A largely underwhelming season for the Auburn Tigers was capped off by a disappointing 34-31 loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the Outback Bowl on January 1st. Now that the first College Football Playoff National Championship has been played, teams across the country zero in on one singular focus--recruiting.
With National Signing Day quickly approaching, Auburn finds itself hovering around the tenth-best recruiting class, per 247sports.com's rankings. Auburn has gained 20 commitments, with 12 of those being classified as a four-star recruit.
The biggest commitment Auburn has received so far is from 4-star athlete Kerryon Johnson. Johnson--who has claimed three consecutive state titles with the Madison Academy Mustangs--has an incredible combination of speed, strength, and agility. He can play running back and slot receiver, or he can flip to defense and become a quick, rangy safety. He projects to slide into running back, however, and join a loaded backfield next year that will feature sophomore Roc Thomas and JUCO (junior college) transfer Jovon Robinson.
Robinson is rated the number one JUCO prospect in the nation, and actually signed with Auburn in 2012 and practiced in training camp, before news broke that some of Robinson's grades in high school had been changed, ruling him academically ineligible. Now, three years later, he returns to the Plains.
Among Auburn's other commitments, the Tigers will see a boost in defensive personnel, including ones that will no doubt allow new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp plenty of time to mold them into a defensive force to be reckoned with.
Linebackers Darrell Williams and Richard McBryde, both 4-stars, look to be the future at their positions, as does safety Jordan Colbert. Johnson, Williams, McBryde and Colbert all participated in the Under Armour All-America Game in early January, a game where only the top high school recruits in the country are invited to play.
With Signing Day on the horizon, there are still a few big-name recruits Tiger fans should keep their eye on. The number one player in the country, offensive tackle Martez Ivey, is still undecided, and it is widely believed he will decide between the Florida Gators and Auburn. Auburn has already secured a commitment from his high school teammate, fullback Chandler Cox, and Muschamp might be able to sway Ivey into coming to the Plains.
Byron Cowart, the third-ranked recruit in the nation, is a defensive end who is shaping up to face the same decision as Ivey, deciding between Florida and Auburn. He was nearly a lock to choose Florida early on, but the hiring of Muschamp and Travaris Robinson, who both recruited him to the Gators, might be enough to sway him.
Even though the 2014 season was not as enjoyable as the previous year, a strong recruiting class, and the possibility of an even stronger one should give Tiger fans plenty of hope heading into 2015.
All recruiting info courtesy of 247sports.com.
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