bigbird 60,368 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 https://auburn.247sports.com/Article/The-Neebies-Auburn-Tigers-recruiting-class-superlatives-114863845 The Neebies: Class superlatives Keith Niebuhr - 22 hours ago 23 Quindarious Monday had a big season and is a big pickup for Auburn. (Photo: Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports) As we look at the 2017 Auburn recruiting class, I hand out some awards based on personal observations throughout the recruiting cycle. Welcome to the fifth annual edition of The Neebies ... FASTEST Anthony Schwartz, WR: This was easy. Schwartz is, as Tigers coach Gus Malzahn put it, "the fastest recruit in the country." He's right. The Florida standout has a top 100-meters time of 10.15 seconds, which puts him in the elite category. BEST HANDS Shedrick Jackson, WR: Tough call. So many good receivers in the class, plus running back Asa Martin is solid here, too. But having Jackson in action, I'll give him the nod. His concentration level is extremely high, particularly on passes deep down the field and over the shoulder. STRONGEST Coynis Miller, DT: He had the best power ball throw in the country at any Opening Regional last year. And that mostly is from natural strength. Wait until he has a year or two in the weight-training program at Auburn. UNDER THE RADAR Michael Harris, LB: You'd think it would be hard to say this about a 4-star recruit, but Harris probably hasn't gotten nearly as much attention as he deserved. I don't believe in taking shots at recruiting rankings and I won't start now, but I wouldn't be shocked if Harris is more productive in college than many of the recruits in Georgia rated above him. Honorable mention: Daquan Newkirk, DT. BEST IN SPACE Shaun Shivers, APB: The speedy Shivers isn't just a burner (he'll run track at Auburn), he's tiny, has good vision and excellent one-cut abililty. Add it up and he's awfully difficult to corral. BEST LEADER Quindarious Monday, S: More than anything Monday is someone other players like being around. BIGGEST HITTER Michael Harris, LB: He runs over people and through people. Harris uses his body as a weapon much of the time. As much punch as he packs now, it will be interesting to see what he does with another 25 pounds on his frame. MOST PHYICAL Quindarious Monday, S: We also could have gone with Harris in this category, but we chose Monday, who desite being wiry isn't afraid to get after it at the point of attack, the line of scrimmage with a receiver or when making a tackle. BEST ACCELERATION Anthony Schwartz, WR: When Schwartz hits the gas pedal, his acceleration is off the charts. You really have to see it in person to believe it. You're talking about world-class jets. This class has a ton of speed, but another one whose acceleration caught my eye was linebacker signee Josh Marsh. MOST HEART Shaun Shivers, APB: He's 5-foot-nothing. He's well south of 200 pounds. And yet, "Worm" as they call him became a bit of a legend down in south Florida. Yes, he's fast. But you don't have the type of success he had without having something unique inside. MOST RELENTLESS Michael Harris, LB: This guy gets after it. Every game. Every quater. Every series. Every snap. Every second of every play. MOST VERSATILE Matthew Hill, WR; Seth Williams, WR; Quindarious Monday, S: What these three players did on both sides of the ball -- and on special teams -- in high school was special. That versatility should serve them well at Auburn. MOST FOCUSED Shedrick Jackson, WR; Jamien Sherwood, S: These two might be the most mature members of the 2018 class. To say the least, they are locked in on their goals. And guess what -- they happen to be roommates. GAMER Asa Martin, RB: Need a play? A big run? A key third-down conversion? A big catch? A decoy? Help on defense? Martin rose to the occasioneach and every week and that's why he was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Alabama. IT FACTOR Matthew Hill, WR: He's a big play waiting to happen. MOST ATHLETIC Seth Williams, WR; Richard Jibunor, Buck LB: Williams is a physical freak. Probably could play any of three sports (football, basketball and track) in college. Jibunor is just a natural ball of talent. MOST NATURALLY GIFTED Joey Gatewood, QB: Gatewood is such a great athlete, there are some who think he would have been the No. 1 tight end in the country in the 2018 class had he played that position. Big men don't typically move the way he does. He's a special talent, albeit raw in many ways. Harold Joiner was another I thought of for this category. BEST TO GO TO BATTLE WITH Michael Harris, LB; Quindarious Monday, S; Jamien Sherwood, S: The will to win is strong in these ones. MOST UNASSUMING Jamien Sherwood, S: You'll often see Sherwood walking through campus with a hoodie on ... or in the athletic complex sitting off to the side alone. He's intelligent. Quiet. And, as I said, focused. On the field, he's a terror. MOST INSTINCTIVE Jamien Sherwood, S: He reads a play and finds the ball as well as anyone in the class. BEST BODY Daquan Newkirk, DT; Kayode Oladele, DE, Joey Gatewood, QB: These are different-looking dudes for sure. BEST NFL POTENTIAL Daquan Newkirk, DT; Seth Williams, WR: The combination of 1. great pieces of clay; 2. great attitudes; 3. great ability -- makes me think we'll definitely see these two playing on Sundays. SLEEPER Arryn Siposs, P: The 25-year-old Aussie has game-changing potential, the Tigers believe. Runner-up to Kameron Stutts, OL; Caleb Johnson, DL. MOST RAW Richard Jibunor, Buck, LB; Kayode Oladele, DE: The two Nigerian natives are just scratching the surface. The ceilings are high. So are their athletic traits. BEST INTERVIEW Jalil Irvin, OL: Nobody in the class carries himself better. Smart. Thoughtful. Insightful. FRIENDLIEST Richard Jibunor, LB: The one recruit who always asks how each reporter is doing. Runner-up to Shedrick Jackson, WR. FUNNIEST Michael Harris, LB: He wore pajama pants with a peacoat to an Auburn game. Do I need to go on? MOST SERIOUS Jamien Sherwood, S: He isn't in college to waste time. His or his coaches. THE BUZZ WILL COME LATER Richard Jibunor, LB: As he continues to learn the game, gain weight and get stronger, Jibunor has the physical traits and determination that should allow him to shine in 2019 and beyond. MOST HUMBLE Asa Martin, RB: Despite all the numbers and all the hype, you never see him beating his chest or acting like he's better than anyone. About the ranking of his many of you didn't like? Didn't phase him a bit. BEST RECRUITER Shaun Shivers, APB: The word is, he ran the group chat among prospects -- after first starting it. Nobody worked harder for the staff. ONE TO PULL FOR Christian Tutt, CB: Tutt lost his brother in a car accident when he was high school. That was his best friend and the person he most looked up to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbird 60,368 Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 Merged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbird 60,368 Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 I know I'm biased, but I love to see Monday and Sherwood's name all over this list. Hearing about their leadership and focus is great. We need that from both of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AidiAU 1,270 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 BEST RECRUITER Shaun Shivers, APB: The word is, he ran the group chat among prospects -- after first starting it. Nobody worked harder for the staff. RUNNER UP: @GwillMac6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionheartkc 6,150 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 1 hour ago, bigbird said: MOST HEART Shaun Shivers, APB: He's 5-foot-nothing. He's well south of 200 pounds. And yet, "Worm" as they call him became a bit of a legend down in south Florida. Yes, he's fast. But you don't have the type of success he had without having something unique inside. I can just see @Momma Worm beaming when she reads this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LKEEL75 2,566 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 I appreciate the article and insights. However, I am astonished that this got by an editor or even Microsoft Word dictionary. Words are misspelled and several sentences make absolutely no sense. I am no English major and have my own issues speaking but to put this out there for the world to read.... Dang. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredst 9,064 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 4 hours ago, bigbird said: I know I'm biased, but I love to see Monday and Sherwood's name all over this list. Hearing about their leadership and focus is great. We need that from both of them. My niece was Sherwood’s “recruiter girl”(forget what they call them, Tigerette when I was at AU) so shout out to her. She spoke highly of him and his mother. Pulling hard for him.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLoofus 35,182 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Good stuff, @bigbird. Despite some valid concerns and critiques about the class, it's good to be reminded of some of these guys who signed in December. Guys like Monday and Gatewood might as well be 5*s. Harris was a huge get and we never talk about him. Newkirk, Sherwood, Jackson... all of these guys are slept on. Love to hear that Irvin is such a good interview. I put a lot of stock in intelligent OLs, especially interior guys who might have a shot at playing center. Good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUsince72 11,084 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 @bigbird, your duplicate "Class Superlatives" post looks lonely. I see Sherwood's name showed up a few times. Sounds like one to keep an eye on. Otherwise, I like the class myself. Could always use more OL'men but if Grimes the Sequel backs up his first stint I think AU will be fine in that area and hopefully '19, they will be a big focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gr82be 14,401 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Thanks @bigbird for posting. Reading this makes me wish it was September already. The comments about Sherwood have just made me a huge fan. The Most Serious and Most Unassuming comments make him a favorite of mine. Seems like a great class. I'm sure it's nice to get a bunch of 5 star recruits but if a bunch of 3 & 4 Star guys can come together and play like a 5 Star team with 5 Star attitudes then we're going to have a lot of fun watching these guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle-1 3,821 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 4 hours ago, bigbird said: I know I'm biased, but I love to see Monday and Sherwood's name all over this list. Hearing about their leadership and focus is great. We need that from both of them. And in a hurry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PotPot 161 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 My favorite part of this article is reading that we signed possibly the #1 tight end in the country. And here everyone has been saying we struck out at the position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUsince72 11,084 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 18 minutes ago, PotPot said: My favorite part of this article is reading that we signed possibly the #1 tight end in the country. And here everyone has been saying we struck out at the position. I see what you did there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corchjay 5,311 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 My description of the overall class is. Fast, Speed. With the lack of OL this is probably the “fastest” class we have ever signed. But also non traditional positions we are really quick and fast as well. Heck our 2 DT’s one was a running back in high school and the other moonlights as a wildcat QB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auburn 6 101 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 1 hour ago, gr82be said: Thanks @bigbird for posting. Reading this makes me wish it was September already. The comments about Sherwood have just made me a huge fan. The Most Serious and Most Unassuming comments make him a favorite of mine. Seems like a great class. I'm sure it's nice to get a bunch of 5 star recruits but if a bunch of 3 & 4 Star guys can come together and play like a 5 Star team with 5 Star attitudes then we're going to have a lot of fun watching these guys. Do they have 5 star heart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SumterAubie 3,031 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 Please, Malzahn. Please, please, please, please. please put both Shivers and Schwartz back to return kickoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionheartkc 6,150 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 1 hour ago, SumterAubie said: Please, Malzahn. Please, please, please, please. please put both Shivers and Schwartz back to return kickoffs. Don't forget, Iggy was a track star too. We are not lacking in speed on kick returns... we're lacking in blocking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAG 33,955 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 1 hour ago, SumterAubie said: Please, Malzahn. Please, please, please, please. please put both Shivers and Schwartz back to return kickoffs. We need a guy who can make people miss and not just have straight line speed: I think Schwartz fit that bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jAUSon 2,836 Posted February 9, 2018 Share Posted February 9, 2018 4 hours ago, Auburn 6 said: Do they have 5 star heart? Oh no you didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexava 6,973 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 4 hours ago, lionheartkc said: Don't forget, Iggy was a track star too. We are not lacking in speed on kick returns... we're lacking in blocking. And vision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamp Eagle 5,128 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 13 hours ago, LKEEL75 said: I appreciate the article and insights. However, I am astonished that this got by an editor or even Microsoft Word dictionary. Words are misspelled and several sentences make absolutely no sense. I am no English major and have my own issues speaking but to put this out there for the world to read.... Dang. There is one in every crowd...unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DivisionN 102 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 I think this class, as a whole, is underrated. They will make their mark! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFE12 9,191 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 19 hours ago, bigbird said: I know I'm biased, but I love to see Monday and Sherwood's name all over this list. Hearing about their leadership and focus is great. We need that from both of them. I was going to say something to that point. We need Smoke to grow up fast! He can definitely be a big time leader for us. We're gonna need that killer attitude to spread throughout the team and keep everyone hyped in big games. We also need that laser focus from a guy like Sherwood who will always know where to be and where everyone else should be. These two will pay dividends this season, I think even with them being freshmen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFE12 9,191 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 All I ask is that these guys get utilized enough and correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexava 6,973 Posted February 10, 2018 Share Posted February 10, 2018 20 hours ago, bigbird said: I know I'm biased, but I love to see Monday and Sherwood's name all over this list. Hearing about their leadership and focus is great. We need that from both of them. Biased? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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