April visit possible for 5-star RB Richard Young

[aubiefifty 16,766]

MIAMI, FLORIDA — With Auburn, 5-star running back recruit Richard Young of Lehigh Acres (Fla.) Lehigh Senior High has two main points of contact. One of them is running backs coach Cadillac Williams, his primary recruiter and position coach. The other is Tigers receiver Tar'varish Dawson, a former high school teammate who remains a close friend.

“He loves it up there,” Young said of Dawson. “He told me I need to come back up there and visit. I’ve never been to Auburn for a (recruiting visit). I was there once, but the Covid thing was bad so we were just hanging out (with Dawson).”

To Young, Dawson’s words mean something.

“Definitely, because I know he’s going to always keep it real with me no matter what,” Young said. “That’s how I know he’s telling the truth.”

Young, listed at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, is among the most heavily recruited 2023 prospects in the country. He’s currently ranked as the No. 1 running back in the nation for the industry generated 247Sports Composite.

This is his 247Sports evaluation: One of the most coveted prospects to come out of Southwest Florida in recent memory. A one-cut-and-go type of running back that’s powerful enough to get it done in-between the tackles. Excellent vision and overall feel for the position allows him to get up field in a hurry and attack holes. Outstanding contact balance combined with an effective stiff arm makes it extremely difficult for high school defenders to bring him to the ground. Has experience working out of single back, shotgun and pistol formations. Limited context when it comes to pass blocking, but should be able to chip away at college-sized defensive linemen given his size and physical nature. Track background shows up on Friday nights as he’s consistently pulling away from defenses. Catches the ball well and should be able to move the chains via the screen game, if those type of plays are on the call sheet. Wear and tear not much of a concern at this stage in his development as he’s averaged only 12 carries a game his first two years of high school. Likely to emerge as an impact player for a Top 25 program given foot speed and ability to shed would-be tacklers. Will be on the radar of NFL scouts one day if everything comes together.

Can Auburn be a factor for Young? That remains to be seen. For that to happen, Young said the Tigers will have to “build a strong relationship with me and communicate with me more and more.”

When asked who was getting official visits from him, Young replied, “Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State and maybe Oregon.” As for Auburn, it appears as though the Tigers also might get him on campus this spring for an unofficial.

“Probably April,” Young said of an Auburn trip.

11COMMENTS

While Dawson works on Young, who is well aware starting Auburn back Tank Bigsby will be a junior this season, from one angle, Williams has approached from another.

“He wants to develop me as a great running back like he was so that’s his message to me — to be elite,” Young said. “He says, ‘I’m gonna get you. I’m gonna get you.’”

 

i did not see this posted so here ya go...................

 

[milehighfan 1,240]

.Unless the OL can be vastly upgraded, I don't see him coming. As a matter of fact I don't see hardly any extremely talented RB's coming to Auburn. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, JMO.

[TexasTiger 12,835]

3 hours ago, milehighfan said:

.Unless the OL can be vastly upgraded, I don't see him coming. As a matter of fact I don't see hardly any extremely talented RB's coming to Auburn. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, JMO.

Well, you are. 😉

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

On 2/22/2022 at 5:32 PM, aubiefifty said:

Can Auburn be a factor for Young? That remains to be seen. For that to happen, Young said the Tigers will have to “build a strong relationship with me and communicate with me more and more.”

Glad we’ve got Coach Caddy on him!

[JDUBB4AU 5,112]

On 2/22/2022 at 10:11 PM, milehighfan said:

.Unless the OL can be vastly upgraded, I don't see him coming. As a matter of fact I don't see hardly any extremely talented RB's coming to Auburn. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, JMO.

Somebody put this guy in the dryer . Top ten class this year . I’ll bet the farm on it . 

[Hank2020 3,199]

On 2/22/2022 at 10:11 PM, milehighfan said:

.Unless the OL can be vastly upgraded, I don't see him coming. As a matter of fact I don't see hardly any extremely talented RB's coming to Auburn. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, JMO.

Curious where Tank winds up after playing behind this same OL when he decides to go pro. My guess is he will go pretty high.

[au302 2,669]

On 2/22/2022 at 10:11 PM, milehighfan said:

.Unless the OL can be vastly upgraded, I don't see him coming. As a matter of fact I don't see hardly any extremely talented RB's coming to Auburn. I don't mean to be a wet blanket, JMO.

I'll trust Caddy and co. He got Tank and Jarquez to come here despite poor OL. Alston looks promising too. He's significantly upgraded the entire room and it's depth. He'll get us a good back or two. Question will be is it a 5 star like this guy

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

On 2/24/2022 at 7:41 PM, JDUBB4AU said:

Somebody put this guy in the dryer . Top ten class this year . I’ll bet the farm on it . 

I am one of the more positive leaning posters here (not  a sunshine pumper). I am usually able to find myself able to pull away from the doom and gloom that a large group of posters fall into. With that said, after this offseason if CBH has a top 10 class this year..I will go on record and say he is going to be the savior AU needs to get us back to being contenders because that would be a remarkable feat IMO. I think we end up top 15ish myself, but I will gladly eat crow. He just has a lot of uphill battles. 

Harsin has made some really good moves staff wise as of late, thought. He is fighting and going down his way if he goes down.

[JDUBB4AU 5,112]

6 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I am one of the more positive leaning posters here (not  a sunshine pumper). I am usually able to find myself able to pull away from the doom and gloom that a large group of posters fall into. With that said, after this offseason if CBH has a top 10 class this year..I will go on record and say he is going to be the savior AU needs to get us back to being contenders because that would be a remarkable feat IMO. I think we end up top 15ish myself, but I will gladly eat crow. He just has a lot of uphill battles. 

Harsin has made some really good moves staff wise as of late, thought. He is fighting and going down his way if he goes down.

Couldn’t agree more . Momentum is what AU needs . 

[TheDob06 443]

On 2/24/2022 at 10:36 PM, Hank2020 said:

Curious where Tank winds up after playing behind this same OL when he decides to go pro. My guess is he will go pretty high.

Agreed. There are outliers, but in today's NFL, RBs aren't drafted super high. By the time Tank is done, he will have proved that he is an NFL RB and won't need to carry 30+ times a game to do it.

We just need to show we can run the ball with some proficiency and that should be enough to attract high level RB recruits.

[bigbird 60,512]

Our RB recruiting will be more difficult untill the OL is fixed.

[weagl1 1,782]

On 3/23/2022 at 9:14 AM, bigbird said:

Our RB recruiting will be more difficult untill the OL is fixed.

Amen to that.  No elite RB is going to want try to run behind an OL that can’t get any push up front.  

[AUBwins 10,075]

On 3/23/2022 at 9:14 AM, bigbird said:

Our RB recruiting will be more difficult untill the OL is fixed.

How do we fix it though?  We've gotten into such a deep pit that even with guaranteed playing time for an elite lineman (probably not even elite), they are persuaded to sign elsewhere.  We used to consistently put lineman in the NFL more than other positions.  Heck Braden Smith is currently one of the rising stars of the league, that has definitely helped Taylor make such a great start. 

How do we lead the horses to the well so to speak?  I guess the unfortunate answer is a ridiculous sum of money in a NIL deal. 

[steeleagle 2,945]

5 minutes ago, AUBwins said:

How do we fix it though?  We've gotten into such a deep pit that even with guaranteed playing time for an elite lineman (probably not even elite), they are persuaded to sign elsewhere.  We used to consistently put lineman in the NFL more than other positions.  Heck Braden Smith is currently one of the rising stars of the league, that has definitely helped Taylor make such a great start. 

How do we lead the horses to the well so to speak?  I guess the unfortunate answer is a ridiculous sum of money in a NIL deal. 

We just need that one stud lineman that wants to be the leader of a new Auburn OL mentality. Then others may follow. 
if we don’t get any big dogs then time to shut up, get Friend out and go get someone that knows how to recruit ‘‘em no matter where he coached. 

[tinman1 485]

3 hours ago, steeleagle said:

We just need that one stud lineman that wants to be the leader of a new Auburn OL mentality. Then others may follow. 
if we don’t get any big dogs then time to shut up, get Friend out and go get someone that knows how to recruit ‘‘em no matter where he coached. 

Just a ???.  Friend never had problems recruiting anywhere else he coached.  Could the problem be Auburn??   Or did the mess he inherited from the folks before him cause his recruiting to hit a brick wall?

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

1 hour ago, tinman1 said:

Just a ???.  Friend never had problems recruiting anywhere else he coached.  Could the problem be Auburn??   Or did the mess he inherited from the folks before him cause his recruiting to hit a brick wall?

To me, it's the fact that so much is made of our lack of talent and development and past recruiting blunders (rightfully so) on the OL that now the perception is... Don't go to AU if u wanna be developed and get to the league. Perception is reality in this case until we can break thru and sign a couple stud OL.

[bigbird 60,512]

3 hours ago, tinman1 said:

Just a ???.  Friend never had problems recruiting anywhere else he coached.  Could the problem be Auburn??   Or did the mess he inherited from the folks before him cause his recruiting to hit a brick wall?

[au302 2,669]

23 hours ago, weagl1 said:

Amen to that.  No elite RB is going to want try to run behind an OL that can’t get any push up front.  

I'm in agreement, but I have seen takes from a few respected people that Tank didn't really help them out last year either. That we would run zone schemes and he would immediately bounce out looking for the big play instead of being patient and waiting for holes to develop. Coach Pink on On3 believes that he left a ton of yards on the field because of this and that apparently Caddy and Harsin are heavily emphasizing that he work on it. I'm no where's close to an expert but another interesting angle to consider 

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 hours ago, au302 said:

I'm in agreement, but I have seen takes from a few respected people that Tank didn't really help them out last year either. That we would run zone schemes and he would immediately bounce out looking for the big play instead of being patient and waiting for holes to develop. Coach Pink on On3 believes that he left a ton of yards on the field because of this and that apparently Caddy and Harsin are heavily emphasizing that he work on it. I'm no where's close to an expert but another interesting angle to consider 

I'm less of an expert with you and I saw him make the wrong decision in real time several times last year. I don't say that to diminish him overall or to displace blame from the OL onto him. The run blocking is bad. (It's only when people bring up pass pro that I'll defend the OL a bit.)

But I agree with Pink and your post. 

What you decide to do with this very valuable Loof endorsement is totally up to you. 

[Sizzle 3,912]

14 hours ago, au302 said:

I'm in agreement, but I have seen takes from a few respected people that Tank didn't really help them out last year either. That we would run zone schemes and he would immediately bounce out looking for the big play instead of being patient and waiting for holes to develop. Coach Pink on On3 believes that he left a ton of yards on the field because of this and that apparently Caddy and Harsin are heavily emphasizing that he work on it. I'm no where's close to an expert but another interesting angle to consider 

I think it evens out. There was some yards he left on the field by bouncing out but there was also plays he made that should’ve been negative plays or runs for barely no gain that he turned positive 

[au302 2,669]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

I'm less of an expert with you and I saw him make the wrong decision in real time several times last year. I don't say that to diminish him overall or to displace blame from the OL onto him. The run blocking is bad. (It's only when people bring up pass pro that I'll defend the OL a bit.)

But I agree with Pink and your post. 

What you decide to do with this very valuable Loof endorsement is totally up to you. 

Lol appreciate it. Just shows that the entire offense is guilty for our struggles and is gonna have to step it up to improve our ground game. Better OL first and foremost, RB's using better vision, QB's accurate downfield to ease the defense away from cheating up, and receivers being deep threats to help the QB's out.

[aucanucktiger 1,791]

So the thread says April visit possible. It's April 26, did I miss an update?

[toddc 13,194]

3 hours ago, aucanucktiger said:

So the thread says April visit possible. It's April 26, did I miss an update?

I guess it does say “possible “, but I haven’t seen anything.