Take 2: Who is Auburn's most important flip candidate?

Welcome to Take 2, where Auburn Live recruiting reporters debate different topics related to the state of Auburn recruiting.

Today’s topic: Who is Auburn’s most important flip candidate in the 2023 recruiting class and why?

COLE PINKSTON: Staff changes will happen; they are inevitable in today’s college football. That leads to prospects looking around. Auburn is behind others for top targets again (the reality of the situation). But the Tigers still have a chance with multiple top targets committed elsewhere.

A recruiting win over Georgia would be significant for Auburn

For me, the most important player to flip is Georgia commit, Bo Hughley of Fairborn (Ga.) Langston Hughes, the No. 9 offensive tackle recruit in the country for the On3 Consensus. There are a lot of reasons why that flip would mean so much for Bryan Harsin and his staff. The need at offensive tackle is evident and becoming more glaring with each passing day. Hughley is good enough to come in and compete for early playing time.

Flipping a player from Georgia, which just won a national championship, would be a landmark recruiting victory for Harsin when things look less than bright on the recruiting trail. Yes, winning games is and always will be the No. 1 priority, but as perception becomes more and more important, it surely would get some people off of Harsin’s back to win a recruiting battle of that magnitude.

A 6-foot-7, 4-star true tackle from a school that has owned Auburn in recruiting. That would be the splash the Tigers, and Harsin, need for some breathing room.

In-state edge committed to FSU also is a key flip candidate

KEITH NIEBUHR: I certainly understand the Hughley selection here and couldn’t blame anyone for agreeing with it. Although raw, he clearly would have a chance to play in Year 1. And he plays a major position of need.

But to me, I’m going with 4-star edge Keldric Faulk of Highland Home (Ala.).

Faulk committed to Florida State two weeks ago over Clemson Auburn finished tied for third with Florida for the elite in-state recruit. If you’re on the Auburn staff, that can’t sit well with you at all. Losing in-state talent to an Alabama or a Georgia hurts enough, but FSU hasn’t had so much as a winning season since 2017. That has to be difficult to swallow.

Faulk is saying all the right tings about being locked in with the ‘Noles — and perhaps he is.

But there is no way Auburn will pack it in and call it a day. It simply can’t afford to do so. Faulk is really good (the No. 9 edge in the country), he’s not far from the Auburn campus (85 miles) and you need elite edges in the worst way.

This is a guy Auburn absolutely can not afford to lose. So the Tigers must press on, must try to chip away at FSU.

Maybe Faulk doesn’t attend Big Cat Weekend later this month, but get him on campus for a game in September, continue to build that relationship. FSU figured something out here. Now go do the same and give Faulk a lot to think about over the next few months.

With Faulk, this is more than just about need. As with Hughley, the program’s recruiting reputation is at stake. If you flip Hughley from Georgia, you open eyes. If you flip Faulk, you can convince fans the end of the world isn’t upon us.