Assessing the damage

[mcgufcm 4,107]

I'm not a big recruiting buff so I was wondering if folks could help me out. I'm just trying to get an image of where we've lost ground, where we might be able to make it up, and places in between. As near as I can tell these are the guys that have de-committed:

Terrance Coleman (DT)

Montez Robinson (DE)

Rodney Scott (RB)

Raymond Cotton (QB)

David Connor (S)

Jamie Collins

Is that the whole list? Are there guys on that list that we could/likely will get back? Is Scott the only one that's committed somewhere else? And finally, is there any word on new guys that we might target or old targets that we are still going to pursue (like Petey Smith)?

Thanks for any information. I'm trying not to be negative about Chizik. It's not who I wanted, but hey, I lost the guy I wanted when Tubs was fired/forced out. I'm just trying to get an image of what we need to happen going forward to salvage this recruiting class, and I think there is plenty of time to do that. February is a long way off.

[abrnfanatc 6]

I may be way off on this assumption, but my guess is that Coleman, Robinson and Connor will be the first back in the fold once they learn about Chizik's defenses at Auburn and Texas.

The offensive recruits will probably shop around and may not come back unless Chizik makes a home run hire as his OC.

[Mikey 16,779]

There has been NO damage yet. You have to give the new staff a chance to work with the players they want to sign in February. It's very likely that if Auburn looked like the best place to a kid a month ago, it will once again look like the best place a month from now.

We haven't "lost" a single player. That can't happen until they sign with someone else in February.

[mcgufcm 4,107]

Neither post on here said a single guy was lost. I said we lost ground (which is accurate). I said we lost Tubs. I never said we lost a recruit. I'm just wondering if anyone has info on these guys or guys that might replace them if they don't re-commit.

[auwallace 6]

how can you say we haven't lost commits? semantics aside, they were committed and now they are not. he's got work to do to get some of these guys back but i'm not holding my breath. he's more than likely going to have to show something this next year before he can effectively recruit. especially if the names i'm hearing for assistant coaches are true.

[Mikey 16,779]

"how can you say we haven't lost commits? semantics aside, they were committed and now they are not."

I didn't say we haven't lost commits. I said there has been no damage yet. A committed player means nothing more than your school is his current favorite. That changes frequently. As soon as coaches are named and visits made, we'll get some of them back, and some were going elsewhere anyway, even if Coach Tuberville had stayed on.

Reference the above mentioned Rodney Scott: He has been off again/on again either going to Auburn or one of three or four other schools since back in the summer. Maybe the phase of the moon on next signing day will have more to do with where he goes than anything else.

Re:Raymond Cotton: I'm sure we'd like to have him. Maybe we can get him to sign here, maybe he won't. If not, we already have two four-star QB's on campus in Burns and Caudle. Then there's Chris Todd (hopefully with a healthy arm) and Trotter. If Cotton goes elsewhere, it won't leave us without options.

Give this new coaching staff a chance. I think they'll bring in players we can win with.

[AUman43 5]

Technically, we haven't lost anyone since the binding signatures won't occur until February, but there's a lot hard work to be done and not too much time to do it. A great OC would help if we can get one.