The Auburn Tigers' 2008 recruiting season was solid, but not up to par with previous seasons under coach Tommy Tuberville.
It was topsy-turvy from the beginning for the Tigers, starting with the loss of offensive coordinator Al Borges before the bowl game, forcing them to introduce recruits to a brand new coordinator and new spread offense.
Then there were the rumors swirling around Tuberville when he was involved in contract negotiations about whether he was entertaining thoughts of another job.
The final blow was losing Will Muschamp to Texas in January.
Despite the distractions, Auburn still signed a solid class to fill their needs. Here's a breakdown of how Auburn fared...
Quarterback
Deron Furr 6-3, 215
Barrett Trotter 6-2, 200
Chris Todd (Junior College) 6-3, 220
Grade: B+
Analysis
Auburn needed a new kind of quarterback for their new offense and they got just that with Trotter and Furr who are both very athletic. Trotter ran the spread in high school, threw for 3,400 yards, ran for 600, and accounted for 53 touchdowns his senior season.
Furr is one of the top athletes in this class; he won a state championship in Georgia, accounted for 30 touchdowns his senior year, and chose Auburn over Florida State.
Todd, originally from Kentucky, ran the spread in high school and passed for more than 10,000 yards. He signed with Texas Tech out of high school, then transferred after one season to a junior college. Now he will be a real contender to start at Auburn next season.
Running Back
Reggie Hunt 5-10, 180
Eric Smith 5-11, 235
Onterrio McCalebb 5-10, 175
Grade: B
Analysis
Auburn is pretty set at running back this year, but will lose two backs after this season. Auburn got one of their top targets in Hunt who was the best back in Alabama this year. He has explosive speed and fits perfectly in the new spread offense. Hunt chose Auburn over West Virginia and Florida.
Smith is a versatile player who can play fullback and tailback. He rushed for more than 2,000 yards and had 37 touchdowns his last two years. He has good hands out of the backfield and will remind Auburn fans of Rudi Johnson. Smith chose Auburn over Clemson.
McCalebb is an extremely fast prospect from Florida who is also a perfect fit, but looks to be headed to JUCO before he can play at Auburn. He chose Auburn over West Virginia, Clemson, and Michigan.
Wide Receiver
Harry Adams 6-0, 180
Darvin Adams 6-2, 190
Derek Winter 6-1, 185
Philip Pierre-Louis 5-10, 180
Damion Allen 6-1, 180
Grade: B
Analysis
Wide receiver was a big need with a new offense coming in. Auburn needed some more play-makers and they got some good ones.
Harry Adams is a former track star who was the fastest player in his classification in the state of Florida in the 100 meters. He chose Auburn over Florida, LSU, and Florida State.
7 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Anonymous about 1 year ago
Forced to change to the spread offense? Are you kidding. They wanted to. No more 2 yards and a cloud of dust!
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Smith J. Howard about 1 year ago
Justin what do you think about this QB situation now? Kodi, Furr, Todd, and Furr? I fully expect to see Kodi Burns to win the starting nod, but you think Franklin will try some sort of version of a dual-QB system for a couple series' each game? Plus, Caudle didn't leave (or did he?), so that "drop back passing" style is still a thought that can be used too...
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Smith J. Howard about 1 year ago
Clearly I meant Trodder instead of mentioning Deron Furr twice.
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Justin Hokanson about 1 year ago
I actually expect Todd to be the starter coming out of spring. Burns still has work to do. But they both will play this year.
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Justin Hokanson about 1 year ago
And I didn't say they were forced to change offenses, I said they were forced to introduce recruits to a new offense. The change in offense lost Auburn their best recruit in Enrique Davis.
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Sherrie Wade about 1 year ago
I think that if they all do well (Kodi Burns, Deron Furr, Chris Todd), then don't have just one starter. Let them all play. There is no reason for us to let any of them to sit on the sideline. They are a triple threat, so use all three!!!!!
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Luke A about 1 year ago
Justin is the best college football analyzer I have ever heard! Where can I read more of his stuff? The coverage of Alabama and Auburn football in my area is awful. I am in the middle of Birmingham, AL and that means something is wrong.
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