Auburn Football Recruiting: Top Remaining 2015 Recruits, Class Predictions

A late-season debacle and .500 mark in the SEC evaporate for Gus Malzahn's Auburn Tigers with a strong showing Wednesday, otherwise known as national signing day.

There is a method to the madness. 

Will Muschamp's arrival means the Tigers are more entrenched in SEC recruiting warfare than normal, and a bevy of the nation's top undecided recruits swing in the balance.

There is a strong class in place already considering the 2015 haul ranks 11th at 247Sports. A dramatic increase is in the cards, though, if Wednesday is a positive one for the program.

2015 Class Predictions

Name	Position	Star rating
Jovon Robinson	RB	4
Tyler Carr	OG	4
Jason Smith	ATH	4
Tim Irvin	ATH	4
Chandler Cox	FB	4
Bailey Sharp	OT	4
Tyler Queen	PRO	3
Maurice Swain	DT	3
Kerryon Johnson	ATH	4
Prince Tega Wanogho Jr.	SDE	4
Darius Slayton	WR	4
Jordan Colbert	S	4
Darrell Williams	OLB	4
Richard McBryde	OLB	4
Marquel Harrell	OG	4
Kaleb Kim	OC	4
Montavious Atkinson	ILB	4
Elijah Sullivan	OLB	3
Jauntavius Johnson	DT	3
Jalen Harris	TE	3
Ian Shannon	P	3
Jeremiah Dinson	CB	3
Byron Cowart	DE	5

Top Remaining Targets

Byron Cowart, DE

At the center of the Auburn-Florida war rests 5-star defensive end Byron Cowart.

The Armwood High School product comes in at 6'4" and 250 pounds, and after a dominant career to date, he is perhaps the crown jewel both the Tigers and Gators need to finish with a bang.

As Donovan James of rsenreport.com notes, though, Cowart may not be alone in his decision:

That said, the arrival of Muschamp seems to bode well that the Seffner, Florida, native will choose the Tigers. A note by Matt Hayes of Sporting News puts it best: "It’s not like the Florida administration didn’t know this could happen; the steps are easy to connect. Fire a popular coach among recruits, hire a coach with few recruiting ties to the state of Florida and it gets ugly quickly."

As the process wears on, it becomes easier to see Cowart packing his bags for greener pastures. By all accounts, the Muschamp connection runs deep, which may prove to be the deciding factor when he hits national television Wednesday. 

Prediction: Cowart signs with Auburn.

CeCe Jefferson, SDE

Credit: 247Sports

So much for that package deal. 

CeCe Jefferson, a 5-star defensive end at 6'2" and 275 pounds, seems much more likely to stay home and not concern himself with who comes and goes on the Gators' coaching staff.

To be fair, the Tigers are still one of the Baker County Senior High School product's final choices:

Auburn does seem the least likely of the bunch, though. Jefferson has made multiple trips to Ole Miss, calls Florida home and was the benefactor of a massive recruiting push by Auburn.

The attention makes sense. Jefferson can play right away, which is not something that can be said for many prospects.

Even though Jefferson named Ole Miss his favorite, many still expect him to stay local. This includes ESPN's Derek Tyson:

At Florida, Jefferson will be able to lead a defensive-minded team and play in spots that have produced plenty of talented NFL defensive ends.

Auburn hurts if Jefferson stays home, but Cowart helps to ease the pain.

Prediction: Jefferson signs with Florida.

Martez Ivey, OT

Credit: 247Sports

The top offensive tackle in the 2015 class and a 5-star recruit, Martez Ivey figures to follow a similar path as Jefferson.

Tyson predicts this for good reason.

Ivey is less susceptible to Muschamp's influence given his spot in the offensive trenches. Reinforcing this is what he told Tyson himself in a recent interview:

"

I'm not really big in to specific coaches. They come and go because it's a business. Nothing's guaranteed in their position so I'm not really a coaches guy. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I like a school because of ‘this coach and that coach.' That's just how I feel about it. Like coach Muschamp was at Florida recruiting me and now he's at Auburn recruiting me. So coaches-wise, I don't really get caught up in that.

"

In other words, Jim McElwain seems ready to steal one from Malzahn and his staff.

While a force at 6'5.5" and 275 pounds and a major loss, Auburn can still celebrate the fact someone such as 4-star guard Marquel Harrell is still on board.

Look for Ivey to stay local and join Jefferson.

Prediction: Ivey signs with Florida.

Player rankings based on 247Sports' composite ranking system. All recruit measurements and stats courtesy of 247Sports.