National Signing Day 2011: What Auburn Needs To Stay Atop College Football

With National Signing Day almost upon us, it almost seems as though Auburn's win in the BCS National Championship game is ancient history.

Teams all across the country have started looking toward next season, and the Tigers are no different. 

Winning a national championship is one of the hardest things to do, but defending that championship is even harder. Getting a good recruiting class will go a long way in helping Auburn defend their title.

The Tigers have plenty of spots to fill, but are also projected to have one of the top recruiting classes in the country.

It all starts up front for Auburn. Much of their success last year was due to the fact that they had one of the best offensive lines in the country.  It was a veteran offensive line, with four out of the five starters moving on.  That means Auburn will have to add not only talent, but also depth to the position.

Five-star recruit Christian Westerman, who is the top-rated OG in the country, has committed to Auburn and figures to contribute right away.

The Tigers also have needs in the secondary.  They will only return seven players from last years team, with three at safety and four at cornerback.

Four-star recruit Jaylon Denson has committed to the Tigers, as well as Sammie Coates, a 3-star recruit.

Oh, and there is that whole issue of losing the Heisman Trophy winner to the NFL Draft.

Gone is Cam Newton, who did it all for Auburn.  But who will replace him?

Clint Moseley is the early favorite to start the season under center.

These are just a few of the needs for Auburn in 2011.  They will have the least amount of returning players in the country, so they will need a big impact out of their incoming class to have any hope of repeating as national champions.