Small Name Recruits that Excelled

[KunzelTiger 0]

Ok, my list...people can add or dispute if they'd like.

1) Easy #1 is Sen'Derrick Marks. 2*... Offers from Auburn, L'Ville, Southern Miss and West Virginia. Below average offer list but he is truly an All-SEC player now.

2) Robert Dunn: Not Rated...Off the field issues in High School... turns it around to become a hard worker and a lunch pail kind of player

3) Rod Smith: Not Rated... walk on.. see 2) Robert Dunn

4) Brandon Cox: I know... he was a 4* should have been one of our better QB's... but his muscle disease is why I'm putting him on this list. He shouldn't have been playing college ball and he won games through sheer heart. Lost some games but the coaching staff should have recognized when he was hurting and taken him out.

Thanks everyone!

[Defense(clap clap) 4]

Roderick Hood.

Walk on. Now starts in the NFL. That's about as small name as it gets.

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

Courtney Taylor...small town QB with very few committable offers. A trip to The Plains and a position switch and presto.

Dontarrius Thomas was not highly rated.

Ben Grubbs was a low star prospect thats making a decent living with the Ravens.

Even Ronnie Brown wasn't very heralded.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Every center in Tubs' Auburn career: Ben Nowland, Joe Cope, Jay Bosley... that might be all. I might've left someone out though. None of those guys were recruited heavily at all, and Nowland played pro ball, Cope started for an undefeated team (I think), and Bosley is an all-conference caliber lineman (and our best lineman).

Will Herring... low rating, four year starter, two time all-conference, NFL linebacker

The Williams twins: Travis and A.T. (I know they weren't actually twins before someone volunteers it).

Brett Eddins... totally underrated run-stopper on the edge

There have been a lot more of these guys than big-names that busted. That's a credit to Tubs. Guys on the way to making this list: Bosley, Zac Etheridge and Aairon Savage, Chris Evans and Merrill Johnson, Clayton/Blanc, Tyronne Green (he's gonna be a 2nd-4th round draft pick depending on this year), Smith/Dunn. We've got a lot of under-valued guys on this team that a whooole bunch of teams would take in a heart beat.

[sogaaufan 27]

How did we get his far into this discussion without mentioning Karlos Dansby? A skinny, too slow WR coming out of high school that became one of the best defensive players in the SEC by the time he left.

Also, Jay Ratliff. A tight end when he got here that is now starting on the D line for the Dallas Cowboys.

We could probably spend a lot of time filling this list out. I think that its testament to this staff that they are able to experiment with a guy and get the most out of him.

[TexasTiger 12,961]

Travis Williams was actually pretty well regarded and Ronnie Brown was listed as high as 8th best RB in the country coming out of high school.

My choice-- Pre-Tubby-- Bill Newton. Walk-on who blocked 2 punts against Bama. David Langner had an offer to AU, but I think it may have been his only one.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

Even Ronnie Brown wasn't very heralded.

Ronnie Brown was a very heralded 4-star RB coming out of high school with offers from Tennessee and Georgia among others. He was all but going to Tennessee and might have even committed early on, then CTT swayed him to Auburn.

[GaCoach 0]

Every center in Tubs' Auburn career: Ben Nowland, Joe Cope, Jay Bosley... that might be all. I might've left someone out though. None of those guys were recruited heavily at all, and Nowland played pro ball, Cope started for an undefeated team (I think), and Bosley is an all-conference caliber lineman (and our best lineman).

Jeremy Ingle was the center on the '04 team. Cope started in '05 and '06. According to Coach Nall, Ingle was the best center he's ever coached.

[McWeagle 4]

How did we get his far into this discussion without mentioning Karlos Dansby? A skinny, too slow WR coming out of high school that became one of the best defensive players in the SEC by the time he left.

Also, Jay Ratliff. A tight end when he got here that is now starting on the D line for the Dallas Cowboys.

We could probably spend a lot of time filling this list out. I think that its testament to this staff that they are able to experiment with a guy and get the most out of him.

Great post.

Not sure if I'd call Kenny Irons a small name recruit or not, but I'm not sure how many of us predicted him being on an NFL 2-deep his rookie year.

[Hoopie 6]

Ronnie B's girlfriend went to UT and he was sort of committed to UT. Phil wanted him to play safety!! CTT found out about RB at a meeting in Atl during the season when RB was the AP back of the week in Ga. CTT saw the film and became interested. I believe AU also agreed to let RB be a running back and to let him try out for baseball, which sealed the decision.

[Ronin 2]

Here's a link with some info about Dontarrious Thomas, Karlos Dansby and some info on Ronnie Brown's recruitment that I never saw before.

http://www.theauburner.com/mark_recruiting.html

I thought that Dansby was rated higher. I think he was one of the B'ham top 11 or something and I remember having high hopes that we'd have a tall receiver.

[SCBusPilot 72]

Rudi.

[80Tiger 899]

Here's a link with some info about Dontarrious Thomas, Karlos Dansby and some info on Ronnie Brown's recruitment that I never saw before.

http://www.theauburner.com/mark_recruiting.html

I thought that Dansby was rated higher. I think he was one of the B'ham top 11 or something and I remember having high hopes that we'd have a tall receiver.

Karlos Dansby was a top name recruit out of Woodlawn in Bhm. Don't think you can count him as a sleeper.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

That's right. Jeremy Ingle. Good call. Just throw him on the list then. Nowland, Ingle, Cope, and Bosley... all lightly (or un-) recruited. All extremely solid SEC centers.

I don't think I'd count Dansby, Brown, or Ratliff... Brown was player of the year in whatever level of Georgia ball he played. Dansby and Ratliff were big names that just happened to switch from the position most folks thought they would play. Ratliff was supposed to be a great tight end.

[JohnDeere 0]

Courtney Taylor...small town QB with very few committable offers. A trip to The Plains and a position switch and presto.

Taylor was recruited as a DB.

Another guy out of the 2002 signees, 5'10 190 white running back from Venice, FL., Tre Smith.

[tiger88 934]

I don't think tre smith qualifies as a bust. A bit of a disappointment when he tried to be the go-to-guy, sure, but he always played hard and contributed where he could. The iron bowl alone in 2002 should keep him out of the bust category. Then there was the UF play.

[TexasTiger 12,961]

I don't think tre smith qualifies as a bust. A bit of a disappointment when he tried to be the go-to-guy, sure, but he always played hard and contributed where he could. The iron bowl alone in 2003 should keep him out of the bust category. Then there was the UF play.

Agreed. Tre was hardly a bust. He was a solid contributor, not a superstar. Did anyone really expect more of him?

[tiger88 934]

oh hell. this is the excelled thread. so confusing, lol.

[TexasTiger 12,961]

oh hell. this is the excelled thread. so confusing, lol.

You're a great leader. I followed you right there.

[mowegl 4]

Ronnie B's girlfriend went to UT and he was sort of committed to UT. Phil wanted him to play safety!! CTT found out about RB at a meeting in Atl during the season when RB was the AP back of the week in Ga. CTT saw the film and became interested. I believe AU also agreed to let RB be a running back and to let him try out for baseball, which sealed the decision.

To be fair to Phil, the Auburn coaches have said RB had some of the best, softest hands of anybody theyve had, and that he could have played almost any position he wanted, including safety.

I think I'm with Rod Hood on the biggest. Heck, nobody gave him much of a 2nd thought in the NFL either, and he proved people wrong again.

And as San Marks goes, I said it last year, and I'll say it again - he's better and more versatile than Glenn Dorsey, but just don't forget who told you when he gets drafted in the 1st round.