A more than yearlong endeavor ended Wednesday, National Signing Day, as the finishing touches were put on coach Gene Chizik's third highly-ranked recruiting class.
"The bottom line is is you always look for what your needs are," Chizik said. "We're just looking for the right fit; we're looking for the right guy. We're just looking for the right fit for Auburn."
Chizik said he felt the 2011 recruiting class successfully addressed Auburn's positions of need, focusing on the offensive and defensive lines, the defensive secondary and quarterback.
Chizik said this class is another brick in the foundation of what he wants to build and is moving Auburn football in the right direction.
Signing day had its share of drama as four prospects decided on which school they would attend.
The biggest and most dramatic surprise was the announcement by rivals.com five-star offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio's announcement that he would sign with Auburn instead of the Crimson Tide, the school that Kouandjio's brother, Arie, attends.
The Tigers are still waiting to receive Kouandjio's binding letter of intent. As such, Chizik declined to discuss his status.
Auburn also landed the commitments of rivals.com four-star offensive linemen Christian Westerman, Greg Robinson and Reese Dismukes, who is already enrolled in classes at Auburn.
Chizik said the ability of offensive line recruits to play early was a major factor in deciding who to recruit.
Four-star cornerback Jonathan Rose and three-star offensive lineman Thomas O'Reilly join Dismukes as early enrollees.
The Tigers also picked up a big commitment from rivals.com four-star defensive tackle Gabe Wright, who made his announcement live on ESPN by putting on an Auburn hat customized with the phrase, "Nick Who?" a reference to NFL-bound defensive tackle Nick Fairley.
Chizik said he thinks that Wright is a player who can come in and contribute immediately.
"We feel like we built a great relationship with him," Chizik said. "I feel like in his heart of hearts he was Auburn through and through."
Auburn also secured the commitment of rivals.com four-star safety Erique Florence, who chose Auburn over offers from Southern California and Alabama.
Chizik said he thinks Florence brings great speed to Auburn's secondary and will do well there.
The Tigers signed Arkansas native and rivals.com four-star Kiehl Frazier to fill the need at quarterback.
Frazier played high school football at Shiloh Christian, where he ran offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn's offense.
Frazier's experience in Malzahn's system make him a candidate to contribute early for the Tigers.
Chizik said Frazier has been one of the biggest recruiters for Auburn this year.
"He's one of the heart and souls of this class," Chizik said.
The Tigers also secured the commitment of versatile athlete Kris Frost, who has the ability to play both the wide receiver and linebacker positions.
Frost announced his intentions to sign with Auburn at the U.S. Army All-American game in January, but there were doubts whether the Tigers would accept his commitment.
"We just had to make sure we were all on the same page," Chizik said.
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