Crystal Ball Trends For AU Targets: 8/6/19

[ellitor 33,084]

 

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Crystal Ball projections for Auburn targets

By Keith Niebuhr 20 minutes ago

Four-star OLB Phillip Webb is a top Auburn target. (Photo: 247Sports)

 

Auburn recruiting is on somewhat of a roll this summer. And, it was needed.

Since Big Cat Weekend, which was June 1, the Tigers have landed 11 commitments and jumped up 17 spots to No. 12 in the 247Sports recruiting team rankings.

This summer rush for the Tigers is par for the course in these parts.

In fact, just two cycles ago Auburn sat outside the top 50 in the rankings in late June before rallying. 

The 2020 Auburn class has an average rating per commit of 90.43 --- that's up from 88.54 on June 1 -- and just above the 90.00 threshold for a 4-star average. The good news for the Tigers? They seem to either lead or be in the top two or three for several remaining targets. The bad news? While the class isn't bad, it ranks only as the sixth best in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference. 

For now.

With the 247Sports Crystal Ball, media members predict where top recruits will land. Even though it's early in the cycle, today we take a look at what the chatter is about some top Auburn targets.

Ethan Pouncey, CB, Winter Park (Fla.): Auburn is trending slightly for this talented 4-star cornerback, with schools such as Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Texas also in the mix. Right now, we see this as an Auburn-Texas battle but he seems to be in no hurry to announce a decision. A favorable depth chart appears to be working in the Tigers' favor -- along with the fact he is very close to the Auburn staff (Kodi Burns is his area recruiter). Pouncey attended Big Cat Weekend on June 1 and still has an official to take to Auburn. There only is one Crystal Ball pick in (it's ours) and it is for the Tigers. This would be a huge get if Auburn can pull it off. Another factor: Auburn may have room for only two more corners in the class.

Jeremiah Pegues, TE, Oxford (Miss.): Auburn has pulled even in the Crystal Ball with Ole Miss and for good reason. All of our current intel suggests the Tigers lead -- and lead big for the 4-star tight end target. He has visited Auburn multiple times, most recently in June when he made a surprise trip to the school with some family. That was his fourth known visit to Auburn. That's the good news. The bad news: Pegues doesn't seem to be in any hurry to commit. Right now, though, the arrow is pointing toward the Tigers. He's a big target.

Tank Bigsby, RB, Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway: Here's what we wrote about Bigsby in June: "South Carolina is the Crystal Ball favorite. In fact, Auburn does not have a single pick. But the Tigers seem to be trending up of late. Bigsby has been on campus three times (once for an official visit) this month alone and is expected to return Sunday. He's very difficult to read but it certainly seems as though Auburn is in a better spot here than when the month began."

Today, Auburn now has 88 percent of the 16 Crystal Ball picks. He is set to announce his decision Friday night at 5:30 CT.

Follow the visits: Bigsby has been to Auburn five known times since June 1.

Lawrance Toafili, RB, Pinellas Park (Fla.): With Bigsby trending big now to Auburn, FSU is the clear favorite for Toafili. Toafili visited the Tigers with most of his family Big Cat Weekend and that was trip No. 2 to Auburn this year for him. Afterward, he gave the visit great reviews and said his family loved it, too. But it doesn't seem likely Auburn will take two backs in the 2020 class. If it's not FSU, then Florida is another possibility.

McKinnley Jackson, DT, Lucedale (Miss.) George County: Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss all have gotten Crystal Ball picks. Auburn has not, but the Tigers appear to be very much alive. He has visited Auburn three times this year, most recently for Big Cat Weekend (June 1) and again July 25. That's in addition to the multiple trips he made to the school in 2018. This recruitment could go in a number of directions but given Auburn's success in Mississippi the previous cycle the Tigers are worth tracking here. LSU, once thought to have moved on, hosted Jackson this summer again. Texas A&M also is in the mix. He is not expected to announce until next February.

Phillip Webb, LB, Sugar Hill (Ga.) Lanier: It's an all-out battle for the 4-star outside linebacker (who also could play the buck with his size). Auburn is very much in it, and he most recently visited the Tigers for Big Cat Weekend in June. Alabama is pushing. LSU and FSU also. In other words, this one could go in a bunch of different directions. At one point this summer, he seemed to be LSU bound. But Auburn has rallied some, we're told. While Webb is very close to the Auburn staff, namely linebackers coach Travis Williams, we do not think the fact his dad went to Auburn will be a factor here based on our current intel. He could have a decision early this fall but that's all to be determined.

E.J. Williams, WR, Phenix City (Ala.) Central: The 4-star talent plans to announce his commit decision Aug. 24. All signs point toward Clemson being his choice, and the Crystal Ball reflects that. For starters, he loves the Clemson offense. Also, former teammate and close friend Justyn Ross, plays there. But while Clemson is his official leaders, Auburn sits in the No. 2 spot and that's largely because of the great relationship he has with the staff. If anyone can knock off Clemson, it's Auburn. But ... that won't be easy to do.

Ladarius Tennison, S, Rockledge (Fla.): Tennison made his second visit to Auburn the last weekend in July with multiple family members and several sources have told us the Tigers are trending up and have emerged as the clear favorite. The Tigers like where they sit here, even as the Hurricanes have pushed to get Tennison, a former Miami commit, back on board. The confidence level at Auburn is fairly high at the moment and our Crystal Ball pick is firmly on the Tigers at this time. Tennison, a 4-star recruit, Tweeted on Sunday that he would have a commitment decision "soon." He is Auburn's to lose right now.

BJ Ojulari, DE, Marietta (Ga.): Georgia leads big in the 247Sports Crystal Ball but the majority of those picks for the Bulldogs were made several months ago. Today, this looks like a three-team race between Auburn, LSU and Tennessee -- and we are told each program has at least some level of confidence right now it can land the talented edge rusher from the metro-Atlanta area. The Tigers are believed to be pushing hard in this one.

Zykeivous Walker, DE, Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County: The Crystal Ball for this 4-star end is all Georgia. The Bulldogs are the clear favorites, make no mistake. That said, Auburn appears to have made a significant move since Walker attended Big Cat Weekend on June 1. Auburn's depth chart situation after the 2019 season seems to have gotten his attention. Also, he has started to bond with defensive line coach Rodney Garner. This will be a difficult pull, but it's too soon to count out the Tigers.

 

 

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

Is Pegues' 280 "good weight"? 

[ellitor 33,084]

12 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Is Pegues' 280 "good weight"? 

No clue. He's already a naturally hefty kid & moved well in his JR highlights.

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

2 minutes ago, ellitor said:

No clue. He's already a naturally hefty kid & moved well in his JR highlights.

I'll try to find those.  I'm just curious if he's a guy you want to slim down or bulk up.

[ellitor 33,084]

14 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

I'll try to find those

 

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

6 minutes ago, ellitor said:

 

Thank you for posting that.  He looks like a future OG or DT.

[bigbird 60,498]

25 minutes ago, ellitor said:

No clue. He's already a naturally hefty kid & moved well in his JR highlights.

Agile and athletic big man?

Sorta like Sen'Derrick Marks or J Ratliff?

[ellitor 33,084]

Just now, bigbird said:

Agile and athletic big man?

Sorta like Sen'Derrick Marks or J Ratliff?

[bigbird 60,498]

Just now, ellitor said:

[McLoofus 35,182]

30 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Agile and athletic big man?

Sorta like Sen'Derrick Marks or J Ratliff?

fanning self dot gif

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

41 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Agile and athletic big man?

Sorta like Sen'Derrick Marks or J Ratliff?

You promise?

[bigbird 60,498]

5 minutes ago, ClaytonAU said:

You promise?

I wish I could. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

23 minutes ago, bigbird said:

I wish I could. 

Too late. I've already got a draft of my "Bird said this guy is the next Jay Ratliff" post saved for when he commits. 

[bigbird 60,498]

3 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Too late. I've already got a draft of my "Bird said this guy is the next Jay Ratliff" post saved for when he commits. 

Thanks, jeff

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Thanks, jeff

[aujeff11 6,243]

24 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Thanks, jeff

Always 

[mcgufcm 4,096]

If those are correct, it sounds like they expect us to add Tank, Tennison, and Pegues with very good shots for Pouncey, Webb, Jackson, and Ojulari. At this stage, that all sounds pretty great to me.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

They didn't have to mention Justyn Ross...that's just hurtful

[The Plainsman 948]

That Pouncey info did not age well at all.  Tough business trying to predict ...

[dyehardfanAU 2,117]

13 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

They didn't have to mention Justyn Ross...that's just hurtful

Hard to compete with Clemson until we produce on the field.

[ellitor 33,084]

55 minutes ago, dyehardfanAU said:

Hard to compete with Clemson until we produce on the field.

You missed some posts that were deleted but DTR was being sarcastic. I thought he was serious too.