The Auburn Tigers football team may be in for an exciting 2013 recruiting class. As it stands today, the Tigers' recruiting class is ranked No. 11 according to Rivals. They are dangerously close to breaking into the top 10 and staying there until National Signing Day.
The biggest pickup that may change everything is the commitment from five-star inside linebacker Reuben Foster. Foster, a 6-foot-2 228 pound transfer from Lagrange, Ga. to Auburn High School, flip-flopped his commitment from Alabama to Auburn.
This switch may change the 2013 recruiting landscape for a couple reasons.
It starts with a little "get back" at the Crimson Tide. The impressively-dressed Foster sat behind a microphone at the Auburn High School cafeteria last Thursday, July 12, spoke only a few words and declined to answer questions.
What came out was an unverified, but assumed, shot at the in-state rivals.
"I have a lot of respect for Alabama and the coaches and all the other people that are there," Foster said. "But at the end of the day, I felt like Auburn University is the place for me and my family and had the best situation for me and my family. I am 100 percent confident with my final decision. I feel great about my decision, and I'm excited to get started."
These were the final words spoken at the press conference and were almost verbatim to T.J. Yeldon's, a 2012 running back recruit that switched from Auburn to Alabama.
In a time when Iron Bowl banter is all speculation in hopes of a successful season, Foster provided Auburn fans and coaches a bit of payback. Rest assured that the new tattoo Foster sported at last weekend's Auburn Mini-Camp II should guarantee the stability of his commitment.
The No. 2 overall recruit according to Rivals could also sway the decisions of other potential recruits. It has been reported that Foster has close relationships with four-star tight end Alabama commit O.J. Howard; four-star safety, Georgia commit Tray Matthews; and four-star running back, 2014 recruit Bo Scarborough. Howard and Matthews are both in the Rivals100.
The obvious impact Foster will have is on the field. He's big. He's fast. He's an all-around monster at the linebacker position. The videos speak for themselves. Foster is a down-hill player that makes blockers seem irrelevant. He also excels in coverage making him a threat to any offense.
In 2011 Foster racked up 185 tackles and 14 sacks at Troup County High School in LaGrange, fitting numbers for a recruit of his caliber.
Foster will join 15 other verbal commits in 2013, nine of which are defensive players. Most notably are five-star defensive linemen Dee Liner and Carl Lawson. Foster is also the fourth linebacker to commit, joining four-star Trey Johnson, three-star Jarrad Davis and three-star Cameron Toney.
Newly appointed defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder should look forward to the added depth and talent to his linebacker corps as the already thin roster consists of two seniors and one junior.
As exciting as recruitment is, Auburn will have to wait for the 2013 recruiting class to have their time to shine.
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