2023 Discussion Thread

[Mikey 16,622]

33 minutes ago, Hank2020 said:

This is an excellent approach to this year. Is the 85 limit still in effect?

The numbers are correct. However, considering the late start this staff has we'll be pressed to attract enough SEC quality players to reach 85. That's including both the portal and high school/JUCO. The other schools haven't been sitting on their hands so that Auburn can start off even with them. We are badly behind and closing the gap entirely is probably impossible.

EDIT: Rivals currently has Auburn at 44th nationally and 14th, that's dead solid last, in the SEC. That's a lot of ground to make up in a very short period of time. What recruiting this year is is a salvage operation. It's going to be tough. We better be keeping every player on board who has the slightest chance to contribute or there won't be enough warm bodies to practice against.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Mikey

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

26 minutes ago, Mikey said:

The numbers are correct. However, considering the late start this staff has we'll be pressed to attract enough SEC quality players to reach 85. That's including both the portal and high school/JUCO. The other schools haven't been sitting on their hands so that Auburn can start off even with them. We are badly behind and closing the gap entirely is probably impossible.

EDIT: Rivals currently has Auburn at 44th nationally and 14th, that's dead solid last, in the SEC. That's a lot of ground to make up in a very short period of time. What recruiting this year is is a salvage operation. It's going to be tough. We better be keeping every player on board who has the slightest chance to contribute or there won't be enough warm bodies to practice against.

Alot of the being last in the SEC is related to quantity not quality. Our star rating per commit is pretty good. We just don't have enuf guys committed.  Hopefully that changes soon

[gr82b4au 5,568]

28 minutes ago, Mikey said:

We are badly behind and closing the gap entirely is probably impossible.

Agree. HF is going to do the best he can to get players, but he has a huge mountain to climb. We are not going to make it all up this year  the damage is too bad and it is too late in the game. 

He has 2.5 weeks to turn around one of the worst recruiting classes in Auburn history from a HS/Juco perspective while also having to recruit the portal at the same time. 

Side note from a portal standpoint: On offense, we don’t have a starting QB or any of the starting 5 on the OL. Think about how bad that is… 

[W.E.D 11,070]

57 minutes ago, Mikey said:

However, considering the late start this staff has we'll be pressed to attract enough SEC quality players to reach 85. That's including both the portal and high school/JUCO. The other schools haven't been sitting on their hands so that Auburn can start off even with them

Agree with HS, but disagree with Portal Kids.  Even footing for nearly all intents and purposes 

Edited December 13, 2022 by W.E.D

[Quietmaninthecorner 1,945]

11 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

Agree. HF is going to do the best he can to get players, but he has a huge mountain to climb. We are not going to make it all up this year  the damage is too bad and it is too late in the game. 

He has 2.5 weeks to turn around one of the worst recruiting classes in Auburn history from a HS/Juco perspective while also having to recruit the portal at the same time. 

Side note from a portal standpoint: On offense, we don’t have a starting QB or any of the starting 5 on the OL. Think about how bad that is… 

I also agree,  but don't discount the players already here.     

 I saw quite a few  players already on the team this year with lots of talent that could be really, really  good.     To me,  a lot of them looked poorly coached and disheartened for most of  the season.    When they get their motivation and confidence back MANY will look like different players. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

2 minutes ago, Quietmaninthecorner said:

I also agree,  but don't discount the players already here.     

 I saw quite a few  players already on the team this year with lots of talent that could be really, really  good.     To me,  a lot of them looked poorly coached and disheartened for most of  the season.    When they get their motivation and confidence back MANY will look like different players. 

Yep, I think there are some very good players that are already on the roster, but when it comes to the offensive line and quarterback, we need starters. 

[Gowebb11 9,328]

The crazy thing about the portal is it’s not an end sum game. If we bring in 20-30 portal players to round out the roster, there’s a great chance some of our current roster players then jump ship to the portal themselves. Year to year roster management may be the most important function of a football program and HC now. 

[Mikey 16,622]

1 hour ago, W.E.D said:

Agree with HS, but disagree with Portal Kids.  Even footing for nearly all intents and purposes 

You don't think UGA, UAT and so forth have been working on their preferred portal guys under the table? I do.

So far we've lost more talent to the portal than what we've gained every year. I expect Freeze to reverse this situation but I doubt that an overhaul of the extent that Auburn needs can be done in a few short weeks. The Big Boys have been approaching their portal targets through the back door for weeks now, if not months. We're way behind.

Further, are 20% of the portal players of a quality that will help Auburn? I doubt it.

[TexasTiger 12,948]

18 minutes ago, Mikey said:

You don't think UGA, UAT and so forth have been working on their preferred portal guys under the table? I do.

So far we've lost more talent to the portal than what we've gained every year. I expect Freeze to reverse this situation but I doubt that an overhaul of the extent that Auburn needs can be done in a few short weeks. The Big Boys have been approaching their portal targets through the back door for weeks now, if not months. We're way behind.

Further, are 20% of the portal players of a quality that will help Auburn? I doubt it.

22.74%, Mikey. Wrong again!

[gr82b4au 5,568]

16 minutes ago, Mikey said:

You don't think UGA, UAT and so forth have been working on their preferred portal guys under the table? I do.

So far we've lost more talent to the portal than what we've gained every year. I expect Freeze to reverse this situation but I doubt that an overhaul of the extent that Auburn needs can be done in a few short weeks. The Big Boys have been approaching their portal targets through the back door for weeks now, if not months. We're way behind.

Further, are 20% of the portal players of a quality that will help Auburn? I doubt it.

I agree with you. Plus if you add to the fact that lineman are the most sought after players to get, it is a huge task. 
Hopefully we can get a stud portal QB soon.  That will help tremendously. 

[W.E.D 11,070]

43 minutes ago, Mikey said:

You don't think UGA, UAT and so forth have been working on their preferred portal guys under the table? I do.

So far we've lost more talent to the portal than what we've gained every year. I expect Freeze to reverse this situation but I doubt that an overhaul of the extent that Auburn needs can be done in a few short weeks. The Big Boys have been approaching their portal targets through the back door for weeks now, if not months. We're way behind.

Further, are 20% of the portal players of a quality that will help Auburn? I doubt it.

Materially different?  No.  Back channels are nice, but face to face / person to person are equal footing.

They'll pull more b/c of name, state of program, but I don't believe we are at a massive disadvantage like HS kids.

There will be something like 4k kids in the portal.  If we're fighting over 800 with a solid NIL and elite coaches, we can find what we need.  What's more "What we need" is really almost anything.  We are so bad off at a few positions that almost any warm bodies with projectable ability will be an upgrade.  

No more excuses of "No transfer will come here b/c we have 15 Covid SRs".  We literally have nothing on the OL and DE is essentially as bad (possibly worse).

[W.E.D 11,070]

27 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

I agree with you. Plus if you add to the fact that lineman are the most sought after players to get, it is a huge task. 
Hopefully we can get a stud portal QB soon.  That will help tremendously. 

I don't expect to get the Rhode Island kid b/c every major program is after him.  But there will be plenty of upgrades on the OL over the current "air" we have there now.  We also don't have a single DE that can play in the SEC.

We have a lot to offer playing time wise in addition to NIL

[gr82b4au 5,568]

11 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

We have a lot to offer playing time wise in addition to NIL

Good point. 
 

[AuburnNTexas 7,151]

5 hours ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Alot of the being last in the SEC is related to quantity not quality. Our star rating per commit is pretty good. We just don't have enuf guys committed.  Hopefully that changes soon

Our star rating per player is not that good but the reason is the low 3* QB that just committed all the others are mid level 3' or better with most being 4*. If we don't count that one player then I agree with you that we have quality guys. This is not a knock on the 3* QB his size is why he is not rated higher. He has skills it will be interesting to see if we keep him as a scholarship player, a walk on or let him go. I am not adverse to keeping him especially since we will have available scholarships.

Edited December 13, 2022 by AuburnNTexas

[AEAugirl 9,633]

6 hours ago, Mikey said:

The numbers are correct. However, considering the late start this staff has we'll be pressed to attract enough SEC quality players to reach 85. That's including both the portal and high school/JUCO. The other schools haven't been sitting on their hands so that Auburn can start off even with them. We are badly behind and closing the gap entirely is probably impossible.

EDIT: Rivals currently has Auburn at 44th nationally and 14th, that's dead solid last, in the SEC. That's a lot of ground to make up in a very short period of time. What recruiting this year is is a salvage operation. It's going to be tough. We better be keeping every player on board who has the slightest chance to contribute or there won't be enough warm bodies to practice against.

We are 32 on On3 so obviously they are the most reputable and the one I pay attention to 😂

[gr82b4au 5,568]

I think that big OT that visited last weekend just decommitted from South Carolina. oh My. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

 

[Hank2020 3,208]

6 hours ago, W.E.D said:

Agree with HS, but disagree with Portal Kids.  Even footing for nearly all intents and purposes 

At least out front , I believe you are correct. Portaling begins many days prior behind the scene so if that is yrue he is starting late.

[Hank2020 3,208]

29 minutes ago, gr82b4au said:

 

This is a positive for us.

[Maverick.AU 13,281]

Let's go!!!

 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Holy!!!

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

11 minutes ago, Maverick.AU said:

Let's go!!!

 

I didn't know this was posted I just started a thread for it but I went back and deleted. Huge get for us. HUGE!

[AEAugirl 9,633]

Bring me all the big uns’

Freeze doing work!!  

Cristobal is also a fantastic evaluator of Oline talent so makes it that much better. 

Edited December 13, 2022 by AEAugirl

[Win4AU 4,052]

Merry Flipmas!  Freeze doing more in 1 week than Harsin did in 2 years.  Recruiting to Auburn is easy if you actually try.  

[Hank2020 3,208]

1 hour ago, AuburnNTexas said:

Our star rating per player is not that good but the reason is the low 3* QB that just committed all the others are mid level 3' or better with most being 4*. If we don't count that one player then I agree with you that we have quality guys. This is not a knock on the 3* QB his size is why he is not rated higher. He has skills it will be interesting to see if we keep him as a scholarship player, a walk on or let him go. I am not adverse to keeping him especially since we will have available scholarships.

I think we let him slide and go for the kid that was going to Liberty.