There’s no denying Auburn has some serious momentum on the recruiting trail right now. Things were moving a bit slow heading into late June when Auburn hadn’t landed a commit since A-Day. Then things got rolling:
That’s quite the way to finish the summer. Throw in Auburn trending for 4* Buck Richard Jibunor, 4* WR Seth Williams and 4* OT Dylan Wonnum and you have plenty of reasons to be excited about what the Tigers are doing on the recruiting trail. However, a big year on the field in 2017 could really take this class from what should be really good to elite. Guys like 5* QB Justin Fields, 4* OG Trey Hill, 4* WR Justyn Ross and 4* CB Kyler McMichael are going to be watching Auburn close this fall. If the Tigers can accomplish what we think they are capable of accomplishing on the field, this could end up being one of Gus Malzahn’s best classes since arriving at Auburn. But you got to win for that to happen.
Recapping Corky Kell Classic
Quite a few Auburn commits and targets took part in the Corky Kell Classic this past weekend, kicking off the 2017 Georgia high school football season. It was a mixed bag for Auburn commits. 4* LB Michael Harris had a big day despite battling some early injuries. He was flying around the field and made two really clutch plays late in the game to help his Tucker squad escape a very feisty Kell team.
4* WR Matthew Hill on the other hand, had a much rougher day. He flashed some explosiveness in the return game but also dropped a TD and had a fumble. Duke commit, 3* CB Taiyon Palmer, did a great job smothering Hill and not letting him get loose. I expect the Tiger commit to bounce back in a big way this weekend.
AU linebacker target, 4* JJ Peterson, had his snaps limited due to a nagging sports hernia injury. When he was on the field though he looked explosive off the edge rushing the passer. Hopefully he gets healed up soon and can see more time on the field. He continues to say Alabama is his leader with Auburn second.
There were a lot of players that stood out this weekend. Most of these schools will be competing for state titles in their respective classifications and are loaded with FBS talent. Here are some other players that stood out to me Saturday who may or may not become or are Auburn targets.
- 2020 DL Myles Murphy – The Hillgrove DL was a one man wrecking force against a loaded Buford team. He’s an AU legacy and already holds an Auburn and Georgia offer. Will probably be one of Auburn’s top targets in two seasons.
- 4* WR Josh Vann (South Carolina Commit) – Vann was the best player I saw Saturday. He committed to the Gamecocks after Tucker’s wild win over Kell. He flashed everything from outstanding hands to elite speed to tough blocking. Will Muschamp is getting a stud in this kid.
- Archer’s Secondary – I mentioned last week that this was going to be a great test for Hill facing an elite secondary. And oh man was that group tough to handle. Palmer was the star with his two interceptions but I also though 2019 4* S Jalyn Phillips stood out. He had some big time hits on Hill. Also, I continue to be impressed by 4* DB Andrew Booth who I think could be a 5* by the end of next year’s recruiting cycle.
- 3* K Jake Camarda (Georgia Commit) – Norcross lost a controversial heartbreaker but my goodness do they have a kicker. This dude was booming punts, kickoffs and even drilled what should have been a game winner under some wild circumstances. It seems like Auburn and Georgia always have a solid kicker and that won’t be changing for either team with Anders Carlson and Camarda.
- 2019 QB Austin Kirksey – I thought the best QB of the day was Walton. He’s listed as a pro style player but he’s got some wheels when needed. He flashed a strong and accurate arm and seemed to stay in control of that offense. His stats weren’t eye popping but I saw a Power 5 QB on the field. Looks like he’s on Auburn, Alabama and Clemson’s radar. Won’t be shocked if ends up in the SEC in two years.
- 2019 RB Tyler Goodson – The 2019 class is absolutely loaded with RB talent, especially in the state of Georgia. There’s a very good chance Goodson is the best of the bunch. He had a big day on the ground for North Gwinnett and showed a little of everything from tough running to catching passes out of the backfield. Not sure he ever went down on first contact.
High School Football Underway
This week, Alabama and Florida join in on the action, kicking off their high school football seasons and there are some big time matchups on the docket. None bigger than the primetime Saturday night matchup that will be on ESPN2 at 7:30 PM EST featuring Auburn commit 4* QB Joey Gatewood’s Bartram Trail team traveling to face off against Clemson commit and #2 player in the country, 5* QB Trevor Lawrence’s Carterville squad. This will be a great chance to see how Gatewood stacks up against one of the premier players in the country. Fair warning, Gatewood will rotate with fellow senior 3* Riley Smith at the QB spot but should see plenty of action regardless.
Auburn target, 5* QB Justin Fields, got off to a strong start against East Paulding last week. This weekend though he faces a much stiffer challenge in the Rome Wolves who are loaded with FBS talent. Their defensive line consists of at least three future SEC players in 3* DL Jaquon Griffin (LSU Commit), 3* DL Jamarcus Chatman (Tennessee Commit) and 4* DE/LB Adam Anderson (Former UGA/LSU Commit). Fields is going to have to carry a pretty heavy load for his Harrison team to pull this one out but it should be an electric atmosphere and an exciting game to watch.
Finally, there will be plenty of Auburn targets and a couple of commits in action when the Hoover Bucs travel to Loganville, GA to face the Grayson Rams. Both teams won their state’s 7A title last season. Hoover features a pair of Auburn commits at the wideout spots in 3* Shedrick Jackson and 4* George Pickens. They will be facing a loaded Grayson defense that includes two top 2019 AU targets in 4* LB Owen Pappoe and 3* CB Jalen Alexander.
If you got nothing better to do this Friday night, go check out a high school game in your area. You never know, you might get a chance to see the next Auburn star in action. War Eagle!