re: 2019 Football Recruiting Thread - Auburn Goes 4/7 & Land Brothers

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Assuming you graduated in 05?

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Solid or shaky? Status update on Auburn's 16 commits in 2019

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STATUS OF COMMITMENT: Shaky

OTHER SCHOOLS INVOLVED: Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Florida State and Tennessee

PLANS DOWN THE STRETCH: Pickens, as he's always said he would, will take official visits in the months leading up to National Signing Day in February. LSU will be the first of his official visits this weekend in Baton Rouge, which means his sights likely won't be firmly set on the Alabama-Georgia national championship game. With that said, Alabama and Georgia are two teams who have hosted Pickens this fall and will be in line to host him on official visits whether that be in December or January. Pickens won't signing until February, so Auburn's in this one for the long haul.

THE VERDICT: As long as Gus Malzahn is head coach, I expect Pickens to sign with Auburn. The Tigers established a long-term relationship thanks to Malzahn and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns that has kept Auburn in the driver's seat from start to finish. His friendship with Bo Nix helps matters. If Chip Lindsey were to stay on — one of Auburn's biggest trust liasons with Pickens' mother — that would be another assist. LSU and Alabama will come hard. Georgia may, too, depending on who it lands in the early signing period. The battle won't be easy, but Auburn remains the team to beat.

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STATUS OF COMMITMENT: Solid

OTHER SCHOOLS INVOLVED: None

PLANS DOWN THE STRETCH: He will take his official visit in December and play a leadership role in holding down some of the less-stable commitments in the 2019 class. Nix will not take visits elsewhere.

THE VERDICT: This one is pretty cut-and-dry. Barring something going completely nuclear, Nix is all Auburn, as he has been since birth.

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STATUS OF COMMITMENT: Shaky 

OTHER SCHOOLS INVOLVED: Tennessee, Georgia and Clemson 

PLANS DOWN THE STRETCH: Really, Tennessee is the one to watch here. Pappoe will take his official visit to Tennessee next weekend, which leaves his fifth and final official visit date open for the last weekend of December before the early signing period. Pappoe hasn't confirmed whether or not that trip will be to Auburn, but all of my sources indicate the Tigers will work to ensure that happens. If he doesn't take it to Auburn, or takes it elsewhere, that would be major cause for concern. So his fifth official visit — the weekend of Dec. 14-16 — will be one to track before he signs a week later. 

THE VERDICT: There's enough smoke out there on Tennessee to understand the Volunteers have made a serious push here. It shouldn't come as a major surprise. Jeremy Pruitt recruited Pappoe at Alabama. Tennessee defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer recruited Pappoe to Georgia when he was linebackers coach there. And an unexpected secret link: Tennessee quality control analyst Tino Sunseri who served a similar role at Florida State early in Pappoe's recruitment. It's a team effort tying together many layers of Pappoe's drawn-out recruitment. Needless to say, Auburn linebackers coach Travis Williams is working against several relationship factors in this one, including his high school teammate Wanya Morris who appears locked in to the Volunteers. Still, the level of confidence in Auburn right now about holding onto Pappoe leads me to believe he ultimately takes his fifth official visit to Auburn and sticks with the Tigers. 

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STATUS OF COMMITMENT: Solid

OTHER SCHOOLS INVOLVED: Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Florida and Ole Miss.

PLANS DOWN THE STRETCH: Handy, like Pickens, is another prospect Auburn expects to have to fight for until National Signing Day in February since he doesn't plan to sign early. He will also take official visits to a few of the aforementioned five schools. Handy's official visit to Auburn isn't set in stone yet, but the Tigers are sure to receive one of the five.

THE VERDICT: It make look shaky on the surface, with the visits and all, but Handy is adamant that he plans to sign with Auburn and consistently says how "comfortable" he is on the Plains. Gus Malzahn's status is undoubtedly a meaningful part of the equation with Handy specifically. But as long as Malzahn, Rodney Garner and Marcus Woodson remain in tact, Handy will ink with Auburn.

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STATUS OF COMMITMENT: Solid

OTHER SCHOOLS INVOLVED: Alabama and Mississippi State

PLANS DOWN THE STRETCH: Ja'Varrius Johnson has taken a few unofficial visits recently to Alabama. It's still uncertain if he will take an official visit to Tuscaloosa considering the Crimson Tide haven't offered yet. Johnson continues to ponder an official visit to Mississippi State, as well. He planned to come to Auburn this weekend, but the Tigers bumped it back to next week so he's alongside some other pledges.

THE VERDICT: Unless Alabama offers, Johnson will sign with Auburn. If the Crimson Tide do offer, it could get interesting, but the confidence remains high on the Plains in terms of keeping Johnson regardless. Johnson appreciates Auburn offering him and taking his commitment far in advance.

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STATUS OF COMMITMENT: Shaky

OTHER SCHOOLS INVOLVED: Ole Miss

PLANS DOWN THE STRETCH: Gordon's plans remain unknown at this time, but he has always stayed true to his plans to give Auburn and Ole Miss a fair shot. His eventual plans will be telling.

THE VERDICT: Gordon's recruitment is one of the tougher reads of the 2019 class. When he flipped from Ole Miss to Auburn, it seemed as though the Rebels would no longer have a shot in that recruitment. But they've hung around to the point Gordon regularly flaunts pro-Ole Miss posts on social media. It's rare to see Rodney Garner lose a recruiting battle like this, so I expect him to sign with Auburn, but that's no guarantee.

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"It was a great visit," Bryant said. "Just getting up here, being around the guys. And being around the coaching staff -- just sitting down and talking to Coach Malzahn and all the coaches. It was a really great visit. ... They wanted me to get down here for a weekend and see Auburn from this standpoint. Getting around the players and seeing what the players have to say about the program. How they like it here. The pros and cons. It's been really good being around those guys. Now, getting ready to make this decision, it's really good to make this visit. Now, I feel like I can take a lot from it."

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"Auburn has been a program that I've been following since I was in high school," Bryant said. "Then, playing against them, I've been here -- I know what the game atmosphere is. So I know how big football is here and that really has helped me as well."

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"Definitely, having all those young guys coming back -- and also the offensive line. Watching those guys, they got better as the season progressed," Bryant said. "Knowing that on both sides of the ball that they're special. And also on special teams as well."

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I have been saying this all year. Our line isn't bad.

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Our line isn't bad.

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