3 key Auburn recruiting storylines for July
July has arrived and if you’re an Auburn fan you hope the Tigers have more sizzle in recruiting than in June. The Tigers exited the previous month with the exact same number of commitments (two) they entered it with and the Auburn Family understandably is nearing Defcon 1. But alas, big news could be coming soon as 4-star running back Jeremiah Cobb will announce a commitment from his finalists of Auburn, Clemson and Tennessee at noon CT Friday. From our vantage point, things look fairly good for Bryan Harsin and Co. with this one.
Looking ahead, here are three key Auburn recruiting storylines for July …
Auburn needs to get things rolling on the trail
-Can the Tigers — FINALLY — get some recruiting momentum? Entering this month, Auburn’s lone commitments took place Jan. 1 (3-star center Bradyn Joiner) and April 10 (4-star safety Terrance Love). The Tigers have by far the lowest number of verbals for an SEC program at this time, with the next lowest being Ole Miss and Texas A&M at five each. Arkansas leads the league with 16 commitments. With so many spots left to fill, the Tigers have a ton of work ahead of them. Cobb’s addition, should it happen as we expect, would be significant for a few reasons. 1. He’s very good. The No. 7 back in the country, in fact; 2. It would be an attention-getting recruiting win over two schools recruiting well; 3. With Auburn in the mix for numerous others nearing their commitments, it could get the proverbial ball rolling. Auburn fans certainly hope that’s the case — especially with 4-star edge Keldric Faulk announcing a verbal early next week.
Two big offensive targets could announce in the near future
-When will 3-star quarterback Brock Glenn and 4-star receiver Karmello English schedule their respective commitments? Glenn, Auburn’s top quarterback target, had hoped to announce his choice before the Elite 11 finals that took place this week in California. But after Ohio State and LSU recently offered, he pumped the brakes a bit. He already has officially visited the Buckeyes and now he plans to learn more about the Bayou Bengals in the coming days. Then, he could be ready to announce. Auburn remains very much in the picture. English had scheduled July 2 as his commitment date, but earlier this week abruptly postponed things without explaining why. It’s now unclear when he might announce. That said, as we’ve noted previously we continue to like Auburn’s position with him.
Big results needed for Auburn at Big Cat Weekend
-Right now, we’re in the middle of a four-week NCAA recruiting dead period. Things open up again the final week of July, then go dead again the entire month of August. Because of this small window where you can host prospects, it’s vital Auburn get players on campus again. Big Cat Weekend takes place the final weekend of July and the Tigers absolutely must crush this. That means getting as many notable targets as possible in town for what typically is the program’s biggest recruiting event of the offseason. Laying the groundwork for future verbals would be a start but given Auburn’s low commitment numbers right now landing a few verbals during Big Cat would go a long way toward calming the masses.
