If winning championships is a team effort, bringing in those teams in the first place can be as well. Auburn Football's incoming recruiting class is currently ranked fourth by Rivals.com behind the University of Florida, the University of Texas and the national champion University of Alabama.
The culmination of efforts by coaches and players (signed and unsigned) have led to the high ranking.
Auburn's recruiting class of 2009 was ranked 19th by Rivals.
The first step to recruiting is film review. Assistant Football Operations Coordinator Chad Lunsford receives footage of
high school athletes in action, evaluates it and determines the need for players in that particular position.
"Say we have a big need for wide receivers," Lunsford said. "The wide receiver film comes in and I'll take a look at it, no problem. Then let's say that I get film from a running back. If we don't really need a running back, he has to be a great one. A lot of variables come into it. It all comes down to where your need is, where you need depth and where you need immediate impact."
If Lunsford approves the film and what he judges to be Auburn's need for that particular player, he'll then pass it on to the position coaches.
If the coaches approve, it will then be handed to their respective coordinator and, finally, head
coach Gene Chizik. If a high school player
is given an invitation to visit Auburn, current players and recruits become a factor. If the prospect shares
a home state with a committed player, that player might make the visit as well.
For example, defensive tackle Bryan Jones visited Auburn the weekend of Jan. 16. Running back Michael Dyer and tight end Dakota Mosley, both commitments, traveled from Arkansas to help convince Jones to commit to Auburn.
"Michael Dyer and Dakota Mosley have a relationship with Bryan Jones already," said Philip Marshall, senior writer
AuburnUndercover.com. "They're all from Arkansas and they're all friends, but current players and commitment players play a big role in recruiting always."
Bryan Matthews of AuburnSports.com said it's important for players to visit Auburn's campus to show them how it differentiates from other schools.
Events such as the Jan. 16 Auburn vs. Kentucky basketball game gave high school athletes a chance to see the fans in action.
"I think it's important to get these prospects on campus because I think that's one of the best parts of Auburn," Matthews said. "The campus and the school and the people and certainly getting them down for games is even more important. I think Auburn's game day traditions are as good as any in the country."
Auburn has had five 2010 recruits enroll during Spring semester, which opens up five slots for recruiting players who will enroll in the fall.
The Tigers currently have 28 total commitments ( four more than Bama) according to Rivals, three five-stars, 11 four-stars and 13 three- stars.
National Signing Day is Feb. 3, but that doesn't mean commits have to sign that day, it's just the first day they are allowed to sign.
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