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Closing Out the 2021 Recruiting Class

Zeek

By Zeek
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Zeek Founding Father

Zeek 16,650

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2 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Hate to do this but 9. You're either not counting Dawson or Chapman.

Hahaha damn I made that same mistake last time. That makes the numbers work out better too as I don't think we add three more RBs. 

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ellitor Founding Father

ellitor 33,094

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4 minutes ago, Zeek said:
  • Transfer/JuCo QB
  • Transfer/JuCo OL
  • Transfer/JuCo RB?
  • Transfer/JuCo RB

It will be interesting to see how things play out. The staff also wants a transfer LB & a 2nd transfer OL.

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ellitor Founding Father

ellitor 33,094

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5 minutes ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

Wonder how close he is to Dylan 

Probably not. From different regions & different classes.

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aubiefifty Founding Father

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Where things stand for Auburn ahead of National Signing Day

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com
8-9 minutes

For Bryan Harsin and his new Auburn staff, it has been a sprint to the finish.

After the Tigers’ new coach arrived on the Plains in late December, he spent the ensuing month assembling his inaugural coaching and support staff while also trying to put the finishing touches on Auburn’s 2021 signing class. That process hit full stride over the weekend, with Auburn picking up a pair of commitments—one from Northwestern grad transfer Eku Leota on Saturday and then another from three-star offensive tackle Colby Smith on Sunday — before a flurry of activity Monday, when the Tigers picked up four commitments across the day, with two public (JUCO linebacker Joko Willis and 2022 quarterback Holden Geriner) Monday morning and two silent commits Monday night.

Recruiting often feels like it’s about momentum, and for Harsin and Auburn, it is trending in the right direction ahead of Wednesday’s National Signing Day, when the unorthodox 2021 cycle culminates — though Auburn’s recruiting and roster building for next fall could continue into the summer via the transfer market.

“There’ll be some holds certainly,” Harsin said. “I think that will naturally happen. I don’t think that’s something that -- if we can sign the best guys and fill the class we want to with all the guys we want to get, then that doesn’t necessarily mean we hold anybody. But there are going to naturally a few spots that we do hold just based off how the process has gone.”

As things stand Tuesday morning, Auburn has the nation’s 37th-ranked recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings (improving 11 spots since Sunday afternoon). While it’s not the typical top-10 or -15 class Auburn has become accustomed to, Harsin and his staff have a chance to close well with their first partial class (potentially within the top-30), which could be a big win for the program given the unusual circumstances of the recruiting cycle and the December coaching change. The Tigers hold commitments from 15 players overall — 14 in the 2021 class, plus Leota — with 11 of them having signed during the early signing period in December, prior to Harsin’s hiring, and six of them already on campus as early enrollees.

Here’s a look at Auburn’s unsigned commitments, as well as targets to keep an eye on during National Signing Day.

Commits

--Tar’Varish Dawson, three-star athlete out of Lehigh Acres, Fla.: A 5-foot-10, 175-pound athlete who’s likely to play wide receiver at the next level, Dawson has been committed to Auburn since May, but he opted not to sign with the Tigers during the early signing period following Gus Malzahn’s firing. Dawson has remained committed to Auburn, though Texas A&M has reportedly made a push for the nation’s No. 381 overall prospect.

-- Colby Smith, three-star offensive tackle out of Reidsville, N.C.: One of Auburn’s newest commitments, Smith joined the Tigers’ class Sunday night as the program addressed one of its biggest needs along the offensive line. The 6-foot-7, 315-pounder is the nation’s No. 49 offensive tackle prospect, and he’s set to become the first offensive tackle Auburn has signed out of high school since 2018.

-- Joko Willis, three-star linebacker out of Independence (Kan.) Community College: Willis was the latest public addition to Auburn’s 2021 class, committing to the Tigers on Monday morning. The Lagrange, Ga., native is originally a product of Troup County, where he was high school teammates with Auburn receiver Kobe Hudson, and he was JUCO teammates with Auburn defensive tackle Dre Butler and recent cornerback signee Kamal Hadden. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder is the No. 22 overall JUCO product in the 2021 class and the No. 2 inside linebacker.

Transfers

--Eku Letoa, former Northwestern defensive end: Leota sparked Auburn’s recent recruiting surge on Saturday, when he became the first commitment of the Harsin era, announcing his decision to transfer to Auburn as a grad transfer this summer. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end brings experience to Auburn’s defensive front, as well as added production in the pass-rush, with 6.5 sacks over the last two seasons, which is set to be the most career sacks among players on Auburn’s roster this fall.

Targets

-- Juwon Gaston, three-star safety out of Carver-Montgomery: A 5-foot-11, 180-pounder out of Montgomery, Gaston is rated as the nation’s 50th-best safety, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He picked up an offer from Auburn’s new staff within the last two weeks, and the Tigers quickly surged to the top of his recruitment. He’s expected to choose between Auburn and South Carolina on Wednesday during a ceremony at his school, set for 1:30 p.m. He could be the lone high school prospect from Alabama to sign with Auburn on National Signing Day and one of only three in the class (Lee Hunter, A.D. Diamond)

-- Cayden Bridges, three-star defensive back out of Magee, Miss.: A South Alabama commit who was recently offered by Auburn, Bridges is rated as the 150th-best safety in the 2021 class. The 247Sports Crystal Ball favors Auburn to land the 6-foot-2, 190-pounder, but Mississippi State also remains in the mix.

-- Jarquez Hunter, three-star running back out of Philadelphia, Miss.: Auburn is in need of depth at running back after losing Mark-Antony Richards, D.J. Williams and Harold Joiner to the transfer portal since the fall, and Hunter appears to be the most likely new addition to the room. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder is rated as the nation’s No. 41 running back and the No. 10 player in Mississippi. He finished his high school career with 5,834 rushing yards and 78 touchdowns, and as a senior — in just eight games — he averaged 210.9 yards per game and had 22 touchdowns.

-- Dontae Balfour, three-star cornerback out of Starke, Fla.: The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Balfour is rated as the nation’s No. 33 cornerback, and Auburn had long been the favorite to land his commitment. The Tigers’ coaching change altered things, though, and now North Carolina and LSU are also in the mix. Balfour will choose one of those three finalists on Wednesday, with the 247Sports Crystal Ball still currently favoring Auburn.

-- Jordan Moko, three-star offensive tackle out of Snow College (Ephraim, Utah): The 6-foot-5, 335-pound Moko is the nation’s top junior college offensive tackle and the No. 6 JUCO player in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. A native of Australia, where he has been training of late since the JUCO fall season was postponed to the spring, Moko is expected to choose between Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU and Oregon. The 247Sports Crystal Ball currently favors the Aggies.

-- Trevin Wallace, four-star linebacker out of Jesup, Ga.: The 6-foot-2, 209-pounder out of Wayne County High is rated as the No. 140 overall player in the 2021 class and the No. 9 inside linebacker. Auburn made a move for the one-time Boston College commit in the fall, but a change with the Tigers’ coaching staff — including the departure of linebackers coach Travis Williams — made it an uphill climb for the program. Wallace is expected to choose from Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Georgia, though the 247Sports Crystal Ball heavily favors the Wildcats.

-- Kyle Vaccarella, long snapper: Vaccarella was offered by Auburn’s staff on Monday, and he’s rated as the nation’s No. 2 long snapper by Rubio Long Snapping, which graded him as a six-star prospect — the highest possible rating — on its scale. A product of Connecticut, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Vaccarella also has offers from Michigan State, Mississippi State, Penn State and Texas Tech, among others.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our

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ellitor Founding Father

ellitor 33,094

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Looks like no drama for us tomorrow & Friday in Hunter's case. From JLee...

Movements:
RB Jarquez Hunter from 95% -> 99%
LB Trevin Wallace from 15% -> 10%
DB Dontae Balfour from 50% -> 10%
DB Juwon Gaston from 95% -> 99%
DB Cayden Bridges from 95% -> 99%

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dilligas Mentor

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8 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Looks like no drama for us tomorrow & Friday in Hunter's case. From JLee...

Movements:
RB Jarquez Hunter from 95% -> 99%
LB Trevin Wallace from 15% -> 10%
DB Dontae Balfour from 50% -> 10%
DB Juwon Gaston from 95% -> 99%
DB Cayden Bridges from 95% -> 99%

So that would take us to 19, leaving what looks like 6 spots open for GTs or the portal unless we offered a scholly to the LS and he signs.  I guess it’s possible we throw out a late offer to someone bound for a group of 5 or FCS school but unlikely.

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ellitor Founding Father

ellitor 33,094

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10 minutes ago, dilligas said:

So that would take us to 19, leaving what looks like 6 spots open for GTs or the portal unless we offered a scholly to the LS and he signs.  I guess it’s possible we throw out a late offer to someone bound for a group of 5 or FCS school but unlikely.

@dilligas There are some high schools & juco leagues having Spring seasons that could put up good enough film to get offers also.

ETA: Dylan Brooks is also expected to join the class when he gets the release from the Vols.

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AuburnTiger4Life Founding Father

AuburnTiger4Life 2,225

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6 minutes ago, auburn4ever said:

Is coach Harsin not going after a QB for this 2021 class? I had hoped we would.

We already have Dee and like Ellitor mentioned if we do get someone it will  be someone from the transfer portal and there’s still plenty of time to do that. 

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ellitor Founding Father

ellitor 33,094

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42 minutes ago, AuburnTiger4Life said:

It’s a flip!

The silent on him was likely tweeted last night with Coach Zac's 2 hinted commit tweets.

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tinman Mentor

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1 hour ago, ellitor said:

And expect two more in the next two days.

How many from the states of ALABAMA & GEORGIA is what matters most!😀

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AUTigerTime 186

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39 minutes ago, tinman said:

How many from the states of ALABAMA & GEORGIA is what matters most!😀

I don't care if they're from Mars. If they can crack skulls and tote the rock on an elite level, that's fine by me. 

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auburn4ever Founding Father

auburn4ever 1,266

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Thanks to Malzahn and his staff. He saw the writhing on the wall, so he didn't give a crap about the December recruits. That's why Auburn ended up ranked something like 30th in recruiting. I don't blame coach Harsin at all for this class.

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