If we land Lattimore...

[jadennis]

....that will mean Auburn has commitments from the #1 player in 4 different states.  I thought that was pretty impressive, so I looked back at our previous classes to see how we have done in recent years in other states (when it comes to the top players from those states).

Since "top recruits" means something different in terms of numbers from every state, I looked proportionately at each state....meaning, the top 30 players in Mississippi is not the same thing as the top 30 players in Florida.  For example, the #30 guy in Mississippi is a 3-star and had one offer...to Southern Miss.  The #30 guy in Florida is a 4-star guy with offers to Tennessee, Alabama, Nebraska, etc.

So for Alabama I looked at the top 15.  South Carolina the top 10.  Georgia the top 25.  Florida the top 25.  Mississippi the top 10.  Arkansas the top 10.  And Louisiana the top 15.

Of those top spots in each state, Auburn has 14 players committed (counting Lattimore and Lemonier, so possibly only 12).

How does that 14 compare to previous seasons?  

We had 4 for 2009.

We had 2 for 2008.

We had 11 for 2007.

We had 10 for 2006.

We had 10 for 2005.

We had 5 for 2004.

We had 6 for 2003.

We had 10 for 2002.

Regardless of how things turned out for various players in various years, we slipped in quality of players for 08 and 09.  And even though we did a very good job in previous years, no year was as stacked as this year when it comes to getting the top ranked players from different southeastern states.

And how do those four #1-in-their-state recruits stack up?  We had four #1-in-their-state recruits total in the previous 8 years.

This is as good a class as we've had (on paper) in a long time, no question.

PS.  I hate the inevitable Tuberville comments that are sure to follow, but for those of you who act like he went to sleep on the recruiting trail after 2004...have a look at the numbers for 2005, 2006, and 2007....that's a lot of top recruits from those states.  No arguing the fact that things fell off in 2008...but I don't know any Tuberville supporters who try to defend the class of 2008.

[djsimp]

I totally agree, thats why at the point we're at now we can feel pretty good about the coaches we have. Now lets see how they groom these kids to make a #1 football team. I personally believe that it will happen, especially with recruiting like this.

[jadennis]

I totally agree, thats why at the point we're at now we can feel pretty good about the coaches we have. Now lets see how they groom these kids to make a #1 football team. I personally believe that it will happen, especially with recruiting like this.

I totally agree.  If we can do what we did with the depth we had and the overall lack of elite talent...I think these coaches can take top-notch talent and put us in position to win big.  I'm not one for "I feel good about...blah, blah, blah"...I'm more a "follow the logic" kind of observer.  And it just makes sense to me. 

It's no guarantee, because I can also observe LSU winning 9 games with elite talent all over the place.  But heck, Meyer and Tebow only won 9 games his sophomore year...most of which was due to youth.  I hope everyone remembers things like that if Auburn only wins 8 games again this year.  If we keep recruiting like this for 2-3 more years, I believe the wins will come.

[Token]

I would like to point out the most you guys had in one class before this season was 11 in 2007.  Ironically, that 2007 class has been pointed at on numerous occasions as the reason for Auburn's depth problems now. 

Recruiting is unpredictable, at best. 

[Kaos]

^^ 

This, this and this a THOUSAND times over. 

2007 was when Tuberville was bar-b-quing ducks and being a lazy ass who cared more about himself than he did the school. 

Do you not see the irony and idiocy of this entire exercise now?  Please tell me the light bulb went off in a few of your heads. 

[jadennis]

I would like to point out the most you guys had in one class before this season was 11 in 2007.  Ironically, that 2007 class has been pointed at on numerous occasions as the reason for Auburn's depth problems now. 

Recruiting is unpredictable, at best. 

True and not true.  We did lose some of the higher ranked guys in that class (like Enrique Davis, Johnnie Lee Dixon, Bo Harris, etc), but without the guys left from that class, we'd be Vanderbilt bad.  Most of the time that class comes into discussion is when Tuberville supporters (myself) point out that it was the #7 rated class...at which point detractors point out how many guys fell out of that class.

But from that class, this years team got contributions from Zeimba, Burns, Bynes, Freeman, Pugh, Carr, Fairley, Carter, Slade, Byrum, and Herring.  

Even with the guys that didn't work out, that class would still have been a solid Top 15 class probably.  The problem was following it with the 2008 class, which was ranked 20th, but mostly because we had 31 kids signed in it.  Add to it that it also lost highly ranked guys (Raven Gray, Reggie Hunt, Deron Furr) and didn't have much of what we needed (two linebackers, both gone, and two offensive line, both gone).

So coming out of the 2008 class we had no linebackers and no offensive lineman.  Add that to the losses from the 2007 class, and we set ourselves back in a big way.  

[Token]

True and not true.  We did lose some of the higher ranked guys in that class (like Enrique Davis, Johnnie Lee Dixon, Bo Harris, etc), but without the guys left from that class, we'd be Vanderbilt bad.  Most of the time that class comes into discussion is when Tuberville supporters (myself) point out that it was the #7 rated class...at which point detractors point out how many guys fell out of that class.

But from that class, this years team got contributions from Zeimba, Burns, Bynes, Freeman, Pugh, Carr, Fairley, Carter, Slade, Byrum, and Herring.  

Even with the guys that didn't work out, that class would still have been a solid Top 15 class probably.  

Yeah, but the argument isn't the class as a whole.  Your argument is the top players.  How much contribution did the 2009 Tigers get from the top 11 players that you singled out in the class?

Recruiting is probably the most important part of college football.  I understand that.  I'm just saying that it can't be predicted.  You don't know who's going to flop.  You don't know who's going to leave.  You don't know who's going to get hurt. 

You simply don't know. 

[Kaos]

Recruiting is probably the most important part of college football.  I understand that.  I'm just saying that it can't be predicted.  You don't know who's going to flop.  You don't know who's going to leave.  You don't know who's going to get hurt. 

You simply don't know. 

If you can't predict it with 100% accuracy, you're nothing but a lazy ass, duck grilling, BBQ bunching loser, dammit.

[jadennis]

Yeah, but the argument isn't the class as a whole.  Your argument is the top players.  How much contribution did the 2009 Tigers get from the top 11 players that you singled out in the class?

Recruiting is probably the most important part of college football.  I understand that.  I'm just saying that it can't be predicted.  You don't know who's going to flop.  You don't know who's going to leave.  You don't know who's going to get hurt. 

You simply don't know. 

I don't disagree in the slightest that you just never know.  Kaos and I used to argue on AuburnUndercover with this one guy alllll the time about that 2007 class.  We would justify Tuberville's recruiting as of 2007 based on the fact that on signing day, it was what it was....which was the #7 class. 

He would always play 20/20 and act like that class was a failure because of it turned out.  But just like you say, you just never know who flops, gets injured, transfers, or doesn't qualify.

However, the point of the encouragement in this post was to say, all "unknowns" being applied consistently to any give year...starting with 14 of these type players is better than starting with 6.  So even if we face 50% loss of these players, and we end up with 7 contributors, well that's still more than if all 6 in 20XX class worked out, and twice as many if the same 50% fall out rate happens to the class that started with 6 and ended up with only 3.

[djsimp]

The fact of the matter is Kaos and Token, this is by far one of/or the best recruiting classes for Auburn......oh, ever. So yeah, I would say its something to be excited about. You see, the thing is the guys that are being recruited are those of serious need and the top talent in their positions. Also, the coaches added top talent in ALL the skill positions and as jadennis has mentioned the top talent in all our surrounding states. You guys can pour your poison any way you like, the fact of the matter is 99.5% of Auburn fans are highly excited about this recruiting class. Now, Token your a sorry arse bammer so you have an excuse. Kaos, whats your excuse again?

[Token]

The fact of the matter is Kaos and Token, this is by far one of/or the best recruiting classes for Auburn......oh, ever. So yeah, I would say its something to be excited about. You see, the thing is the guys that are being recruited are those of serious need and the top talent in their positions. Also, the coaches added top talent in ALL the skill positions and as jadennis has mentioned the top talent in all our surrounding states. You guys can pour your poison any way you like, the fact of the matter is 99.5% of Auburn fans are highly excited about this recruiting class. Now, Token your a sorry arse bammer so you have an excuse. Kaos, whats your excuse again?

I agree this is a damn good class being put together by Auburn.  I just thought it was ironic that "on paper", Auburn's best class of this decade (before this season) was a 2007 class that has been ridiculed by many Auburn fans as the key factor in Auburn's demise. 

If I were simply looking to flame, I'd post links to the thousands of threads on Auburn message boards over the last 3 years ridiculing Bama fans over recruiting.  Trust me, plenty to be had. 

[The Prowler]

The fact of the matter is Kaos and Token, this is by far one of/or the best recruiting classes for Auburn......oh, ever. So yeah, I would say its something to be excited about. You see, the thing is the guys that are being recruited are those of serious need and the top talent in their positions. Also, the coaches added top talent in ALL the skill positions and as jadennis has mentioned the top talent in all our surrounding states. You guys can pour your poison any way you like, the fact of the matter is 99.5% of Auburn fans are highly excited about this recruiting class. Now, Token your a sorry arse bammer so you have an excuse. Kaos, whats your excuse again?

Kaos doesn't like for Auburn to do good in anything.  Hell, he'd probably be ticked if Auburn had a good Basketball team.

[Token]

However, the point of the encouragement in this post was to say, all "unknowns" being applied consistently to any give year...starting with 14 of these type players is better than starting with 6.  So even if we face 50% loss of these players, and we end up with 7 contributors, well that's still more than if all 6 in 20XX class worked out, and twice as many if the same 50% fall out rate happens to the class that started with 6 and ended up with only 3.

This we agree on.  Sign as much talent possible and hope that half of them are as advertised.  

[djsimp]

I agree this is a damn good class being put together by Auburn.  I just thought it was ironic that "on paper", Auburn's best class of this decade (before this season) was a 2007 class that has been ridiculed by many Auburn fans as the key factor in Auburn's demise. 

If I were simply looking to flame, I'd post links to the thousands of threads on Auburn message boards over the last 3 years ridiculing Bama fans over recruiting.  Trust me, plenty to be had. 

Your right, but looking back and in the moment, one is glad to have good cruiten class (that of 2007). What one  doenst realize, or overlooks for ratings sake, is that many of these dont qualify or transfer to the likes of Jacksonville St. The problem I have with those good cruiten classes for Tubs in his latter years is not so much the talent that he brought in, its the talent he couldnt keep. To add to that, of which jadennis has mentioned, is the lack of certain positions (OL &LB) that left Auburn high and dry. Dont get me wrong, I do like Tubs, he did do a helluva lot for Auburn, its just his cruiten hurt Auburn more than it hurt him. By the way, not one leveled headed football fan would argue that bamas cruiten classes didnt contribute to a NC.

[djsimp]

Kaos doesn't like for Auburn to do good in anything.  Hell, he'd probably be ticked if Auburn had a good Basketball team.

Kaos would argue with a phuking rock, believe me I've there is a guy from AUC that is just like him.

[The Prowler]

Kaos would argue with a phuking rock, believe me I've there is a guy from AUC that is just like him.

it probably is him...or greaseybammer.

[djsimp]

it probably is him...or greaseybammer.

No it wasnt greasy gizz gizz, he actually kept his name once he got banned over there and came here.

[Kaos]

Kaos would argue with a phuking rock, believe me I've there is a guy from AUC that is just like him.

Only if the rock is a dumbass.  And some of the dumbasses prowling this site are dumber than rocks.

[War Eagle!!!]

Only if the rock is a dumbass.  And some of the dumbasses prowling this site are dumber than rocks.

Nice word play...

[AWK]

Only if the rock is a dumbass.  And some of the dumbasses prowling this site are dumber than rocks.

Mad libs whoa.