If you could have one Non-Auburn player...

[AUght2win 6,817]

Say you had some weird, magical time-warping ability. There are a ton of other more better uses for your awesome power, sure, but let's say you decide to put it to use for the sake of Auburn football.

If you could go back and alter the signing day decision of any single college football player, current or historical, so that they come to Auburn, who would it be?

Keep in mind, the context of the time they played in is everything. For instance, don't waste your pick on Archie Griffin in the mid 70s because he would have just wasted his talents during the Barfield era.

I am torn on my choice. I think the most obviously beneficial choice for modern day Auburn would be Lamar Jackson.

He liked Auburn in high school, but we picked Tyler Queen over him (no joke). His career spanned from 2015-2017 (ironically, his first college game was against us). He would have immediately taken the reigns from Nick Marshall and we never would have ditched the read option offense. With LJ, we would have put up bigger offensive numbers than we did with Cam, we would've added (at least) another Heisman and likely played for another NC. 

Other nominees include guys like Tebow, who I think is just a great guy and would have been a great AU ambassador. Archie Manning could have also been great because he could have kept Shug from hitting that rough patch of 6-win years in the late 60s while also keeping us on pace with Alabama during the crucial time that Bear pulled the UA program way ahead of ours. 

Who would you pick?

[gr82be 14,402]

47 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Say you had some weird, magical time-warping ability. There are a ton of other more better uses for your awesome power, sure, but let's say you decide to put it to use for the sake of Auburn football.

If you could go back and alter the signing day decision of any single college football player, current or historical, so that they come to Auburn, who would it be?

Keep in mind, the context of the time they played in is everything. For instance, don't waste your pick on Archie Griffin in the mid 70s because he would have just wasted his talents during the Barfield era.

I am torn on my choice. I think the most obviously beneficial choice for modern day Auburn would be Lamar Jackson.

He liked Auburn in high school, but we picked Tyler Queen over him (no joke). His career spanned from 2015-2017 (ironically, his first college game was against us). He would have immediately taken the reigns from Nick Marshall and we never would have ditched the read option offense. With LJ, we would have put up bigger offensive numbers than we did with Cam, we would've added (at least) another Heisman and likely played for another NC. 

Other nominees include guys like Tebow, who I think is just a great guy and would have been a great AU ambassador. Archie Manning could have also been great because he could have kept Shug from hitting that rough patch of 6-win years in the late 60s while also keeping us on pace with Alabama during the crucial time that Bear pulled the UA program way ahead of ours. 

Who would you pick?

Archie Manning was 1 year older than Pat Sullivan so how does that help us? The seasons he would have played were better than 6 win seasons anyway. That's a head scratcher for me. He would have overlapped Sullivan by 2 years. 

[auburnphan 6,050]

44 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Say you had some weird, magical time-warping ability. There are a ton of other more better uses for your awesome power, sure, but let's say you decide to put it to use for the sake of Auburn football.

If you could go back and alter the signing day decision of any single college football player, current or historical, so that they come to Auburn, who would it be?

Keep in mind, the context of the time they played in is everything. For instance, don't waste your pick on Archie Griffin in the mid 70s because he would have just wasted his talents during the Barfield era.

I am torn on my choice. I think the most obviously beneficial choice for modern day Auburn would be Lamar Jackson.

He liked Auburn in high school, but we picked Tyler Queen over him (no joke). His career spanned from 2015-2017 (ironically, his first college game was against us). He would have immediately taken the reigns from Nick Marshall and we never would have ditched the read option offense. With LJ, we would have put up bigger offensive numbers than we did with Cam, we would've added (at least) another Heisman and likely played for another NC. 

Other nominees include guys like Tebow, who I think is just a great guy and would have been a great AU ambassador. Archie Manning could have also been great because he could have kept Shug from hitting that rough patch of 6-win years in the late 60s while also keeping us on pace with Alabama during the crucial time that Bear pulled the UA program way ahead of ours. 

Who would you pick?

Gus would have never developed him like Petrino did.

Chubb/Guice/Michel/Hunt/Elliot/Conner/Barkley/Drake/Jones/Fournette or any other elite running back over the last several seasons

[weagl1 1,781]

I would put Cornelius Bennett on the 1983-86 Dye teams.  He was one the biggest difference makers I have ever seen on defense.  We certainly would have won national championships in 83 and 86 and it probably would have changed the view of Auburn football from “close but no cigar” to “frequent national champion.”  

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

Emmitt Smith. We came so close to key wins so many times during his college years. Emmitt came into his h.s. gymnasium on signing day wearing an Auburn (hat?) but took it off for a UF hat or shirt. After he went 0-3 against Auburn at UF, left early and got hate mail from UF fans, he told the Pensacola paper he wished he'd gone to Auburn and that we would have won a national title had he done so. We had good backs during that era but Emmitt was one for the ages and in any event he would have whipped even more butt in Dye's system & behind Calloway's line and he would have been the difference in us coming close and at least sharing a couple national titles. IMHO.

[triangletiger 1,599]

I'm thinking someone like Jadeveon Clowney would have been nice on our 2013 team and probably would have been a difference maker in the 2013 BCS Championship Game.

[fredst 9,064]

I would have to add the Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson. The real Bo was awesome and I love that I was at AU during his playing days. But....Tecmo Bo was unstoppable, we would not have lost a game with him and would have won 4 national championships. 

[aujeff11 6,243]

21 minutes ago, triangletiger said:

I'm thinking someone like Jadeveon Clowney would have been nice on our 2013 team and probably would have been a difference maker in the 2013 BCS Championship Game.

We had Dee Ford.

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, fredst said:

I would have to add the Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson. The real Bo was awesome and I love that I was at AU during his playing days. But....Tecmo Bo was unstoppable, we would not have lost a game with him and would have won 4 national championships. 

Fact.

[sevenlee36 1,654]

6 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

We had Dee Ford.

Just think if you had both

[McLoofus 35,182]

Troy Smith. Would've taken over in 2005 as a junior. We were very, very close in 2005 and 2006. Cox was a stud and a gamer but Troy Smith was a Heisman winner. Ohio State got stomped in the 2006 (2007) BCSCG by a team we beat, which means that even if we still drop the Arkansas game that year, we go to Atlanta and have a chance of being in that game instead of UF.

And if we seal the deal in '05 or '06 after that 2004 season, we're suddenly in a much different conversation. Or maybe that just makes Tubs more complacent and even more susceptible to the saban/meyer/Miles onslaught to follow. But at least we get that 'ship and maybe another statue outside JHS. 

 

[aujeff11 6,243]

51 minutes ago, sevenlee36 said:

Just think if you had both

That would’ve been awesome. All it takes to stop a second half swoon is to have one good meeting at the QB.

 

Dee is doing well in the NFL now. He’s about to get paid handsomely either by a franchise tag or a long term deal. 

[alexava 6,973]

Tua. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Michael Vick.... Before he got all Michael vick'ish

[MadtownTiger 363]

Might not top my list if I actually thought about it, but it's the first one that came to mind.

National Signing Day 2014:  Deshaun Watson to Auburn rather than Sean White.

Maybe this Clemson program doesn't happen without him.  Maybe he could have kept the '13-'14 momentum going a little better than White and Johnson.

If we're talking about uses for a time machine, I would send the bagman back a year to convince Kerryon, Pettway, Davis and Holland not to go pro.  Would have been nice to have a stud running game, a lockdown corner and an elite edge rusher around this year.

WDE!

[gr82be 14,402]

2 hours ago, alexava said:

Tua. 

Stidham would most likely still be playing and Tua wouldn't be allowed to pass when he did get in. 

[NoALtiger 3,849]

Burt Reynolds. Winning isn’t everything and nothing is cooler than saying the Bandit played for ya. 

[corchjay 5,311]

6 hours ago, auburnphan said:

Gus would have never developed him like Petrino did.

Chubb/Guice/Michel/Hunt/Elliot/Conner/Barkley/Drake/Jones/Fournette or any other elite running back over the last several seasons

Great addition to another stellar response about Gus when the topic had nothing to do with him.  Oh you left off Henry in your running back discussion... oh doesn't fit your run into the ground narrative since he had what like 300 plus carries one season... That damn Saban ruining people.

[AUght2win 6,817]

58 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Stidham would most likely still be playing and Tua wouldn't be allowed to pass when he did get in. 

You just gonna shoot down everybody else's picks or you gonna put on ya big boy pants and make one yourself, padre? 😁

[AUght2win 6,817]

6 hours ago, auburnphan said:

Gus would have never developed him like Petrino did.

Chubb/Guice/Michel/Hunt/Elliot/Conner/Barkley/Drake/Jones/Fournette or any other elite running back over the last several seasons

The good thing about having 4.4 speed and being a natural playmaker is you don't have to develop those qualities.

[alexava 6,973]

I swear some of our brethren would turn a conversation about the weather into a way to bitch about Gus. 

[AUsince72 11,084]

20 minutes ago, alexava said:

I swear some of our brethren would turn a conversation about the weather into a way to bitch about Gus. 

The weather down here on the gulf coast is so hot and humid it reminds me of how much Gus sucks.

😉

[AUsince72 11,084]

Whoever the best Center & Right Guard were this past season.  I wish they signed with Auburn.

[gr82be 14,402]

23 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

You just gonna shoot down everybody else's picks or you gonna put on ya big boy pants and make one yourself, padre? 😁

Well my first thought was Cornelius Bennet which has also been mentioned. Sorry to shoot down Tua but I thought Gus would be relevant considering he is the coach now. Can't go into why because that would be negative. Guess some are offended by that. I really didn't get your comments around Shug and Manning so that's why I questioned it. 🤔

[AUsince72 11,084]

19 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Well my first thought was Cornelius Bennet which has also been mentioned. Sorry to shoot down Tua but I thought Gus would be relevant considering he is the coach now. Can't go into why because that would be negative. Guess some are offended by that. I really didn't get your comments around Shug and Manning so that's why I questioned it. 🤔

Yeah Sullivan & Manning actually overlapped two of their 3 years.  Also in their only meeting Auburn w/ Sully beat Ole Miss w/ Manning.  FWIW...