Auburn football mailbag: Is Bryan Harsin's staff making recruiting progress?
AUBURN — With SEC Media Days coming up this week, signaling the heart of talking season, actual football isn't far away. Preseason practices start in August.
So now's as good a time as any for an Auburn football mailbag.
Let's get to the questions.
Q: What are several specific changes the coaching staff has made this year to improve their recruiting in the SEC? — Van Allen Plexico
BD: I can point to two recent trends. First, Auburn's staff visited every high school in the state of Alabama this spring. In February, I asked in-state high school coaches (at schools with current or recent top recruits) about their programs' relationships with Auburn since Harsin took over. A number of coaches were disappointed by the lack of communication at the time. The Tigers have built a stronger foundation in their backyard since then. Better relationships.
It's starting to show. Four-star 2023 running back Jeremiah Cobb (Montgomery) and four-star receiver Karmello English (Phenix City) are onboard.
The Tigers are starting to reach a bit higher for prospects, too. The next step is figuring out how to land a top-100 recruit for the first time in the Harsin era. There are two in Montgomery currently uncommitted.
The Tigers also are snatching talent from LSU territory, a Harsin-era development that started late last year. Four-star cornerback JaDarian Rhym flipped his commitment from LSU. Auburn four-star Austin Ausberry attended University Lab, an LSU feeder school in Baton Rouge, and his dad works in LSU's athletic department. The Tigers also landed a 315-pound lineman and a freshman receiver from Monroe, Louisiana.
Another new receiver, Koy Moore, is an LSU transfer from Metairie, Louisiana. Starting nickel Donovan Kaufman is from New Orleans. And don't forget quarterback T.J. Finley, who started his career at LSU.
As the Auburn Observer's Justin Ferguson pointed out, Auburn didn't have a single player from Louisiana on scholarship from 2015-19. So how is this happening? Director of recruiting relations Trovon Reed is from Thibodaux. That helps. Secondary coach Zac Etheridge is the staff's other star recruiter, and he had prior experience in Louisiana. Expanding the footprint in that direction is a positive sign.
There's a long way to go still. Quality is improving to a more consistent blue-chip level, but quantity remains a concern. Auburn's four 2023 commits are the second-fewest of any Power Five team as of Friday, and the fewest of any SEC team. The next five months are pivotal for this staff.
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Q: I would like to think Bryan Harsin repeats the legacy of Tommy Tuberville (re: after the Bobby Petrino disaster). Are the fans in Auburn supporting Coach Harsin to give him the chance to prove he is the right guy at the right place at the right time? — William Bailey
BD: Like any fanbase, I think you'll find a mixed bag of optimism and apathy. There was a rally at Toomer's Corner in support of Harsin during the internal investigation in February. I remember thinking the turnout was pretty sad at the time. But after Harsin was retained, he received a huge ovation at the basketball game that weekend. I think that speaks to something I've noticed in my first year here: These fans will find ways to stay vehemently invested in Auburn football any given year, whether they believe it's a 10-win team or a 10-loss team.
As long as Harsin wears the Auburn hat, he'll have sold out crowds supporting him. The surviving-the-boosters narrative sure helps his cause.
Q: How do you think Auburn will do this year in terms of record? — Fraser Golden
BD: Copout answer: I haven't decided on my final prediction yet. But as I wrote last week, it makes sense that Vegas set Auburn's over/under at 5.5 wins, the fewest in the SEC West. I feel inclined to lean closer to six or seven, but there's a pretty wide range of possibilities. The schedule is brutal. The floor is four wins. That five-game home slate will determine a lot.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football mailbag: Recruiting progress and Harsin's fan support
