Arkansas State WR transfer Corey Rucker sees 'plug-and-play' opportunity at Auburn
Arkansas State transfer wide receiver Corey Rucker visited Auburn on Saturday. It was his first visit to Auburn, but might not be the last.
“It was pretty smooth overall,” Rucker said. “I got to see practice, see how everything operates. It was good to see (wide receivers) Coach (Ike) Hilliard coach and sit through meetings with him. It was pretty good overall.”
Rucker was impressed with Hilliard, who is in his first year at Auburn after coaching in the NFL for more than a decade.
“We hit it off from the jump,” Rucker said. “He’s super real, down to earth. He didn’t sugarcoat anything. He kept it 100. He told me this is his first time in college football. He was completely honest with me and didn’t try to sell me a dream. That speaks volumes about him. I like him.”
Corey Rucker sees opportunity at Auburn
Rucker also likes the opportunity at Auburn.
“The biggest thing is they want me to be a plug-and-play guy, and I got to see first-hand that I have that opportunity,” Rucker said. “I know exactly what they need and exactly what they’re looking for in a receiver and what they need to take this offense to the next level.”
Rucker is certainly considering it, especially after his visit.
“Auburn, it’s the SEC,” Rucker said. “That should be every student athlete’s dream, to play in the greatest conference in the world. I feel like I could be a big factor to come in and help this team.”
[ Auburn offers transfer WR Corey Rucker ]
Corey Rucker could return to Auburn for official visit
Rucker next will take an official visit to South Carolina March 21-23. He then will take an official visit to Utah State March 23-25. He’s also considering Virginia Tech, Washington, Washington State and Baylor.
Rucker, who is from Yazoo City, Miss., has an offer from Ole Miss, but interest from the homestate Rebels has faded.
“Ole Miss has been a dream school, a target school for me, but I haven’t had much communication with them since they offered me,” Rucker said. “There’s some disconnect there, so I’m not really sure where I stand with them.”
Rucker said he could return to Auburn before making his decision.
“I’ll probably make a decision by early May or at the latest mid-May because I’m still at Arkansas State,” Rucker said. “I have to finish out the semester there. It’s possible I could return to Auburn (for an official visit). I’ll just have to see how many visits I have left. I took an unofficial (Saturday) just because it was close enough to come over.”
In two seasons at Arkansas State, Rucker had 75 receptions for 1,279 yards and 14 touchdowns.
As a sophomore in 2021, Rucker was a first-team FWAA Freshman All-America selection after hauling in 59 receptions for 829 yards and nine touchdowns. He also was a second-team All-Sun Belt selection.
Rucker has three years of eligibility.
