DE Corey Lemonier: Future Auburn Tiger or Florida State Lock?

As Auburn hits the final month of the recruiting trail, the Tigers look to be in the mix for several high profile recruits.

Offensively, coach Gene Chizik and his staff have done a phenomenal job bringing in players that fit into Gus Malzahn’s spread scheme.

On the defensive side of the ball, linebackers look to be a strong suit for the 2010 class, but the Tigers are definitely not done. Corey Lemonier, a 6'4", 230-pound defensive end from Hialeah, FL, would be a welcome addition to Ted Roof’s defense.

Lemonier is a top-notch pass rushing threat whose services are being heavily recruited by most major programs across the country. 

Rivals.com ranks Lemonier as a four-star recruit and the No. 6 weakside defensive end in the country. Along with being an ESPNU 150 recruit, he is ranked as a five-star prospect by Scout.com.

His 40 times are ranked as low as 4.7 at a University of Florida camp and as high as a 5.06 by Rivals.com.

However, when you take a look at Lemonier, speed is no concern. He knows how to get into the backfield. His size and athletic ability look similar to that of former Auburn DE and current Jacksonville Jaguar Quentin Groves.

This Under Armour All-American is being recruited exclusively by coach Trooper Taylor, one of Auburn’s top recruiters on staff. It’s also been said that Lemonier’s mother is very high on Auburn University.

In the Under Armour All-American Game, Lemonier showed great ability on the edge pressuring the quarterback and also had a fumble recovery that he returned 27 yards.

The Hialeah Senior High School standout told ESPN that he quit answering his phone over the holidays in hopes of resting and giving thought to his upcoming college decision.

He was recently quoted about how impressed he was by the talent that FSU is bringing in. In September, he also rated his FSU visit a “perfect 10.”

However, his November visit to the Plains during Iron Bowl weekend proved Auburn was a serious contender for his services.

While National Signing Day is less than a month away, expect Auburn, as well as FSU, to begin making a hard push to bring him aboard. It's not out of the question that Lemonier could even pull another school out of the hat.

He has also visited Miami, Illinois, and the University of Tennessee.

Corey Lemonier would be a huge acquisition for the Auburn defensive line and would be sure to wreak havoc on SEC offensive lines for years to come.