Will Muschamp Making Huge Recruiting Waves at Auburn Junior Day

When Gus Malzahn was able to lure Will Muschamp to Auburn as the Tigers defensive coordinator in the offseason, it was considered a game-changing moment for the program. 

Since his arrival on the Plains, Muschamp has wasted little time making waves on the recruiting trail.

He helped Auburn surge down the stretch in the 2015 class, landing the Tigers a group that finished No. 9 nationally—with Muschamp helping to close the deal on several late targets on the defensive side of the ball.

It’s still early in the 2016 cycle, but Muschamp’s presence was looming large with a handful of top prospects who made their way to the Plains last weekend for Auburn’s junior day.

What are some of the top recruits who were in attendance saying?

Find out in this post-junior day wrapup.

2016 4-Star Georgia LB Has “Awesome Trip”

Tre Lamar has been a busy man in recent weeks.

In addition to picking up offers from powers such as Florida State, Oregon and Texas A&M, he’s also attended junior days at Georgia and Alabama in the previous two weekends.

He made his way to Auburn last weekend, and the 4-star linebacker was impressed with what he saw.

“It was an awesome trip,” Lamar told Bleacher Report. “It was really my first time getting to see the facilities they have there. It was my first time meeting with Coach Muschamp for a good amount of time and having a good conversation with him.”

Muschamp and the defensive staff were able to lay out a plan for Lamar, should he choose the Tigers in the end.

“Coach Muschamp’s message to me is that he can see me play either the 'Mike' or 'Will' linebacker in their defense,” Lamar said. “So I’m comfortable at either position. It’s definitely comfortable for me because we play a 3-4 defense at my high school, and it’s the same type of defense they play in college, even though it’s more in-depth.”

Lamar, who plans to major in engineering in college, was also pleased to learn about the opportunities Auburn can offer him in that academic field. Next up for Lamar includes trips to Florida State on March 20 and Florida on March 21. 

For now, he said that Auburn has made a move for his services.

“They definitely made a push for me,” Lamar said. “Now that they have a new defensive staff, I see them in a whole new way. I’m definitely open to them in my recruitment and this visit moved them up for me. “

Tigers Impress Pair of In-State 5-Star LBs

Perhaps the biggest prizes in-state for the Tigers are 2016 5-star linebackers Lyndell Wilson and Ben Davis.

Wilson—who is teammates with fellow Auburn target and 5-star defensive end Marlon Davidson—said that one of the highlights of his trip was speaking with Muschamp in-depth about his plans for him at the next level, according to Justin Hokanson of Auburn Undercover.

"It went well. I sat down with Muschamp and talked defensive fit in the system," Wilson told Hokanson. "He said I could play any of the three linebacker spots and I think I can do very well. There aren't too many guys that can play linebacker in space and cover guys."

Davis’ ties to in-state rival Alabama have been well-documented, as his father Wayne was a star linebacker for the Tide in the '80s.

However, Auburn is still making a run at the 6'4", 230-pounder.

Muschamp gave Davis some high praise, comparing him to a few all-time greats and one player that he helped mold into a potential first-rounder in next month’s NFL draft, according to Hokanson.

"He showed me Dante Fowler, that's who he said my game reflects on him," Davis told Hokanson. "He showed me Junior Seau and Jason Taylor, those are some of the guys I look like when I play football. It's humbling and I'm honored to be compared to those guys.”

While Alabama is a factor with both Davis and Wilson, Auburn seemed to put its best foot forward with both over the weekend.

Muschamp Compares Top 2016 DL to Former UF Great

One frequent visitor to Auburn’s campus in recent months has been 2016 4-star defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson.

According to Keith Niebuhr of Auburn Undercover, Jackson was in town last weekend—which marked his eighth visit to the Tigers campus.

Muschamp developed his share of strong defensive linemen at his previous stop as the head coach at Florida. As Niebuhr notes, Muschamp told Jackson that his game reminds him of a former Gators standout who currently plays for the New England Patriots.

“They were laying out how they’d use me in their 3-4 and 4-3 defense,” Jackson told Niebuhr. “(Muschamp) said I’m an all-around player and I reminded him of Dominique Easley from Florida.”

Jackson, who is being pursued by a bevy of top programs, told Niebuhr that Auburn and Georgia are the two schools coming after him the hardest.

He also mentioned Alabama, LSU and USC as schools that have his attention at the moment.

However, the Tigers seem to be in a good position with Jackson—who rates as the nation’s No. 8 defensive tackle and the No. 51 player overall in the 2016 cycle.

Similarly, it’s Muschamp’s presence that has the Tigers trending with a number of their top targets on the defensive side of the ball in the 2016 class.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand. All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.