Auburn Football: Young Stars Will Carry Tigers Back to Top of SEC

Winning a BCS championship should be enough to get fans to quiet down for a few years, but the Auburn Tigers are coming back strong after a rebuilding season in 2011. Things are looking up for this program as we move closer to the start of spring games. 

No one gave the Auburn Tigers a chance to do much last season, not after losing Cam Newton and Nick Fairley to the NFL, yet they still managed to win eight games and the Chick-fil-A Bowl. That speaks to the job Gene Chizik and his staff have done on the recruiting trail. 

The rebuilding project is far from complete, but the Tigers are loaded with great, young talent that is going to carry them back to the top of the SEC in 2012. 

According to Rivals.com, they had the No. 10 recruiting class in the country. All of their incoming players fill positions of need, with the exception of the quarterback spot. But even Barrett Trotter should benefit from the addition of JaQuay Williams, and Ricardo Louis should give Emory Blake some relief. 

Just as important as what Chizik and Co. have been able to build the last two years is what is happening around Auburn in the SEC West. 

Alabama, the 2011 BCS champions, will face a rebuilding effort of its own. Nick Saban was able to put together one of the best recruiting classes this offseason, but he is replacing a ton of talent at important positions. 

Trent Richardson, Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron, Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower—and those are just the first-round talents that are gone. It is going to be an uphill battle for the Crimson Tide next season. 

LSU is losing Morris Claiborne, Michael Brockers, Rueben Randle and Jordan Jefferson. Les Miles has brought in a ton of depth, so it will be easier for the Tigers to get back to the top of the mountain than Alabama. 

Still, Auburn has built a rock-solid foundation over the last two years. Chizik has loaded this team with talent, especially on offense, and all they need are a few tweaks on defense. 

The SEC is coming back to the pack, which means good things are coming for the Auburn Tigers sooner than you might think. 

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