Tag: auburn recruiting

4-star defensive tackle commits to Auburn

It was Auburn’s second commitment on the first day of August.

That is two commitments on the first day of August for the Auburn Tigers.

On Saturday night, 4-star defensive tackle Marquis Robinson announced that he has committed to the Tigers.

Per 247Sports:

Robinson is the No. 18 tackle nationally in the industry generated 247Sports Composite.

Auburn has been the clear leader in this recruitment for awhile.

“I mean, they just give off the family vibe,” Robinson said. “The people there, and the fans are great. The students there, they look friendly. It’s just a home feeling vibe.”

According to Robinson, he talks to Auburn at least twice a week. “Every last one of them (coaches at Auburn),” Robinson said. “I’ll get on the phone and talk with Coach (Kevin) Steele and we’ll be on the phone for like 30 minutes. Right after that, I’ll get on the phone with Coach (Rodney) Garner for like another 30 minutes. Then right after that, I’ll be on the phone with Coach (Gus) Malzahn.”

Auburn lands commitment from 3-star defensive end

It is Auburn’s first commitment since June 15.

The wait is over.

After not landing a recuit since June 15, the Tigers are back on the board with a commitment from 3-star strong-side defensive end Tobechi Okoli of Kansas City (Mo.) Lincoln College Prep.

Okoli, listed at 6-feet-5, 250 pounds, is the No. 8 recruit in the state of Missouri for 247Sports Composite and is the No. 41 strong-side end in the country. He is committ No. 11 for the Tigers in 2021 and is the second defensive lineman, joining4-star tackle Lee Hunter of Eight Mile (Ala.) Blount.

Here is Okoli’s 247Sports evaluation:

Big, long body and has quickly gotten bigger and added good weight. Good athlete who can cover a lot of ground quickly and get off the ball. Shows aggressiveness. Has not played football for long and is still learning technique. Has to keep improving lateral agility as well. Big upside. Will need some time but has the athleticism and size to play for many schools around the country and have a shot at playing beyond college.

Auburn makes top 3 for 5-star cornerback

Five-star cornerback Ga’Quincy McKinstry, the top player in Alabama, has cut his list of schools down to three SEC West teams, Auburn, LSU and Alabama.

And then there were three.

Five-star cornerback Ga’Quincy McKinstry, the top player in Alabama, has cut his list of schools to three SEC West programs –Auburn, LSU and Alabama.

The Pinson Valley product is the No. 2 corner and No. 23 overall recruit for 2021, according to the 247Sports composite.

The 5-11.5, 172-pound McKinstry is one of the best athletes in the class, playing wide receiver, corner and also starring on the basketball team.

In 2019, he caught 47 passes for 700 yards and 12 touchdownsand intercepted a pass on defense. On the hardwood, he he averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and had 69 steals.

McKinstry has expressed interest in playing both sports at the next level, something each of the schools in his final three have expressed interest in.

His scouting report per 247Sports:

“Possesses a lean build with good length and stature for a cornerback. Tested as a good athlete prior to his junior season and should continue making progress on that front as he spends more time in the weight room over the next few years. In addition to the football field, shows his athleticism as an above-the-rim basketball player and one of the better hoopers in Alabama. Is an outstanding and productive two-way player on the gridiron, starring as a receiver and corner for Pinson Valley. Has elite ball skills as a corner and would also be a top prospect as a receiver if he wanted. Shows the ability to consistently pluck the ball at his highest point and win in contested situations on both sides of the ball. In addition to high-pointing and out-jumping the competition, also shows the ability to locate and track the ball downfield. Makes difficult plays at a high rate and finds multiple ways to effect the game. Instinctive in coverage and shows the ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and break on the ball. Impresses with his competitive nature. Will need to continue honing his coverage technique as a cornerback, which should come once he focuses on the sport and position full time. Projcts as an impact multi-year starter at the Power 5 level with the upside of developing into an early round draft pick.”

Auburn makes top six for 5-star offensive tackle

Amarius Mims, one of the top prospects in the country, unveiled his top 6 Wednesday and Auburn made the cut. 

Amarius Mims, one of the top prospects in the country, unveiled his top 6 Wednesday and Auburn made the cut.

Auburn, along with Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee made the final list for the coveted Mims.

Mims is the second-ranked offensive tackle and sixth best player in the 2021 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. At 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, Mims already has the size needed to play tackle at the next level and is the top rated player in Georgia.

His scouting report per 247Sports:

“Possesses an elite combination of size and length for an offensive tackle. Has rare length by way of long arms and big hands along with a sturdy build with room to add some muscle to his frame. On the hoof, looks as good as you could hope for at this stage for an offensive tackle prospect. Already is over 300 pounds without much bad weight. Shows his athletic ability while playing both ways at offensive tackle and defensive end. Moves well at the second level, using quick feet and his length to get his hands on linebackers. Shows good flexibility and bends at the knees. Has some pop in his hands and easily plants opposing defensive linemen on contact. Will need to continue getting stronger and refining his pass set technique. Looks to have a very high upside early on and should develop into a top national prospect. Has the ultimate upside of developing into a multi-year starter at the Power 5 level and eventual high NFL Draft pick.”

5-star LB Smael Mondon releases top five

Smael Mondon, one of the top linebackers in the class of 20201, released his top five schools Sunday afternoon, and Auburn is part of the All SEC group that will battle it our for the coveted recruit. 

Smael Mondon, one of the top linebackers in the class of 2021, released his top five schools Sunday afternoon, and Auburn is part of the all-SEC group that will battle it out for the coveted recruit.

Mondon has Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and LSU as his top schools and talked with 247Sports Steve Wiltfong about each one.

Auburn: “I just felt like it’s a good program for me. I felt like I fit in there. Whenever I visit Auburn it’s a place I can see it being my home. I feel like I have a good relationship with their coaching staff there. T-Will (Travis Williams) my position coach he’s a real genuine dude.”

Florida: “My relationship with Christian Robinson. I see the program trending upwards. With C-Rob he played the position that he coaches so that gives him a different understanding than a lot of coaches. T-Will is the only other one who played it, not saying you have to play the position to coach it but you have more insight into it.”

Georgia: “It’s my home state. The last couple years they’ve had a real solid defense and shows they put an emphasis on that. Coach (Kirby) Smart he’s like a regular guy, easy to talk to, you can sit down and talk to him like a regular person. You don’t want to feel like you’re talking to your boss even though that’s what he is. You can get comfortable with him. I like (Dan) Lanning too.”

LSU: “The culture at the program, they have a good team culture. Coach (Ed) O(rgeron) seems like a real personable coach and seems like he cares about all their players. I used to talk to their d-coordinator Dave Aranda and I started talking to Bo Pelini and there’s no drop off relationship wise.”

Tennessee: “Coach (Brian) Niedermeyer, they’ve been recruiting me the longest of any school. They were my second offer November of my sophomore year. I’ve been talking to Coach Niedermeyer since that spring. I’ve been up there three times. I’ve been up there enough times to be comfortable there and they’re building a good recruiting class and it shows the program is in the right direction. (Jeremy) Pruitt is a good coach, I’ve seen a lot of stuff he’s done at Alabama as the defensive coordinator.”

Georiga is seen as the favorite to land the 6-foot-3, 220 pound linebacker who is the No. 26 overall player, the No. 2 outside linebacker and the No. 3 player in the state of Georgia, per 247Sports Composite.

Former Georgia baseball commit flips to play QB for Clemson Tigers

Bubba Chandler, who was recently committed to Georgia baseball, has announced his commitment to Clemson, where he’ll play QB and baseball.

On Wednesday, Clemson football added a commitment from quarterback Bubba Chandler, who until recently was committed to play baseball at Georgia.

Clemson offered Chandler on May 7. On May 11, he announced he’d be reopening his recruitment and that he wanted to play both baseball and football in college.

Chandler announced his decision to play both sports for Clemson via Twitter on May 20.

Out of North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia, Chandler is a right-handed pitcher and shortstop. He originally committed to play baseball at UGA in June. With Georgia not being able to offer him a football scholarship, he’s decided to attend Clemson, where he can pursue both sports.

Chandler originally did not expect to receive interest from Clemson, a school that he’s never actually taken a recruiting visit to. But when Clemson quarterback target Christian Veilleux committed to Penn State a few weeks ago, it left the Tigers looking for a signal-caller in their 2021 class. So Clemson took a swing at a two-for-one deal and it paid off.

He did, however, visit Clemson in 2018 when his friend on the football team got him to tickets to see a game in Death Valley.

“[The Clemson coaches] just watched my film, a lot of my Twitter videos, and I talked with the coaches pretty much every day on the phone,” Chandler told ESPN. “Then, of course, our high school head coach knows [Clemson safeties coach] Mickey Conn pretty well. Clemson’s coaches asked our head coach about me, my character, and I guess they liked what they heard.”

Chandler has been playing both sports for nearly his entire life, and will continue that at Clemson.

“They’re going to develop me into the best player I can be in both sports,” Chandler said. “They have a chance to compete for a national championship every year. I’ve always wanted to play football in college, and what better place to play football than at Clemson?”

As for Georgia, the Bulldogs already have another quarterback committed in the 2021 class who also happens to be from Bogart. That’s 5-star dual-threat Brock Vandagriff.

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Georgia football: This George Pickens stat will get you excited about 2020

This stat about Georgia WR George Pickens will get you excited about the UGA football offense in 2020.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) Georgia wide receiver George Pickens is the only returning receiver with 75 plus targets and zero drops in all of college football.

Pickens was a freshman phenom for the Bulldogs last year. In a run dominant offense, he caught 49 passes for 727 yards and 8 touchdowns, which earned him Coaches’ Freshman All-SEC Team honors.

A former 5-star recruit from Hoover, Alabama, in the 2019 recruiting class, Pickens was originally committed to the Auburn Tigers until flipping to the Bulldogs on signing day. He was tabbed as the No. 4 receiver in the country and the No. 1 player in Alabama, which helped make the 2019 Georgia class the No. 1 class in the country for the second year in a row.

The sky is the limit for Pickens in 2020. Georgia made two huge off-season moves for the Bulldogs’ passing game with the singing of Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, who is known for a great deep ball and the hiring of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, known for his air-raid passing attack.

DawgNation should be excited for what is to come for this young offense. Injuries and drops plagued the Georgia receiving group in 2019, but Pickens should have some more help around him in 2020. Sophomore receiver Dominick Blaylock looks to return from an ACL tear and Kirby Smart and staff added four 4-star receivers in this year’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class. Not to mention 5-star 2020 TE signee Darnell Washington (6-8, 261).

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5-star CB Ga’Quincy McKinstry, a Georgia target, releases top-five

5-star CB Ga’Quincy McKinstry, a big-time Georgia football recruiting target, released his top-five schools on Sunday.

On Sunday, 2021 5-star cornerback Ga’Quincy McKinstry took to Twitter to release his top-five schools.

Out of Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Alabama, McKinstry tweeted a top-five of Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Clemson.

McKinstry ranks as the nation’s No. 23 overall player and as the No. 2 cornerback in the 2021 recruiting class.

According to 247Sports, Alabama is the favorite to land McKinstry, with LSU and Auburn also right there.

Georgia offered McKinstry in March of 2018.

A two-sport star, McKinstry is also a star on the Pinson Valley basketball team. He has won three state championships during his high school career — two in football and one in basketball.

As a cornerback, he earned Alabama Class 6A first-team all-state honors on defense as a sophomore.

Last season, he had 30 tackles, 12 pass breakups and six interceptions.

In addition to defensive back, he also plays wide receiver and kick returner for the Pinson Valley Indians.

Last season as a receiver, McKinstry finished with 47 catches for 700 yards and 12 touchdowns.

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Big-Time Notre Dame O-Line Target Chooses Auburn

Caleb Johnson, a four-star offensive tackle from Florida made is college decision Friday and it came as a blow to Notre Dame.

For the second time in ten days one of Notre Dame’s most desired targets in the 2021 recruiting class has chosen to take his talents elsewhere.  Last week it was star running back Will Shipley choosing Clemson over the Irish, Friday afternoon it was offensive tackle Caleb Johnson committing to Auburn over Notre Dame.

The four-star offensive tackle chose Auburn and again, Notre Dame misses out on the second tackle they’ve been trying so hard to add to their ’21 class.  His commitment to Auburn bumps the Tigers from 48 in the 247Sports team rankings all the way to 35 as he’s their sixth overall commitment in the class.

You may see Johnson being a Florida guy staying in the southeast, but he grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana which gave many hope that he’d one day wear Notre Dame’s blue and gold uniforms.

The Notre Dame class remains at ten commitments with tackle Blake Fisher and guard Pat Coogan being the two on the offensive line.  Not that they aren’t already but I’d expect it to be all systems go on Pennsylvania product Nolan Rucci, a five-star tackle who recently included Notre Dame in his top nine.

Clemson football coaches coming for Georgia baseball commit

Clemson football coaches are recruiting Georgia baseball commit Bubba Chandler to play QB for the Tigers.

Clemson quarterbacks coach Brandon Streeter and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott have been in touch with 2021 Georgia baseball commit Bubba Chandler.

Out of North Oconee High School in Bogart, Georgia, Chandler is a right-handed pitcher and shortstop. He committed to play baseball at UGA last June.

Clemson quarterback target Christian Veilleux committed to Penn State last week, leaving the Tigers looking for a signal caller in their 2021 class.

Though Chandler is committed to play baseball at Georgia, he has been picking up football offers lately from schools like UNC-Charlotte, Western Kentucky and Troy.

He said that the Auburn football program has also been recruiting him heavily.

Clemson is yet to offer Chandler, but the two sport star told TigerNet that if they do offer he would certainly give them a chance. He said he would love to play both sports in college.

Chandler has not yet been able to visit the Clemson campus, but it appears he is excited to do so when the lockdown is lifted.

As for Georgia, the Bulldogs already have another quarterback from Bogart committed in the 2021 class. That’s 5-star dual-threat Brock Vandagriff.

“I love UGA. But I love football as well,” Chandler told Clemson Insider. “I’m going to look over and consider any opportunity, such as Clemson.”