ALL THINGS Cyrus...

[Buzzswa 0]

If he signs with AU, does that push us to #1 on ESPN rankings?

Doubt it.  If he signs with UA, it would push us to #3

[THSTiger83 0]

If he signs with AU, does that push us to #1 on ESPN rankings?

Ellitor is the man on rankings. But, from what I recall, we were at #2 on ESPN even when he was considered to be signing with us.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

I'd side with us being well informed.

me too.  

[savorytiger 182]

If he signs with AU, does that push us to #1 on ESPN rankings?

I believe we jumped to #2 after CK's commitment, so I doubt it. It depends on if getting Gabe Wright was enough to push us over the top (which he very well could considering he's a great player and DT is a huge position of need for us).

[87aubie 0]

If he signs with AU, does that push us to #1 on ESPN rankings?

Doubt it.  If he signs with UA, it would push us to #3

We're already #3 without him.

[79Aubie 0]

The way I see it is that his high school coach is competent, qualified, and most of all not bred and born in Alabama where it would be possible that he would let his allegiance to either school infect his advice to one of his players.  (I'll throw myself into the latter category, as I would never advise a player to go to Alabama, nor would I have take a scholarship to play any sport/study any academic field from them even if I had to forego the college experience and dig ditches for a living - and no, you cannot fathom the hate/disdain/revulsion I have for their school and mainly their fanbase - there are worse things than poverty/disease/death in this life).

Saban is a great recruiter as are many others (Yaw-Yaw Orgeron, Pete Carroll, Mack Brown, Rodney Gardner, etc).  Saban pushes the envelope in recruiting and even gets the NCAA to change rules based on his actions, but most importantly he gets results.  Sometimes I feel like its Captain America vs. The Punisher (law-abiding/high moral ground vs. vigilanti-ism/end justifies the means) going against each other.  Sometimes (as in war - which, don't kid yourselves, this is; difference is people don't physically die) you have to make a detour and walk down into the gutter and get nasty with your opponent to kick his A$$.  Hopefully, Auburn's coaches have made his family aware that if Arie's ability to get a free education is comprimised, that we will step up and take care of him.

Kudo's to Gabe Wrigth and any other recruit that has stood firm and resisted the back room innuendo coming from the Bammer machine.  Cyrus is the culmination of years of Bammer politics/domination/underhanded methodology and will be not only a symbolic victory for us, but one of the final nails in Bahr's coffin.

[ultidisc 0]

New article from Washington Post (SIAP): http://voices.washingtonpost.com/recruitinginsider/2011/02/cyrus_kouandjio_waiting_to_sig.html

Confirms (in Cy's own words) that everyone in his family is pushing Bama... other than that, mostly neutral news.

[AUBSC76 0]

I found it interesting that Saban hasn't contacted him, but three Auburn coaches have several times.  Does this seem possible?

FWIW, he HAS spoken to Saban according to this article...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/recruitinginsider/2011/02/cyrus_kouandjio_waiting_to_sig.html

[AUFan1 0]

Interesting quote in this article. He was speaking of Iowa here, but very telling where his head is

"I went down there and I love the football team and the coaches and everything," he said. "But the lifestyle down there, I don't think its for me. I don't think I'd be able to thrive those three years. I don't think so."

This guy has so many people telling him so many different things. I realize he is good, but CK you haven't played a down of college ball yet, and you are already thinking 3 years and done? :-\

[AUISALL1345162868 0]

I thought Seastrunk was the highest rated player ever to sign with AU...oh wait......

[weagleinau 0]

Yikes...I was hoping his brother would tell him to follow his heart. It sounds like Arie is pushing for UAT too. Hopefully this kid will go where he truly wants to go, whatever that choice may be.

[pram92 0]

Interesting quote in this article. He was speaking of Iowa here, but very telling where his head is

"I went down there and I love the football team and the coaches and everything," he said. "But the lifestyle down there, I don't think its for me. I don't think I'd be able to thrive those three years. I don't think so."

This guy has so many people telling him so many different things. I realize he is good, but CK you haven't played a down of college ball yet, and you are already thinking 3 years and done? :-\

all recruits think they will end up playing the the nfl asap.

[AUMedic 0]

I have been saying on here before that his family was pressuring him to go to UAT. People thought I was nuts..LOL.

[87aubie 0]

Interesting quote in this article. He was speaking of Iowa here, but very telling where his head is

"I went down there and I love the football team and the coaches and everything," he said. "But the lifestyle down there, I don't think its for me. I don't think I'd be able to thrive those three years. I don't think so."

This guy has so many people telling him so many different things. I realize he is good, but CK you haven't played a down of college ball yet, and you are already thinking 3 years and done? :-\

all recruits think they will end up playing the the nfl asap.

Well, it could be close to three years even if he stayed for full eligibility.  Arrives in August.  By the time he's starting his senior season, he's been there only three years.  Four months for the season.  If he's turning pro, he might not come back to school after the holidays.  So yeah, three years is close even if he isn't thinking about leaving early.

[bigbird 60,595]

I have been saying on here before that his family was pressuring him to go to UAT. People thought I was nuts..LOL.

you are

[AUBSC76 0]

Yikes...I was hoping his brother would tell him to follow his heart. It sounds like Arie is pushing for UAT too. Hopefully this kid will go where he truly wants to go, whatever that choice may be.

Not necessarily.  We don't know what Arie is really telling him.... he might just be giving his real advice cover since Arie is stuck with Saban either way for the foreseeable future.  Think about it... if Arie was really singing bammer's praises, Cyrus would have declared for bammer to start with.

[AUatUGA 0]

I don't know if this has been posted already but Mike Ferrell of Rivals quoted CKs high school coach as saying that he believes that CK will sign with Auburn.  He also says that he doesn't think CK has talked to Alabama coaches and that he had to call Coach Sunseri to keep him informed.  Sounds like Cyrus is in a world of confusion. Cyrus also had a conference call with Auburn coaches at noon set up by CKs coach.

[87aubie 0]

I have been saying on here before that his family was pressuring him to go to UAT. People thought I was nuts..LOL.

What's funny is that when I was finishing HS and considering college, if I had told my mother I was planning to go to Alabama, her response would have been something along the lines of "The he!! you say."  LOL!!!

[atltiger23 12]

Looks like a Bammer had to throw his $.02 in the commentary after the article. Probably someone from al.com.

[87aubie 0]

I don't know if this has been posted already but Mike Ferrell of Rivals quoted CKs high school coach as saying that he believes that CK will sign with Auburn.  He also says that he doesn't think CK has talked to Alabama coaches and that he had to call Coach Sunseri to keep him informed.  Sounds like Cyrus is in a world of confusion. Cyrus also had a conference call with Auburn coaches at noon set up by CKs coach.

Call went like this.

CK: "Coach, Saban is going to can my brother if I sign with you.  Can you find a spot for him if they kick him off the team up there?"

Coach: "As long as it is consistent with NCAA regulations and provided your brother wants to work hard and become an Auburn man, we'll see what we can do."

CK: "OK, I'm headed to the fax machine."

[THSTiger83 0]

I have been saying on here before that his family was pressuring him to go to UAT. People thought I was nuts..LOL.

What's funny is that when I was finishing HS and considering college, if I had told my mother I was planning to go to Alabama, her response would have been something along the lines of "The he!! you say."  LOL!!!

:laugh:

Sounds like you have a good mother. 

[weagleinau 0]

Yikes...I was hoping his brother would tell him to follow his heart. It sounds like Arie is pushing for UAT too. Hopefully this kid will go where he truly wants to go, whatever that choice may be.

Not necessarily.  We don't know what Arie is really telling him.... he might just be giving his real advice cover since Arie is stuck with Saban either way for the foreseeable future.  Think about it... if Arie was really singing bammer's praises, Cyrus would have declared for bammer to start with.

I haven't thought about that. Hopefully that is the case!

[Rickys Rants 0]

I have been saying on here before that his family was pressuring him to go to UAT. People thought I was nuts..LOL.

What's funny is that when I was finishing HS and considering college, if I had told my mother I was planning to go to Alabama, her response would have been something along the lines of "The he!! you say."  LOL!!!

When I got ready to decide where to go to college my dad told me "I'd rather see you go to prison than to Tuscaloosa"!  My oldest is only 12, but I have already told her that she can go to college wherever she wants, but if she goes to UAT I am NOT paying for it!

[87aubie 0]

Yikes...I was hoping his brother would tell him to follow his heart. It sounds like Arie is pushing for UAT too. Hopefully this kid will go where he truly wants to go, whatever that choice may be.

Not necessarily.  We don't know what Arie is really telling him.... he might just be giving his real advice cover since Arie is stuck with Saban either way for the foreseeable future.  Think about it... if Arie was really singing bammer's praises, Cyrus would have declared for bammer to start with.

I haven't thought about that. Hopefully that is the case!

Or he could have just been asking "What are you doing?" as in "Have you decided where you are going yet?"  Words on paper without context or inflection are often useless.

[Droxside 0]

Here is what Stewart Mandell of Sports illustrated had to say...

Speaking of needs, one ought to consider them in giving proper context to the ongoing Kouandjio saga. As if Alabama and Auburn fans needed anything else to lord over each other, the elite tackle's eventual decision (assuming it's not New Mexico) will surely provide more fodder. But for the Tigers, adding Kouandjio would be a luxury; for Nick Saban's Crimson Tide, it's more a necessity.

Auburn already has signatures from the nation's top center (Reese Dismukes) and a top-three guard (Christian Westerman) and tackle (Greg Robinson). Its offensive line class is stacked regardless. Alabama on the other hand failed to land two other four-star tackles (Brandon Shell and Aaron Morris). It was counting on Kouandjio, and failing to get him could be the one glaring hole in an otherwise sterling class.

"That franchise left tackle is somehow alluding [Alabama]," said 247Sports.com National Analyst J.C. Shurburtt. "I think it would definitely hurt Alabama more. If Auburn loses Cyrus, it's still one of the top offensive line classes in the country."

Maybe it won't matter. Maybe Kouandjio won't pan out.

Or maybe he'll make the key block on the winning score in the 2013 Iron Bowl. It's entirely possible. Maybe Alabama will lose 28-27, like it did last year, because it couldn't protect its quarterback.

That's why Signing Day matters. Technically, all the thousands of hours and miles the coaches log leading up to it matter more, but those 15-second announcements are far more fun to watch -- especially when live animals are involved.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/02/02/signing-day-awards/index.html#ixzz1CwDs4xOq'>http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/02/02/signing-day-awards/index.html#ixzz1CwDs4xOq

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/stewart_mandel/02/02/signing-day-awards/index.html