Auburn Football Recruiting: Who Could Start, and Who Will Get Lost in the Mix?

The Auburn Tigers are closing out their 2012 recruiting class with a number of big names remaining on the board. There is a wealth of talent already committed however, with a few of those players already enrolled.

The Tigers need a few of these recruits in this class to come in and produce immediately, but there won’t be the pressure to perform that has been present the past two seasons. For the first time in the Chizik era, the Tigers will be near a full stock of scholarship athletes on roster which should put the Tigers in a great position to perform well on the field.

Looking through the Auburn recruiting class, here are four players that could earn the starting nod this fall, and four others that are likely to pull redshirts. Auburn will always look to develop their players as much as possible, but if a guy is ready to play, he is ready to play. Here is a breakdown of the top four and bottom four of the most likely immediate contributors.

JaQuay Williams: WR, Sandy Creek High School, Tyrone, Georgia

JaQuay Williams is a big-bodied, fluid receiver that could earn immediate time for the Tigers this fall. Auburn is looking for a big play receiver to take some of the attention off of Emory Blake, but a second option has yet to come available.

Williams wants to be that second option for the Tigers quarterbacks. With Williams' ability to track the ball and attack it in the air, and his ability to shift away from defenders, he could fit into the scheme right away.

Expect Williams to be a very productive receiver for Auburn throughout his career as he should develop into a very reliable pass catcher. His production has a chance to start this coming season if Williams can find his way onto the field past the current competition.

Cassanova McKinzy: LB, Woodlawn High School, Birmingham, Alabama

Auburn has been hurting for sure-tackling linebackers in the past few seasons. Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes were consistent during the 2010 season, but during 2009 and this past year 2011, the Tigers consistently looked foolish trying to make tackles in the middle third of the defense.

Daren Bates began to develop well and look comfortable in his outside linebacker role late in the season last year, but outside of Bates there aren’t many veteran options. Enter Cassanova McKinzy. McKinzy is a stud linebacker that has the size and frame to walk onto the field immediately and play.

McKinzy is aggressive at the point of attack and rarely loses a battle once he makes contact. He has good form on his tackles and will make a great special teams player early in his Auburn career. If Auburn can’t find better production from the outside, he may find time at linebacker pretty quickly as well.

Darrion Hutcherson: TE, Dadeville High School, Dadeville, Alabama

Hutcherson is a huge body on the football field and was originally viewed as an athlete by most recruiting services. He settled into the tight end role for his senior season and showed his skills.

Hutcherson should fit well into the new offense that Scot Loeffler is expected to bring to the Plains. He has the opportunity to be an instant impact player in the blocking schemes as his size and strength could be put to immediate use.

If Hutcherson can work on his ball skills and improve on his pass catching, he could be a force in the Auburn passing game from day one as well. Hutcherson’s size and speed makes for a dangerous mix once he hits the secondary.

If Auburn can find ways to get him the ball and slip him into the secondary, the Tigers will be tough to stop on offense. Hutcherson may be the biggest surprise of the class. 

Jovon Robinson: RB, Woodale High School, Memphis, Tennessee

Jovon Robinson is one of the recruits that I expect the most from early in his career. That may seem odd with the wealth of talent that Auburn returns in the backfield this season, but Robinson brings a unique blend of size and speed to the position that Auburn does not currently have.

Robinson was overshadowed by the previous commitment of T.J. Yeldon, but Robinson appears just as dangerous on film and will be coming to Auburn with a purpose. Robinson has the build to be an every down back, he checks in at 220, and he also has the shiftiness to make guys miss in the open field. A trait that is often left to scat backs and backup speed backs.

Robinson has the chance to fill a role left void by the departure of Mike Dyer in the Auburn offense. With the shift in style expected with Loeffler, the Tigers will need a bruising feature back. Robinson should fill that role nicely come fall.

Zeke Pike: QB, Dixie Heights High School, Edgewood, Kentucky

Zeke Pike is the most vocal of all of Auburn’s recruits in the 2012 class. He has taken to Twitter on numerous occasions taking on fans of rival schools and anything in between on his way to attempt to be an ambassador for Auburn.

Pike has also traveled the camp circuit which has added to his spotlight. He has performed moderately well, but has taken a load of criticism over the summer and into the season. He traveled to a number of camps with a hurt arm, but still showed signs of inaccuracy at elite camps after his injury had supposedly subsided.

Pike made it to the final stage of the Elite 11 and he was also a selection to the Army All-American Bowl that is played in San Antonio. Pike has a live arm and the intangibles to be very good, but he has a lot of growth that is needed before he sees the field in college.

Pike may be a fan favorite, but don’t expect him to hit the field until at least 2013. 

Jonathan Jones: DB, Carrollton High School, Carrollton, Georgia

Jones is a bomb in a firecracker package. Jones isn’t ever going to be the biggest dog in the fight on the field, but he is likely to be the hardest hitting, nastiest one. With coach Brian VanGorder and his fast attack defense, that’s all that matters.

Jones will likely have a very bright future on defense for the Tigers as he could be an impact player from the nickelback position. He sits well in the zone and can read a quarterback, showing the ability to jump routes very well.

Jones would serve well to take a redshirt season and build bulk to his frame so that he can serve the defense on a regular basis. He may make a contribution on special teams early, but with the talent the Tigers already have on hand that seems doubtful. 

Robert Leff: OT, Fairhope High School, Fairhope, Alabama

Leff is a tall and rangy offensive tackle that is not rated very highly by the recruiting services, but could develop into quite a formidable lineman at the next level. He has a frame that could add a good deal of bulk in the future and redshirting and spending a season in the weight program would benefit him greatly.

Leff has good speed and great change of direction. He has smooth hips out of his break that helps him keep up with athletic defensive ends that are pushing the outside. Leff could be a very good commodity for the Tigers in the future and will likely fit well into the Tigers offensive system.

Look for Leff’s aggressive approach to run blocking to be his biggest asset as the Tigers will always rely heavily on their rushing attack.

Patrick Miller: OT, Dwyer High School, West Palm Beach, Florida

Miller is a tall and aggressive offensive tackle from the state of Florida. He was expected to end up at LSU but it appeared that LSU did not have a scholarship available for his early enrolment. Instead of waiting, he chose to move to Auburn.

Miller will benefit from being in the winter workout period and from spring training, but he won’t likely make it to the playing field this season. He is very aggressive at the point of attack and shows great strength but with added weight he will be an unstoppable force on the outside of the line.

Look for Miller to be an impact lineman for the Tigers in the future but for his impact to be delayed by at least a year. He needs to add at least 35 pounds to his frame and that won’t happen overnight.

Follow @ianb1448