Auburn National Signing Day Press Conference
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talks to the press on National Signing Day Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, at the Auburn Athletic Department in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
Auburn is aiming for its fourth-straight recruiting class ranked in the top 10 under coach Gus Malzahn.
The Tigers, however, have work to do to secure a top 10 class on signing day Wednesday, but a top-5 finish is also possible. Seventeen players, including nine four-star recruits, have committed to Auburn, but at least one player is waffling (three-star defensive end David Marshall) as coaches host three recruits this weekend with the expectation to grab four to five more commitments between today and national signing day.
The four major recruiting services rank Auburn's class anywhere between ninth and 15th nationally, which stands in the top half of the SEC, but many of the teams ahead of the Tigers have 20 commitments or more.
Three recruiting experts from 247Sports, Rivals and Scout believe a top 10 class is likely for the Tigers. There is also a slight possibility -- with a few upsets on signing day -- Auburn lands in the top five with a pair of 5-star commitments: defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Rashan Gary.
"Auburn's chances to have a very memorable class are still out there and that would take a very big finish with several of the top prospects in the country," said Scout.com recruiting analyst Jason Caldwell. "Landing either of the five-star defensive tackles (Gary or Brown) is the first order of business with an offensive tackle such as E.J. Price or Prince Sammons a key as well. To make a push at the top five would likely mean getting five-star safety Nigel Warrior as well as brothers Nate Craig-Myers and Jayvaughn Myers. That's a finish that is very possible at the moment with Auburn in the mix with all of them. Pull off an upset like landing five-star linebacker Ben Davis as well and this class could skyrocket on signing day."
Auburn is hosting Davis and Sammons this weekend. Davis, a Gordo native, has long been a lean to Alabama, but coaches believe they have a shot at the Crimson Tide legacy during his final visit before signing day.
The key to landing a top-five class involves six names: Brown, Craig-Myers, Gary, Myers, Warrior and Davis.
"Should Auburn get those guys, it wouldn't matter what other schools do," AuburnSports.com analyst Jeffrey Lee said. "It's the easiest and quickest path to a top-five class."
Auburn "has a real shot" at landing Brown, who many expected to lean toward his home-state school of Georgia, said Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports. "The five-star defensive tackle, however, has developed a close relationship with Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner over last few weeks. Landing Warrior, a Tennessee legacy, would be "the home run of all home runs," Niebuhr said.
"Again, though, better shot with Brown than others," he said.
Will Auburn land a top 10 class?
"Top 10: Very likely
"Top 5: Possible but a lot has to happen. Auburn would have to hit the homerun of getting Derrick Brown, Nate Craig-Myers, etc. Then keeping everyone already on board.
"To me, top 10 is more likely scenario."
- Keith Niebuhr, 247Sports
"Right now Auburn is [14]th in the Scout rankings and with UCLA and TCU just in front and already with 22 commitments each there is a good chance the Tigers could pass both with just an average finish to the 2016 class. I see Auburn getting to around eight or nine in this class but it's going to be tough to get much higher because they're likely not going to sign a full class of 25 players. That will make it tough for them to jump a few of the teams at the top of the rankings, but it wouldn't mean this class is any less impressive."
- Jason Caldwell, Inside the Auburn Tigers
"It all depends on how Wednesday works out for Auburn. The lowest I could see Auburn finishing in the team rankings is in the top 15. I think it's more likely that Auburn lands a top 10 class, finishing around No. 8."
- Jeffrey Lee, AuburnSports.com
Auburn recruiting rankings
247Sports Composite: 12th nationally, 6th SEC
ESPN.com: 9th, 5th
Rivals.com: 15th, 6th
Scout.com: 14th, 6th
Early enrollees
4-star DE Marlon Davidson
4-star DT Antwuan Jackson
4-star WR Kyle Davis
4-star TE Landon Rice
4-star CB John Broussard
4-star DE Paul James
3-star QB John Franklin III
3-star LB Tre Threat
3-star RB Malik Miller
Commitments
4-star WR Eli Stove
4-star QB Woody Barrett
4-star DE Nick Coe
3-star OT Brodarious Hamm
3-star S Marlon Character
3-star WR Marquis McClain
3-star DE David Marshall
3-star DT Tashawn Manning
Names to watch
5-star DT Derrick Brown
5-star LB Rashan Gary
4-star WR Nate Craig-Myers
4-star S Nigel Warrior
4-star OT E.J. Price
4-star OT Prince Sammons
3-star CB Jayvaughn Myers
3-star DB Stephen Davis Jr.
3-star S Daniel Thomas*
3-star DE David Marshall (visiting Georgia)
* Has not yet been offered a scholarship
Note: Ratings according to 247Sports Composite