2020 3* #1 Juco OT Jeremy Flax (Kentucky)

[ellitor 33,092]

7 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

I mean it is really unbelievable. A position of need and we lose to Kentucky. This isn’t basketball. We can offer immediate playing time on a team that will compete with the best in the country. 
How can we be this bad at recruiting OTs????? How does AU not sell this year after year. I just don’t get it. 

Parents want to be able to drive to see him play. Looks like that wins out here.

[AuburnNTexas 7,143]

23 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Parents want to be able to drive to see him play. Looks like that wins out here.

As has been mentioned many times before there are a myriad of reasons that a young man makes a decision on which school to attend. A girl friend, a major, playing time, close to home, far away from home liked other players on a visit, the feel of the campus each player is different and has to make the decision that will make them happy.

I totally understand wanting to be closer so parents can drive to your games. I wanted him but I can totally respect that decision.

[oracle79 3,569]

40 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Parents want to be able to drive to see him play. Looks like that wins out here.

Even though it'd be a further drive, wouldn't it be more fun in a Dodge Charger?

 

[TigerFanAU 586]

13 minutes ago, AuburnNTexas said:

. I wanted him but I can totally respect that decision.

As can I, however there are 2 top rated OT's in Georgia in Ratledge and Jones, and we have an open spot for one of them. Missing on top OT talent that's in our backyard has become a very common and bad trend over the years.

[Zeek 16,650]

Hope he doesn't waste his talent coming in 5th for the SEC East

[gr82b4au 5,568]

22 minutes ago, TigerFanAU said:

Missing on top OT talent that's in our backyard has become a very common and bad trend over the years.

In my opinion it is the number one thing that is holding us back. 

[Zeek 16,650]

So he made a post that said

"decisions decisions…"

he only liked two tweets that replied to his and both were pro Kentucky

Case closed.

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, Zeek said:

Hope he doesn't waste his talent coming in 5th for the SEC East

4th-3rd-2nd before this year. And while they finished 6th this season, there were 2 teams above them that also had a 3-5 conf. record. And they just signed a hell of a QB. 

No doubt that Auburn is above Kentucky but they aren't Vandy and we're not bama. He went where he could be a cornerstone of the offense day 1, where he felt like he could enjoy his college experience, and to a place where he can still get drafted plenty high. 

Meanwhile, let's look at the dozens of OLs that Auburn has gotten drafted in the first 3 rounds since Gus has been here... oh wait... I meant 3... and 4 OLs drafted period... in 7 years...

(Side note: They've had 6 guys at all positions go in the top 4 rounds of the last 3 drafts combined. We've had 7.)

 

********

 

That said, our OL recruiting still, somehow, isn't good enough.

[AUpreacherman22 3,885]

well, that's disappointing.  Our OL recruiting has been embarrassing for quite some time.  It doesn't seem to be getting better. 

Hopefully Gus and Chad are discussing a lot of 3 step drop quick routes.

[Zeek 16,650]

Technically he still hasn't committed anywhere yet. Still holding out hope that we land him somehow. He tweeted something about not being a follower and not wanting to be like anyone else other than just being Jeremy Flax. Platitudes are fun.

[Zeek 16,650]

Just now, AUpreacherman22 said:

well, that's disappointing.  Our OL recruiting has been embarrassing for quite some time.  It doesn't seem to be getting better. 

Hopefully Gus and Chad are discussing a lot of 3 step drop quick routes.

JB Grimes just isn't the dude in terms of recruiting. I know the Gus & OL recruit dynamic has been discussed ad nauseum but we have to figure something out. We have quantity in this class but we're lacking (and we can debate the merit of rankings all day) in quality. Despite losing four starters and our next best two OL (Kim and Sharp) we don't have a single OL commit higher than 3* and we have one commit we're not even sure will be eligible.

It's hard not to be frustrated.

I don't foresee anything changing in that regard though.

[Mikey 16,584]

His mom accompanied him on his recruiting trips and apparently she's been an integral part of the process. Distance from Chicago to Lexington, 375 miles. Distance from Chicago to Auburn, 770 miles. Over twice as far. I wouldn't be shocked if that was a major factor. Still, it ain't over until it's over.

[Zeek 16,650]

1 minute ago, Mikey said:

His mom accompanied him on his recruiting trips and apparently she's been an integral part of the process. Distance from Chicago to Lexington, 375 miles. Distance from Chicago to Auburn, 770 miles. Over twice as far. I wouldn't be shocked if that was a major factor. Still, it ain't over until it's over.

NCAA should just let us pay for the plane tickets. Holy crap, I'd hate to lose out over something like this when half the games are played away anyways.

[Mikey 16,584]

3 minutes ago, Zeek said:

JB Grimes just isn't the dude in terms of recruiting. I know the Gus & OL recruit dynamic has been discussed ad nauseum but we have to figure something out. We have quantity in this class but we're lacking (and we can debate the merit of rankings all day) in quality. Despite losing four starters and our next best two OL (Kim and Sharp) we don't have a single OL commit higher than 3* and we have one commit we're not even sure will be eligible.

It's hard not to be frustrated.

I don't foresee anything changing in that regard though.

I agree that the OL recruiting situation is both confusing and frustrating. In fact, we're getting good quality at every position on the entire team except O-tackle.

[Zeek 16,650]

Just now, Mikey said:

I agree that the OL recruiting situation is both confusing and frustrating. In fact, we're getting good quality at every position on the entire team except O-tackle.

Yeah, and I love some of these guys we've got but this is one of our most neglected positions.

[GwillMac6 20,671]

3 hours ago, AubFanCT said:

What happened? Looked very promising after his OV. This miss would hurt especially bc he had 3 years to play. 

I mean it is pretty obvious what happened. Kid just gets visit highs. He did not get to enjoy the recruiting process the first time around so every official is like a shiny new toy. It seems like he was always going to sign with the last place he visited. That is one of the last things we have to shore up in recruiting (along with obviously OL crutin.) We need to be a lot more strategic and selective of our OV's and when we have them. This has happened consistently in the Malzahn era. Yah we are recruiting top 10 classes almost every year but they could be a lot better where we lost kids because we did not read the kid right (something our coaches get paid very very handsomely to do) and did not pick the most advantageous OV date and we miss on some recruits we def very much needed.

[AlaskanFAN 1,666]

Does this affect Flax? It happened 2 hours ago.

“Kentucky just landed commitment No. 17 of the 2020 recruiting cycle and this one is a good one as the Wildcats picked up a pledge from a 2020 Under Armour All-American.

Virginia native RJ Adams publicly announced his commitment to Kentucky during a ceremony at his Woodbridge High School on Tuesday. Following this news, Kentucky’s top four commitments come from linemen and six of the top seven overall play on the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-3, 326-pound Adams was previously committed to Penn State.”

[GwillMac6 20,671]

3 hours ago, gr82b4au said:

I mean it is really unbelievable. A position of need and we lose to Kentucky. This isn’t basketball. We can offer immediate playing time on a team that will compete with the best in the country. 
How can we be this bad at recruiting OTs????? How does AU not sell this year after year. I just don’t get it. 

Recruiting is a illogical game. That is how Georgia and Bama get 5 star OL and 5 Star LB every year to sign with them to go sit on the bench for 2 years even though they would start at a lot other good programs. You hire great recruiters to make sure that the narrative you are spinning wins out in the end. Auburn has that at ALMOST every position........

[War to the Eagle 364]

We have just been devastated on the OL the last 6 years, particularly in recruiting kids out of high school.  It has set us back years.

[Gowebb11 9,320]

3 minutes ago, AlaskanFAN said:

Does this affect Flax? It happened 2 hours ago.

“Kentucky just landed commitment No. 17 of the 2020 recruiting cycle and this one is a good one as the Wildcats picked up a pledge from a 2020 Under Armour All-American.

Virginia native RJ Adams publicly announced his commitment to Kentucky during a ceremony at his Woodbridge High School on Tuesday. Following this news, Kentucky’s top four commitments come from linemen and six of the top seven overall play on the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-3, 326-pound Adams was previously committed to Penn State.”

Not sure how it will impact Flax, but Kentucky is doing some work on the OL. 

[Beaker 2,457]

And the beatdown just keeps on coming

5 minutes ago, AlaskanFAN said:

Does this affect Flax? It happened 2 hours ago.

“Kentucky just landed commitment No. 17 of the 2020 recruiting cycle and this one is a good one as the Wildcats picked up a pledge from a 2020 Under Armour All-American.

Virginia native RJ Adams publicly announced his commitment to Kentucky during a ceremony at his Woodbridge High School on Tuesday. Following this news, Kentucky’s top four commitments come from linemen and six of the top seven overall play on the line of scrimmage. The 6-foot-3, 326-pound Adams was previously committed to Penn State.”

And the beatdown just keeps on coming......

[fredst 9,064]

Pappy McButterMilk killing it with OL recruiting this year!!!!!! WWWWWOOOOOO!!!!!LET'S GGGGGGOOOOOOOOO PPPPAAAAPPPPPPYYYYY!!!!!!!!

[Gowebb11 9,320]

18 minutes ago, Mikey said:

I agree that the OL recruiting situation is both confusing and frustrating. In fact, we're getting good quality at every position on the entire team except O-tackle.

For me it’s not just the talent we miss on sometimes. I’m frustrated by the lack of sound strategy, at least in my opinion. Every coach on our staff knew we were graduating a left tackle, had few tackles on the roster, and one of those is on his third knee surgery. What did we do? Get several guards committed, one high school tackle who decommitted, and JUCO guys who aren’t early enrollees. I just don't get it. (But I do hope we land Flax) 😁

[Mikey 16,584]

4 minutes ago, Beaker said:

And the beatdown just keeps on coming

And the beatdown just keeps on coming......

A kid from Virginia that we are not even recruiting is somehow a beatdown? Then I guess there's a few 5* guys out in California that we took a beatdown on also.

[GwillMac6 20,671]

7 minutes ago, fredst said:

Pappy McButterMilk killing it with OL recruiting this year!!!!!! WWWWWOOOOOO!!!!!LET'S GGGGGGOOOOOOOOO PPPPAAAAPPPPPPYYYYY!!!!!!!!