re: 2017 Football Recruiting Thread ["N$D Bryant" Edition]

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Yes, Auburn is focused on finishing up the 2017 recruiting class on a high note. But the Tigers also have visited several top 2018s this week as well.

One of them is Lorenzo Lingard of Orange City (Fla.) University.

If you haven't heard of him, you will. The 6-feet, 180-pound running back is a 5-star recruit and top-10 overall player in the junior class according to the 247Sports rankings.

On Wednesday, Tigers assistant Scott Fountain stopped by his school. Auburn has been there mutiples times, with Fountain, Lingard's area recruiter, splitting visits with running backs coach Tim Horton.

At this time, our sources indicate Auburn is one of a handful of programs very much in the mix with, most notably, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Ohio State. When reached Thursday, Lingard told us his interest in Auburn was "medium" at the moment. He added, however that "I really like Coach (Gus) Malzahn."

Multiple schools want Lingard at their junior day events next weekend (Auburn will have some elite 2018s in town). But according to Lingard, he won't make it to any -- he has a track meet that day.

Auburn hopes to get Lingard on campus this spring and/or summer but Lingard said, "as of right now, I have no clue when I can visit them." For the moment, his focus is on running track. In the 100 meters, he has a best time of 10.79 seconds.

Lingard visited Auburn last summer.

When asked in the fall what stood out there, he replied, “You know, great hospitality. They showed that. And just giving me lots of information about their program and how they could help me in the long run.”

Additionally, the Tigers played up the “Running Back U.” angle.

“They showed me a lot of their trophies they have for the running backs —for their individual achievements,” Lingard said.

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