Auburn recruiting 2013: Tigers pouncing on top talent across Southeast

Auburn loaded up on recruits in the spring, moving its ranking up to No. 15 on the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2014 class. The Tigers have always done a great job recruiting their own backyard, and with all 14 of their committed players hailing from Alabama, Florida, Georgia or Mississippi, that’ll be the case once again as signing day nears. As for the rest of the SEC, Auburn is eighth in the rankings behind the likes of Alabama (first), Tennessee (third), Georgia (fourth), Florida (ninth) and others.

Even though a majority of their recruits came aboard in the spring, the Tigers got a few summer commits. The most recent player to pledge was five-star running back Racean Thomas out of Oxford, Ala. Thomas is regarded as the fourth-best tailback in the 2014 class, according to 247’s composite rankings, and could play a big role in Auburn’s offense the next few seasons. Wide receiver D’haquille Williams, the top-rated JUCO player in the nation, committed on July 21. At 6’3 and 213 pounds, Willliams could develop into a huge downfield target for Auburn. Devaroe Lawrence was another player to commit in July, and as a three-star defensive tackle, he should provide the Tigers with depth along the line.

As for the entire class, Williams is a big get, though there are plenty of other prospects to get excited about. Tre’ Williams, a four-star linebacker out of Mobile, Ala., is already 6’2 and 230 pounds as a high school senior and has the skill to potentially make an immediate impact in the SEC. Justin Thornton is a four-star defensive end out of Mobile with excellent athleticism, while four-star cornerback Nick Ruffin and four-star safety Derrick Moncrief have high upsides in the secondary.

Auburn has two major targets on its board with whom it stands a good chance of landing: Rashaan Evans, and Dontavius Blair.

Evans is a top linebacker recruit out of Auburn (Ala.), who is also considering Georgia. Evans visited Georgia last weekend and Georgia believes he really enjoyed his visit. But it is tough for other schools to pull players out of Auburn (Ala.).

Blair is a JUCO offensive tackle out of Garden City (KS) Community College. A massive 6’7 and 300 pounds, Blair plays a position of need and Auburn has to feel good about its chances. Blair is also considering Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Florida State.

• Georgia, Miami, Michigan surge in AP poll

•Texas replaces defensive coordinator with Greg Robinson

•Michigan, FSU make BCS games in new bowl projections

• Would coaches rather replace Mack Brown or Lane Kiffin?

• Improving Eminem’s bizarre Notre Dame-Michigan visit

• Today’s college football news headlines