Auburn Recruiting: Offense, Defense, and Special Teams for 2010

Auburn recruiting for 2010 certainly gives the Auburn nation a reason to cheer. In what may be Auburn's best recruiting class in decades, and quite possibly the best recruiting class in the history of Auburn football, Coach Gene Chizik and his staff have accomplished much more than was anticipated or expected.

In the late spring of 2009, Auburn coaches rented a stretch Hummer, and after loading it with Auburn decals and flags, they launched "Tiger Prowl" with criticism from some and applause from others.

The trip took Auburn to several high schools in an attempt to let blue chip recruits know that Auburn would be in the picture in 2010. To keep those blue chip recruits from forgetting about "Tiger Prowl," Auburn coaches then invited many of them to the Auburn Campus for "Big Cat Weekend."

Did these recruitment tactics pay off for Auburn coaches? Let's take a look.

Auburn's offense should explode in 2010 with the help that is arriving in the 2010 class.

Five star junior college quarterback Cameron Newton and five star running back Michael Dyer will most certainly bring immediate success to the offensive side of the ball for Auburn.

Newton is a quarterback with a great arm and great wheels. The Tigers have lacked a quarterback with an ability to run and Newton will add that ingredient to the recipe. Dyer is an excellent running back who will step in to replace Ben Tate with no problem.

Also, the Tigers have a commitment from five star offensive tackle Shon Coleman.  Lately, however, he has decided to visit other schools to make sure Auburn is the right choice.

Other key offensive linemen who will join the Auburn Tigers in 2010 are four star offensive guard Eric Mack and four star junior college offensive tackle Roszell Gayden. Other offensive Auburn recruits include three star linemen Ed Christian and Chad Slade and three star fullback Jessel Curry. 

Auburn's offense will also add a little flavor to its passing game with four star wide receiver Antonio Goodwin, four star athlete Trovon Reed, and four star wide receiver Jeremy Richardson.

Another superb athlete/receiver by the name of Shaun Kitchens doesn't bring a four star rank, but he does bring NFL size.  That is something every quarterback needs when it is time to float a pass to the corner of the end zone on third down and goal.

In 2009, Auburn struggled on the defensive side of the ball. As most of you know by now, four star defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker chose Auburn today over Miami and SEC rival Georgia. He is a big, strong defensive lineman with a lot of agility. Look for him to bring much needed depth to Auburn's defense in 2010.

While Jeffrey Whitaker is the No. 1 rated defensive tackle in the state of Georgia, Auburn also picked a commitment from Kenneth Carter, the No. 1 rated defensive tackle in Alabama. A four star defensive lineman in his own right, Carter will also bring a much needed boost to Ted Roof's defense for years to come.

Auburn also added four star outside linebacker LaDarius Owens and four star inside linebacker Jake Holland. Auburn returns its starting linebacker corps from 2009, but these two tackling machines are capable of receiving playing time in 2010 to keep the defense from getting worn out and giving up fourth quarter drives.

The 2010 Auburn Tigers are also getting Jawara White, a three star linebacker with plenty of size and ambition to boot. He may be one of the most underrated recruits in the 2010 class.

At defensive end, the Tigers are picking up Craig Sanders, a four star recruit who switched his commitment from Alabama and four star junior college standout Joel Bonomolo. I don't anticipate either making an impact immediately, but down the road, the Auburn nation will hear much from them when the defense takes the field.

Auburn also has a commit from three star defensive end Justin Delaine, however, he still has some academic issues to clear up to be able to join the Tigers in 2010.

In the secondary, Auburn will add several quality recruits, however, none of them are ranked above three stars by the recruiting analysts across the country. Birmingham, Alabama native Chris Davis may be the "jewel" of the class and Auburn fans will eventually find out why.

Davis was recruited late and it is a miracle that SEC schools missed out on him. His sheer athleticism will pay dividends in the Auburn secondary, if not in 2010, perhaps in 2011.

Auburn also picks up commitments from defensive back prospects Ryan White, Jonathan Mincy, and Demetruce McNeal. Each one has exquisite speed and athleticism, but they will probably not see playing time for a couple of years down the road.

Time and time again, as I watched Auburn play in 2009, I saw many breakdowns on special teams. Thankfully, help is on the way. Punter Steven Clark will bring a lot of hang time on his punts and this should give Auburn the ability to keep punt returns from running rampant.

The Tigers will also pick up Cody Parkey at place kicker.  He is capable of sending the ball out of the end zone every time on kickoffs, and can put three points on the board from 40-plus yards with consistency. I also believe athlete Trovon Reed should be mentioned again for special teams because of his ability to field punts and pick up a few yards on a return.

As of Feb. 1, 2010, Auburn stands fourth in the nation in recruiting at Rivals.com and fifth in the nation at Scout.com and ESPN.

Looks like "Tiger Prowl" and "Big Cat Weekend" did some good after all.

Most of the praise has to go to the hardworking coaches of the Auburn Tigers, who, in a little over one year, have turned a lot of heads by turning things around for Auburn football.