Auburn Recruiting: Hot or Not?

 

It seems to be a resounding theme around the state right now. Is the Auburn recruiting strategy Hot or Not? What kind of recruiting are they doing and is it working? Let’s take a look at what is being said and what the results (at least for now) seem to be.

                It all seemed to start with--no, not the Tiger Prowl, but the finishing of the 2009 recruiting class. When the coaches came in, they saw a possibly promising recruiting class dwindle down from the top 25 nationally in January. Chizik jumped to the challenge and hired an aggressive staff and closed the deal on numerous big name recruits. This is where the story begins. Chizik & Co. brought in a strong first class with limited time. They showed the ability to grow relationships quickly with not only the recruits but the families as well.

                The next big thing came when the Tiger Prowl began rolling through the streets of Alabama far and wide. The Tiger coaches all jumped into a limo and cruised through the state and stopped by the schools of numerous targets just to talk to the coaching staff. Imagine the excitement that was provided for a recruit when he sees a limo full of coaches there to talk about him. Sure, many adults around were critics, but the 18 year old recruits were not. That is what matters the most.

                Shortly after came the infamous “Big Cat” weekend on the plains. The infamous “call out” of Nick Saban, rolling Toomers Corner, and the possible secondary violations. What good came of all that attention? Auburn picked up a few recruits from these weekends but more importantly they are continuing to receive attention from the “Big Cat’s” that they were after. Hot or Not?

                Finally, a BILLBOARD? Yes, Auburn mysteriously landed a billboard on Airport Boulevard in Mobile, Alabama. Where ever it came from I must say it is a very unique idea. It is nothing short of innovative. Einstein defined insanity as constantly repeating a task and expecting a different result. The old ways of recruiting have come and gone for a reason. If nothing else, it has caused quite a stir and truly is impressive.

                Pushing through the month of June with very little action on the commitment front for Auburn, they still maintain 8 recruits placing them in the top 25 nationally. With July in full swing and another big recruiting weekend just a week away, Auburn is sitting well despite the success other places. Auburn is far behind its commitment list compared to this time last year, but ahead of the average in years past. My senses tell me to look for some commitments soon, very soon. A visitor is on campus this weekend, DE Joel Bonomolo, and if all goes well he should give his pledge to play Auburn Football no later than Monday.

                So is Auburn recruiting Hot or Not going into the first full season under Coach Gene Chizik and his staff? It still may be hard to tell but as of now I am going with Hot. Auburn has been selective on the trail this season. They have a big fish strategy that seems to be working and looks to be well placed especially with the latest conference restrictions on signing classes. Look for steam continue to grow and commitments to follow soon for the Tigers.