Number 25

According to Scout.com, Auburn has picked up its 25th commitment for the 2009 class in five star athlete Demond Washington. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College corner changed his commitment today from Ole Miss.

Washington initially was committed to Ole Miss and recently said that following a visit he would most likely change his commitment. He is a five star on Scout and a three star on Rivals. Washington is originally from near by Tallassee High School.

This is another huge pick up for Chizik and staff. Washington also had offers from Louisville, Memphis, Minnesota and Southern Miss. Washington is also the fastest current commit, at a 4.3 40.

Randle is a No Show

According to Rivals, Rueben Randle was a no show on this weekend's official visit. More to come when I find out more.

Predictions

On Sports Call, Bryan Matthews from Rivals listed which players out of this weekend he believed we had a good chance to get:

Aubrey Phillips- He feels very good about Phillips, as do I
Mike Eargle or Taikwon Paige- One of these two will probably end up here
Johnnie Farms- If he does indeed visit, Matthews feels very good about Farms
David Oku- He feels pretty good about Oku

Farms To Visit

Auburn Undercover is reporting that four star offensive lineman Johnnie Farms is expected to visit this weekend. Farms is currently committed to North Carolina. He is the 11th ranked offensive guard in the nation.

Farms also has offers from South Carolina, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, N.C. State, UCF and Clemson.

Changes To The Official Visitor List

Four star defensive tackle and Auburn commit Jamontay Pilson will no longer visit this weekend.

Three star commit Nick Fairley has added his name to the official visitor list.

JUCO defensive back Michael Eargle and Whitefish Bay (WI) center Charlie Knipper will also take official visits this weekend.

Joel Kight To Announce Tomorrow

Three star linebacker Joel Kight will announce where he will play college football tomorrow, according to Rivals. The Lithonia star is considered an Auburn lean.

Aubrey Phillips Update

I will not reveal my source right now but someone close to the Aubrey Phillips situation said that Phillips is "falling away" from Tennessee. Whether this has truth to it, time will only tell. I just tell you what I hear.

Demond Washington Makes Decision, Will Keep Quiet Until Monday...

Three star (on Rivals, five star on Scout) MGCCC athlete Demond Washington has made his decision between Auburn and Ole Miss but will not immediately go public with it. Washington hosted coaches from both Auburn and Mississippi today and told both staffs his decision.

Washington has been committed to Ole Miss since October but as recently as earlier this week, Auburn and Ole Miss were considered even. The 5'9", 185 lb. athlete runs a 4.3 40.

He also has offers from Louisville, Memphis, Southern Miss and Minnesota.

Number 24

Two star safety Daren Bates became Auburn's 24th commitment today. The big deal here is that he is high school teammates with big offensive lineman Aubrey Phillips and they will be visiting together this weekend. More to come.

Auburn Staff Salaries Released

Gene Chizik's new football staff's salaries have been leaked out today. However, they are not as high as originally reported.

Defensive Coordinator Ted Roof: $370,000
Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn: $350,000
WR and Asst. Head Coach Trooper Taylor: $320,000
DL Coach Tracy Rocker: $300,000
OL Coach Jeff Grimes: $290,000
RB Coach Curtis Luper: $260,000
TE and ST Coordinator Jay Boulware: $180,000

Gaines Narrows It To Two

Four star, Army All-American defensive tackle, Corey Gaines has narrowed his list to two. The Tallahassee, FL star will pick between Auburn and Ole Miss. Gaines is taking his final visit to Auburn this weekend.

Previously, Arkansas was believed to be the team to beat. Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt and Auburn coach Gene Chizik both visited Gaines at home yesterday. Auburn is looking for him to play defensive tackle.

Gaines said he will probably announce Sunday or Monday.

Auburn Picks Up 23rd Commitment

Three star all purpose back Anthony Gulley made his commitment to Auburn official today. The Brantley, AL back will likely play slot receiver at Auburn. Gulley also has an offer from Troy.

Official Vistors for This Weekend (1/30/09)

This is by far the biggest weekend in Auburn recruiting, the following prospects are expected to attend (Stars via Rivals):

***** Rueben Randle WR (Bastrop, LA) *LSU is team to beat
**** Jamontay Pilson DT (Greenville, AL) Committed to Auburn
**** David Oku RB (Midwest City, OK) Committed to Tennessee
**** Aubrey Phillips OT (Olive Branch, MS) Committed to Tennesse
**** Taikown Paige DB (Georgia Military College) *No offer yet
**** Corey Gaines DT (Tallahassee, FL) *Arkansas is team to beat
*** Clint Moseley QB (Leroy, AL) Committed to Auburn
*** Greg King LB (Memphis, TN)
*** DeDe Lattimore LB (Athens, GA) *Reportedly commited to USF
** Daren Bates DB (Olive Branch, MS) Committed to Arkansas State

Head Coach: Tyrik Will Qualify

Sulphur Springs head football coach Greg Owens says that four star quarterback commitment Tyrik Rollison will be a "full qualifier" by time to enroll, Auburn Undercover is reporting.

Right now, top Auburn commitment quarterback Rollison is listed as having a 13 on the ACT. Rollison is listed as the second most accurate quarterback and the number two dual-threat quarterback in the nation.

AU Plane Lands In Monroe, LA

Carrying Chizik, Trooper Taylor, Malzahn and Rocker, most likely visiting Randle

Quickees

• Four star wide receiver Emory Blake will announce on Signing Day, was visited last night by Chizik, Rocker and Malzahn
• Two star defensive back Darren Bates was offered, and will visit this weekend with teammate, big offensive lineman, Aubrey Phillips
• Auburn offered big time 2010 running back Storm Johnson today

OFFICIAL: Top QB Commits

After days of rumor and speculation, number two dual threat quarterback in the nation, Tyrik Rollison, has committed to Auburn. The four star quarterback committed after Auburn came out of nowhere and started recruiting him late in the process.

Rollison is Auburn's 22nd commitment for the 2009 class and the second quarterback, after Alabama's Mr. Football, Clint Moseley, also committed recently.

Rollison, quarterback for Sulphur Springs High School in Sulphur Springs, Texas, lead his team to a state championship this year. In the title game, Rollison went 23-29 for 398 yards and four touchdowns, as well as 127 yards rushing and three rushing touchdowns. On the season, he threw for 4,728 yards and 53 touchdowns, as well as 1,094 rushing yards.

There are questions whether or not four star Rollison will qualify. His GPA has been brought up but his ACT score has been rumored to be a 13 or 14. Rollison has been studying to take the test again since.

Tana Patrick Sets Announcement

Four star linebacker Tana Patrick has set an announcement. The Rivals100 linebacker will announce at 10 am on Signing Day. He is Rivals' number five overall inside linebacker.

Patrick visited Auburn two weeks ago. It is believed to be down to Auburn, Tennessee, Alabama, Miami and USC. Many think that Bama is the team to beat.

Big Texas DE Commits

Three star defensive end Nosa Eguae has committed to Auburn. This has been expected since Eguae visited two weekends ago. He is Rivals' 17th overall strongside defensive end.

The 6'3" 234 lb. defensive end visited Texas Tech this weekend and has previously been committed to Colorado. He visited Colorado along with Minnesota.

Coach Chizik, Luper and Rocker were all present in Dallas for Nosa's decision. While being recruited by Curtis Luper for Auburn, Eguae was recruited by defensive line coach Tracy Rocker while he was still at Ole Miss and new defensive coordinaor Ted Roof while Roof was still at Minnesota.

Eguae is the second commitment of the day for Auburn after four star defensive tackle Jamar Travis committed earlier today. Eguae is the 21st commitment in Auburn's 2009 class.

Randle Has Top 3, AU Not Included, Will Visit Anyways

Five star Rueben Randle will visit Auburn this weekend as of right now. Randle has previously said he would take an official visit to Auburn twice and has backed out.

Randle has reportedly narrowed his list to LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma. Randle confirmed he will take his final visit to Auburn this coming weekend. He visited LSU, who is believed to be his favorite, this past weekend. He visited Alabama two weekends ago and Oklahoma last November.

Curtis Luper is recruiting him for Auburn.

AuburnUndercover: Reid Will Unofficial Visit

AuburnUndercover is reporting that Auburn is"still one of (5 star cornerback Greg Reid's) favorites."

Rivals' fourth best cornerback in the nation is believed to be down to Auburn, Alabama, Miami, Georgia and Florida State. Reid also visited Florida but afterwards said he has eliminated the Gators.

Auburn seems like a longshot for Reid but Auburn's coaching staff is continuing to show that they will be a force to be reckoned with next recruiting season. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof is currently recruiting Reid.

Reid is 5'9", 175 lbs. and runs a 4.5 40. Florida State is believed to be the team to beat.

Chizik To Visit Blake In Home Today

Auburn head football coach Gene Chizik is in Dallas, TX today and is on his way to Austin very soon. According to FlightAware.com, Auburn's private plane has been in Tulsa, OK and Dallas, TX he last two days. The plane was originally set to take off for Austin at 3:10 CST but has been delayed for unknown reasons. Reports say that Chizik is on board and going to visit four star wide receiver Emory Blake. It is believed to be down to Auburn, Texas Tech and Colorado.

There is currently rain in Dallas and they are under an Ice Storm Warning

NOTE: The plane took off at 4:20 CST

Auburn Picks Up Big Commitment

Four star defensive tackle Jamar Travis changed his commitment today from Southern Miss to Auburn. Travis is excited especially to play for new defensive line coach Tracy Rocker.

Travis picked up his offer this weekend on his official visit. There had been questions about whether or not he would qualify but he has reportedly pulled up his ACT score.

Sorry for the delay to posting this, I have been in class.

Battle Of The Uncles

Previously, one of Jonathan Atchison's uncles had been quoted making it seem as if Atchison was seriously considering Auburn. Now, on BamaOnline, they are reporting that a different uncle, Dexter Smith, says that Atchison is solid to Alabama and was not even considering Auburn.

Time will tell but right now Atchison remains committed to Alabama.

Myles Wade Off The Market

For a while, rumors swirled that Auburn may have had a shot to sneak in and steal big four star defensive tackle Myles Wade but those have been squashed after Texas Tech's assistant coaches visited him in house today.

Wade has been committed to the Red Raiders but looked to possibly been wavering on that decision. Tonight, however, he assured coaches Ruffin McNeil and Dennis Simmons that he is sticking by his commitment.

Wade got late interest from the Tigers after the acquisition of Ted Roof as defensive coordinator. Wade does not currently have an offer from Auburn. Wade then will likely cancel this weekend's visit to Auburn.

Facebook: "Tyrik Rollison is going to be an Auburn Tiger!!!"

Number two overall dual threat quarterback in the nation, Tyrik Rollison, is heading to the Plains, according to his Facebook page. While I find it very creepy to look on players' pages, it was necessary. Rollison updated his status recently to make it say, "Tyrik Rollison is going to be an Auburn Tiger!!" or something to that effect.

To the right is his current Facebook picture. I think it says enough. The quarterback is currently in Auburn, still on his official visit. A member of another board posted that he saw Rollison and Coach Luper out to eat tonight and said "War Eagle" to him, and Rollison returned the message.

The only question now is whether or not Rollison will make grades. Rivals lists him as being the second most accurate quarterback in the nation.

Cameron Kenney Makes His Decision

Former Auburn wide receiver commitment Cameron Kenney has made a decision on his new school. Kenney visited UGA this weekend and said the visit went great.

However Kenney has decided to go play for Oklahoma. One of the major reasons he gave was the opportunity to play with Sam Bradford as his quarterback. Kenney visited Oklahoma last weekend.

Some Visit News From This Weekend

Joel Kight

Hosted by Aairon Salvage, really enjoyed it, down to AU, Ole Miss, Ok State...will have a decision this week....

"I really like the people at Auburn. There are good people there and it's closer to home. It's just up to me to pull the trigger."

Travante Stallworth

Hosted by Walter McFadden, the visit "helped", is still committed by will decide for sure between us, Michigan and South Carolina.

"I experienced Tiger Walk this year. That was real crazy. I told my mom that I wanted to be a part of that one day."

Robert Cooper

Hosted by Ryan Pugh, "had a blast" in Auburn, between a grayshirt at Auburn or scholarship at UAB, will announce on Feb 3rd...

"It's 50-50."

Ted Roof To Coach Linebackers?

In AuburnSports.com's article concerning Jonathan Atchison, Atchison's uncle, John Williams, slipped out that new defensive coordinator Ted Roof may go ahead and coach linebackers. The linebacker coaching position is currently vacant due to James Willis' departure for rival Alabama.

Roof has experience coaching linebackers. After his departure from Duke as head coach, he coached linebackers at Louisville for a season. He also has previously coached linebackers at alma mater Georgia Tech, Duke, UMASS and West Georgia.

Jay Tate: Tyrik Committed?

Jay Tate is reporting that three star commitment Izauea Lanier told him that four star quarterback Tyrik Rollison committed to Auburn this weekend while on his official visit.

Rollison is the number two dual-threat quarterback in the nation. It is believed to be down to us and Kansas State for him.

I'll post anything concrete once I know it.

NEW RUMOR: New rumor on the AuburnSports.com board that Rollison's Facebook status says "Tyrik Rollison is an Auburn Tiger!!!"

BIG Offensive Lineman Will Visit

Adding to the huge football recruiting weekend next week is four star on Rivals (three star on Scout), 6'6", 310 lb. Aubrey Phillips. The Tennessee commitment will take his final visit to the Plains.

The Olive Branch, MS tackle also has offers from Arkansas, Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Memphis and Michigan.

Next weekend looks to be the biggest recruiting weekend of this offseason.

Monday...

Four star defensive tackle Jamar Travis picked up an offer from Auburn this weekend on his visit. This has re-opened up recruiting for him. He is expected to make his decision sometime tomorrow.

The Brewton, AL product is currently committed to Southern Miss. He told AuburnSports.com, however, that his commitment is, "reopen to evaluation."

---Also, Izauea Lanier, a three star athlete from Gordo, AL, said that this weekend's official visit made his commitment stronger.

First News Out Of The Weekend

Two star offensive lineman Hunter Stout visited this weekend. The guard out of Tampa did not receive an offer from Auburn this weekend and plans to commit to Louisville.

He could receive an offer from Auburn before signing day.

He has offers from Louisville, FAU, Middle Tennessee State, Western Kentucky and Elon.

Rumor: Former OC Interviews at MTSU

FootballScoop.com is reporting that former offensive coordinator Tony Franklin has interviewed with Rick Stockstill's staff at Middle Tennessee State.

Franklin left Troy at the end of the 2007 season to be offensive coordinator at Auburn. Franklin was fired from Auburn on October 8, 2008 after a slow start. Auburn had faded in most offensive categories in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Franklin was a running back at Murray State in the 1970's. He later heled various positions in the Kentucky coaching staff as wide receivers coach, running backs coach and offensive coordinator. Along with his coaching at Troy, he also was the head coach of the af2 team Lexington Horsemen in 2003.

Tana Patrick Cancels USC Visit

Tana Patrick, one of the top uncommitted seniors in the state of Alabama, has cancelled his official visit to Southern California for this weekend, his high school coach told The Birmingham News today.

Patrick, out of North Jackson High School in Stevenson, AL, is believed to have narrowed his list down to Auburn, Alabama, USC and Miami. Patrick visited Auburn on the 16th, Alabama on the 9th and will visit Tennessee next weekend.

The big four star linebacker also has offers from Tennessee, Texas A&M, Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina, Nebraska, Michigan, Florida State and LSU.

Patrick will announce his decision on signing day.

NOTE: Previously in this article I said Patrick was visiting Miami next weekend. This has changed. He will now visit Tennessee next weekend.

Slow Auburn News Day So Far...

So I will just put a few quick notes here for now:

-I saw Alabama commitment Jonathan Atchison out last night and had a few brief words with him. The three star outside linebacker out of Atlanta was out with a few players. I basically just told him he needed to come to Auburn and he said "I'm thinking about it, I like it here." I wished him the best of luck in his decision.

-In a sad note, NC State women's basketball coach Kay Yow lost her battle with cancer this morning. She ranks seventh all time in women's coaching wins. She has coached the Wolfpack since 1975 and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. She was 66.

-Auburn's men's basketball team beat up on Arkansas today, defeating them 73-51. The Tigers move to 12-7 (2-3).

Two Surprise Visitors

Jonathan Atchison and Deangelo Benton were surprise additions to Auburn's weekend. Three star linebacker Atchison, from Atlanta Douglass High School, is currently a soft verbal commitment to Alabama. He also has Auburn listed as low interest.

Five star Hargrave wide receiver Deangelo Benton will also be attending. He is currently committed to LSU. Benton had been scheduled to visit Auburn last weekend. There will be more updates about this weekend on here as they are reported.

Rumor: Number One Overall May Visit Next Weekend

Rumors are swirling that the number one overall player in the nation, Wichita, KS running back Bryce Brown, may join in next weekend's visits. Brown is currently committed to Miami (FL) but is considered a soft verbal.

Brown hosted Auburn coaches earlier this week. Brown has also taken official visits to Missouri (10/24/08), Oregon (11/7/08) and Clemson (11/28/08). Brown is considered a longshot for Auburn.

Last year, Brown was the only junior to be named to Parade Magazine's All-American Team. He is the unanimous top runningback in the nation. Former number one overall player Rueben Randle will also visit the weekend of the 30th.

Brown almost has offers from every school. Rivals and Scout offers from Miami, Oregon, Auburn, Kansas State, Tennessee, USC, Clemson, and Missouri.

Again, this is a rumor from Rivals.

Three Change Their Mind

Three visitors for this weekend have backed out:

Deontae Skinner has changed his visit this weekend from Auburn to Ole Miss.

Sterling Griffin will no longer visit this weekend since his teammate Derrick Hopkins has committed to USF.

Brandon Heavens will no longer visit this weekend.

Four Star Running Back To Visit The Plains Next Week

Four star running back and number one overall all-purpose back David Oku has Auburn back in the mix. The Tennessee commit will take his final two visits these last two weekends of recruitment and one of them will be to Auburn.

The 5'10", 186 lb back will visit Syracuse this weekend and Auburn the weekend of the 30th, adding to the importance of Auburn's last weekend of visitors. Oku committed to Tennessee in early December and says he is going to take all his visits. He made it a point to say he is still committed to Tennesssee. Apart from these final two visits, Oku has visited Tennessee (9/19/08), Louisville (8/29/08) and Nebraska (9/26/08).

Oku also has offers from Michigan, Florida State and Oklahoma State. Other top names visiting Auburn that weekend include number one receiver Rueben Randle, top defensive back Taikwon Paige, top defensive tackle Myles Wade and two Auburn commitments, three star quarterback Clint Moseley and four star defensive tackle Jamontay Pilson.

Top Two...

Number two dual threat quarterback Tyrik Rollison has narrowed his choices down to two. Who is included?

Auburn and Kansas State.

Rollison will visit Auburn this weekend and we will keep you updated. However, many questions are raised as to whether or not he will qualify academically.

Official Vistors This Weekend

Auburn will host many visitors this weekend.

**** Jamar Travis (DT, Brewton, AL)

**** Tyrik Rollison (QB, Sulphur Springs, TX)

*** Sterling Griffin (WR, Opa Locka, FL)

*** Brandon Heavens (ATH, Bessemer, AL)

*** Joel Kight (LB, Lithonia, GA)

*** Greg King (LB, Memphis, TN)

*** Deontae Skinner (LB, Macon, MS)

*** Izauea Lanier (ATH, Gordo, AL)

*** DeDe Lattimore (ILB, Athens, GA)

*** Travante Stallworth (WR, Leesville, LA)

** Robert Cooper (QB, Mobile, AL)

** Hunter Stout (OL, Tampa, FL)

Three Star Linebacker Sets Official Visit

Linebacker George Bamfo will visit Auburn the weekend of January 30th. He is listed to visit Texas Tech this coming weekend. Currently, the Rockwall (TX) three star only lists a scholarship offer from Portland State and is not even in Scout's database.

Many thought that academics would be a problem for Bamfo but now he has qualified and is gaining interest from some big time programs. He is 6'0" 200 lb. and runs a 4.5 40.

Greg King To Visit, Travis Sticks By His Visit

Three star linebacker Greg King out of Memphis, TN will visit Auburn this weekend. Many think King could be a Tennessee lock. The 6'3" 200 lb linebacker boasts offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

He is Scout's 30th and Rivals' 31st overall inside linebacker. He has also taken official visits to Tennessee and Texas Tech.

After Willis' departure, Jamar Travis questioned his visit to Auburn this weekend. After a call from Gene Chizik, he has decided to come to the Plains for a visit anyways.

Confirmed: Ryan Durst Leaves Auburn

Auburn punter Clinton Durst has left Auburn and does not plan to return after not being offered a scholarship for the spring semester. Former coach Tommy Tuberville had promised Durst a scholarship but new coach Gene Chizik's staff reportedly has not extended one.

Durst will reportedly take out a part time job to pay his way through college. Durst did not even play high school football but won the starting punting job this fall. He ranked third in the SEC in punting this season and 26th in the nation.

LaDarius Perkins Decides Not To Visit This Weekend

Former running back commitment LaDarius Perkins has decided he will not visit Auburn this weekend and has reaffirmed that he will sign with Mississippi State, AuburnUndercover is reporting.

Perkins made a surprise change in his commitment earlier this week when he changed from Auburn to Mississippi State. He is a Rivals three star and is Rivals' number 37 overall all-purpose back in the nation. He is from Greenville (MS) St. Joseph.

Leach Visits Blake, Will Wait To Meet Other Head Coaches Before Decision

Four star receiver Emory Blake out of S.F. Austin (TX) decommitted from Texas Tech because he "wasn't feeling 100% sure about (his) decision." The Auburn recruit was visited at home last night by Mike Leach and others from Texas Tech for dinner and a meeting.

Blake did not recommit to Texas Tech but will make a decision soon. He is waiting to meet with the other two head coaches of the schools he is looking at, Auburn's Gene Chizik and Colorado's Dan Hawkins.

Hawkins will visit Blake in house tomorrow and Chizik is expected to stop in some time next week. Blake says he does not have a favorite of the three schools right now but is looking for the best fit for him. Blake previously has stated that he wants to play as quickly as possible and quick playing time is certainly a possibility at Auburn in the receiver position.

Four star wide receiver Cameron Kenney decommitted from Auburn earlier this week.

Randle Narrows Choices To Five

Five star Bastrop, LA wide receiver Rueben Randle has narrowed his college choices to Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Randle says that Ole Miss is a long shot and Miami is now out of the picture. Randle took an official visit to Alabama this weekend.

Both Auburn and Tennessee have come on strong of late in the running for the former number one overall prospect in the nation. Randle will arrive in Baton Rogue later today for his official visit to LSU and will take his final visit to Auburn.

Curtis Luper is recruiting Randle for Auburn. The 6'3", 200 lb. receiver is the unanimous number one wide receiver in the nation and was Rivals.com's number one overall player as recently last two weeks ago.

Auburn plans to have quarterback commit Clint Moseley join Randle at the visit to try and sway him. The fact that half of Randle's choices were not even in consideration for him two weeks ago is a promising sign of hope in landing this great prospect.

Randle is expected to wait to announce on Signing Day.

Chaz Ramsey Has Second Back Surgery

Former Auburn offensive lineman Chaz Ramsey underwent back surgery today. It was his second such back surgery and signalled the end of Ramsey's playing career. Doctors expect Ramsey to be normal and pain free.

Ramsey injured his back in December of 2007 while lifting weights. The injury turned out to be two herniated discs. Ramsey alleged that the Auburn training staff disregarded his doctor's rehab instructions after his first surgery in the Press-Register last week. After a rigorous training program by the staff, two months after his surgery, Ramsey said it was like back to square one.

Auburn relieved head trainer Arnold Gamber of his duties last week, but the school said it was not due to the Press-Register's article. Ramsey plans to continue to attend classes at Auburn.

New Addition to This Weekend's Visitors

Three star linebacker Deontae Skinner has changed this weekend's visit from Ole Miss to Auburn. The Macon (MS) Mississippi State commitment announced the change today.

Skinner committed to Mississippi State in July after receiving his offer in February and seems to have been solid since. He currently does not have a scholarship offer from Auburn but does from Ole Miss and Southern Miss.

Skinner is rated Scout.com's number 28 outside linebacker in the nation. He is 6'2", 234 lbs.

Four Star JUCO Corner Will Visit

Taikwon Paige, a four star JUCO cornerback, committed to Minnesota on January 5th. Since then, the Minnesota staff has taken a beating including defensive coordinator Ted Roof's departure to take the same job at Auburn. On Tuesday, Roof made an in school visit to Paige and got him to accept an official visit on the 30th.

The Georgia Military Academy defensive back now lists no interest in Minnesota. He is listed as high on UAB and medium on Auburn, although he is yet to receive an offer. AuburnSports.com reporter Jeffrey Lee believes an offer from Auburn would "catapult" Auburn to the front.

Paige also lists offers from Oklahoma State, Rutgers, East Carolina, Western Michigan, Louisiana Tech and Kansas State.

Recruits React To Willis' Departure

As stated before, Willis' departure made a quick impact on recruit Petey Smith. Here are some updates of some Auburn commitments and recruits.
Tana Patrick
Patrick says Auburn is still one of his top schools and Willis' departure will have little impact on his decision.

Terrance Coleman
Coleman was very angry with Willis' departure. He is still committed to Auburn but will look around at Arkansas, Southern Miss and Tennessee. He made it a point to state that he will not look at Alabama because of Willis' actions.

Jamontay Pilson
Is still solid to Auburn and will still visit the weekend of the 30th.

LaVoyd James
Willis was supposed to visit James in house last night but never showed or called. He stated Willis was a big reason he was committed to Auburn and will wait to see what happens.

Harris Gaston
He remains firmly committed to Auburn and acknowledges Willis' move as a business decision. He will visit Mississippi State the 30th.

Clint Moseley
Moseley said Willis' move does not change anything. He said he is for sure still going to Auburn.

Dee Ford
"There's nothing that can affect my commitment."

Petey Smith: "Alabama All The Way"

Brother of current Auburn running back Eric Smith, Petey Smith, has announced that since James Willis' move to Alabama, he will follow. He said he has not officially announced but it is coming. Smith has also cancelled his trip to Auburn this weekend.

Smith has not been contacted by the Auburn staff since Willis' departure. The three star linebacker from Seffner (FL) had his choices narrowed down to Alabama and Auburn. He also has offers from Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio State, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami and Michigan.

James Willis Leaves for Alabama

Auburn's linebackers coach and leading recruiter James Willis has accepted the same position for top rival the Alabama Crimson Tide. Willis said the decision was the right decision "personally and professionally".

Willis was a linebacker for Auburn from 1990 to 1992 followed by seven seasons in the NFL. He then was a student and graduate assistant at Auburn. He was rehired in 2006 by Tuberville after short stints at Rhode Island and Temple.

Willis is the last remaining position coach from Tommy Tuberville's staff. Willis was rehired by Gene Chizik after he let all of Tuberville's staff go. He was the lead recruiter of the Mobile area and was responsible for the recruitment of four star commitment Jamontay Pilson and three star commitments Terrance Coleman, Clint Moseley, Nick Fairley, Jonathan Evans, LaVoyd James and John Sullen.

Five Star Corner Hosts Roof In School Visit

Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof visited the number 4 cornerback in the nation on Tuesday. Greg Reid hosted the new Auburn assistant coach at Lowndes High School in Valdosta, GA.

Reid has told AuburnSports.com that Auburn is now "in the mix", although he does not plan to take an official visit. Reid has taken official visits to Florida State and Florida, however he has eliminated Florida. Today he announced that he will no longer visit Alabama this weekend and instead he will visit Tennessee and next weekend will visit Georgia. Reid has indicated he may try to take an unofficial visit to the Plains.

As with many other prospects, Reid stated that Auburn had been recruiting him for a while but Gene Chizik's new staff has really "come on strong" lately. He also stated that the fact that Auburn has lost cornerbacks lately helps Auburn. Reid stated that everyone is equal now and he has no favorites.

The five star defensive back boasts a 40 time of 4.5 seconds and a vertical of 34 inches. Rivals does not currently list Auburn as one of his college choices. He lists offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Georgia Tech.

Cooper To Consider Grayshirt Offer

Two star dual threat quarterback and athlete Robert Cooper is considering taking a grayshit offer from Auburn. The 6'4", 200 lb. athlete played quarterback at Daphne (AL) his senior year. His junior and sophomore year he mostly played wide receiver and safety.

A grayshirt is a scholarship offer but would mean he would be able to enroll at Auburn in January, 2010. He plans to visit this huge recruiting weekend. He currently also has full ride offers from UAB and South Alabama. He has told AuburnSports.com that his decision will be between a scholarship to UAB and the grayshirt offer from Auburn.

Cooper is also curious which position he will play. He is listed as a dual-threat quarterback and has stated that would like to pursue playing quarterback but is also open to any position that Auburn feels would be best for him and the team.

Rivals lists his 40 yard dash time as 4.52, a bench press max of 300 lb. and squat of 450 lb. He also has good academics with a 3.5 GPA and 27 on the ACT.

Auburn Offers Joel Kight

Joel Kight, a three star inside linebacker from ML King High School in Lithonia, GA, has eliminated Georgia Tech after picking up an offer from Auburn earlier today. Auburn was barely even recruiting the 5'9", 200 lb linebacker before the Chizik staff was assembled.

They must have done something. Rivals does not even list Auburn as a college choice for Kight but high school coach Corey Jarvis has told Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Jeff Hood that Kight has narrowed his choices to just Auburn, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss.

Coach Jarvis stated that while he believes Kight eliminated Georgia Tech because he wants to get out of Atlanta, he also still wants to stay somewhat close to home. Also, Tech wanted him as a running back while Auburn is more likely to play him as a linebacker or even safety.

Kight boasts offers from Auburn, UAB, Boston College, Connecticut, Duke, Iowa State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Georgia Tech and Arizona State.

Jamar Travis Will Visit

Brewton (AL) W. S. Neal four star defensive tackle Jamar Travis will visit the Plains this weekend according to Rivals.com. Travis is currently committed to Southern Miss. The 6'1", 298 lb. defensive lineman also has shown great interest in Auburn. He has shown signs that he may also visit Troy or UAB.

Travis is ranked the 29th best defensive tackle in the country by Rivals and 31st by Scout who has him ranked as a three star. Scout ranks his strengths as backside pursuit, intensity/effort and quickness off the ball, stating that he has a great first step. He also has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Memphis, Oregon, UAB and Clemson.

Joining Travis this coming weekend are four star dual threat quarterback Tyrik Rollison, linebackers Petey Smith and DeDe Lattimore, former running back commitment LaDarius Perkins and three current commitments, among others.

Five Star Wide Receiver Will Visit After All

After weeks of rumors, five star Bastrop, La. wide receiver Rueben Randle will visit Auburn. His father Emmitt told the Birmingham News the update today. Randle had a visit scheduled two weeks ago but decided not to attend because his father would not be able to attend. His father went on to tell multiple news outlets that his son never had planned to visit.

As recently as a week ago, Rueben Randle was the number one overall player in the nation according to Rivals. Randle visited Alabama this past weekend. Wide receiver has been a weakness in the Auburn offense in recent years. Four star wide receiver Cameron Kenney decommitted this weekend. Another main Auburm wide receiver target, Emory Blake, visited Auburn this past weekend. Clint Moseley, Mr. Football in the state of Alabama and three star quarterback, will also visit January 30th. It is believed that Moseley is visiting this weekend in order to try and sway Randle to commit.

Offensive Lineman Decommits

Offensive lineman Aaron Moore out of Frisco, Texas has decommitted.

Myles Wade Opens Up Recruiting

Former four star Oregon commit Myles Wade out of Arizona Western Community College has opened his recruiting back up. The defensive tackle lists USC, Texas Tech, Auburn and Nebraska as schools he is interested in. Two years ago he was ready to sign with Oregon when he hit academic troubles. He now has opened his recruiting to include the Tigers.

Defensive coordinator Ted Roof has made long distance contact with Wade. According to Rivals, he does not yet have an offer but is very interested in Auburn. He was very impressed by Roof as Roof explained the Tigers' need for defensive tackles and run stoppers. Wade is expected to take an official visit to the Plains within the next two weeks.

Four Star Wide Receiver Decommits, Staff Offers Top '10 DT

Four star community college wide receiver Cameron Kenney, who has been committed to Auburn since early in the process, has decommitted. He also had a visit scheduled to Auburn which he has cancelled. The reason he cited for the sudden change is the lack of contact between him and the new coaching staff. He says that zero contact has been made at all by Gene Chizik's new staff.

Meanwhile, the staff is beginning work on the 2010 class. With one commitment already from a top kicker, Auburn offered Marcus High School (TX) defensive tackle Daniel Noble a full ride. He also currently has offers from Arizona, Oklahoma, Stanford, Texas Tech and Wisconsin. Perhaps his shows how much this new staff, which is built up of Big 12 coaches, will stress recruiting in the state of Texas.

This Weekend In The SEC

Alabama
Lance Thompson will leave staff for Tennessee

Arkansas
Reports say John L. Smith will take over the defensive backs coaching postition.

Mississippi State
Picked up four commitments this weekend:
Darius Slay
Chad Bumphis
LaDarius Perkins
Dennis Thames

Tennessee
Lance Thompson joins Lane Kiffin's staff from Alabama.

Vanderbilt
Thad McHaney changed his commitment from Ole Miss to Vanderbilt

Clint Moseley Commits to Auburn

Clint Moseley, who was awarded the title of Mr. Football for the state of Alabama, was offered and accepted a scholarship offer today according to superprep.com. He is a Rivals three star quarterback out of Leroy High School in Leroy, Alabama. He reportedly committed immediately when offered.

The senior quarterback was 219 for 315 for 3,749 yards and 35 touchdowns this season while running for 693 yards and 15 touchdowns.

He also had offers from UAB, Marshall, Arkansas State and South Alabama.

News Out of This Weekend's Visits

Auburn received one new committment this weekend along with assurance of another. John Sullen, a 6'5" 338 lb offensive lineman from Auburn High School, has pledged himself to Auburn as their 20th commitment. Three star athlete Anthony Gulley has also said that he plans to commit to Auburn next week. Gulley says he is holding off so that he can fulfill his pledge to visit Troy first.

In other recruiting news, Demond Washington, the JUCO athlete committed to Ole Miss visited the Plains this weekend. He is still committed to Ole Miss but tells AuburnSports.com that he will make his final decision on signing day. Right now, Auburn and Ole Miss are believed to be even.

Three star defensive tackle Nosa Eguae out of Texas also visited this weekend. He says that Auburn is at the very top of his list right now. We may be able to expect a committment within a week. His greatest factor this weekend was talking to Tracy Rocker.

Four star wide receiver Emory Blake out of Texas was very impressed this weekend. Going into this visit his leading schools were Texas Tech and Colorado. Now he has three. He has added Auburn to the top of the list along with those two. He says that playing time is his main factor and he probably could play very early at Auburn considering the wide receiver situation.

Four star defensive tackle DeQuinta Jones was impressed by his Auburn visit. He is currently committed to Michigan. It could come down to Auburn, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Michigan.

Auburn did lose a committment this weekend, however. LaDarius Perkins, a three star runningback who committed to Auburn early, has changed his choice to Mississippi State.

Auburn Hires New Offensive Line Coach

BOULDER – Jeff Grimes, the assistant head coach and offensive line coach for the University of Colorado football team the past two seasons, has accepted a position at Auburn University, CU head coach Dan Hawkins confirmed Sunday.

Grimes, who also served as the running game coordinator for the Buffaloes, will be the Tigers offensive line coach.

Grimes is just the second CU assistant to leave in Hawkins’ three years; he had replaced the only other, Chris Strausser, who returned to Boise State after spending one year in Boulder. There was no change in the Colorado coaching staff between the 2007 and 2008 seasons for the first time in two decades.

"Jeff is a good man, friend, and coach, we will miss him,” Hawkins said. “We wish him and his family the best. We are fortunate that we have been able to keep the majority of our staff together.”

Grimes came to Colorado from BYU, where he coached the offensive line for the 2004 through 2006 seasons. He had all kinds of ties to Hawkins’ CU staff; he was on the 2000 Boise State staff when Hawkins was an assistant. He was the offensive line coach that season, before moving on to Arizona State where he worked the next three years (2001-03) as the O-line coach in addition to serving as running game coordinator. At ASU, he worked closely with current CU offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, who spent five years on the Sun Devil staff before joining Hawkins in Boulder.

His first year in Boulder, Grimes tutored a pair of true freshmen that started on the offensive line for the first time in program history and improved to the point where they allowed just four sacks the last five games of the year. In his second season, the offensive line was struck by the injury bug losing two starters for the remainder of the season in the first four games. By season’s end, the two-deep included five true or redshirt freshmen, two of which were in the starting lineup. Their play also dramatically improved by the end of the year from the time they were thrown to the fire for the conference opener against No. 4 Texas.

Hawkins will immediately open the search for Grimes’ replacement.

(CUBuffs.com)

Rumored Offensive Line and Defensive Backs Coaching Candidates

Offensive Line:
J.B. Grimes Offensive Line Coach, Mississippi State
Steve Campbell Head coach, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Robert McFarland Offensive Line Coach, Iowa State

Defensive Backs:
John Thompson Athletic Director, Central Arkansas
Geoff Collins Linebackers Coach, Central Florida

Official Visits for the Weekend of 1/14/09

***** DeAngelo Benton WR (Commited to LSU)
**** Dequinta Jones DT (Committed to Michigan)
**** Brandon Moore OT
**** Tana Patrick LB
**** Emory Blake WR
*** Nosa Eguae DE
*** Donald Ford LB (Committed to Auburn)
*** Anthony Gulley RB (Auburn high, Troy medium)
*** John Sullen OG (Committed to USM)
*** Demond Washington ATH (Committed to Ole Miss)