W.Coast recruiting?

[AUreo 753]

What does it take to land these West coast kids? Somehow these kids have family all over the country and we don’t just compete against schools out west but also against schools from other regions because of this.

Apparently, WCoast recruiting is one of our key longterm strategies because UGA and Bama just own this region and there is no way we get to the next stage without national recruiting. Harsin and his staff already have offered many WC kids in the 2023 & 2024 classes. Also, we just hired the Seahawks QB coach which means we might recruit this region even harder next year and beyond.

However, it will be tough to recruit the top WC kids to Auburn unless they have family here. Let’s assume we go 8-4, or even 9-3 next year. I don’t think it would make any difference to these kids + USC, Washington, Notre Dame, Michigan, UCLA, Stanford, and Oregon is tough competition. Even BYU, Utah, and Boise State and don’t forget about Kiffin. The new Football Performance Facility might help here but we would still have to win some big games (Penn State). Probably win 10 games and make some noise if we really wanted to land a few top 4star WC kids. We have future games scheduled vs California and UCLA which should also help in the future. Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC could help elevating the SEC brand even further. We need to get these kids on campus and sell SEC football. Again, without the new facility we wouldn’t even stand a chance.

I think successful WC recruiting would be rather “Stage 2” strategy but we need to establish relationships now and simply keep recruiting this area. If we keep winning more games, we might start signing some of these top WC kids who should make us better (the pool will be larger for us recruiting different areas at the same time).

After a while of doing this successfully we would reach (Stage 3), we should then be able to regularly land some of the regional 5-star recruits who would normally sign with Bama and UGA. Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about FSU and hopefully Clemson anymore. I think it could take us 5-10 years to get there - unless we find a shortcut or a new strategy.

Edited December 16, 2021 by AUreo

[Sizzle 3,909]

Idk how it’s gone work now that Lincoln Riley at USC. Our new OC played ball in Mississippi so I don’t know how many west coast connections he actually has

[au302 2,669]

Watts, Schmed, Hars, Kiesau, and Bedell will all be big. Gotta remember, we only went after a handful of guys out there this year. Clemons, Agbo, and Scott off the top of my head. Landed one, dropped one, and missed on one.

Let Trovon, etc. hit the southeast hard. Let the others go out there more. Especially JUCO. There is a lot of talent in the Cali Jucos, and we are Juco U imo (a good thing btw). Instead of having to take a major stretch that is a huge project, find a high 3-4 star out there that could contribute quicker and has a higher ceiling. It won't be easy, and we won't pull highly rated ones, but there are kids that would come here that can contribute

[Gowebb11 9,314]

1 hour ago, AUreo said:

What does it take to land these West coast kids? Somehow these kids have family all over the country and we don’t just compete against schools out west but also against schools from other regions because of this.

Apparently, WCoast recruiting is one of our key longterm strategies because UGA and Bama just own this region and there is no way we get to the next stage without national recruiting. Harsin and his staff already have offered many WC kids in the 2023 & 2024 classes. Also, we just hired the Seahawks QB coach which means we might recruit this region even harder next year and beyond.

However, it will be tough to recruit the top WC kids to Auburn unless they have family here. Let’s assume we go 8-4, or even 9-3 next year. I don’t think it would make any difference to these kids + USC, Washington, Notre Dame, Michigan, UCLA, Stanford, and Oregon is tough competition. Even BYU, Utah, and Boise State and don’t forget about Kiffin. The new Football Performance Facility might help here but we would still have to win some big games (Penn State). Probably win 10 games and make some noise if we really wanted to land a few top 4star WC kids. We have future games scheduled vs California and UCLA which should also help in the future. Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC could help elevating the SEC brand even further. We need to get these kids on campus and sell SEC football. Again, without the new facility we wouldn’t even stand a chance.

I think successful WC recruiting would be rather “Stage 2” strategy but we need to establish relationships now and simply keep recruiting this area. If we keep winning more games, we might start signing some of these top WC kids who should make us better (the pool will be larger for us recruiting different areas at the same time).

After a while of doing this successfully we would reach (Stage 3), we should then be able to regularly land some of the regional 5-star recruits who would normally sign with Bama and UGA. Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about FSU and hopefully Clemson anymore. I think it could take us 5-10 years to get there - unless we find a shortcut or a new strategy.

I would like to see us place a bigger focus on the Midwest/Great Plains for o-linemen. We’ve exhausted tons of resources and time chasing top shelf o-line talent in the south vs Bama, UGA, LSU, etc… with little success. AU should pioneer an outpost in the Midwest/Great Plains  states and get some more Braden Smiths. Those kids don’t go to year round camps and lack high recruiting profiles but have all the talent in the world. 

[tigerken 30]

A few players here or there out of region would be okay. I don't think we should focus extensively on them.

According to Harsin's presser, he wants to compete for the top players in Alabama. To me that is where the majority and core of our team will come from. Georgia and Florida too. Been that way throughout our history. I feel at minimum we should be able to get 30-40% of the top   10 players in our state yearly. We just haven't done that over the last 5 years. If they haven't been going to bammer, they would go out of state.

[tigerken 30]

7 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

I would like to see us place a bigger focus on the Midwest/Great Plains for o-linemen. We’ve exhausted tons of resources and time chasing top shelf o-line talent in the south vs Bama, UGA, LSU, etc… with little success. AU should pioneer an outpost in the Midwest/Great Plains  states and get some more Braden Smiths. Those kids don’t go to year round camps and lack high recruiting profiles but have all the talent in the world. 

I like this strategy more than setting up shop in Cali.

[fredst 9,064]

Our roster has traditionally been composed of kids from Alabama, Georgia, and Florida with a handful from other southeastern states and the random guy from outside the region. We can still compete (and win championships) with players from these places. Every player Bammer and UGA take from elsewhere means one less player they take from our core region. I’m good with identifying keys guys that we might go after outside that core region but Clemons is a prime example of the risk you take pursuing guys like that. Hard to admit but Auburn just doesn’t have the national cache that some others have- hell, a lot of people think Auburn is located in Georgia

[AUx 3,001]

Keep in mind, the further away we want to recruit, the more we need to add to our embarrassing recruiting budget. It costs to keep the network active out there, and costs more  than we've been accustomed to bring kids to Auburn for multiple OVs and send coaches to homes/schools there. I think it should be an arrow in the the heftier recruiting quiver. But we have to resource better to operationalize it. IMHO.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

2 hours ago, AUreo said:

Also, we just hired the Seahawks QB coach which means we might recruit this region even harder next year and beyond.

His hiring has nothing to do with west coast recruiting.  Hell man, he was born in Meridian MS and played at Southern Miss.

NFL cares about skill and skill only.  He's a skilled coach and his opportunity was in Seattle.  That simple.

[AUreo 753]

42 minutes ago, au302 said:

Watts, Schmed, Hars, Kiesau, and Bedell will all be big. Gotta remember, we only went after a handful of guys out there this year. Clemons, Agbo, and Scott off the top of my head. Landed one, dropped one, and missed on one.

Let Trovon, etc. hit the southeast hard. Let the others go out there more. Especially JUCO. There is a lot of talent in the Cali Jucos, and we are Juco U imo (a good thing btw). Instead of having to take a major stretch that is a huge project, find a high 3-4 star out there that could contribute quicker and has a higher ceiling. It won't be easy, and we won't pull highly rated ones, but there are kids that would come here that can contribute

So its basically just a numbers game?

I checked the Ole Miss class today. I can’t remember seeing any WC signees. Kiffin might utilize the portal but he didn’t sign any CA guys this time or maybe waiting on some February signees.

Their recruiting class is pretty disappointing considering the team’s recent success + Kiffin and Corral hype. I think NIL might be a huge issue for them.

[AUreo 753]

These are the wc kids we are currently chasing. 
WC recruiting is definitely a strategy (AU offers per 247):

2024

WR Ryan Pellum (Long Beach, CA)

QB Julian Sayin (Carlsbad, CA)

OL Isendre Afua (Seattle, WA)

LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa (Bellflower, CA)

2023

WR Zachariah Branch (Las Vegas, NV)

WR DeAndre Moore (Los Alamitos, CA)

TE Walker Lyons (Folsom, CA)

CB Caleb Presley (Seattle, WA)

QB Malachi Nelson (Los Alamitos, CA)

QB Jaden Rashada (Pittsburg, CA)

QB Nicholaus Iamaleava (Downey, CA)

DL Tausili Akana (Leni, UT)

DL Jayden Wayne (Tacoma, WA)

+ 18 recruits who are from Texas

 

 

[bigbird 60,490]

1 hour ago, AUreo said:

+ 18 recruits who are from Texas

Do you know which ones?

[McLoofus 35,182]

10 hours ago, AUreo said:

WC recruiting is definitely a strategy

It is right now because that's where our staff still has relationships. They've probably known most of the kids on your list for 3 or more years. Notice that most of our WC coaches- including our HC- are offensive guys, and that's where the bulk of the prospects play. 

You'll see that evolve in future classes as Harsin plants his flag down here.

This is a good way of saying it. Focus on the word "keep", because that means there's already something in place:

10 hours ago, AUx said:

It costs to keep the network active out there

We might continue to recruit more out there than we traditionally have, but it won't remain like it is now IMO.

[woodford 3,655]

If we win more it would become a little easier to recruit them

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,392]

9 hours ago, bigbird said:

Do you know which ones?

Gonna drop some NIL cash on them? 💰 💵 

 

[bigbird 60,490]

4 minutes ago, Bro Johnny Mac said:

Gonna drop some NIL cash on them? 💰 💵 

 

They don't want what I drop

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,392]

3 minutes ago, bigbird said:

They don't want what I drop

😆🤣

[gctiger 929]

I'm fairly certain that during the early years of the Gus Malzahn era, Jeff Grimes recruited and signed several OL from out west.  I can't remember the names of the recruits but Arizona and Colorado come to mind, so it can be done.  I seem to remember that he may have landed the top OL class that same year.  Seems like it was just yesterday and look at where our OL is now...

[bigbird 60,490]

1 hour ago, gctiger said:

I'm fairly certain that during the early years of the Gus Malzahn era, Jeff Grimes recruited and signed several OL from out west.  I can't remember the names of the recruits but Arizona and Colorado come to mind, so it can be done.  I seem to remember that he may have landed the top OL class that same year.  Seems like it was just yesterday and look at where our OL is now...

Grime was here between '09-'12

[gctiger 929]

35 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Grime was here between '09-'12

Whoops!  You are correct.  Got my history a little mixed up, but I do seem to remember a highly rated OL class that I think he recruited that had at least a couple players from out west.

[abw0004 10,110]

Our recruiting budget is tiny compared to our rivals. That probably plays into us reaching out West with expenses related to that

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 minutes ago, gctiger said:

Whoops!  You are correct.  Got my history a little mixed up, but I do seem to remember a highly rated OL class that I think he recruited that had at least a couple players from out west.

To be fair, that was the Gus era that most of us prefer to remember.

[Old fan 47 769]

17 hours ago, Sizzle said:

Idk how it’s gone work now that Lincoln Riley at USC. Our new OC played ball in Mississippi so I don’t know how many west coast connections he actually has

But, he’s been on the Seattle staff a few years and played for the Broncos, so probably helps a little. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

Having a coach with deep ties in the SE is infinitely more valuable than having another coach with West Coast ties. 

[Old fan 47 769]

2 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Having a coach with deep ties in the SE is infinitely more valuable than having another coach with West Coast ties. 

True, but a guy that came from Mississippi and played some NFL ball and has been in the NW learning under a successful college and pro coach only helps recruiting.