Auburn Football Recruiting: Grading the Tigers' Class by Position

The Auburn Tigers went into signing day with a number of top recruits remaining on their recruiting big board. The Tigers missed on a number of the big name targets, but they were able to finish the class with a number of needs met, especially along the offensive line.

Auburn snagged signatures from Avery Young and Will Adams, two guys that were signing day additions to the class. Both filled big needs along the offensive line for Auburn. Auburn also held onto some key offensive play makers like JaQuay Williams and Ricky Parks. Jovon Robinson looks to be another instant impact offensive signee.

Overall, the Tigers were able to get some quality talent to fill out their roster and look to be close to 85 scholarship football players for the first time in Chizik’s tenure at Auburn. Looking at how the Tigers finished, here are the grades for the 2012 Auburn Tigers football signing class. 

Quarterback

Auburn looked to bring in one player at the quarterback position in the 2012 class but finished with two commitments on signing day. Zeke Pike was a long-time commitment for the Tigers giving his pledge early in the process.

Pike is ranked as the No. 16 quarterback in the country according to Rivals.com and is the No. 14 ranked quarterback in the country according to 247sports.com. Pike is a big bodied quarterback with a lot of upside, but he will not be a type of player that comes in and makes an immediate impact.

Pike traveled the camp circuit this past summer finding himself among the Elite 11 finalists as well as an Army All-American. Pike has the intangibles to make him a really good quarterback. Coaching will be key and Auburn has a great quarterback developer in Loeffler.

The second of Auburn’s quarterback recruits is Jonathan Wallace. Wallace was rated the No. 25 quarterback by Rivals.com and the No. 16 dual threat quarterback according to 247sports.com. Wallace was a late addition to the class as he was expected to sign with Central Florida this past Wednesday.

Wallace accumulated 28 touchdowns as a senior through the air and on the ground from the quarterback position. He has a load of skill that could prove very useful on the collegiate level. He is a versatile athlete that could fit the Tigers in a number of areas.

Conclusion

With the loss of Barrett Trotter, the Tigers needed to ensure that they maintained four quarterbacks on roster. They completed that goal in this class picking up two quality additions in Pike and Wallace. Neither will walk in and start from day one, but both should be battling in the future for the starting nod.

Grade: B

Running Back

Auburn only signed one running back in this class as Jovon Robinson was the lone back to sign with the Tigers. They also brought in a transfer fullback from Illinois which will count in this class. Robinson is listed as the No. 14 running back in the country by 247sports.com and the No. 10 running back by Rivals.com.

Robinson is a bruiser that comes it at around 220. He could be the next answer that Auburn is looking for in a feature back. Robinson has the ability to be a slashing back at full speed as change of direction is a strength for this back.

Robinson is really talented and I expect him to bring a punch to the Tigers backfield. There is a wealth of talent that returns for the Tigers, but the addition of Robinson will make an immediate impact.

Jay Prosch is a fullback transfer from Illinois that should be able to play immediately for the Tigers. Prosch was an All-American at Illinois as he built quite a reputation as a lead blocker that found contact and drove out defenders with ease. He is also an impact special teams player.

Conclusion

The Tigers filled needs with the 2012 signees adding an every down back to the roster and a lead blocker that has been missed in the past year. The Tigers have not had a true lead blocker since the departure of Eric Smith so adding Prosch is a huge positive for Auburn.

Grade: A

Receiver/Tight End

The Tigers landed two wide receivers and two tight ends in this 2012 class. The Tigers are also still in the mix for Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The biggest buzz that surrounded the Tigers current commitments before signing day was with both of the wide receiver signees.

JaQuay Williams who is ranked as the No. 14 receiver in the country by Rivals.com and the No. 12 receiver by 247sports.com was a big land for the Tigers. The Tigers beat out the instate Georgia Bulldogs for the final push for his signature and Williams could be the big impact signee of the class.

Ricardo Louis is the second receiver in the class and added to the drama of football recruiting as he de-committed from the Tigers after the departure of Gus Malzahn and eventually committed to the instate Florida State Seminoles.

The week leading up to signing day Louis re-opened up his recruitment and eventually landed back with the Tigers. Louis was an Under Armour All-American that played quarterback in high school. He will have to improve his ball skills but he has the athleticism to be special in the Tigers offense.

Auburn also pulled in two big play tight ends. Ricky Parks is an athletic former quarterback that has a bright future at the tight end position. Parks has good speed for his size and will be able to make plays over undersized defenders.

Darrion Hutcherson was the second tight end and fourth pass catcher that the Tigers brought in for the 2012 signing class. Hutcherson is a huge bodied guy that stands at 6’7”. He has a frame that could add bulk and could likely work into the offensive line, but with the Tigers depth it isn’t likely.

Hutcherson has good ball skills for a player his size and when he hits the secondary he has the chance to really put some pain into the smaller defensive backs that will cross his path. Hutcherson may be one of the dark horse producers for this class. He reminds me a lot of Robert Johnson, a former impact tight end for the Tigers from 99-02.

Conclusion

The Tigers were able to piece together a unique mix of receivers and tight ends in this class. There are guys that could see time right away as there may be a bigger need for tight ends in the Loeffler offense.

Grade: A

Offensive Line

The Tigers signed one of the best offensive line classes in the country for the second year in a row. The Tigers saw players like Shane Callahan and Patrick Miller early enroll while guys like Will Adams, Robert Leff and Avery Young all inked with the Tigers on signing day.

The best surprise for the Tigers on signing day was when Avery Young, the No. 9 offensive tackle according to Rivals.com and the No. 29 offensive tackle according to 247sports.com.Young decided on the Tigers after considering offers from Georgia, Florida and Miami. Young has a great ability and could be a guy that fills in immediately if called upon.

The Tigers could also see some production from their early enrollees with Shane Callahan the most likely to receive playing time early. Callahan is a beast of a lineman and has the physical ability to play immediately. With the depth that Auburn now has at line however, most if not all of these guys will make an impact after redshirt seasons.

The Tigers added an addition to their offensive line class when Jordan Diamond from Simeon High School in Chicago made his announcement for the Tigers this past Friday, February 3. Diamond is rated as the No. 28 offensive tackle according to Rivals.com and is the No. 5 offensive tackle according to 247sports.com.

Diamond was a big pull for the Tigers as they were able to pluck him away from Big Ten country where Wisconsin and Michigan were among his finalists.

Conclusion

The Tigers went into signing day with very few needs for this class. One major need for the Tigers in this class was offensive line. The Tigers signed one of the best offensive line classes in the country in 2012 and met a wealth of needs with this group.

Grade: A

Linebacker

The Tigers have had issues in the past few seasons finding consistent play from the linebacker position. The Tigers looked to add instant playmakers at the position in this class and settled on two elite in state players for 2012. The Tigers finished with Cassanova McKinzy and Javiere Mitchell.

McKinzy finished as the No. 19 linebacker in the Rivals.com rankings and as the No. 22 linebacker according to 247sports.com. McKinzy is a rangy linebacker that could fill a role immediately on special teams. He also has the aggressive ability and blitz reads to make an impact on the defense at some point in 2012.

Mitchell comes in as the No. 48 linebacker in the country according to 247sports.com and the No. 25 linebacker according to Rivals.com. Mitchell has played his career on the defensive line in high school which shows his ability to play in the box and be extremely aggressive.

Mitchell will have the chance to add bulk in the offseason and this summer as he was an early enrollee and could make an impact on special teams and possibly in a reserve role on the defense in 2012.

Conclusion

The Tigers signed two of their three instate targets in this class. Losing Kwon Alexander to LSU hurts the Tigers, but they still landed two very good players that will help the Tigers defense progress in the future. McKinzy is a really good linebacker that I think could be very special by the time he is finished in orange and blue.

Grade: B

Defensive Line

The Tigers were in on a number of big name signees on signing day, but they were unable to close with any of the final targets on the defensive line. The Tigers have held longtime commitments from their two signees. The defensive line was not a huge need for the Tigers as there is only one senior on the current defensive line roster, but the two pickups were more than class fillers.

Tyler Nero and Gimel President are both big linemen with aggressive streaks that make them special players. President is a bit of a tweener for the Tigers as he will be able to fill a role as a defensive end or as a defensive tackle. President was a Parade All-American selection this past season.

Nero is a big in state defensive tackle pickup for the Tigers out of Escambia County High School. Nero is ranked as the No. 22 defensive tackle by Rivals.com and the No. 12 defensive tackle by 247sports.com. Nero is a big body that has a large frame that could add weight. He plays the game very aggressively and will look to be a part of the great line tradition that Auburn has developed over the years.

Conclusion

The Tigers were in the mix for some very talented linemen on signing day but unfortunately they missed on a few. There was not a big need at defensive line for the Tigers so a small pickup at the position was expected. Both Nero and President will be players that can grow into their positions thanks to the current depth. It will be a nice change for the Tigers to not have true freshmen on the defensive side of the trenches come Saturday's this fall.

Grade: B

Secondary

The Tigers were very selective in the secondary in this recruiting cycle. The secondary is another position group that the Tigers are very deep at heading into the 2012 season. The Tigers were on the finalist list for a few big targets, but their original commitments were the ones that inked on the dotted line.

The Tigers pulled in three defensive backs, T. J. Davis, Joshua Holsey and Jonathan Jones with this class. Jones and Davis are both track stars as well and will bring a wealth of speed to the defense.

Holsey is the most ready of the three to hit the field, rated by Rivals.com as the No. 15 cornerback in the country and the No. 16 cornerback according to 247sports.com.

The Tigers are not in need of any of these guys to make immediate impacts like in years past, so this will be another position group that could really benefit from the Tigers depth and grow with redshirts. All three have the chance to make an impact on special teams however as they are all aggressive and great players in space.

Conclusion

This defensive back class is exactly what the Tigers were looking for. They found speed and a really solid cover corner. This class may not be a big one for the secondary, but over time it will have contributors.

Grade:B

Final Thoughts

The Auburn Tigers went into signing day with 15 commitments on the books. The Tigers finished with 19 incoming freshmen, including four early enrollees, and Jay Prosch to round out the signing class at 20. The Tigers are still in the mix for offensive tackle Jordan Diamond and star athlete Stefon Diggs.

With the possible future addition of those two, the Tigers would look to finish this class with no more than 22 signees. The Tigers went into the 2012 recruiting season looking to fill specific roles across the roster, mainly offensive line.

The Tigers came away with possibly the most complete offensive line class in the country and a host of additional playmakers on both sides of the ball. Auburn finished in the Top 20 of every major recruiting service and finds itself just barely outside the Top 10 in the Rivals.com team rankings finishing at No. 12.

With the holes that the Tigers were able to fill in this class and needs that were met, the Tigers staff has to be very happy with the finish. There were a few big names that the Tigers would have liked to close with, but this class will fill needs for the Tigers from now and well into the future.

Overall Class Grade: B

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