 am to TigerPaw1
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Who’s the No. 1 DL in Mississippi?
Entering this rankings update, between the No. 3 and No. 8 prospects in Mississippi, you have four defensive linemen ranked as four-stars and all play defensive end. It is like musical chairs as you see them. Charles Moore, a Mississippi State commit who visited Auburn over the weekend, is coming back from an injury where he missed his junior season, so he is not a real factor at this time.
Nathan Pickering, Jaren Handy and Byron Young are three who all bring something different to the table and they are ahead of each other in different areas. Pickering could play strongside end, slide inside to tackle or even be a top offensive tackle on the next level. Young is solid in many areas. He is likely a five-technique on the next level, but he is another who could be moved around. He is strong and consistent. Handy is a wildcard. He loves basketball, but football is his passion, and although he is raw in a lot of areas, he looks to have a very high ceiling. Each of these three are being pursued by national powers and Handy was at one time committed to LSU.
Moore will likely jump back into this discussion a little more once the season starts and guys like Mississippi State commit De’Monte Russell and former Ole Miss commit Jamond Gordon could as well.
This cycle in Mississippi is about as good as it gets and it will likely be a battle for the best defensive lineman in the state up until the final rankings early in 2019.
My personal ranking of DL from MS
Pickering
Handy
Young
Gordon
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:37 am to TigerPaw1
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Is Andrew Booth missing a star?
Andrew Booth does not get out much. He is not one that participates in a lot of camps, he does not play on the 7-on-7 circuit and he just stays at Archer, works with his team and perfects his craft. There is nothing wrong with any of that. It just means we don’t get to see him much like we do many other top cornerbacks go against the elite wide receivers to see who separates themselves as the best.
Booth has been a Rivals100 guys from the beginning, but is he ranked high enough? Booth has the size, he is strong in man coverage, he is a solid tackler and he is a natural athlete, so is he a high five-star cornerback?
We sit at 17 five-stars right now as we get set to release the post-spring 2019 rankings update, so we know there will be more five-stars. Booth is already No. 30 in the Rivals100, so he is right in that range of where five-star prospects are ranked each cycle. He checked most, if not all the boxes, but he just is not out there quite as much and many of the others are.
Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and many others are going all in for Booth and it is easy to see why, so when all is said and done, will the school he signs with be getting a five-star or a very highly rated four-star? That decision will have to be made.
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:42 am to TigerPaw1
'I always knew I loved Auburn': QB commit Bo Nix talks football future (AL.com)
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Auburn quarterback commit Bo Nix has been anointed one of the nation's 12 best quarterback prospects, having advanced from the Elite 11 Finals over the weekend to The Opening.
Nix continued his run of success after leading Pinson Valley to the Class 6A state championship last season by throwing for for 2,872 yards and 35 touchdowns, all while playing for his father, Pinson Valley coach and former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix. He was sacked only twice and threw four interceptions while missing four games with a leg injury.
Before Nix went to California for the three-day elite quarterback competition, he sat down with AL.com to talk about the summer ahead and his football future.
Here's excerpts from that conversation:
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:42 am to TigerPaw1
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Q: You've been committed since January. How do you balance helping Auburn recruit and getting ready for your 2018 high school season?
"It's not that difficult. Every day, you're going to get on your phone and text somebody. The fact you can just do that now and I know I'm going to Auburn, and we've already got guys on board that are really good.
"When it's football time here, I let that go and focus up. After practice at night or on the weekends, I give a shout-out to them and let them know Auburn is the place to go."
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:43 am to TigerPaw1
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Q: What's life been like since you committed? How, or did, it simplify your life?\
"It did. It freed me up to relax. Nowadays, they put so much stress on recruits. ... Now that I'm fully committed, it's a weight lifted off my shoulders, I guess you could say, and I just focus on my game and my team and also helping Auburn recruit other guys. It's just really relaxing. It's honestly a fun experience."
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:43 am to TigerPaw1
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Q: Did you seriously consider any schools besides Auburn?
"I did. I can honestly say I did. I visited other places to see if maybe I liked that place more. Growing up, I always knew I was an Auburn fan and always knew I loved Auburn, because when Auburn lost, it made me mad.
"Once the recruitment started, I realized I had a really big decision, and I knew the decision I made was going to determine the future. I visited other places. I enjoyed other places. I enjoyed other coaches, but when it came down to it, it seemed like everything was seriously meant for me to go to Auburn. I knew I always dreamed that and wanted that, but it really felt like it was meant to be."
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:43 am to TigerPaw1
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Q: You played high school baseball this spring, but that's probably your last time since you'll be an early enrollee at Auburn. Will you miss it?
"Maybe a little bit. To finally be able to focus on one sport and not have to split summer time with baseball or basketball and football, now I can focus on football and just that. That's kind of a relief. I'm looking forward to that part."
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:43 am to TigerPaw1
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Q: I know this won't be a unique question, but you did miss time last year with a leg injury, so how's the leg?
"It's back to 100 percent. Every now and again, it gets tired or stiff on me, but it's really close to being where I don't even think about it."
Posted on 6/6/18 at 8:44 am to TigerPaw1
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Q: When came back, you were cautioned against running. That's a big part of your game. Any restrictions?
"I think it'll be more like 10th grade and early in my junior year when I can do both and do both really well. Coming back the last few games when I was really restricted and couldn't run, I really focused in on being that pocket passer we needed. I knew we had three great running backs, so running wasn't an issue. I really focused on making the throws I needed to make."
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