College Football 2011: How Auburn's Big Cat Weekend Changed the Game

Some of the most high profile recruits find themselves converging on the Plains this weekend. The third annual Big Cat weekend has arrived at Auburn and the coaches are as excited about this year as any. What this weekend holds is fun, fellowship and team-building but very little football.

Three years ago, as Gene Chizik and his new staff were looking to make names for themselves on the recruiting trail, the floor was open for suggestions. The Tigers staff came up with many game-changing techniques like Tiger Prowl and others, but Big Cat seems to be the most unique thus far.

What Big Cat brought was a concept that was unheard of in the game of recruiting. Instead of bringing guys in to go to camps, they let them have fun. They let the best talent in the country converge in Auburn and hang out and get to know each other. How would it be to play together and win championships?

The watermelon eating contests and getting to know the families of the coaches is important, as it grows bonds with the players and helps to find fits for the program. Everyone in the country knows that these players can play football, so the Tigers staff wants them to be on campus to build relationships.

Big Cat weekend has brought some of the top talent in the country from day one, but this season it will be the most star-studded attendance to date. All four of Auburn’s current commits are scheduled to be on campus as well as many others.

Players like JaQuay Williams, a wide receiver out of Georgia, and Javier Mitchell, a linebacker from Leeds (Al.), are assumed to be heavy Auburn leans and may make decisions soon. Williams had scheduled a commitment on Saturday but decided to push the final decision until next week.

T.J. Yeldon, the No. 1 running back in the state of Alabama and blue chip recruit in every major recruiting service, is scheduled to be in Auburn as well. Brian Kimbrow, another talented athlete that is likely the No. 1 player in Tennessee, will be in Auburn. I could go on and list the 30-plus names that will be there, but the point should be made. This is going to be a huge weekend in Auburn.

What Auburn has done in the past three years has changed the face of recruiting nationwide. The Tigers had other teams following suit a year ago as the Tiger Prowl was no longer a unique venture and was later outlawed by the NCAA. Big Cat however is still unique and therefore makes it a challenge and honor to attend for only the most talented players in the country.

Gene Chizik compiled a staff that could coach the fundamentals, but he also found a staff that were relentless recruiters and have built a reputation as coaches that want to win, but do it honorably. They want to build the Auburn family for the better and bring on young men that will make the program stronger on the field and off.

In the third year of the installment of the Big Cat weekend, the coaching staff and fans alike are looking and hoping for results. As the game has changed over the years with early qualifiers and early commits, getting guys on campus and committed early has become the new strategy.

The days of holding all the cards until late in the process are gone. There are a few players that will hold out until late in the process, ones that want to live out the experience before they publicly commit to a school. But for the most part, these guys are starting to try and end the circus early.

This weekend will yield some commitments guaranteed. When they come is yet to be determined, but there will be a reaction from some of these players early. One player in particular may make a unique impact during this Big Cat, as he just made his way to Auburn after attending Florida in the spring. Mike Blakely may be one of the best recruiters Auburn has right now, as he chose to be a Tiger this past week after leaving Florida.

Looking ahead, fans must expect that more good things are coming for Auburn Football recruiting, as this coaching staff is great at what they do. They simply are themselves to their players and build relationships that will last a lifetime.