re: Auburn dead last in SEC recruiting

quote:

---

This is a complete non issue. When a coach comes in they almost always walk into a dismal first recruiting year. The outgoing staff isn't going to put a lot of effort in, and the incoming staff cannot get traction fast enough. It's pretty normal. Nothing to see here.

---

Alabama finished 1 rank higher in Nick Saban's first year.

Went from 13th in 2006 to 12th in 2007. 3rd in 2008.

Georgia, Auburn's other rival, never dropped a beat in recruiting when hiring Kirby Smart. 6th ranked class the year before and after.

And finally, Auburn had the 10th ranked class in Gus's first year. Up from 11th the previous year, and 10th the year before that. His 2nd year he had them with the #6 recruiting class.

So it doesn't seem normal to me. Especially to this extreme degree. It's still somewhat early and a lot can change, but there is a point where the existing class will put a damper on future recruits. Good players want to go where other good players go. Getting a big time QB recruit for example can lead to better WR commits and vice versa.

quote:

---

So how long before the natives start getting restless?

---

Like 5 months ago.

This is what makes them dangerous. And Bo Nix.

quote:

---

Alabama finished 1 rank higher in Nick Saban's first year.

Went from 13th in 2006 to 12th in 2007. 3rd in 2008.

Georgia, Auburn's other rival, never dropped a beat in recruiting when hiring Kirby Smart. 6th ranked class the year before and after.

And finally, Auburn had the 10th ranked class in Gus's first year. Up from 11th the previous year, and 10th the year before that. His 2nd year he had them with the #6 recruiting class.

---

While all this is accurate, it should be pointed out that these were three anomalous situations:

-Saban was an NC winning HC who was returning to the SEC with huge fanfare.
-Smart was a high-profile DC returning to his alma mater right after winning his 4th NC in 8 seasons
-Malzahn was returning to the school where he had been a major contributor in winning the NC just two seasons previously.

As has been hammered into our skulls since December, Harsin is not a household name in the SEC, coming off a pandemic year of no on-campus visits. AU was off the lists of most of the higher profile before he was hired, putting him way behind the upper end of the SEC for this year's class.

You can argue that AU is reaping the results of making a bad hire, but comparing him to the HCs you listed is disingenuous.

Man, you are going to confuse the hell out of these people with logic!

quote:

---

While all this is accurate, it should be pointed out that these were three anomalous situations:

-Saban was an NC winning HC who was returning to the SEC with huge fanfare.
-Smart was a high-profile DC returning to his alma mater right after winning his 4th NC in 8 seasons
-Malzahn was returning to the school where he had been a major contributor in winning the NC just two seasons previously.

As has been hammered into our skulls since December, Harsin is not a household name in the SEC, coming off a pandemic year of no on-campus visits. AU was off the lists of most of the higher profile before he was hired, putting him way behind the upper end of the SEC for this year's class.

You can argue that AU is reaping the results of making a bad hire, but comparing him to the HCs you listed is disingenuous.

---

I'm just comparing against your rivals. I can do more teams and get similar results.

But you are right in that he has no hype. Which is kind of the point. You want to make a hire that gets things hyped up.

And if was just a little bit of a drop, I wouldn't think much of it. But it's a big drop.

I will say the average isn't terrible at 88. If he can fill out the class at that rate he can finish top30, probably even top25. So I wouldn't classify it as hopeless quite yet, but you still aren't going to be all that competitive in the SEC that way.

quote:

---

If you went back and ranked Auburn’s classes post transfers, I’m willing to bet they wouldn’t rank top 20 or 25. A highly rated class means shite when a lot of the highly rated kids transfer or bust, like they typically did under Gus Malzahn.

---

So better they just don't come to start with?

quote:

---

I'm just comparing against your rivals. I can do more teams and get similar results.

---

The circumstances around this year for recruiting were unheard of. So much of it is about building relationships and that is very hard to do over zoom calls. Regardless if he was coming from Idaho and being a relative unknown in the south, we weren't able to get kids on campus until just recently. That is a huge challenge to overcome, especially for a new coach to the region.

You can't find another comparison with those circumstances that were out of his control. Yes, guys like Beamer had the same circumstances, but he's been in the south basically his entire coaching career and already has a web of relationships built. Harsin came in without that and wasn't able to actually meet kids in person until about a month or so ago.

quote:

---

No, but it doesn't matter if the do come and flame out in a year. But you can't deny that Gus mismanaged many of those higher rated recruits, for one reason or another.

I believe this class will creep into the top-20 this year. If we have some success on the field this year, it will only get better the next year. Relationships take time. Covid and now the NIL have really changed the game the last 18 months.

The fact is that Auburn will have to get back consistently to 12 or better to compete in the SEC.

---

You guys are just making excuses for him while trying to cope with the reality.