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(07/28/13 3:29am)
In just two months after being hired, Gus Malzahn was able to bring together an impressive coaching staff that managed to finish with the nation's No. 8 overall recruiting class.
Malzahn was able to hold together the class of 2013 that witnessed the firing of the coaching staff that gained its pledges. If that wasn't a feat by itself, Malzahn then added some of the country's best players on top of it. If he can finish No. 8 overall in nearly 65 days, I believe 2014 will be a monumental recruiting year for Auburn.
The summer began with a bang when Auburn gained five commitments in May, then slowed to a screeching halt. I was even considering writing a column on the lack of recruiting news coming out of Auburn, but decided against it because of the lack of recruiting news everywhere.
Recruiting is a yearlong process for teams, but the dog days of summer are normally slower than the fall in commitment numbers. Then Auburn held its final summer football camp of the year, and everything changed.
In one weekend Auburn hosted more than 500 recruits from across the southeast and the visits paid off, landing the Tigers five commitments.
Once again co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig flashed his recruiting talents by reeling in the nation's top junior college receiver in D'haquille Williams. The four-star talent is Craig's eighth commitment as the leading recruiter in the class of 2014.
The feat earned him the No. 1 position on 24/7Sports' recruiter rankings for the class of 2014.
Craig's role in securing pledges from linebacker Tre Williams, defensive end Justin Thornton and linebacker Deshaun Davis showcases his ability to influence defensive players even as an offensive coach.
Forming relationships with recruits and their families can be the most beneficial deciding factor for players, more important than wins, facilities or location. Coach Craig seems to be the best at forming these crucial relationships.
D'haquille Williams told AuburnSports.com he can't talk to everyone about problems he may have off the field, but Coach Craig is someone he can open up to, and it helped earn his commitment.
I know a student who worked with Craig at Florida State and said he treats everyone with the same caring, passionate and mentoring personality he would with a recruit. As soon as we hired Craig, my friend texted me to say Auburn just hired the greatest recruiter in the country, and he was right.
As the recruiting season continues to heat up toward signing day in February, the combination of Malzahn, Craig and the Auburn experience should prove to be more than enough to sway some of the nation's remaining top recruits. Don't be surprised if Auburn can once again finish with a top-10 class, and with a few key commitments, possibly higher.
(07/26/13 3:44am)
The oldest son of former head football coach Tommy Tuberville plans to join the football team as a walk-on quarterback this season.
Tucker Tuberville was a redshirt at Texas Tech last year where his father coached. Once Tommy Tuberville left for Cincinnati, Tucker decided to return to Auburn where he once played quarterback at Lee-Scott Academy.
Tucker Tuberville attended Frenship High School in Wolfforth, Texas, leading the Tiger to a 10-1 record in 2011.
Tommy Tuberville coached Auburn from 1999-2008 before heading off to Texas Tech and then Cincinnati this past year.
(07/25/13 5:28pm)
It was a busy week for football recruiting with the Tigers hosting more than 500 recruits for the final summer camp of the year, gaining five commitments from top prospects around the nation.
(07/19/13 3:50pm)
Auburn head football coach Gus Malzahn's offense was the hot topic for Auburn at SEC Media Days Wednesday, July 17, but the Tigers' new defensive scheme has players excited for the season.
Senior defensive end Dee Ford said the Tigers are excited about Ellis Johnson's 4-2-5 defense and want to get their edge back.
"He makes his system based off of our abilities; it's all about how quick you can play, and it's not just about being the pass rusher, it's stopping the run," Ford said. "Getting our edge back we have to practice that way, there's no way around it, we have to put in that work."
Senior defensive back Chris Davis agrees that Johnson's defense will cause trouble for opponents this coming season.
"His scheme is the perfect scheme. With the 4-2-5 we get an extra defensive back on the field and the star position that everyone has been bragging about," Davis said.
The star position in the 4-2-5 defense will be one of the most crucial players on the field. Designed to be a cross between a linebacker and safety, junior Justin Garrett has emerged as the leader for the position.
"Justin Garrett has made improvement," Davis said. "He's going to be one of the breakout players this season, it's a perfect fit for him."
Practicing against the fast-paced, no-huddle offense, designed by Malzahn, has helped prepare Auburn's defense for different looks in offensive schemes.
"You have to get lined up; a play can be ran at any time," Davis said. "If we're out of position it can be an explosive play or a touchdown. That's something that we have to limit coming from last year."
Davis said Malzahn rarely spends time on the defensive side of the ball at practice, and it motivates the defensive.
"We want to try to stop everything Malzahn is doing," Davis said. "If we can stop Malzahn we can stop any team we play."
Ford also agreed practicing against Malzahn's two-minute drill offense will benefit the defense this year.
"That's why we practice with him to pick up that slack if anything is going wrong. We are expecting a fast offense," Ford said.
The simplicity of the defense allows a player to make a mistake in coverage without allowing a long scoring play.
Johnson's 4-2-5 defense may not have the complexity of Malzahn's offense, but it is a versatile scheme that can stop multiple offenses from making big plays.
(07/19/13 2:28am)
Auburn's next athletic year will be one of its most important ever.
The train wreck of football, baseball and basketball seasons put Auburn on the short list of the SEC's worst teams. Mix in firing coaches, Selena Roberts and Spice, the athletic department had a difficult few months, but this next sports year is make or break.
Every school has had a down year, but the ones that return to the top and do it immediately are consistently the best schools in every sport.
It's become obvious the athletic department knows it cannot repeat a year like last.
The athletic department's tenacity in hiring new coaches, and the amount of money Auburn is investing in them shows how important winning this year is. Sunny Galloway will be the second highest paid baseball coach in the SEC, and with the combined salaries of the football staff nearing $6 million, winning is the only option.
The hardest part of becoming a top tier athletic university is getting there.
Once at the top it becomes easier to consistently win. Schools such as Florida and Ohio State are ranked high in many sports every year. Recruits flock to their basketball teams because of their success, guaranteeing wins for years to come.
The same idea goes for schools at the bottom.
A university can fall into a losing cycle, something that takes years and years to escape from.
Luckily Auburn has the resources to make sure it doesn't fall into that cycle, but this next year will be extremely important for the University's image. Winning will show Auburn is back on track to be one of the most competitive schools in the country, but losing next year would once again make Auburn the joke of the SEC.
Even though in recent years the schools prone to losing in big SEC sports are becoming more competitive, they're still known as losing schools. Kentucky and Vanderbilt were always the bottom two universities in football rankings in the SEC.
Auburn's wins and prestige over the past 10 years will keep them out of this SEC grave-yard, but another losing season will put them on the bottom while Vanderbilt continues to improve.
The Tigers don't have time to rebuild.
Sure it will take a few years for Malzahn to make Auburn a top tier SEC school, but he must be able to at least compete this year. Going 0-8 in the conference in 2012 is embarrassing, and being nearly mercy ruled in most of them makes it even worse.
Winning on the football field also takes some of the pressure off basketball and baseball to be successful. After the 2012 season, fans just wanted to see one big sport win and were disappointed by the two teams. Losing in the first games of the SEC Tournament hurt Auburn's image, and after a year like this Auburn just needs to be competitive again.
Some big SEC wins this year in all of the sports will help people be one step closer to forgetting the embarrassment of last year. Auburn will rebound, and all will be good on the Plains once again. I'm not asking for an immediate national championship, just a competitive and relevant athletic school.
(07/11/13 11:31pm)
Updated with additional comments.
(07/08/13 8:45pm)
Auburn senior defensive end Dee Ford was one of the 75 college football players listed on the 2013 preseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award announced Monday, July 8.
The Bednarik Award is given annually to the nation's best defensive player. First awarded in 1995, the honor is named after former Penn State and Philadelphia Eagles star Chuck Bednarik, a college and NFL Hall of Fame member.
"I'm very surprised to hear that I'm on the Bednarik Award list. This just makes me want to solidify my qualifications and work even harder to show that Auburn should be represented on this list," Ford said in a press release.
The 6-foot-2, 238-pound Ford has recorded 64 career tackles, 13 tackles for a loss and 13 sacks in his three years at Auburn. As a team leader and returning starter, Ford has also earned recognition as a fourth team preseason all-SEC nominee.
"It's been a long journey for me, and I owe any success to my strength coaches, football coaches and teammates for being patient with me while I developed," Ford said. "I'm very thankful for this new responsibility and the opportunity we have this season."
The Maxwell Football Club selection committee will announce semifinalists for the award Oct. 29.
(07/08/13 3:11am)
Head football coach Gus Malzahn will be inducted into the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame Friday, July 12, in Hot Springs, Ark.
Malzahn coached high school football in Arkansas for three different schools from 1992-2005, but will be inducted for his success at Springdale High School. Beginning in 2001, Malzahn coached the Bulldogs four years going to the state championship twice and winning in 2005.
Prior to his tenure at Springdale, Malzahn created one of the most forceful and respected offenses in the county at Shiloh Christian School, scoring a national record 66 passing touchdowns in 1998. He led the Saints to back-to-back state titles in 1998 and 1999 before taking over as head coach at Springdale.
The hall of fame will be inducting five coaches along with Malzahn at a ceremony Friday night in Hot Springs.
(06/28/13 1:00pm)
Four swimmers with ties to Auburn competed in final events Thursday, June 27 at the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships.
Former Auburn swimmer and winner of a London 2012 gold medal, Tyler McGill placed fourth in the men's 100-meter butterfly with a time of 52.16.
Rising senior Olivia Scott placed fourth in the women's 100-meter butterfly final with a time of 59.25.
McGill and Scott were the closest in the Thursday events to claim a spot on the U.S. team for the 2013 FINA World Championships. The top-two swimmers in each Olympic event make the final team.
Rising sophomore Jillian Vitarius swam a 29.76 in the women's 50-meter backstroke, placing her in 25th. Incoming freshman Kyle Darmody swam a 25.87 in the men's 50-meter backstroke to place in 17th.
The competition will continue through Saturday, June 29 and the FINA World Championships will be held July 28-Aug. 4 in Barcelona, Spain.
(06/28/13 12:45am)
A group of nine current and former Auburn swimmers are competing this week in the Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis for a chance to swim in the 2013 FINA World Championships.
Rising seniors Olivia Scott, Haley Krakoski and Zane Grothe joined by rising sophomore Jillian Vitarius are the four current Auburn swimmers competing in the meet.
Incoming freshman Kyle Darmody will also be competing against his future Auburn teammates as a member of the SwimMAC Carolina team. Darmody is rated as a top-ten national recruit from the class of 2013. The Charlotte, N.C. native chose the Tigers over family ties to the University of Texas where his older brother swims.
Former Auburn swimmers, including three former Olympians are also competing in the qualifying meet this week. Winner of a London 2012 gold medal, Tyler McGill is a top seed in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly. Two-time gold medalist Mark Gangloff will compete in multiple breaststroke events along with Mikah Lawrence. Karl Krug, a 2012 Auburn graduate, will compete in the sprint freestyle competitions.
The Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships are held June 25-29 at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, home of the 2013 NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.
The finals in both the men's and women's 200-meter butterfly and 100-meter freestyle were on Tuesday, June 25. In the men's 100-meter freestyle Darmody finished in 12th with a time of 50.13, followed by a 50.42 by Krug placing him in 27th.
In the women's freestyle, Scott placed 34th following a 56.71 time. Scott did not qualify for the finals in the women's 200-meter butterfly event.
The FINA World Championships will be in Barcelona, Spain July 24-Aug. 4. The top-two competitors in each event will qualify for the U.S. National team.
(06/24/13 11:54pm)
Nine players from Auburn football's 2013 recruiting class reported for class Monday, June 24, increasing the number of early enrollees to 20.
Junior college transfer Nick Marshall was one of the players to arrive on campus late Sunday. The 6-foot-2 Garden City Community College dual-threat quarterback is expected to be a strong contender for the starting position under head coach Gus Malzahn's spread offense this fall. Formerly a defensive back at Georgia, Marshall will be one of four quarterbacks competing for the position.
Joining Marshall is Auburn's top 2013 recruits, five-star defensive ends Carl Lawson from Alpharetta, Ga. and Elijah Daniel from Avon, Indiana.
Safties Mackenro Alexander, Khari Harding and Brandon King also enrolled Monday with receivers Tony Stevens and Dominic Walker, kicker Daniel Carlson and linebacker Cameron Toney.
Of the three prospects not currently on campus, running back Peyton Barber is expected to be on campus later in the week. Quarterback Jason Smith will attend school in Virginia at Fork Union Military Academy before enrolling in January and wide receiver Earnest Robinson must complete summer classes at Pinson Valley High School to be academically eligible in the fall.
(06/23/13 5:12am)
The recent hiring of former Oklahoma head coach Sunny Golloway was a surprise to many Auburn fans, but the head coach for 17 years is a proven winner; someone Auburn baseball needs.
When John Pawlowski came to The Plains in 2009, he had taken the College of Charleston to three NCAA regionals in nine seasons. Golloway has made the postseason in 14 of his 15 years as a head coach at Oral Roberts University and the University of Oklahoma, including a trip to the 2010 college world series. At Oral Roberts, Golloway finished first in the Mid-Continent Conference six consecutive times and had a 117-15 conference record.
The numbers speak for themselves.
Golloway has proven he can win at big schools like Oklahoma and consistently gain postseason berths. His successful career will be tested at Auburn when he competes against some of the best teams in the country each week in the SEC.
For someone who got results at Oklahoma, why would Golloway leave?
Recently, a Sooner player called Golloway "two-faced" while publicly ripping him over Twitter. Clearly, at least one player has issues with him now, and back in 2006, Golloway had a falling-out with his own nephew on the team.
Kody Kaiser decided to transfer from Oklahoma after two years of ongoing issues with his uncle. Golloway blocked his transfer, preventing Kaiser from maintaining eligibility at Oklahoma City University, an NAIA team. For Golloway, it seems a change of scenery was needed and the draw of the SEC, as well as the cash that comes with it, is too much to turn down.
The reaction from Auburn fans and its press coverage since the hire has been overwhelmingly positive and full of excitement, as it should be, but the response from Oklahoma fans has been nothing more than a shoulder shrug.
Oklahoma's reactions raise questions about Golloway and his relationship with the Sooner nation, but if he's winning at Auburn, any personality flaws can easily be overlooked.
At this point, winning is what matters for Athletic Director Jay Jacobs and Auburn. The former days of the good ol' boys has been steadily declining on The Plains. Coaches don't need personal connection to Auburn anymore to have a chance at landing a position.
Casey Dunn, a former four-year Auburn player and current coach at Samford, was an early favorite for the Auburn-Family-type head coach now and back in 2009, but lacks the big time coaching experience.
Pawlowski was the safe pick then, and he flopped. Jacobs and the department have now brought in an outside candidate with some controversy and flare to shake things up, and they should be praised for it.
(06/04/13 7:39pm)
Former Auburn basketball player Kyievarez "Varez" Ward was indicted on two federal counts citing his role in a point-shaving scandal during the 2011-2012 season.
(05/31/13 1:46am)
Men's golf senior Dominic Bozzelli started the 2013 NCAA Championship 4-over in the first 12 holes of the tournament, finishing tied for 49th on the first day of play.
(05/29/13 6:21pm)
The men's basketball team has been replaced by Northeastern in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off preseason tournament scheduled Nov. 21-24.
(05/29/13 6:18pm)
Junior Marta Sanz was named to the Women's Golf Coaches Association honorable mention All-America Team Wednesday, May 29 for the second year in a row following the team's sixth place finish at the NCAA Championship.
(05/28/13 3:04am)
High profile visits, multiple commitments and a unique atmosphere during the fifth annual Big Cat Weekend put a charge into Auburn football recruiting heading into summer.
Big Cat's laid back approach to recruiting, including pie-eating contests, water balloon fights and scavenger hunts, helped Auburn land two recruits and increase its 2014 recruitment list to nine verbal commitments.
Local Opelika High School tight end Jakell Mitchell gave his pledge to the Tigers in front of everyone in attendance at Big Cat. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Mitchell is a three-star prospect who was considering top tier SEC programs like Alabama, LSU and Georgia.
"I went ahead and made my decision today because I feel like Auburn is the best fit for my position," Mitchell told Rivals.com.
Mitchell said Auburn's style of play and coaching staff were major factors in his decision making process.
Mitchell had an impressive junior season recording 28 receptions for 403 yards and 17 touchdowns to help Opelika reach the Class 6A state championship. His style of play caught the attention of offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee because Mitchell's versatility allowed him to play wildcat quarterback and fullback in certain plays.
"[Lashlee and I] have a good relationship," Mitchell said. "We talk every chance we get, and we talk about football and other sorts of things. He is a good person."
After Mitchell's commitment in front of the Big Cat crowd, three-star cornerback Nicholas Ruffin announced his intent to play for the Tigers in 2014 late afternoon Saturday, May 25.
"I've committed to play football at Auburn University. I'm blessed," Ruffin told Rivals.com. "It was a big decision, and I felt it needed to be made. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I stepped on the field and fell in love instantly."
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Ruffin had offers from large schools despite his three-star ranking. Auburn has needs in positions other than cornerback and wanted a select few players in the secondary. Ruffin was one of the top-three backs Auburn has recruited.
Early in April, Alabama still led for Ruffin's commitment, but the Atlanta native's A-Day visit, Big Cat attendance and family influence changed his mind.
"Lo and behold, my aunt wore an Auburn shirt, and something told me today might be the day," Ruffin said. "It was a confirmation I needed to be here."
Ruffin will continue to be recruited by some of the nation's best schools, but says his decision to attend Auburn is final.
"I don't plan on going back (on my word); my word is my bond. I'm not changing that," Ruffin said. "I can't tell you how good this feels to have this process done."
The overall goal of Big Cat was to build relationships between Auburn coaches, recruits and their families in an atmosphere that is free from football activities and workouts. For some of the nation's best recruits, the event was a great time that was substantially different from other college visits.
Rivals250 linebacker Rashaan Evans came away from Big Cat extremely impressed with the weekend's fun-filled schedule and said other recruits loved it as well.
"It felt like we were all family and all already committed to Auburn... It was crazy," Evans told Rivals.com.
Big Cat gained a large amount of support from its visitors by making recruits feel at home.
"We all had fun; we all enjoyed it," Auburn commit Tre Williams said. "I'm just glad it was fun. They saw how we are, relaxed, not uptight and all that."
Four-star safety Cortez McDowell, a Rivals250 player from Locust Grove, Ga., said he was impressed with how the coaches interacted with the players.
"That's one thing (different) about Auburn from the other places, the other coaches didn't really hang around the kids; it was strictly business," McDowell said.
Amid some controversy, five-star Clemson quarterback commit Deshaun Watson visited Auburn shortly over the weekend, later denying his attendance.
Watson is the No. 1 ranked quarterback and No. 12 overall player in the 2014 class.
According to Justin Hokanson, AuburnSports.com editor and expert recruiting writer, Watson enjoyed his visit, but felt extremely pressured by Clemson coaches and reporters to deny his attendance.
"The reason for Watson's denials are all about pressure," Hokanson wrote. "As soon as word got out that he was visiting on Friday, Clemson coaches and reporters were blowing him up. The Clemson coaches may have even told Watson to tweet that he wasn't in Auburn in order to silence the chatter."
Whether it was the commitments, the water balloon fights, or the controversy, Big Cat Weekend was big news in college recruiting.
(05/24/13 4:34am)
The NCAA East Preliminary track quarterfinals will feature four Auburn sprinters in the 100 meters competition Friday, May 23.
(05/22/13 4:50am)
Auburn football's fifth annual Big Cat Weekend hopes to impress some of nation's top high school prospects May 24-25 with its unique approach to recruiting.
(05/17/13 2:41pm)
Auburn baseball upset No. 11 ranked Arkansas in the first game of its home series finale Thursday, May 16, defeating the Razorbacks 3-0 after strong pitching from starter Conner Kendrick.