Auburn Football 2011 Recruiting: Top 10 Targets for Signing Day

This is a position breakdown for needs Auburn has for the 2011 season. Most projections have Auburn with around 8 slots left to fill in the 2011 recruiting class. Depending on how the next few weeks shake out, this class could easily vault to a top five finish. Here are the top 10 targets that are left high on Auburn’s board and of guys that have Auburn high as well.

Running Backs

After Auburn picked up a huge in state commitment from Brent Calloway, a guy that projects at linebacker and running back, the Tigers can be much more selective in this area. Depending on how Calloway pans out, there may only be one running back slot left but Auburn would surely make room for some high profile guys.

Tre Mason – Lake Worth, Fl.

Mason is a back from Park Vista High School in Lake Worth, Florida. Mason has the speed to be an immediate impact at the next level and a guy with the frame that he could add another 20 pounds or so in the future.

Mason has an issue with pass blocking a bit but most backs tend to early. He has excellent pass catching ability and is a guy that is a home run threat legitimately every play. With added bulk, he has the potential to be a very special player wherever he ends up.

Mason has already visited the National Championship Auburn Tigers and plans a visit to Mississippi in late January. All signs are pointing to Mason choosing Auburn after the Ole Miss visit but who knows with these young athletes. Things change at the tip of a hat in recruiting but at this point all signs are Auburn for Mason.

Projection: Auburn

Savon Huggins – Jersey City, NJ

Huggins is another highly rated back in the 2011 class. Huggins has the speed and size to also make an immediate impact wherever he attends school. Huggins took an official visit to Auburn back in December and had a great time. The problem is distance.

Huggins wants to play somewhere that his family can regularly come see him play. He lists Auburn among his favorites and there is no doubt the Tigers are up there, but Huggins is more likely to land at Rutgers or Notre Dame than in Auburn.

With Tre Mason assumed to be a solid lean to Auburn if not a silent commitment, Huggins is less and less likely to commit or sign with the Auburn Tigers. With the distance being the huge factor here and the spaces in the backfield  filling up fast for Auburn, look for Huggins to end up elsewhere.

Projection: Notre Dame, Rutgers a close second

Isaiah Crowell – Columbus, GA

Crowell is one of the most talented backs in the nation this year. Crowell is assumed to be a heavy lean to either the instate Bulldogs or Alabama at this point in the process but Auburn intends to make a strong push on the 28^th of January for his services.

Crowell is most likely going to be a signing day commit with much fanfare and Auburn would definitely not mind being a part of the fanfare assuming the Tigers also land Carver teammate Gabe Wright. At this point Auburn landing Crowell is a longshot but there is always a chance.

Once the Tigers staff gets him on campus this can always change. Auburn does not seem to be hurting at this point in the running back class for 2011 even though one hybrid in Calloway is the only commitment for running back. Quan Bray is another guy that may be able to line up in the backfield but he is traditionally a slot type player.

With all this being said, Crowell ends up elsewhere most likely with about a 10 percent chance to Auburn.

Projection: Georgia

Defensive Line

Losing a wealth of starters on the defensive front is a concern for Auburn heading into the 2011 season. Guys like Kenneth Carter and Jeffery Whitaker received some much needed playing time this season but a need is glaring for bodies that not only fill spots but can play right away on the interior. Interior lineman is arguably the most difficult position to find players who can excel early.

The outside of the defensive line is pretty stout with the return of some major play makers in 2011. Losing leadership and play makers like Antoine Carter and Michael Goggans will be missed but the gap is less on the outside than the inside.

Gabe Wright – Columbus, GA

Wright is a speedy interior lineman with moderate size. He looks to have the same style and quickness as a Senderick Marks or Nick Fairley. Wright can add size to his frame if it is the right kind of size. The Auburn strength coach Kevin Yoxall is very good about making guys larger and keeping athleticism.

With a commitment from Angelo Blackson already on the books, the interior line is being filled by Tracy Rocker and Auburn with athletic guys that have size to build on. Fairley left high school with about 30 pounds less on his frame.

With the flip flop style that Wright has shown throughout the process it shows that he truly enjoys the recruiting process. The one constant has been his like for Auburn however. Even with him being a teammate of Crowell, Georgia is a non-factor at this point. Wright is assumed to be down to four but Auburn seems to be the team to beat at this point and Wright is a signing day decision.

Projection: Auburn

Ray Drew – Thomasville, GA

Drew is quite possibly the most talented defensive end in the 2011 class. Drew is a guy that has a large enough frame to add some significant weight despite his large presence already. Drew has visited the Auburn campus on numerous occasions throughout the season and is a guy that has a lean to Auburn.

The big pull against the Tigers at this point is Georgia. Georgia is the in-state school for Drew and he is also said to have a very good relationship with Mark Richt. There is no doubt that Drew also has a great relationship with Auburn’s recruiters as well but his relationship with Richt seems special.

Drew will be a signing day decision but it the Tigers and Bulldogs aren’t careful, LSU may creep into the mix. The Bayou Bengals have been rumored to be making a strong push but when the dust settles Drew is most likely to end up at Georgia or Auburn. Right now it seems to be a toss-up but it would still be a surprise to see Auburn pull him over in the end.

Projection: Georgia by a hair

Devaunte Sigler – Mobile, AL

Sigler is a defensive end/outside linebacker type. He has been rumored to be an Auburn lean throughout the majority of the recruiting process. Later pushes from LSU and Mississippi State have seemed to keep Sigler from committing but it seems to only be a matter of time.

He is rumored to be a late January commitment to the Tigers but where he plays is another story. He may land at the linebacker position or at end for the Tigers depending on where Calloway and some others end up.

Sigler is not a highly rated player but is definitely a solid mid-range talent that could develop well in the SEC in a few years.

Projection: Auburn

Johnathan Jenkins –Perkinston, MS

Jenkins is a guy that has the potential to come in right away and play. At the defensive interior, that is exactly what Auburn needs. Depth is an issue as stated above for 2011, but on guy that can make an instant impact would be extremely helpful to solidify the interior of the Auburn defense.

Jenkins was a commit to Oklahoma State early on, but that may have been more of a safety valve than anything. Auburn, Georgia, and Florida seem to be the new teams hot on the trail for his commitment. Jenkins is also likely to be a signing day decision but Auburn’s chances seem to be unknown.

No updated news has appeared anywhere lately discussing his soon to be whereabouts but the gut is saying he has a great chance to end up at Auburn. With Auburn’s development record at the DL position as of late and the immediate playing time factor, Jenkins may see the writing on the wall.

Projection: Georgia

Tight Ends

Brandon Fulse – Fort Meade, FL

Fulse is a very talented and highly rated tight end for the 2011 class. His courtship with Auburn has been as good as it can get it seems. Fulse seems to truly enjoy Auburn and if his family were from the surrounding area, he may have already committed.

Unfortunately, distance does seem to be somewhat of an issue for Fulse and family but the Tigers have an advantage. Onterio McCalebb was a teammate of Fulse’s just a few years ago. Having a close friend in McCalebb could help the transition.

Auburn does not have a huge need for the tight end position in this class with C.J. Uzomah already on the board from Georgia, but Auburn would not turn down a talent like Fulse. It most likely comes down to Miami and Auburn for the commitment in late January.

Projection: Auburn

Defensive Backs

With the commits that Auburn has on board now in Robenson Therezie and Jonathan Rose among others, the defensive back class for Auburn is shaping up nicely. This could arguably be the best defensive back class in the nation after signing day.

That is great news for Auburn considering the play and reputation the defensive backfield gained this season. There is also a loss of seniors in the defensive backfield in Auburn that could lead to some immediate playing time for some of these guys.

Marcus Roberson – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Roberson hails from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida. St. Thomas has been a hot bed in the past for Auburn dating back to the Tommy Tuberville days but has slowed recently. Roberson has the size and hip fluidity to make an immediate impact similar to T’Sharvan Bell in the nickel packages initially.

Roberson also has a distinct nose for the football and showed his ball skills in the Under Armour All American game by landing a pick late. He lacks extreme speed but is a guy that can use quickness and hand placement to make up for it.

Roberson has been high on almost every board in the country this season. Being from the South Florida region, Florida and Miami are both major players for his signature. With Auburn recently pulling Therezie from the same area however, the Tigers staff shows they can go toe to toe and win the location battle. With Will Muschamp taking over Florida, the Gators are back in the hunt but Auburn seems to have led for too long at this point. Anything is possible but he most likely is in orange and blue next season.

Projection: Auburn

Erique Florence – Valley, AL

Florence is most likely the top safety in the 2011 class. He is a guy that can be an instant impact guy at a position like strong safety that is being vacated by a graduating Zac Etheridge. Florence has good size and speed and could possibly add some bulk to his frame down the line.

Florence has entertained virtually every major school in the nation so far but being close to Auburn geographically, Auburn has benefited and received a ton of visits over the past few years. He has always been high on the in-state Tigers but Alabama and USC have made huge strides in the past few months.

Florence plans to make it out to Los Angeles for a visit this coming weekend and soon after has a visit scheduled to Alabama. Although those visits will be great and will have the red carpet rolled out, Florence most likely ends up at Auburn.

Projection: Auburn

There are some other positions of need; obviously the loss of four seniors on the offensive line is huge. Expect Auburn to pull some surprises come signing day. Most likely offensive line would be a development to follow. As signing day looms, I will take a more in depth look at where Auburn should finish and positions that are needed to be filled.