The 3 Recruits That Will Make or Break Auburn's National Signing Day
Auburn has already managed to reel in 21 recruits for the 2014 signing class, meaning there are just a few spots left to fill as national signing day approaches.
The Tigers coaching staff has managed to put together the country's seventh-best recruiting class, according the 247Sports, with 16 verbal commitments and five enrollees.
Still, there's plenty of work to do before Feb. 5—and there's still plenty of opportunities left for Auburn to make even more of an impact.
Three targets in particular could still go a long way in helping to define the class of 2014, and what it will mean for the Tigers' future.
All recruiting information courtesy 247Sports.com and AuburnUndercover.com unless otherwise noted.
Rashaan Evans
1 of 3
The Essentials:
Rashaan Evans
5-star Outside Linebacker
Auburn, Ala. (Auburn High)
6'3", 220 lbs.
Analysis:
The top target left on the Auburn coaching staff's radar is the prospect closest to home, as Tigers coaches have put on a full-court press to bring in Evans from just up the road at Auburn High.
Auburn has been battling archrival Alabama for Evans' services for quite some time, but a third player—UCLA—is still in the thick of the fight.
Bruins coach Jim Mora Jr. was in Alabama to visit Auburn High—and likely Evans—on Tuesday, per Tom Green of the Opelika-Auburn News.
If the Tigers can beat out UCLA and Alabama and pull in Evans, they'll be getting one of nation's most versatile prospects on the defensive side of the ball, and a player that could make an instant impact in Ellis Johnson's 4-2-5 system.
Braden Smith
2 of 3
The Essentials:
Braden Smith
4-star Offensive Guard
Olathe, Kan. (Olathe South High)
6'6", 290 lbs.
Analysis:
Auburn hasn't managed to pull in an offensive line recruit from the high school ranks for this class, but the Tigers could remedy that by reeling in Smith at offensive guard.
The Tigers have been solid—albeit young—at the guard position, and they return both of their starters on the left and right sides of center, but Smith could still come in and compete for a starting spot and immediately add depth to the line.
Smith visited Auburn on Jan. 17—but still has visits lined up with Texas A&M (Jan. 24) and TCU (Jan. 31) before national signing day.
Andrew Williams
3 of 3
The Essentials:
Andrew Williams
4-star Defensive End
McDonough, Ga. (Eagle's Landing Christian Academy)
6'4", 247 lbs.
Analysis:
With the defensive line commitments already set to join the Tigers in the class of 2014—combined with the rising sophomores already on the Plains via the class of 2013—Auburn is putting together one of the most talented, most impressive and deepest front-four rotations in the SEC.
Williams could add even more talent to that group, and with his help, the Tigers defensive line could soon become one of the South's fiercest single units on the defensive side of the ball.
The 4-star prospect from McDonough, Ga. visited Auburn on Jan. 17 and is set to visit Ole Miss on Jan. 24 and Clemson on Jan. 31.
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