Tag: Darron Reed

Rivals names Zac Etheridge an up-and-coming recruiter in the SEC

He is one of the top recruiters on Auburn’s staff.

[autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag] was just one of two coaches that [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] retained from Bryan Harsin’s staff when he took over Auburn football.

One of the reasons why Etheridge was retained is his impressive abilities as a recruiter. He had a hand in recruiting 11 of Auburn’s 21 signees in the 2023 recruiting class.

His efforts are starting to get some national recognition as Rival’s National Director of Recruiting Adam Gorney named him one of 10 up-and-coming recruiters in the SEC.

Numerous prospects have noted Auburn as high on their list because of Etheridge and not only how well he recruits them but how well he connects with them once on campus. The recruiting prowess is unquestioned and it’s one reason why Etheridge is so vital to Auburn’s new coaching staff.

Not only did Etheridge help recruit over half of Auburn’s class, but, according to 247Sports, he was also the primary recruit on Auburn’s four-highest recruits in edge rusher [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], cornerback [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag], running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag], and defensive lineman [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag].

Etheridge, who is now Auburn’s secondary and safeties coach, has already gotten off to a great start in the 2024 class. He has already landed commitments from four-star cornerbacks Jayden Lewis and A’Mon Lane.

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Auburn signee Keldric Faulk shares reasoning behind switch from Florida State

Faulk was one of many “flips” Hugh Freeze performed before December’s early signing period.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] performed many recruiting wonders in a short time.

In a three-week span, Freeze improved Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class from one of the lowest in the SEC to a top-20 haul. He did so by convincing several talented prospects to flip their decision to Auburn from other programs.

One of the most important “flips” of the period was that of [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag], the state’s No. 12 recruit who committed to Florida State over Auburn in July. Faulk elected to sign with Auburn on Dec. 21, the beginning of the early signing period, and instantly became the top recruit of Auburn’s 2023 class.

On January 12, Faulk was honored by the Alabama Sportswriters Association as the Class 2A Lineman of the Year after recording 89 tackles for Highland Home in 2022. In an interview with Ben Thomas of AL.com, Faulk shared his reasoning for committing to Florida State in July as opposed to the in-state program.

“Auburn was really my No. 1 school for two or three years in a row, but there were certain coaching changes that just didn’t fit me personnel-wise,” Faulk said.

When Freeze was hired on Nov. 28, 2022, one of his first priorities was winning over Faulk. He did so by calling Faulk in for a visit in an effort to get to know him better. Faulk says that the connection he built with Freeze and staff made it seem as if he’s known them “for a couple of years.”

“(Freeze) just told me if I was destined to be an Auburn man, I need to be an Auburn man, but if I’m not just to let him know,” Faulk said. “He’s a real straightforward dude, and he wanted me to be straightforward with him.”

What will Faulk’s role be for Auburn? He says that he could be used in several different ways depending on the situation.

“They are going to try me at end and at the jack position,” Faulk said. “They are going to play me at both. I think I can play either. On third or fourth-down situations, it could go either way. I think I can go in at D tackle or D end or the jack position. I can play anywhere they want me to play.”

Faulk is one of eight four-star signees that has joined Auburn’s roster from the 2023 recruiting cycle, which includes [autotag]Sylvester Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag].

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LSU’s recruiting class is good, but it’s still a step away from elite

Brian Kelly and LSU are still a step away from recruiting at an elite level.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] first took the job at LSU, people questioned his ability to recruit Louisiana. I didn’t think it was fair.

Kelly brought talent from all over the country to Notre Dame and was a proven winner. He was going to be fine at LSU — a place that recruits itself. Kelly doesn’t have to be a genius to bring talent to campus. He knows that, too, and it’s a large piece of why he took the job.

His first real recruiting cycle demonstrated competency. He put together a good staff and landed a top-10 class. It’s well-rounded and balanced. It’s got top talent from Louisiana and from around the country.

It’s a really good class and on par with what we’ve come to expect from LSU. It’s hard to lodge any complaints, especially with what LSU could be set to do in the portal.

However, it’s still a step away from being elite.

LSU lost ground with some priority targets late in the cycle. [autotag]Joshua Mickens[/autotag] and [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], both once committed to LSU, ended up at Ohio State and Auburn.

[autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag], a five-star corner who once looked Baton Rouge bound, threw on an Alabama hat. At quarterback, LSU swung and missed at some of the cycles best players.

Again, that’s nitpicking. Despite missing on Mickens and Reed, LSU brought in a couple of blue-chip edge rushers. Despite missing on Ricks, LSU landed five-star [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag] and plucked [autotag]Denver Harris[/autotag] from the portal.

What Kelly and staff did is better than good enough, but it’s not elite. LSU is still a notch below fellow SEC programs like Alabama and Georgia. Nick Saban just signed what could be his most talented class yet, and Georgia continued to do its thing.

Classes like that year in and year out are why Alabama and Georgia are always in the playoff discussion. They’ve built titans.

Now, winning a championship doesn’t require a top-two class every year. LSU beat Alabama this year with a far less talented team. LSU’s 2019 title was built with recruiting classes similar to LSU’s 2023 class. Clemson’s won titles without winning recruiting classes too.

TCU and Michigan are in the playoff, and neither of those programs out-recruited Saban and Kirby. But being at the top every year requires a class to the level of Alabama and Georgia.

LSU wasn’t able to replace what it lost after 2019 and the last two years have shown us what Clemson looks like without a top QB prospect. When you don’t land a top-three class, you’re banking on too much to go right.

You’re hoping that three stars will turn into [autotag]Justin Jefferson[/autotag]. You’re hoping that your quarterback plays to the level of [autotag]Joe Burrow[/autotag] or [autotag]Trevor Lawrence[/autotag]. It’s foolish to rely on those things.

Celebrate it when it happens, but it’s not a sustainable strategy for programs that want to build dynasties of their own. LSU’s 2024 class is already in a great spot, though its hard to gather any takeaways this early in the cycle.

I didn’t expect LSU to have a top-three class this year. This isn’t a disappointment or a critique. I’m not even saying a top two or three class should be the expectation or the standard.

LSU doesn’t need to be in the playoff discussion every year for fans to be satisfied. The standard at LSU should be competing for a title every few years and competing for an NY6 appearance in the years between.

LSU can do that with recruiting classes such as the one it just signed, but if LSU wants to be on the same level as Alabama and Georgia, it needs to take that one last step.

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Auburn commits announce early signing period plans

Five Auburn commits have announced their plans for the early signing period.

The early signing period is among the most important dates in college football, and it is just days away. It opens Wednesday, Dec. 21 and numerous college football recruits will sign with their future team. Several Auburn commits plan to do just that.

Auburn’s 2023 recruiting class has 13 commits and ranks 42nd in the country according to the 247Sports team rankings. Since arriving, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has put an emphasis on recruiting the trenches and it has paid off, the Tigers have four commits along the offensive line and three along the defensive line.

As of today, five of Auburn’s commits have announced their plans for the early signing period. Here is a look at when they will sign with the Tigers on Wednesday.

Three-star EDGE rusher decommits from Auburn

The 2023 prospect cites recent changes in the coaching staff as the reason for re-opening his recruitment.

Auburn has suffered another de-commitment this week from the 2023 recruiting class.

[autotag]Ashley Williams[/autotag], a three-star EDGE rusher from Zachary, Louisiana, announced Thursday that he is no longer committed to Auburn, and will re-open his recruitment. He cited that recent changes within the staff led to his decision.

“I would like to thank all the coaches and staff at Auburn that recruited me and believed in my talent,” Williams said in a tweet. “However, after recent staff changes and conversations with my family, I have decided to recommit from Auburn and reevaluate other opportunities.”

Williams flipped from Nebraska to Auburn in August after a heavy pursuit by Bryan Harsin.

“Auburn is one of the only schools that’s still talking to me after my commitment,” he said. “That means a lot. Auburn is still in my heart.”

Williams has not paid a visit to a college campus since taking his official visit to Auburn in September. This calendar year, Williams has visited Florida State, Nebraska, and Minnesota.

Both On3 and 247Sports feel that Auburn still has a great shot at landing Williams despite his recent change of heart. On3’s recruiting prediction machine gives Auburn a 79.8% chance to sign Williams, while four writers at 247Sports have forecasted Williams to sign with Auburn. At the time of this post, Auburn has three 2023 commits that play defensive line… [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], [autotag]Wilky Denaud[/autotag], and [autotag]Brenton Williams[/autotag].

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4-star LSU DL target sets commitment date

The Tigers will hope to pull the Jacksonville prospect away from Florida and Georgia.

We’re just over a week out from early signing day, but LSU will have to wait just a bit longer to find out where one of its top remaining targets is heading.

Four-star Westside (Jacksonville, Fla.) defensive lineman [autotag]Jordan Hall[/autotag] will announce his decision on Dec. 22. The 6-foot-4.5, 300-pound pass-rushing interior lineman is set to choose between Florida, Georgia, Alabama and LSU.

Hall is ranked as the No. 117 overall player and No. 16 defensive lineman in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He released a top-five at the beginning of November but has since cut Ohio State from that list.

Hall has several recent Crystal Ball projections to Georgia, and the Bulldogs are given an 85.6% chance to land him, per the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

LSU has recently lost a pair of defensive line commitments in the 2023 class in [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], who flipped to Auburn, and [autotag]Joshua Mickens[/autotag]. Adding a player like Hall would be a major get for Kelly, though that would be a fairly big surprise at this point.

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Hit List: Top 2023 prospects that need to be on Hugh Freeze’s radar

Hugh Freeze’s tenure will get off to a great start if he can land the commitment of these top prospects.

Auburn University officially named [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] as the football program’s 31st head coach on Monday, Nov. 28. Now that the Tigers have their head coach, he now has 20 days to put the final touches on his first recruiting class.

He steps into a moderate situation as far as recruiting goes. Auburn currently ranks No. 32 in 247Sports 2023 recruiting rankings. That ranking has been raised drastically over the last week, as the Tigers have received commitments from four-star DL [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag], and three-star EDGE [autotag]Brenton Williams[/autotag] over the last seven days.

Auburn has 13 commits to this point for 2023, with nine players listed as four-star talent. Freeze is of course given the task of building relationships with current commits, but he needs to reel in more talent in order to start his tenure on a high note.

Who are those top players that would give Auburn a boost in the 2023 recruiting rankings? Here is a list of uncommitted prospects, as well as those committed elsewhere, that Auburn has the chance to earn their National Letter of Intent.

Where LSU’s 2023 recruiting class ranks across the industry following recent decommitments

Brian Kelly’s 2023 class remains well-positioned despite recent losses.

LSU’s 2023 recruiting class took a couple hits in recent days with two blue-chip defensive linemen decommitting in [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag] and [autotag]Joshua Mickens[/autotag].

There hadn’t been much negative news on the trail this cycle. LSU’s class has been trending up since the day [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] took the job. This is the first real step back.

The sky is yet to fall, though.

LSU’s class remains comfortably in the top 10 and the defensive line is still in a good spot, too, anchored by [autotag]Dashawn Womack[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaxon Howard[/autotag]. On3 gave Womack his fifth star last week.

Following the shakeup, here’s where the class ranks.

  • 247Sports: Fifth
  • On3: Sixth
  • Rivals: Sixth
  • ESPN: Eighth
  • Average rank: 6.25

There aren’t too many blue-chip defensive linemen left on the board to replace Reed and Mickens, but LSU could be preparing some big additions on the backend.

According to 247’s and On3’s respective prediction systems, LSU is in a good spot with defensive backs [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag] and [autotag]Javien Toviano[/autotag]. Commitments from Ricks and Toviano would bring LSU’s class to 25 players and give LSU the strong DB class that it needs.

We’ll begin to find out more about the future roster in early December with the transfer window and early signing day.

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LSU has a top 5 recruiting class in 2023 as November comes to a close

Here’s how the recruiting rankings look less than a month away from early signing day.

As the calendar prepares to turn to December, we’re just three weeks away from the beginning of the early signing period on Dec. 21.

With 23 commitments already, it makes sense that things have slowed down on the trail a bit for the Tigers since a busy couple of months during the summer. LSU did add two commits in November, four-star offensive tackle [autotag]DJ Chester[/autotag] and three-star edge rusher [autotag]Dylan Carpenter[/autotag].

However, the Tigers do have a few more spots available down the stretch than we initially expected as LSU lost commitments from four-star defensive linemen [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag] — who flipped to Auburn — and [autotag]Joshua Mickens[/autotag] in the last week.

Still, LSU has one of the best classes in the country with the chance to get even better if it could land a player like five-star cornerback [autotag]Desmond Ricks[/autotag]. Here are the rankings at the end of November, per the 247Sports Composite.

LSU loses another four-star edge rusher commit

The Tigers lost yet another 2023 DL commitment in Joshua Mickens.

Three days after [autotag]Darron Reed[/autotag] flipped his commitment from LSU to Auburn, blue-chip defensive lineman [autotag]Joshua Mickens[/autotag] decommitted from the Tigers, as well.

LSU had the fifth overall recruiting class for 2023, but that could change with the loss of two four-star defensive linemen prospects. Like Reed, Mickens committed to the Tigers in July.

According to 247sports crystal ball predictions, Mickens is going to commit to Ohio State soon. Ohio State had a rough weekend against Michigan last weekend as the Wolverines blasted the Buckeyes 45-23. LSU didn’t have a good weekend either as they fell to Texas A&M 38-23.

This loss hurts the recruiting class with early signing day nearing. LSU travels to Atlanta to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship. The Tigers’ chances of making the College Football Playoff may be over, but their dreams of a 10-win season and an SEC title are still alive.

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