Closing Out the 2021 Recruiting Class

[Mikey 16,610]

51 minutes ago, Beaker said:

We are so far behind in recruiting due the last 5-6 yrs of poor practices and Gus' hubris, makes me sick.  

Please! Let's stay in the realm of reality. Here are AU's recruiting ranking for the previous five years. (Source, Rivals)

2016, 8th

2017, 14th

2018, 12th

2019, 12th

2020, 10th

Not Sabanesque but hardly indicative of "poor practices. 115 of the 130 schools that play FBS foorball would be happy to swap their last five recruiting classes for Auburn's.

[Beaker 2,457]

1 minute ago, Mikey said:

Please! Let's stay in the realm of reality. Here are AU's recruiting ranking for the previous five years. (Source, Rivals)

2016, 8th

2017, 14th

2018, 12th

2019, 12th

2020, 10th

Not Sabanesque but hardly indicative of "poor practices. 115 of the 130 schools that play FBS foorball would have been happy to swap their last five recruiting classes for Auburn's.

yes sir, but we have all learned that the rankings are nice, but if they are void of position GROUPS (OTs or SEC caliber RBs) then  it is pretty darn hard to win a game vs a rival. 

And 115 schools out of 130 don't play in the SEC, so yeah, they would all take our recruiting classes.

 

[bigbird 60,536]

5 minutes ago, Beaker said:

yes sir, but we have all learned that the rankings are nice, but if they are void of position GROUPS (OTs or SEC caliber RBs) then  it is pretty darn hard to win a game vs a rival. 

And 115 schools out of 130 don't play in the SEC, so yeah, they would all take our recruiting classes.

 

Also, if never developed, then we are effectively playing with HS seniors.

[Mikey 16,610]

2 minutes ago, Beaker said:

yes sir, but we have all learned that the rankings are nice, but if they are void of position GROUPS (OTs or SEC caliber RBs) then  it is pretty darn hard to win a game vs a rival. 

And 115 schools out of 130 don't play in the SEC, so yeah, they would all take our recruiting classes.

 

In just the 2020 class we signed two of the top five JUCO OT's and Tank. 2019 MAR and OT Justin Osborne. 2018 had Asa Martin and Shivers at RB and Irvin and Stutts at OT.

The recruiting wasn't as bad as some like to imply. You want to talk development, that's a different story.

[toddc 13,194]

5 minutes ago, Mikey said:

In just the 2020 class we signed two of the top five JUCO OT's and Tank. 2019 MAR and OT Justin Osborne. 2018 had Asa Martin and Shivers at RB and Irvin and Stutts at OT.

The recruiting wasn't as bad as some like to imply. You want to talk development, that's a different story.

This is why I don’t think this is a rebuilding year. We have talent, even offensive line talent, but they need to be coached up. Oline depth can be shored up with some transfer guys. We have every starter back and some backups who played pretty well after injuries to starters.

[Mikey 16,610]

10 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Also, if never developed, then we are effectively playing with HS seniors.

The subject was recruiting.

[bigbird 60,536]

3 minutes ago, Mikey said:

OT Justin Osborne. 

Irvin and Stutts at OT.

 

None of those 3 were ever going to play OT at Auburn. Irvin is a guard/center, Stutts is a guard, and Osborne was a guard/tweener

The only way Osborne would have played OT is by pure OL desperation. Which is exactly where we were, currently are, and have been for a long time.

[Mikey 16,610]

1 minute ago, toddc said:

This is why I don’t think this is a rebuilding year. We have talent, even offensive line talent, but they need to be coached up. Oline depth can be shored up with some transfer guys.

Having changed O-line coaches frequently hasn't helped either. here's hoping we can get some continuity there.

[Beaker 2,457]

5 minutes ago, toddc said:

This is why I don’t think this is a rebuilding year. We have talent, even offensive line talent, but they need to be coached up. Oline depth can be shored up with some transfer guys.

you know that first year of a new coach and his program can often be a combat multiplier and catch a lot of opponents off guard:

Terry Bowdens first year comes to mind.  You know Spurrier probably still hates Auburn and Terry. 

Gus' first year probably surprised, like the whole nation.

 

Maybe Harsin's first year can do something special or unexpected also.

[Mikey 16,610]

2 minutes ago, bigbird said:

None of those 3 were ever going to play OT at Auburn.

That's how it turned out, but they were signed with the intent of playing OT. Again, the subject is recruiting.

[bigbird 60,536]

8 minutes ago, Mikey said:

The subject was recruiting.

Oh, Okay...

A look at Auburn's O-Line recruiting compared to other programs

Since the 2017 signing class, which makes up five recruiting classes when you count the most recent early signing period, Auburn has signed a total of just 14 offensive linemen compared to 20 for Alabama, 22 for Georgia and 18 for LSU...

It’s not just numbers, but the talent level that remains a serious issue as well. In the last five classes Auburn has signed just one 5-star (Calvin Ashley) and three 4-stars (Austin Troxell, Nick Brahms, Keiondre Jones) on the offensive line.

By comparison, Alabama has signed 17 5-star and 4-star offensive linemen during that same stretch. Georgia has signed 18 such players during the same span while LSU has signed just nine with no 5-stars in the bunch.

 

Feel free to tell us some more how well we've recruited the OL.

[bigbird 60,536]

3 minutes ago, Mikey said:

That's how it turned out, but they were signed with the intent of playing OT. Again, the subject is recruiting.

No, they weren't.  The only one of the three you mentioned that had an outside chance of playing OT was 6'4" Osborne and that was only in an emergency situation.

[Mikey 16,610]

1 minute ago, Beaker said:

Maybe Harsin's first year can do something special or unexpected also.

I'd have projected us at a 9-3 or 10-2 regular season without a coaching change. We have a lot of high quality returning players.

[Mikey 16,610]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

Feel free to tell us some more how well we've recruited.

Feel free to tell me how many schools recruited as well as Alabama. We've recruited much better than most P5 schools.

[bigbird 60,536]

2 minutes ago, Mikey said:

Feel free to tell me how many schools recruited as well as Alabama. We've recruited much better than most P5 schools.

Don't hurt your back moving those goalposts

 

[Mikey 16,610]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

Don't hurt your back moving those goalposts

You are the one who listed Alabama's recruiting results. Put those goal posts back where you found them!

[Beaker 2,457]

2 minutes ago, Mikey said:

I'd have projected us at a 9-3 or 10-2 regular season without a coaching change. We have a lot of high quality returning players.

I hope you are right...I truly do. 

 

I would have projected us at 8-4 or 7-3 as the gap in talent between us and our 3 rivals has been growing yearly, thus the need for JUCO transfers that may/may not fit or even make our squad.    See it's pretty hard to beat elite teams and elite programs when you are dependent on JUCO player transfers or players that can't match up physically.  

 

It's one thing to win a play or a series of plays, but the game almost always goes to the best team.   8-4 would have been tops for my prediction, because we would lose one we should win.   It's the law of averages.  

[Mikey 16,610]

2 minutes ago, Beaker said:

I would have projected us at 8-4 or 7-3 as the gap in talent between us and our 3 rivals has been growing yearly,

I don't think we are that outmatched physically. The experience factor plays into it also and AU will have that. Expecting 9-3, hoping for 10-2 or better. A lot depends on if we can have a normal spring training so the new staff can get things sorted out.

[bigbird 60,536]

1 minute ago, Mikey said:

You are the one who listed Alabama's recruiting results. Put those goal posts back where you found them!

I've never moved them. I've shown you just exactly how lacking our OL recruiting is and has been compared to teams on our schedule. Then you throw out this beauty...

8 minutes ago, Mikey said:

Feel free to tell me how many schools recruited as well as Alabama. We've recruited much better than most P5 schools.

As if that has anything to do with how poorly we've recruited the OL. You know exactly how badly and have defended it for years. Stop perpetuating your reputation.

[bigbird 60,536]

 

6 minutes ago, Mikey said:

I don't think we are that outmatched physically.

Is that why we had so many of our guards and centers getting stonewalled or trying to block from their backsides. Ask any of the backfield players how well we matched up physically.

 

Here, enjoy the videos

[ellitor 33,094]

35 minutes ago, Mikey said:

The subject was recruiting.

Yes but that does not mean an ancillary point cannot be made.

[bigbird 60,536]

30 minutes ago, Mikey said:

We've recruited much better than most P5 schools.

And have much worse OL results

[Beaker 2,457]

11 minutes ago, bigbird said:

 

Is that why we had so many of our guards and centers getting stonewalled or trying to block from their backsides. Ask any of the backfield players how well we matched up physically.

 

Here, enjoy the videos

And it hasn't gotten better since 2018 sadly.

I am moving on to something more exciting!  

How bout we hope some kids get their feelings hurt (or depth chart issues)  in the spring, at another program like Justin Fields did and transfers to Auburn!

 

[Mikey 16,610]

10 hours ago, bigbird said:

And have much worse OL results

Bicknell had them going quite well this season before three of the five starters got injured. We'll be solid on the O-line this coming year and it will be with players you have been incorrectly saying aren't capable of it.

 

10 hours ago, ellitor said:

Yes but that does not mean an ancillary point cannot be made.

At least he didn't go off on a two-page hijack about movies, so there's that.

[AUGoo 2,664]

I think he was planning on beefing up some of the 7(!) TEs he had and putting them at OT.

Cunning and genius outside the box thinking.  He just got canned before he could fully implement his new recruiting plan.

Bet nobody saw that coming.

Genius.