Auburn Football Recruiting 2013: Recruits Sticking With Tigers

Foster, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder, had changed his mind several times before coming up with his final decision. First, he was committed to Alabama, but transferred to Auburn High School, just down the road from Auburn. That led to speculation he’d switch his commitment, and sure enough, he swapped schools, going from the Crimson Tide to the Tigers, persuaded by then-Auburn assistant coach Trooper Taylor - the father of one of his high school teammates. Auburn seemed like the school for him - he even got a huge Auburn tattoo - but he decommitted when the school let go of Taylor.

Ratings: Foster is the top inside linebacker recruit in the country, rated the No. 13 player overall by Rivals. He’s also rated No. 2 by Scout, No. 15 by 247 and No. 16 by ESPN.

The announcement follows Lawson’s visit to Auburn over the weekend.

The 6’2, 245 pound Lawson held offers from all over the SEC and the country. The only school to which he was ever committed was Auburn, though he flirted heavily with many different schools, including Tennessee and Clemson, of late.

UNC was considered an extreme long shot to sign Lawson, but the Tar Heel program has to be disappointed that he didn’t even make it to campus.

But one school looms over it all, and it happens to be the one to which he’s committed -- the Auburn Tigers. Can Auburn’s new defensive staff sway Lawson when (and if) he make his final official visit this weekend to the plains? Lawson will certainly have some catching up to do with defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who was formerly at Georgia.

Running back recruit Derrick Green will make his college choice on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 4 p.m. Green is a consensus five-star recruit, and arguably the top high school running back in the country.

Green has narrowed his college choices to Tennessee, Michigan and Auburn.

Running back prospect Tarean Folston, from Cocoa High School in Florida, committed to Notre Dame early in January, but nonetheless took a visit to Auburn on the weekend of Jan. 18. Since Gus Malzahn took the head coaching job at Auburn, the Tigers have shown heavy interest in Folston, according to his high school coach.

“Ever since coach (Gus) Malzahn got the job they’ve been on him, talking to him, and coming by the school,” John Wilkinson said. “Coach Malzahn came by the school. (Auburn wide receivers) coach (Dameyune) Craig has been on him since they got hired.”

Running back recruit Derrick Green will make his college choice on Saturday, Jan. 26. Green is a consensus five-star recruit, and arguably the top high school running back in the country.

“I have decided to make my college announcement on January 26, 2013 at 4:00 pm,” Green wrote in a Facebook message. “Truly Blessed!!!!”

The 6’2, 275-pound defensive tackle recruit out of Muscle Shoals (AL) High School had long been wavering in his commitment to Auburn. He was quite friendly with Alabama commitments at the Under Armour All-America Game, and many insiders believe the Tide actually held the lead in recent weeks despite his continued commitment to the Tigers.

While a bit undersized for defensive tackle, Liner has excellent length for being just 6’2. His quick first step and violent hands make him a prime candidate to be an effective multi-year starter in the SEC.

Carl Lawson certainly doesn’t lack for confidence.

“Nobody can block me,” Lawson declared at the Under Armour All-America practices when asked what he learned about his game.

Auburn once looked out of the race for defensive tackle recruit Montravius Adams. But the Tigers have now re-entered the race.

Late Thursday night, Adams told the AJC that Garner’s hire now puts Auburn back in the picture.

Recruiting is in a no-contact dead period at the moment, but Auburn received a new lease on its recruiting life in the form of coach Rodney Garner. The Tigers pried Garner away from Georgia, where he had coached defensive line for the last 15 seasons. He also served as Georgia’s recruiting coordinator. Garner played for Auburn in the late 1980s.

This is an excellent hire by new head coach Gus Malzahn. Auburn has lost seven commitments since the announcement of Malzahn as head coach, with five of the decommitments coming on the defensive side of the football. Garner is surely known to some of those decommitments, and could help the Tigers to bring one or two back into the fold. More importantly, Garner could potentially help Auburn keep defensive line commitments Carl Lawson and Dee Liner (yes, there is a top defensive line recruit named “Dee Liner”).

Garner, a highly respected recruiter in SEC territory, has served at Georgia since 1998, but will leave the Bulldogs staff to join the new staff at Auburn under head coach Gus Malzahn, who was hired at the start of this month to replace Gene Chizik. Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs broke the news Thursday night.

Garner coached at Auburn immediately after his playing days, serving in many roles including recruiting coordinator in the early 1990s.

Jeremy Johnson, a top quarterback and Auburn commitment out of Carver High School is excited. Malzahn’s spread-run attack fits his skills perfectly.

He stayed true to his word Tuesday.

However, this story gets interesting because later Sunday, Irvin-Sills claims to not have decommitted. To whom did he make this claim? Why Rivals, of course:

”I’m still committed to Auburn, I’m not decommitted. I’m not sure, I’m going to take visits to Ole Miss, West Virginia and Auburn. My plan is to wait and see who they hire and then go from there, but I’m still committed.“Chris Anderson of 247sports is one of many who believe Irvin-Sills will not be an Auburn Tiger come signing day.

Williams removed his status as an Auburn commitment from his Twitter profile, and his guardian spoke with Kipp Adams of ESPN:

“Jaquay Williams is decommitting, officially,” said his legal guardian, who also said he wished to remain anonymous. “Texas A&M, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma State are on the current list. And Auburn is still in the mix.“Williams is a consensus four-star recruit out of Tyrone (Ga.). He has offers from all over the Southeastern Conference, plus a few ACC and Big 12 schools. He recently made visits to Texas A&M and Georgia. The latter of which would seem to be the early favorite in the hours following his decommitment, due to distance and the Bulldogs’ recent momentum on the recruiting trail, but he is far from a lock to Georgia.

In the midst of Auburn’s collapse, several members of the Tigers’ recruiting class are looking around.

One of those is Arshad Jackson, a talented tight end recruit. Out of Hampton, Ga.‘s Lovejoy High School, Jackson is a three- or four-star recruit, depending on the service. He originally committed to Auburn in late May, but with Auburn failing to win a single SEC game to this point, and head coach Gene Chizik on the hot seat, Jackson is justifiably concerned about his future at Auburn.

But now with Auburn’s future in doubt as rumors swirl around coach Gene Chizik and his staff, other schools are seeing an opportunity to potentially flip Lawson.

The two main suitors are ACC schools with a reputation for putting defensive linemen in the NFL and a major need at the position: Florida State and Clemson.

We are pleased to be joined today by Dusty Miller and Jared Robertson of SB Nation’s new Auburn site, College and Magnolia. Dusty and Jared dish on Auburn’s recruiting efforts over the last season and the remaining needs moving forward.

What misses in the 2012 class must now be addressed in the class of 2013? Who are the top prospects Auburn is pursuing to meet this need?

Auburn’s season has not gone the way Tiger fans had hoped. With losses to Clemson and Mississippi State already in the books and games against Arkansas, Alabama, LSU and Georgia still on the docket, things will have to change in a hurry if Auburn is to get where many thought they could go in 2012.

But Auburn’s commitments aren’t wavering, the AJC reports.

Auburn seems to have a bit of an image problem on its hands. And it could begin to affect recruiting.

Recently, Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News took a hard look at the Auburn program. He found that within the last two years, Auburn players (and former Auburn players still very much around the program by virtue of receiving medical disqualification scholarships) have been involved in multiple violent incidents including an armed robbery (a four-man job resulting in a recent offseason arrests record) and an altercation that led to lives lost (the shooter was not an Auburn player, it should be noted).

Johnson stands 6’5 and weighs in at 220 pounds. Johnson is not an elite athlete, but he is not immobile, either. He is a very good basketball player, as well. Johnson is rated three or four stars by most of the major services, and claims offers from Ole Miss, Purdue and LSU, though the LSU offer is a bit questionable. As a passer, Johnson is quite raw, but does show a strong arm and a quick release.

Johnson is Auburn’s ninth commitment of the 2013 class.

Davis is 6’2” and 210 pounds, and while he doesn’t carry a rating from the major recruiting services, he has something better: offers from both Auburn and Tennessee. Davis is an athletic kid with a good frame and should receive more interest shortly as he continues to mature. A good GPA doesn’t hurt, either.

Davis was the second commitment of the day for Auburn, joining fellow linebacker Cameron Toney. The Tigers now sit at eight commitments for the 2013 class.

Toney stands 6’3” and weighs 225 pounds. That’s excellent size for a rising senior linebacker prospect. Toney plays big, and is not shy about taking on blocks. But he also shows he ability to play from sideline to sideline, relative to his size. In 2011, Toney tallied 120 tackles, eight sacks, four forced fumbles, three interceptions and three pass break-ups. He is the seventh commitment for the Auburn Tigers in the class of 2013.

For more on War Eagle football, visit Auburn blog Track Em Tigers, plus SEC blog Team Speed Kills.

Auburn football recruiting is already off to a great start for the class of 2013, but it turns out the Tigers were still not quite finished with the 2012 class. On Monday, Alex Kozan, an offensive guard from Castle Rock (Co.) Valor Christian committed to the Tigers.

Kozan waited to make his decision after taking his visits. He stands 6’4 and weights in at 295 pounds. Most recruiting services rate Kozan a four-star prospect and rank him among the top 20 guards nationally. Kozan’s commitment gives Auburn 21 signees in the 2012 class, including 12 consensus four-stars.

Auburn has been a force on the recruiting trail over the last few years, and that should continue in the 2013 cycle. The Tigers will look to get off on the right foot again as some of the top recruits in the Southeast head to Auburn for junior day. Here are some of the top recruits on the way to Auburn this weekend.

Von Bell, one of the hottest prospects in the country, is set to visit the Tigers this weekend. Bell is a safety for Rossville (Ga.) Ridgeland, holding additional offers from Alabama, Georgia, Texas, USC, etc. Bell has exceptional range at 6’1” and 190 pounds, yet he also plays with good physicality.