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

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4-star cornerback Marcus Banks, Houston

This was Marcus Banks’ first visit to Auburn, but it won’t be his last. After his first trip to the Plains, Banks decided he’s going to take a spring official visit. He will set up the date with defensive backs coach Marcus Woodson shortly after he returns to Texas.

That official visit schedule will take place this spring. Banks expects he’ll take all five this spring — those will be his top 5 — before making a spring-summer decision. He has official visits set for Texas A&M on April 27 and Texas on May 5. Baylor and LSU are the most likely official visits he’ll take outside of the aforementioned three.

Banks’ relationship with Woodson will be the Tigers’ best selling point. Those two FaceTime on a regular basis. This is the new defensive backs coach’s recruiting prowess hard at work.

Best quote from Clark: “I love the defense. That’s what drew my attention from the Texas A&M game. I was actually there on an A&M visit. I was watching Carlton Davis from Auburn. He really drew my attention and just the defensive style. They play aggressive. I love that defense. Before you know it, they had offered me. I made a point to come down here and take a look at it myself.”

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Other key Auburn recruiting notes from A-Day

The big overnight visitors staying at Auburn will be 2019 defensive end Colby Wooden and Texas A&M grad transfer Nick Harvey. SEC Country will try to get as many updates as possible from both.

Florida linebacker commit Jammal Abrams returned for a visit to Auburn. He still hasn’t been offered, but it’s something to watch depending on how the Tigers’ linebacker recruitment takes off.

Defensive end target Curtis Fann didn’t make the trip as initially expected. For that reason, my confidence level is higher than ever he’ll go to South Carolina, which he publicly recruits for on Twitter.

Jo’Quavious Marks, a 2020 running back, was on campus this week. He’ll be one of the most highly coveted backs in the nation. He’s already been offered by Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Miami and others. Marks plays for the same high school that safety Smoke Monday attended. Many of the coaches who accompanied Monday on recruiting visits were at Auburn with Marks.

This has nothing to do with A-Day, but I’ll mention it anyway because it’s the buzz of the Auburn recruiting world right now. There are some serious legs to the Owen Pappoe-to-Auburn narrative. I’ve been told by a handful of sources that the Tigers are now the main threat to land him — yes, over Georgia. Now, there’s still a month to go before Pappoe commits, and even then, the schools that he doesn’t choose will still recruit him hard. But this is a major development.

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AUBURN | Jakai Clark could make a commitment soon.

The center from Grayson (Loganville, Ga.) visited Auburn on Saturday and received an offer, which propelled the Tigers to the top of Clark’s list.

“(Gus Malzahn) was the one who told me I got an offer,” Clark said. “He said they liked my film and they want me. I was pretty excited it. It is my first SEC offer, so that’s big. They are my top school now.”

Clark had heard from two teammates, Rivals100 offensive tackle Wanya Morris and Rivals100 linebacker Owen Pappoe, that Auburn’s interest in him had increased. Morris and Pappoe spent three days in Auburn earlier in the week.

“Owen and Wanya came here last week and told me that the coaches were talking about me a lot,” Clark said. “But I wasn’t expecting an offer. I was a little bit surprised.”

It was a good surprise, one of the highlights of Clark’s visit to Auburn. He also watched Auburn’s A-Day Game and spent time talking with the coaches.

“I got to sit down and talk to the coaches and I liked that,” Clark said. “I like the fans and the family environment.”

Clark also likes where Auburn’s program is and where he believes it will continue to be.

“I know that Auburn is a championship contender and they will continue to be,” Clark said. “I play at Grayson so I’m used to winning, and I want to play for a school that is used to winning.”

Clark’s commitment could come sooner than later. He plans to return to Auburn next week.

Auburn also is a finalist for both Morris and Pappoe. Could the three end up playing together in college at Auburn?

“We all talk, but I’m not going to spill the beans,” Clark said. “Obviously Auburn is one of their top schools. We are all very interested in Auburn.”

Clark also is considering offers from Temple, West Virginia and Syracuse, among others.

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