Friday, July 31, 2009

Reed To Visit

Trovon Reed is visiting Auburn this weekend. It is unknown if he will be alone. He will arrive tomorrow and depart on Sunday.

Holland An All American

Linebacker commitment Jake Holland has been invited to the 2010 Under Armour All-American Game and has accepted. It will be January 2nd in Orlando, FL, on ESPN. Cody Parkey and Antonio Goodwin will also be playing in the game.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

AU Student Found

An Auburn vet student who went missing in Thailand two weeks ago has been found. Link here.

Sporting News Rankings

The Sporting News continued their Top 100 today with Auburn. Auburn came in at number 36 in the nation. Their full season preview here.

Cullen's Plans

John Cullen says Tennessee, Auburn and Utah are still his favorite three schools. Joel Bonomolo's JUCO teammate has set a timeline of his visits. He has already taken an unofficial to Utah, he will take an official visit to Tennessee on October 10th for the Georgia game and will visit Auburn after his season ends. Cullen wants to graduate in December and would have 3 years to play two.

2009 Signee Update

  • Izauea Lanier has not qualified and will enroll in at East (Mississippi) Community College.
  • Demond Washington has passed his classes and is only waiting on his transcript in order to get to Auburn.
  • Taikwon Paige failed one of his classes but is appealing the grade. If his appeal is unsuccessful, he will not be coming to Auburn this year.
  • Terrance Coleman is being delayed due to the fact he attended two other high schools in the last four years. He says he expects to be in Auburn in the next week.
  • Daren Bates is awaiting his final grade. He thinks he "killed the exam".

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Two Notes

  • Tank Sessions has committed to Florida State.
  • I am hearing that commitments may slow down instead of speeding up. I know everyone got all excited (including myself) after Luper's comments but we may not see the big time commitments within the next week you're expecting. Not trying to spoil anyone's week but trying to make sure everyone does not have too high of expectations.

Wednesday Notes

State Rankings

Alabama's Rivals state rankings have been released. Prospects of interest for Auburn fans include (Auburn commits, uncommitted targets): LaDarius Owens (3), Jeremy Richardson (6), C.J. Mosley (8), Jake Holland (12), Jawara White (13), Pee Wee Cobb (19), Anthony Wilson (20), Kenneth Carter (22), Chase Hughes (24), Quinterrious Eatmon (31), D.J. Howard (37) and Dale Trimble (38). Full top 40 here.

Trott On Watch List

The Nassau County Sports Commission announced their list of 30 finalists for the John Mackey Award. Among them was Tommy Trott. The award is given to the nation's top tight end.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Weekend CFL Wrap Up

  • Damon Duval made 2/3 field goals with a long of 47 and 2/2 on extra points in a 21-8 Montreal win over Hamilton.
  • Prechae Rodriguez caught 3 passes for 71 yards in Hamilton's loss.
  • Tray Blackmon only had one tackle in Calgary's 48-10 win over British Columbia.

David Irons Released

The Atlanta Falcons have released former Auburn corner David Irons after reaching an injury settlement. Irons was drafted in the 6th round of the 2007 draft and made 17 special teams tackles in 20 games for the Falcons. He suffered a knee injury on December 14th against the Buccanneers and finished on the IR.

Two Tuesday Notes

  • Old news but Armand Williams has named Auburn in his top two. His other top school is Tulsa.
  • Williams' high school teammate, Alex Hill visited Auburn recently and called it his favorite visit yet. Coach Grimes apparently told Hill he would get playing time freshman year. Hill's recruitment has really picked up lately and it appears offers from Auburn, Ole Miss and LSU could be coming soon.

Mississippi State Rankings

Rivals has released their first five state and D.C. rankings. Mississippi had Auburn target Damien Robinson at the number one spot. Olive Branch teammate and Auburn commitment Shon Coleman came in at number 11 in the state. Other notables include Carlos Thompson (3), Robert Johnson (5), Travis Dickson (9), Steve McNair, Jr. (16) and Eric Lawson (26).

Tailgate Guys

If you have any questions for the "Tailgate Guys", you can ask them on Thursday on SportsCall. SportsCall will be broadcasting live from Bogies and will have the Tailgate Guys on around 4:15. If you do not know about the new tailgating plans, read more here. SportsCall is M-F from 4-6 on 93.9 in Auburn.

2011 Schedule Set?

Here is a look at how the 2011 schedule appears to be:

9/3/2011 UTAH STATE
9/10/2011 MISSISSIPPI STATE
9/17/2011 @ Clemson
9/24/2011 FLORIDA ATLANTIC
10/1/2011 @ South Carolina
10/8/2011 FLORIDA
10/15/2011 @ Arkansas
10/22/2011 @ Louisiana State University
10/29/2011 OLE MISS
11/5/2011 SAMFORD (homecoming)
11/12/2011 @ Georgia
11/26/2011 ALABAMA

Powers Also Get Four

Jerraud Powers also signed a four year contract with the Indianapolis Colts today. He was drafted in the third round.

Marks Agrees To Terms

Sen'Derrick Marks has agreed to the terms of a four year deal with the Tennessee Titans according to the Tennessean and his agent, Hadley Englehard. Marks is expected to help replace Albert Haynesworth. No details of the contract were immediately available.

Auburn Student Missing In Thailand

Click here for more information on missing vet school student Michael Griffin Harrie. Prayers requested.

Owens Plans Officials

LaDarius Owens is planning official visits to Auburn and Alabama. He will visit Auburn for the Mississippi State game and 'Bama for the LSU game.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Fun Fact

Not Auburn related but they announced the 2010 Georgia Dome game will stick with the SEC-ACC theme. LSU is set to play UNC to open the 2010 season.

Lost Another

Defensive end target Neiron Ball has committed to Florida.

Roby To Vandy

Wide receiver and corner back target Bradley Roby has committed to Vanderbilt. He is their 19th commitment.

SEC Championship to Stay In Atlanta

The SEC Championship has signed on to stay at the Georgia Dome through 2015. The game moved to the Dome in 1994 and only one year (1995) has not been a sellout.

Carter Commits

As expected, Auburn picked up its fourteenth commitment for the 2010 class today in Kenneth Carter.

The 6'5", 265 lb. defensive tackle picked Auburn over Ole Miss, Alabama and Kentucky. He also had offers from Southern Miss, Clemson and LSU according to Scout. Carter says he wanted to get the decision out of the way so he could focus on his senior season. As a junior, Carter racked up around 60 tackles and six sacks.

Carter is rated a three star on Rivals and Scout. Rivals ranks him the number 63 DT while Scout has him 60th.

Carter

Carter will be broadcast on WSFA. This is delaying the announcement about five or ten more minutes.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Owens

LaDarius Owens has delayed his decision. He was set to announce this week but no longer will. He says he has prayed and still is not sure. He will now probably wait until after his senior season.

A New Name

A new guy to keep an eye on is Calvin Smith. He is a four star defensive tackle. Smith looks like he is leaning toward Florida State but despite not even listing Auburn as a college choice on Rivals, he is high on the Tigers. He named his top four as Florida State, Florida, Auburn and New Mexico. Smith visited last weekend.

Williams Update

Anothony Williams has named his top two as Georgia Tech and Florida State. He said that Auburn is in third place.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Beasley

Victor Beasley did not visit this weekend but will be in Auburn next weekend.

Know A Signee: Brandon Jacobs

  • Three star, ranked the 60th best running back on Rivals. Three star, 74th best running back by Scout. Graded a 77/100 by ESPN.com. Ranked 60th on the Rivals Postseason Georgia Top 75.
  • Lilburn, Georgia (Parkview High School)
  • Born: December 8, 1990
  • Committed July 7, 2008
  • 6'1", 230 lbs. 4.52 sec 40 yard dash
  • 2008 stats: rushed for 1,575 yards and 19 touchdowns on 240 carries. Caught 13 passes for 95 yards. Had 37 tackles on defense including seven tackles for a loss and one sack. Hit .511 with seven homers and 16 RBI in baseball. 2007 stats: had around 950 yards on 121carries.
  • Named to 5A All State team by the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Named an Honorable Mention All State as a senior by GSWA. Named Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett. Named to PrepStar's All Southeast Region Team.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Wake Forest and UAB.
  • Only took an official visit to Auburn.
  • Drafted in the tenth round of the MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Originally was going to sign with Boston for $800,000 but has backed off. Last I saw, he is still deciding but is leaning toward signing with the Red Sox.

Auburn In Top Five For Calhoun

Aleon Calhoun has named his top five. In order, they are Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Auburn. Calhoun says he has visited his first three which is what sets them ahead of Auburn and Nebraska. He says he wants to see what Auburn is all about and is planning a visit to the Plains.

Big O-Lineman Commits

Offensive line recruiting has started to get thin but Auburn picked up its second lineman for the 2010 class. Chad Slade committed Saturday. Slade justed picked up his offer a couple of days ago.
Slade is 6 foot 6, 316 lbs. He is from Moody, AL and is cousin of former AU running back Stacy Danley. He had offers from Auburn, Mississippi State and Arkansas State.

He is currently unranked by Rivals and Scout. He has a 3.0 GPA, benches 335 and squats 525.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Links For SEC Media Days

  • Q&A with Antonio Coleman courtesy of Gainesville.com. Click here.
  • The real Gene Chizik courtesy of the Clanton Advertiser. Click here.
  • Auburn Media Days Recap from Beacher Report. Click here.
  • Chizik won't ever rank as 'Mr. Personality' at media days by the Montgomery Advertiser. Click here.
  • Auburn QB job very much open by the Dothan Eagle. Click here.
  • Antonio Coleman says there's another side to straight-laced Chizik. Click here.
I know I am really slacking today but I was not their and it's been a busy day for me. I should be back full force tomorrow haha. Also, as of now the rumors I mentioned yesterday do not seem to be panning out. If anything happens I will definitely post it.

Media Days Wrap Up

  • Votegate '09, Chizik DID vote for Tebow and Spurrier is the one who did not.
  • Montez Billings will play this fall
  • Chizik believes the offensive line and runningbacks could be the strengths of the offense this season. Luper said similar things last night.
  • He wants a quarterback soon. Says guys from spring have an advantage.
  • Pierre-Louis and Henderson are on the team.
  • Fall practices will be closed.
  • Says the goal is winning the SEC West.
  • There was really not much more new information from Chizik.

Qualifying Status

  • Taikwon Paige is going to have a battle to qualify. He needs a C in his history class in order to qualify. He says he will need a B on his final to get there.
  • Demond Washington seems to be on track to qualify. He also needs C's in his classes to qualify and says he is on track to get an A, B and a C.

Chizik Media Days

Auburn on ESPNews now. Chizik press conference likely to follow.

NOTE: They are showing Kiffin press conference live now. Chizik taped to follow.

Chizik Agent

Gene Chizik has a new agent. He had previously worked with famous agent Jimmy Sexton who also represented Tommy Tuberville. Chizik's agent is now Russ Campbell who also represents Arkansas' Bobby Petrino, Southern Miss' Larry Fedora, Samford's Pat Sullivan and Troy's Larry Blakeney. Sexton's remaining SEC coaches are Saban, Nutt, Spurrier and Kiffin.

Visiting Today

The following are for sure visiting:
The following are possibilities:

SEC Media Days

I will hopefully have a recap of Media Days in a couple of hours. Today is going to be hectic for me so hang with me...

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Another Set To Decide

In state defensive end Kenneth Carter has announced that he will make his decision Monday at 1 PM. He is deciding between Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Ole Miss. He will hold a press conference in his coliseum. He appears to be leaning toward the good guys.

Correction: Owens To Announce

LaDarius Owens is set to announce on July 31st at 6 PM between Auburn, Alabama, LSU, FSU and Tennessee. It will either take place at his school or the clubhouse of where he lives.

Rumor: L. Owens to Announce?

I am hearing whispers that LaDarius Owens could be making his decision this weekend. We had previously heard he could commit early next week. As of now, I see him strongly leaning toward Auburn.

Grant To Bama

Corey Grant has committed to Alabama.

Under Armour All-American Receiver Commits

Auburn picked up its 12th commitment for 2010 this morning with a big four star wide receiver. Antonio Goodwin became Auburn's second four star wide receiver of the class.

Goodwin is 6'2", 170 lbs. and ranked the 37th best receiver in the nation by Rivals. He is also a four star on Scout and on the ESPNU 150 Watch List. He had offers from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Florida State, Oregon, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and North Carolina.

Goodwin runs a 4.48 40 yard dash and claims a 40 inch vertical jump. He has pretty much every attribute you need in a receiver. Big, explosive, good sideline awareness, good body control, big and strong hands. The only skill he lacks is great route running ability, which can be coached. ESPN.com says the sky is the limit for him.

Goodwin wants to major in communications and currently has a 2.9 GPA and a 1000 on the SATs.

Auburn Offers 2011 QB

Auburn gave pro style quarterback Jeff Driskel his first offer tonight. The Florida quarterback is said to resemble a "Tim Tebow type" quarterback and is a baseball star. The upcoming junior quarterback is a huge Auburn fan but is not ready to commit just yet, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The 6'4", 225 lb. quarterback threw for 1,125 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore, adding six rushing touchdowns. He has also received interest from Ole Miss, Clemson, Georgia and Florida. He is the second quarterback Auburn has offered for 2011, the other being Kiehl Frazier.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

A Few Notes

  • Corey Crawford visited today. He said a few schools he is looking at now are Auburn, Clemson and Florida State.
  • Travis Williams has been named a defensive graduate assistant. He will be working with the defensive line.
  • John Cullen's top three are Utah, Tennessee and Auburn. He plays at Fullerton C.C. with commitment Joel Bonomolo.
  • Carlos Thompson named his top four (in no order) Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Baylor.
  • Caleb Castille, little brother of Alabama players Tim and Simeon, picked up an offer at corner from Auburn this weekend.
  • Travis Dickson has been doing mission work lately with the Atlanta Dream Center.
  • SEC Media Days started today. Auburn has their press conference on Friday morning at 8:30 AM. Today's press conferences were televised on ESPNNews so I would imagine that is their plan all week. Free streaming is also available on SECSports.com. Representing Auburn are Gene Chizik, Tommy Trott and Antonio Coleman.

Know A Signee: Josh Jackson

  • Will wear number 99
  • Two star defensive tackle on Rivals and Scout. Ranked the 94th DT by Scout.com. ESPN.com rated him 74/100 and ranked him the 84th best defensive tackle.
  • Gainesville, Georgia (Gainesville High School)
  • Born: November 13, 1990
  • Committed: 2/3/2009
  • 6'2", 260 lbs., 5.0 sec 40 yard dash
  • 2008 stats: had 99 tackles and 16 sacks for a team that allowed 12 points per game. Also picked off a pass and returned it for a 50 yard touchdown and returned a fumble for a touchdown. 2007 stats: 87 tackles, 5 sacks and one interception.
  • Named to 3A All-State First Team by GSWA. Honorable mention all state by the Atanta Journal Constitution. Named to the 7A/B-AAA All Region First Team. Participated in the Georgia North-South All Star game. Was set to participate in the Down Under All Star game in Australia.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Arkansas, N.C. State, Toledo and UMASS.
  • Did not take an official visit until April 21 of this year.
  • Did not need his official to commit to Auburn because the offer was what he was waiting on. Has questionable size to play defensive tackle and could end up at defensive end. Was set to play 1AA until Coach Rocker offered him at Auburn. Rocker was his deciding factor. Many schools were turned off by his test scores.
  • Remains at home awaiting confirmation from the NCAA Cl.earinghouse. Says he feels optimistic he will qualify and move to Auburn by August 3rd or 4th.

Rivals 250 Movers and Shakers

Two Game Times Set

Auburn's first two games have been set for 6 PM CT. The Louisiana Tech game will be shown on ESPNU and the Mississippi State game will show on Fox Sports Network.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Crawford To Visit (Updated)

Earlier today I predicted that Auburn would be back on Corey Crawford's radar ever since the drama with the University of Georgia. Now, it appears that is correct. Auburn Undercover is reporting that Corey Crawford is now planning a return trip to the Plains tomorrow.

Word On The Street

Is that Dakota Mosley visited Auburn today and Michael Dyer did not.

Owens: Decision Coming?

LaDarius Owens is making some final visits and a decision could come in the next week. Owens is heading to Tuscaloosa today and will check out Mississippi State this weekend. He says he will talk to his parents after the visits and if he is going to make a decision before his season, it will probably come next week. Looks like it will be an Auburn-Alabama competition with the Tigers leading.

Travis Dickson Top 5

Travis Dickson told InsideTheGrove.com that his top five are Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State and Florida State. Dickson's brother plays for LSU and father played at Mississippi State. Dickson has previously said that it would be "great to be a football player" at Auburn. He is the only tight end I really see left on Auburn's radar.

Carver Cuts Ties With UGA

Carver High School in Columbus, Georgia has produced some top talent in the state in recent years including four three star players in the 2010 rankings. After UGA pulled an offer to Devin Burns while he was on campus visiting, Carver says they will no longer be communicating with the school. How does this affect Auburn? Corey Crawford says he was close to committing to UGA but now has backed off of them and I believe Auburn remains very much in the picture.

Rivals 100 Movers and Shakers

Rivals Rankings

Rivals is releasing new star rankings along with state rankings. Southeast states will be released on the following dates:
  • Mississippi - July 28
  • Alabama - July 29
  • Georgia - July 31
  • North Carolina - July 31
  • Kentucky - August 3
  • Arkansas - August 3
  • Louisiana - August 4
  • South Carolina - August 5
  • Tennessee - August 5
  • Florida - August 6

Monday, July 20, 2009

Stars

Rivals is supposed to be updating their stars and ratings today. Could not be out until tomorrow or Wednesday. I will post them as they come out.

Grant

Decision coming Thursday at noon at Opelika HS. Listen live here.

More On Phillips

  • Phillips says he is currently 326 lbs.
  • He did show up at Florida State around 340 lbs.
  • Coach Rick Trickett reportedly picked on Phillips constantly.
  • Trickett belitted Phillips and told him he was not a lineman anymore but was only still on the team because of his Letter of Intent.
  • Phillips says he is confident he will be eligible to play this season.

Phillips Ends Up At Auburn After All

Auburn entered the battle for Aubrey Phillips late in the game last season. Phillips ended up at Florida State after taking his last official visit to Auburn. But after reportedly showing up to FSU at around 340 pounds, Phillips has gone back to his Mississippi home and has decided he will play football at Auburn after a visit Sunday.

The All-American offensive tackle is a big pickup for an Auburn line that is thin. Phillips was ranked the 25th best OT by Rivals and given a four star rating and rated a 75/100 on ESPN.com. Phillips was high school teammates with 2009 signee Daren Bates, big time 2010 lineman prospect Damien Robinson and 2010 commitment Shon Coleman in Olive Branch, MS.

Phillips originally was committed to Tennessee, ended up at FSU but now has picked Auburn over Alabama and Arkansas.

He will have to sit out a year as a transfer but Auburn can file a waiver to try and make him eligible this season.


Howard Commits

My internet is down so I had to find another computer. This is pretty much old news now but D.J. Howard has committed to Auburn. There were rumors yesterday that this would be coming. More to come.

Re-Post


I pulled this from the Rivals message board, help a former Auburn player out:

If you are in the Houston area please consider donating white cells, or if you know someone in the area, please pass this message along as it could help save a friend's life. He desperately needs help. If you have any questions, or would like more details, please let me know.

Our friend Brent Schoening has been battling Leukemia in Houston at MD Anderson Cancer Center for the past 10 months. The details about his battle and story can be read from the news story and his sister's update below. For the past 10 months, he's endured a bone marrow transplant, heavy chemo, extreme pain, and currently has been fighting a fungus that has attacked his face, because his immune system has been eviscerated. I spoke to his mother a little bit ago. I'm not sure how he's still alive but he's fighting.

For those that don't know Brent, was a pitcher at Auburn in the late 90's. Off the field he was one of the nicest and most mild-mannered friends you could ever have....once on the mound, he was a fierce competitor that didn't like to lose....as shown by his record.

Here is the process for finding out if you can donate, per his sister's message:

If you are in the Houston area, or If you know anyone in the Houston area that can give white cells for Brent please tell them to call (713) 792-7777, Extension 5, and to tell them you are calling to find out about donating white blood cells to Brent Schoening. This is the number for the MD Anderson's blood bank and they will prescreen them to see if they qualify to give. Not everyone will be able to give - that's why we need as many people as possible to call and try and give. Please tell your family, friends, co-workers, etc, to pass this along if they know anyone in the Houston area- or anyone who can be in the Houston area, to help continue saving my brother's life. Once they are prescreened they can let us know and Mom will put them on a schedule to give for Brent.


To sign up for updates and read past updates: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/WeloveyouBrent


News story is from last December....
“Cancer Patient gets Needed Help”
Maria Jones
http://www.wltz.com/news/local/35396979.html
Story Updated: Dec 2, 2008 at 6:29 PM CDT

A community pulls together to help a man’s fight with cancer. NBC 38’s Maria Jones explains how friends and family of Brent Schoening are helping him win the fight of his life. A show of love and support for Brent Schoening. Supporters say they didn’t hesitate to help a special friend. Friend Rick Stoller “Oh yeah no problem, I mean anything you know, Anything I can do to help Brent and his family you know his wife Lauren you know she’s been down there with him the whole time, so anything we can do to help.” Thirty year old Brent Schoening and his family have called Columbus home for more than two decades. And his mom says the community has shown extra support during this difficult time. “I would just like to thank them so much for all the support and trying to help Brent means the world to all of us,” his mom, Elizabeth stated. Brent graduated from Columbus High, and Auburn University, where he played baseball and tennis. In 1999 he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins. According to his mom, he had plans of returning to baseball after a shoulder injury. But found out he had Leukemia. Many of Brent’s family and friends described him as mild mannered but very competitive when it comes to sports. They all said they are pulling together to show their support, because he’d do the same, if they were in need. Columbus High Baseball Coach, Bobby Howard said, “It’s a tough situation but I know Brent’s a very tough kid. He’s very competitive and high character and I know things are going to work out.” Another friend, Shaun Dunaway added, “The way that his general disposition is, I just sort looked at it like he’s going to be okay.” Brent has been scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant next month. And family and friends are hopeful it will be a success. Friend, Josh Hudson stated, “I mean we’ve been through a lot. Ups and downs and you know obviously he needs us and our prayers and all to get through this.” For WLTZ NBC 38, I’m Maria Jones. Due to an overwhelming response, an additional blood drive will be held again, this Saturday from 9am until 5 pm. If you’d like to help, the blood mobile will be set up next the Gold’s Gym on Woodruff road, across from St. Francis Hospital. Brent is currently undergoing treatment at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas.


Sister's update from today, July 18, 2009....
Brent needs more white cells
Posted 1 hour ago
Hi everybody- just an fyi-Please hit the more button at the bottom of the update to see the continued message- you can on the past updates as well.

So Mom spoke with his Doctors yesterday, and this is what we need. White cells and PRAYERS! The Doctor told him that right now the white blood cells that Brent has been receiving for the past two weeks are the only thing ~besides our prayers~ that are keeping him alive. For those of you that don't know Brent had a horrible fungus a couple of weeks in his face and he had major surgery to remove it, which was very dangerous considering that he had no white cells to fight the infection. The Doctors believe that they got it all; however the white cells that Brent has been receiving are the only things keeping it from coming back,so we need more to continue fighting the infection. White cells are hard to come by because the hospital does not have any,because they are only good for ten hours before they expire. Therefore we have to rally and find people to supply them for Brent.(It's like giving blood) We have been fortunate enough thanks to family and friends to have Brent white cells everyday for the past 2 weeks, and Mom has someone scheduled for this next week until Sunday the 26th. Donors are able to give again,up to 5 times every other day. So if you guys know anyone that has already given and wants to give again please let us know.

If you guys know anyone in the Houston area that can give white cells for Brent PLEASE tell them to call this number- 713-792-7777 extension 5. This is the number for the MD Anderson's blood bank and they will prescreen them to see if they qualify to give. Not everyone will be able to give, that's why we need as many people as we can to call and try and give. Please tell your family, friends, etc, to pass this along if they know anyone in the Houston area- or anyone who can be in the Houston area, to help continue saving my brother's life. Once they are prescreened they can let us know and Mom will put them on a schedule to give for Brent.

We also need more prayers. We have to pray that the Donors marrow comes back - the healthy marrow starts producing in Brent's body. And that the leukemia does not ever come back. If Brent can keep this fungus at bay with our help, and the good cells start producing then the Doctors are going to give him some more stem cells to help him keep the leukemia away.

After all that he has been through he is still fighting. He is finally trying to eat more and bless his heart he is doing a good job- This is a miracle in itself- and an answer to a lot of prayers! There is no doubt that your prayers have been the best medicine that he has received and will continue to receive.
Please continue to pray for our family as well and we thank you all for your prayers, love, support and white cells!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Auburn CFL Wrap Up

  • Tray Blackmon made three tackles and deflected one pass for the Calgary Stampeders in a 44-9 win over Toronto on Friday.
  • Damon Duval was 4 for 5 on FGs with a long of 40 yards for Montreal in a 43-10 win over Saskatchewan. He also punted four times four an average of 49 yards and a long of 64. He was four for four on extra points.
  • Prechae Rodriguez caught 5 passes for 57 yards in a 25-13 Hamilton win over Winnipeg.

Mosley/Dyer

Dakota Mosley and Michael Dyer have delayed their visit to Auburn until Tuesday. They were supposed to visit today.

Grant Decision Coming

Corey Grant has made his decision on where he will play college ball. He is planning to make his decision in a press conference on either next Thursday or Friday. More to come...

Offensive Line Help On The Way?

Auburn lost out on Aubrey Phillips a few days before signing day. Now we may have him after all. Rumors swirled that Phillips showed up to FSU overweight. He now has been released from his scholarship. He visited Auburn today and may stay overnight. He says he will decide tomorrow whether he will go to Auburn, Alabama or Arkansas.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

McNeal Commits

Demetruce McNeal has committed to Auburn, becoming the 10th commitment of the 2010 class. McNeal is a three star on Rivals and Scout. Rivals ranks him the 31st best safety in the nation while Scout ranks him 72nd. He is graded a 75/100 on ESPN.com. McNeal is teammates with commitment Shaun Kitchens.

McNeal had offers from Auburn, Louisiana Monroe, South Carolina and West Virginia. McNeal looks to be the only safety that Auburn is planning to take this signing class but one more is possible. He says his recruiting is over and will not consider other schoos.

McNeal had 42 tackles in eight games last season.

Whispers

  • LaDarius Owens eliminates Alabama? According to Rivals, Owens' top 3 are Auburn, Florida and Georgia. I like our chances if so...a LOT.
  • Demetruce McNeal could make a decision VERY soon.
  • Huge turnout at camp today. A lot more prospects than first expected. More to come.

Know A Signee: Andre Harris

  • Will wear number 70
  • Three star, 36th best offensive guard in the country by Rivals. Three star, number 24 guard by Scout. Nuber 48 on the Rivals Postseason Georgia Top 75. Graded 70/100 by ESPN.com.
  • Hampton, GA (Lovejoy High School)
  • Born: October 3, 1990
  • Committed: June 15, 2008
  • 6'4", 300 lbs. 5.67 sec 40 yard dash
  • Named to the 2008 Atlanta Journal Constitution 5A All State Team. Honorable mention All-State by GSWA. Named first team All State by the AJC as a junior and honorable mention by GSWA. Named to PrepStars All Southeast Region Team. SuperPrep ranked him the 29th best prospect in the state of Georgia.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Maryland, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, NC State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Virginia and UCF.
  • Took an official visit to Auburn only (1/9/2009).
  • Says he questioned his commitment when Tommy Tuberville resigned but barely waivered from his commitment. Says he stayed with Auburn because it was a great school and seemed like a great experience. Says there never was a number two school for him, Auburn was always his number one. Could play guard or tackle at Auburn.
  • Qualified and on campus.

Actually...

Previous report that Corey Grant is there is incorrect.

Important! Please Read

I pulled this from the Rivals message board, help a former Auburn player out:

If you are in the Houston area please consider donating white cells, or if you know someone in the area, please pass this message along as it could help save a friend's life. He desperately needs help. If you have any questions, or would like more details, please let me know.

Our friend Brent Schoening has been battling Leukemia in Houston at MD Anderson Cancer Center for the past 10 months. The details about his battle and story can be read from the news story and his sister's update below. For the past 10 months, he's endured a bone marrow transplant, heavy chemo, extreme pain, and currently has been fighting a fungus that has attacked his face, because his immune system has been eviscerated. I spoke to his mother a little bit ago. I'm not sure how he's still alive but he's fighting.

For those that don't know Brent, was a pitcher at Auburn in the late 90's. Off the field he was one of the nicest and most mild-mannered friends you could ever have....once on the mound, he was a fierce competitor that didn't like to lose....as shown by his record.

Here is the process for finding out if you can donate, per his sister's message:

If you are in the Houston area, or If you know anyone in the Houston area that can give white cells for Brent please tell them to call (713) 792-7777, Extension 5, and to tell them you are calling to find out about donating white blood cells to Brent Schoening. This is the number for the MD Anderson's blood bank and they will prescreen them to see if they qualify to give. Not everyone will be able to give - that's why we need as many people as possible to call and try and give. Please tell your family, friends, co-workers, etc, to pass this along if they know anyone in the Houston area- or anyone who can be in the Houston area, to help continue saving my brother's life. Once they are prescreened they can let us know and Mom will put them on a schedule to give for Brent.


To sign up for updates and read past updates: http://www.carepages.com/carepages/WeloveyouBrent


News story is from last December....
“Cancer Patient gets Needed Help”
Maria Jones
http://www.wltz.com/news/local/35396979.html
Story Updated: Dec 2, 2008 at 6:29 PM CDT

A community pulls together to help a man’s fight with cancer. NBC 38’s Maria Jones explains how friends and family of Brent Schoening are helping him win the fight of his life. A show of love and support for Brent Schoening. Supporters say they didn’t hesitate to help a special friend. Friend Rick Stoller “Oh yeah no problem, I mean anything you know, Anything I can do to help Brent and his family you know his wife Lauren you know she’s been down there with him the whole time, so anything we can do to help.” Thirty year old Brent Schoening and his family have called Columbus home for more than two decades. And his mom says the community has shown extra support during this difficult time. “I would just like to thank them so much for all the support and trying to help Brent means the world to all of us,” his mom, Elizabeth stated. Brent graduated from Columbus High, and Auburn University, where he played baseball and tennis. In 1999 he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins. According to his mom, he had plans of returning to baseball after a shoulder injury. But found out he had Leukemia. Many of Brent’s family and friends described him as mild mannered but very competitive when it comes to sports. They all said they are pulling together to show their support, because he’d do the same, if they were in need. Columbus High Baseball Coach, Bobby Howard said, “It’s a tough situation but I know Brent’s a very tough kid. He’s very competitive and high character and I know things are going to work out.” Another friend, Shaun Dunaway added, “The way that his general disposition is, I just sort looked at it like he’s going to be okay.” Brent has been scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant next month. And family and friends are hopeful it will be a success. Friend, Josh Hudson stated, “I mean we’ve been through a lot. Ups and downs and you know obviously he needs us and our prayers and all to get through this.” For WLTZ NBC 38, I’m Maria Jones. Due to an overwhelming response, an additional blood drive will be held again, this Saturday from 9am until 5 pm. If you’d like to help, the blood mobile will be set up next the Gold’s Gym on Woodruff road, across from St. Francis Hospital. Brent is currently undergoing treatment at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston, Texas.


Sister's update from today, July 18, 2009....
Brent needs more white cells
Posted 1 hour ago
Hi everybody- just an fyi-Please hit the more button at the bottom of the update to see the continued message- you can on the past updates as well.

So Mom spoke with his Doctors yesterday, and this is what we need. White cells and PRAYERS! The Doctor told him that right now the white blood cells that Brent has been receiving for the past two weeks are the only thing ~besides our prayers~ that are keeping him alive. For those of you that don't know Brent had a horrible fungus a couple of weeks in his face and he had major surgery to remove it, which was very dangerous considering that he had no white cells to fight the infection. The Doctors believe that they got it all; however the white cells that Brent has been receiving are the only things keeping it from coming back,so we need more to continue fighting the infection. White cells are hard to come by because the hospital does not have any,because they are only good for ten hours before they expire. Therefore we have to rally and find people to supply them for Brent.(It's like giving blood) We have been fortunate enough thanks to family and friends to have Brent white cells everyday for the past 2 weeks, and Mom has someone scheduled for this next week until Sunday the 26th. Donors are able to give again,up to 5 times every other day. So if you guys know anyone that has already given and wants to give again please let us know.

If you guys know anyone in the Houston area that can give white cells for Brent PLEASE tell them to call this number- 713-792-7777 extension 5. This is the number for the MD Anderson's blood bank and they will prescreen them to see if they qualify to give. Not everyone will be able to give, that's why we need as many people as we can to call and try and give. Please tell your family, friends, etc, to pass this along if they know anyone in the Houston area- or anyone who can be in the Houston area, to help continue saving my brother's life. Once they are prescreened they can let us know and Mom will put them on a schedule to give for Brent.

We also need more prayers. We have to pray that the Donors marrow comes back - the healthy marrow starts producing in Brent's body. And that the leukemia does not ever come back. If Brent can keep this fungus at bay with our help, and the good cells start producing then the Doctors are going to give him some more stem cells to help him keep the leukemia away.

After all that he has been through he is still fighting. He is finally trying to eat more and bless his heart he is doing a good job- This is a miracle in itself- and an answer to a lot of prayers! There is no doubt that your prayers have been the best medicine that he has received and will continue to receive.
Please continue to pray for our family as well and we thank you all for your prayers, love, support and white cells!

Grant Visits

In a surprise move, Corey Grant has showed up for this weekend.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Just A Note Bout The Site

I know it may not sound like a large amount but I have over doubled my regular hits per day from about 2,000 in June to 5,000-6,000 lately. I want to thank everyone for helping support me by donating and checking out my advertisers! Tell your friends and we'll keep growing...all of this is do to you all because I do not advertise this at all. Keep reading and thanks for all of the support!

And Know A Signee will return tomorrow with Andre Harris!

Update

Hey guys I have not had access to a computer a lot of today. Here is everything:
  • Michael Dyer told an Arkansas radio station that Auburn has a "really good lead". He confirmed he and Dakota Mosley WILL visit Auburn Sunday. He says a decision will likely come before the season. Tennessee and Arkansas trail Auburn.
  • More players that will be on the Plains include Calvin Smith, Juan Correa and Ravonne Carter.
  • Antonio Goodwin will be in Auburn this weekend also.
  • I would expect our next commitment to come from Demetruce McNeal. It could easily occur this weekend.
  • I am hearing that Garrison Smith has committed to UGA.
  • There are whispers of more attrition on the team. No names have circulated.
  • New Rivals rankings coming out the 20th.

Dyer and Mosley Talk 'Cruitin

TV interview here. Good info. Dyer discusses Arkansas, possible silent commitment rumors and possibly playing in college with Mosley.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Fan Day Announced

Sunday, August 16 at Jordan Hare Stadium. Official release:

Fan Day will be 2-4 p.m., and it's free.

Chizik, along with the Auburn cheerleaders, Tiger Paws, Aubie, and the soccer and volleyball teams will be available for autographs. Posters and schedule
cards will be provided at no charge.

Fans are asked to enter Jordan-Hare from the west side of the stadium. Fans interested in obtaining Coach Chizik's autograph will be asked to enter the stadium at Gate 11 (west side). There will not be access to Coach Chizik's line inside the stadium.

The Auburn offense will be staged on the south concourse, while the Tigers' defense will be staged on the north concourse. The Auburn cheerleaders, Tiger Paws, Aubie, and the soccer and volleyball teams will be staged on the west concourse.

The east concourse and upper decks will be closed as will access to the inner bowl of Jordan-Hare Stadium and the field.

Gates will open at 1:45 p.m.

Auburn 2009 Football Media Guides and Auburn game-worn football jerseys will also be available for purchase during Fan Day.

Chaz Ramsey Suing Former Coach, Trainer

For "pain and anguish" and the denial of a "very probable career in the NFL". It is filed against former coach Hugh Nall and trainer Arnold Gamber. Full article here.

Who's Coming and Who Isn't (AS OF 5 PM CT)

I'm About To Go Back To Doing A Wrap Up Update At The End Of The Day...

Rivals now saying Dixon may be coming. I am going to wait a couple hours before I post anything else on this situation. Kind of getting ridiculous. More to come (in a few hours) ;) ha..

Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team

Auburn had no first teamers. Lee Ziemba and Antonio Coleman are second team. Ben Tate is third team running back. Full team here.

Seastrunk, Dixon Not Attending

Lache Seastrunk and Ahmad Dixon are no longer planning on visiting this weekend. More to come.

Offensive Linemen

Since a lot of bad news has come Auburn's way in the last few days regarding big name offensive linemen going elsewhere, let's look at some prospects still out there:

Name - Hometown - Offer? - Rivals Rating
Darone Bailey - Cleveland, MS (East Side) - No
O.C. Brown - Memphis, TN (Manassas) - No - ****
Aleon Calhoun - Navasota, TX (Navasota) - Yes - ***
James Carmon - Perkinston, MS (MGCCC) - No - listed as DT, AU recruiting for offense
John Cullen - Fullerton, CA (Fullerton CC) - Yes
Quinterrius Eatmon - Mobile, AL (Vigor) - No
Alex Hill - Slidell, LA (Slidell) - No - ***
Chase Hughes - Springville, AL (Springville) - Yes
Dan Koenig - Cape Coral, FL (Cape Coral) - No - ***
Du'Von Millsap - Buford, GA (Buford) - No
Dakota Mosley - Little Rock, AR (Little Rock Christian) - Yes
Damien Robinson - Olive Branch, MS (Olive Branch) - Yes - ****
Marquee Reddrick - Clay, AL (Clay) - No
Chad Slade - Moody, AL (Moody) - No
James Stone - Nashville, TN (Maplewood) - Yes - ****
Terrence Swift - Fairfield, AL (Fairfield) - No
Zak Tait - Knoxville, TN (Catholic) - No - ***
Daryl Williams - Corinth, TX (Lake Dallas) - Yes - ***

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Conflicting Reports

There are conflicting reports regarding Trovon Reed visiting this weekend. I am told that Scout has said Reed will be visiting while Jeffrey Lee from Rivals has stated that Reed will not be visiting. As soon as I get official word I will post it.

Bonomolo Officially Commits

Ever since the weekend people have wondered about Joel Bonomolo's commitment status. My sources told me he had committed and other outlets reported that the staff was not accepting his commitment. Now it is official according to Rivals. My original article:

It had appeared that all it was going to take to secure the commitment of Fullerton Community College defensive end Joel Bonomolo was a trip to the Plains. That occurred Saturday when Bonomolo made an official visit. Soon after, he committed to the Tigers.

Bonomolo is originally from Rummel High School in New Orleans, Louisiana but has been playing at Fullerton CC in Fullerton, CA alongside fellow recruit John Cullen. Bonomolo often said that if LSU had offered him, they would jump to the front of his list but he had backed off that statement more recently. He stated that LSU would be too close to home but he still wanted to play in the SEC, making Auburn the perfect choice.

The 6'3", 245 lb. strongside defensive end is clocked at a 4.65 second 40 yard dash. He chose Auburn over schools such as Utah, Tennessee, Iowa State, Washington, Washington State, Arizona, Arizona State and San Diego State. His final three were Auburn, Utah and Tennessee.

He was honorable mention All-State as a senior at Rummel. He was All District as a junior and senior, All District MVP and All Metro. Even though he had 17 sacks as a senior, his only solid scholarship offer out of high school was Southern Illinois, most likely due to his low ACT score. He then sat out of football in 2007.

After a year of classes at Delgado CC, Bonomolo decided to fly to California and play for Fullerton. He was Week 8 SCFA Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week for Fullerton in 2008, racking up 6 solo tackles, 3 assists, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 sack. Overall, his 2008 stats include 24 solo tackles, 17 assists, 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 10 games.

He was recruited by Trooper Taylor. He is Taylor's third commitment (Coleman and Holland).

Bonomolo will graduate from Fullerton in December and enroll in Auburn in January. He appears to be in good academic standing. He will have three years to play two.

Mack To USC

Auburn lost another offensive line recruit today. Eric Mack has committed to USC.

FSN To Televise SEC

FSN has worked out a deal with ESPN to televise nine SEC football games per season, beginning with this season, according to Jay Tate. The FSN networks include Fox Sports South, Sun Sports and Fox Sports Southwest.

Corey Grant Update

Corey Grant says he will make an announcement before school begins which is August the 10th. He will announce at his high school. His father, Ike, says he does not even know where his son is leaning right now. No word yet as to if he will be on the Plains this weekend.

Dixon

It has been confirmed that Waco, Texas Baylor commitment Ahmad Dixon will be in attendance of this weekend's camp. Dixon is a four star on Rivals and reportedly has close ties to Lache Seastrunk. Dixon has already changed his commitment one time, from Texas to Baylor.

ALSO: Hearing rumors that Trovon Reed could actually be coming this weekend...will let you know...anyone have confirmation? I guess it is true from the ITAT article...

Know A Signee: Anthony Gulley

  • Will wear number 24
  • Three star, 39th best all purpose back in the nation by Rivals. Ranked number 30 on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals. Two star all purpose back on Scout. Rated 67/100 on ESPN.com.
  • Brantley, Alabama (Brantley High School)
  • Born: September 8, 1990
  • Committed: 1/28/2009
  • 5'11", 185 lbs., 4.4 sec 40 yard dash
  • 2008 stats: 58 rushes for 1,162 yards and 18 touchdowns. Caught 17 passes for 543 yards and 9 touchdowns. Returned six kickoffs for 244 yards and two touchdowns and 5 punts for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns. Had 48 solo tackles, 9 sacks, 2 interceptions and one fumble recovery. 2007 stats: had 167 rushes for 1,604 yards and 18 touchdowns and 11 catches for 173 yards and four touchdowns.
  • Named 2008 ASWA 1A All-State and honorable mention All-State as a junior. Star of Alabama Week 3 and Week 4. ScoutSouth.com Star of Alabama. State of Alabama All-Star in baseball.
  • Had offers from Auburn and Troy.
  • Took officials visits to Auburn and Troy.
  • Star baseball player. Helped lead Brantley Bulldogs baseball to their first ever state championship. Named Class 1A hitter of the year and 1A MVP in baseball. Wants to play football and baseball at Auburn. Says he was shocked when Coach Willis left and was afraid he would not receive an offer. Looked primarily at schools who would let him play football and baseball. Says if he did not sign with Auburn he would have gone to Troy. Will play slot receiver at Auburn.
  • Qualified and on campus.

Owens To Visit

LaDarius Owens has confirmed that he will be in Auburn this weekend for camp. He is planning on visiting Alabama, Mississippi State and possibly Florida State in the coming weeks.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Green Resigns

Johnny Green, former Auburn football and current dean of students, has announced his resignation as of today. In an email sent out to students, he wrote:

I would like to inform you that I have officially submitted my resignation as Dean of Students at Auburn University, effective Tuesday July 14, 2009.

It has been my pleasure and absolute delight to lead the Student Affairs area this past three years. I will treasure my time as the Dean of Students. If you need assistance, please contact the office of the V.P. for Student Affairs at 844-1300. I will remain at Auburn in another capacity, one that will allow me to contribute to the quality of the experience for Auburn students.

The one thing you need to understand about me is this:I believe in Auburn, and LOVE it!

War Eagle!

JG

Billboards Going Up

Auburn is putting up billboards today in a marketing campaign targeting the Atlanta, Birmingham and Mobile areas. The Mobile billboard was put up about a week early. Article from The Gold Mine and picture of the billboards here.

Washington To LSU

Auburn lost out on a big offensive line prospect, Evan Washington, today. He committed to LSU today over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. I had previously reported that Washington would be in Auburn this weekend but as of now that appears to be false.

Bonomolo Update

Joel Bonomolo is all but committed to Auburn but Auburn has not accepted the commitment, yet. The staff is reviewing his academic standing. Last I had heard, he was on track to graduate in December. More to come as it comes out...

Confirmed: Dyer To Visit This Weekend

Rivals has confirmed that Michael Dyer, Dakota Mosley and Kenneth Carter will be in Auburn this coming weekend. These are three names I did not have on my original list.

Know A Signee: Harris Gaston

  • Will wear number 58
  • Three star, ranked the 23rd best OLB on Rivals. Ranked number 16 in the Alabama Post Season Top 40. Three star, ranked 31st MLB by Scout. Given a 78/100 by ESPN.com.
  • Bessemer, Alabama (Bessemer Academy)
  • Born: February 24, 1991
  • Committed: 4/22/2008
  • 6'4", 225 lbs., 4.6 sec 40 yard dash, 3.8 GPA
  • 2008 stats: had 93 tackles, 4 sacks and returned 2 fumbles for touchdowns. Caught 41 passes on offense for 757 yards and 12 touchdowns. 2007 stats: 112 tackles including 11 sacks, 5 interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
  • Named Back of the Year by AISA and First Team All-State AISA Linebacker. First Team All-State by ASWA. Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region Team. Ranked number 10 on the Birmingham News' Super Senior List. Named the 13th best player in Alabama by SuperPrep.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Kentucky and Mississippi State.
  • Took official visits to AU, UK and MSU.
  • Says that he did not know what he was going to do when the entire staff changed. Says that even after Coach Price was gone, he assured Gaston that Auburn was the place for him. Says his decision came down to where he could see himself loving it the best and that was Auburn. Will start out at strongside linebacker.
  • Qualified and on campus. Had great academics.

Monday, July 13, 2009

ESPN Puts Auburn On Upset Alert To Start The Season

Today, ESPN released a list of the top "Five games to fear in the SEC" along with every other conference. The SEC's are:

Louisiana Tech @ Auburn Sept 5
Florida Atlantic @ South Carolina Sept 19
Ohio @ Tennessee Sept 26
Mississippi State @ Middle Tennesse Oct 17
Troy @ Arkansas Nov 14

Article here. Sorry there is not a lot of positive news lately, ha.


Victor Beasley Update

Vic Beasley recently visited Clemson and reportedly loved it according to the Spartanburg Herald Journal. He says the schools that he currently really likes are Auburn, Alabama, Clemson and Duke and that he plans to visit Clemson, Louisville and Duke again before fall practice begins. He recently picked up offers from Tennessee and Southern Miss. Clemson likes him at tight end or linebacker but he says he prefers playing offense.

Rea To MSU

Wes Rea has committed to Mississippi State to play baseball. He also had baseball offers from Tulane and Auburn.

Update

  • When asked about 7-on-7 drills in practice, Walt McFadden says Tyrik Rollison looks like a "little Michael Vick" in the backfield.
  • Marquee Reddrick is high on Auburn. He is planning a visit to the Plains soon.
  • Joel Bonomolo's teammate at Fullerton, John Cullen, says he is planning an official visit to Auburn. As of right now I do not know a timeframe for that visit.
  • Dan Koenig wants to visit Auburn, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Clemson in the coming weeks. He also says he wants to have a list of five schools by the end of July.
  • And prepare for a 6-6 season says Paul Finebaum. Click here for more of his genius.
  • Still awaiting "official" word on Bonomolo. He keeps delaying. Last I heard, official word is coming out today. I am going to stick by him to Auburn.
  • Also, hearing rumors that long snapper Dax Dellenbach has left the team...

Free Dyer Article

Here is an article regarding Michael Dyer's high school career so far and goals for the next season. They also list his top five (in no particular order) as Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Oklahoma and Notre Dame. Click here.

Know A Signee: Eltoro Freeman

  • Will wear number 21
  • Four star linebacker on Rivals out of HS, three star out of JUCO. Ranked the 22nd best outside linebacker in the 2007 class. Number 6 on Rivals' Alabama Top 50. Five star on Scout out of JUCO and four star out of HS. Ranked the 7th best MLB out of HS by Scout. Ranked a 77/100 on ESPN.com.
  • Alexander City, Alabama (Benjamin Russell HS) and Perkinston, Mississippi (Gulf Coast CC)
  • Born: May 7, 1989
  • Committed 7/16/2006 (originally) and 5/14/2008 (out of JUCO)
  • 5'11", 218 lbs., 4.5 sec 40 yard dash
  • 2008: Redshirted. 2007 stats: Helped lead MGCCC to a National Championship. Had 43 solo tackles, 22 assists, with 17 for a loss, 5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles. 2006 stats: Recorded 140 tackles and 10 sacks in his senior year of high school. Had 15 carries for 223 yards and three touchdowns at running back. 2005 stats: Had 100 tackles including 52 for a loss.
  • Named a PrepStar All-American recruit. Selected to play in the Alabama North/South All-Star game as a junior. Named All-State by the Birmingham News and ASWA. Ranked the 10th best recruit in the state of Alabama by the Birmingham News. Named to the AJC Super Southern 100 and the Mobile Register's Super Southeast 120.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, Ole Miss, Southern Miss and Tennessee.
  • Only took an official visit to Auburn out of high school (1/12/07).
  • Three sport star (football, weight lifting and track and field). Says Auburn is a place where he has always wanted to play football. Out of high school, James Willis was a major factor in him coming to Auburn. He loves the new staff. Earned a starting position at linebacker in spring practice.
  • Is qualified and has been on campus. Has three years of eligibility.

The Most Powerful People In The SEC

The Orlando Sentinel has published this list of the top 20 most powerful people in the SEC:

1. Mike Slive, SEC commissioner
2. Nick Saban, Alabama football coach
3. Jeremy Foley, Florida athletics director
4. Urban Meyer, Florida football coach
5. Tim Tebow, Florida quarterback
6. Jimmy Sexton, agent
7. John Calipari, Kentucky basketball coach
8. Paul Finebaum, newspaper columnist and talk-show host
9. Michael Glazier, attorney who defends schools vs. NCAA
10. Paul W. Bryant Jr., Alabama booster
11. Pat Summitt, Tennessee women's basketball coach
12. Chuck Gerber, SEC TV consultant on ESPN deal
13. S. Daniel Ponce, Florida booster and Orange Bowl committee president
14. Don Leeburn, Georgia booster
15. Steve Spurrier, South Carolina football coach
16. Bobby Lowder, Auburn booster
17. Billy Donovan, Florida men's basketball coach
18. Frank Broyles, former Arkansas football coach/athletics director
19. Rogers Redding, NCAA secretary-rules editor and SEC coordinator of football officials
20. Lane Kiffin, Tennessee football coach

Thoughts?

Wes Rea

BulldogBlitz.com is speculating that Wes Rea could commit to Mississippi State to play baseball before the day is done. He has an offer to play football and baseball there. Auburn and Tulane are the only other two schools to offer him in baseball and football.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Bonomolo Note

Joel Bonomolo has not made an official announcement. My source comes from someone close to the situation. An official announcement should be out tomorrow morning. I am going to stick by my source for now...I do not see anything changing from yesterday and tomorrow morning. I will post when it comes across as official.

Know A Signee: Donald "Dee" Ford

  • Will wear number 76.
  • Three star outside linebacker on Rivals, ranked the 62nd OLB in the country. Number 27 on the Alabama postseason Top 40. Four star defensive end on Scout, ranked the 26th best DE. Rated 79/100 by ESPN.com and ranked the 35th DE.
  • Odenville, AL (St. Clair Country High School)
  • Born: March 19, 1991
  • Committed 7/9/2008
  • 6'3", 215 lbs. 4.46 sec 40 yard dash
  • 2008 stats: 90 tackles (40 solo, 50 assist), 38 for loss and 18 sacks. He intercepted one pass and broke up three. 2007 stats: 87 tackles (36 solo, 51 assist), 16 for loss and 12 sacks.
  • Selected Alabama Star of the Week for a game against Hokes Bluff in which he recorded 12 tackles, 5 sacks and an interception. Named to the Class 4A All-State Team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior. Three sport letterman.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Clemson, Mississippi State, Troy and Florida State.
  • Took only one official visit (1/16/2009) to Auburn.
  • Committed almost immediately after receiving an offer from Auburn after a standout camp performance. Says he never thought about playing college football until that camp and offer. Coaches say he will start out at outside linebacker. Never really waivered from his commitment, even when the coaching staff changed.
  • Fully qualified and on campus participating in workouts.

A Few Names To Look For Next Weekend

Next weekend looks to be a big weekend for Auburn. They are hosting their one day senior mini-camp as well as many unofficial visitors. Here are some faces you could see: Lache Seastrunk, Evan Washington, C.J. Mosley, Jeffrey Whitaker, Antonio Goodwin, Anthony Williams, Demetruce McNeal, Tres Houston and possibly Michael Dyer (he is planning a trip to Auburn but we do not yet know if it will be this weekend). Those are a few but they are not set in stone. Also, look for many more names. More names and details will come out as the weekend approaches.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

More Rea

Wes Rea picked up a baseball offer this weekend from Auburn. Today he met with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and baseball coach Pawlowski. Mississippi State, Tulane and I believe Ole Miss have all offered him in football and baseball. That is all.

Saturday Night Update

  • Tyrone Cornileus was planning on announcing a decision between Miami and Georgia Tech today. He has now delayed a decision and does not know when he will commit. He will look at other schools.
  • Wes Rea is on campus visiting today. That's all I have on that point right now.
  • I will try to have a list of visitors for this weekend up early next week. Lache Seastrunk is one among many that will be on the Plains. Auburn is having their one day senior mini camp and also hosting multiple unofficial visitors. This is likely the "Stars and Stripes Weekend". Trovon Reed will not be attending due to a fundraiser his sister is holding for their late mother. More info here. (Before you think about contributing, I would consider possible NCAA violations. I do not know if that is against the rules but just putting the warning out there.)
  • Seastrunk stood out in the recent 7-on-7 at Texas. He caught a 30 yard touchdown pass. I will say yes, Seastrunk was wearing a LSU shirt and USC sweatbands but says they do not indicate anything. Just dispelling rumors before they take flight.
  • DeMarco Cobbs has eliminated Auburn from his list of leaders.
  • I will hopefully be posting a conversation with LaDarius Owens and a projecting signing class soon. I would like to stress how early it is in the process so my projections should not be considered sure things. They are just players I have a good feeling about.

Stud JUCO Defensive End Becomes Commitment Number 9

It had appeared that all it was going to take to secure the commitment of Fullerton Community College defensive end Joel Bonomolo was a trip to the Plains. That occurred Saturday when Bonomolo made an official visit. Soon after, he committed to the Tigers.

Bonomolo is originally from Rummel High School in New Orleans, Louisiana but has been playing at Fullerton CC in Fullerton, CA alongside fellow recruit John Cullen. Bonomolo often said that if LSU had offered him, they would jump to the front of his list but he had backed off that statement more recently. He stated that LSU would be too close to home but he still wanted to play in the SEC, making Auburn the perfect choice.

The 6'3", 245 lb. strongside defensive end is clocked at a 4.65 second 40 yard dash. He chose Auburn over schools such as Utah, Tennessee, Iowa State, Washington, Washington State, Arizona, Arizona State and San Diego State. His final three were Auburn, Utah and Tennessee.

He was honorable mention All-State as a senior at Rummel. He was All District as a junior and senior, All District MVP and All Metro. Even though he had 17 sacks as a senior, his only solid scholarship offer out of high school was Southern Illinois, most likely due to his low ACT score. He then sat out of football in 2007.

After a year of classes at Delgado CC, Bonomolo decided to fly to California and play for Fullerton. He was Week 8 SCFA Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week for Fullerton in 2008, racking up 6 solo tackles, 3 assists, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 sack. Overall, his 2008 stats include 24 solo tackles, 17 assists, 17 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 10 games.

He was recruited by Trooper Taylor. He is Taylor's third commitment (Coleman and Holland).

Bonomolo will graduate from Fullerton in December and enroll in Auburn in January. He appears to be in good academic standing. He will have three years to play two.

RUMOR: Bonomolo Commits?

It has been speculated that Joel Bonomolo will commit after a visit today. There are rumors swirling that he has indeed committed already. I am in no way confirming these rumors, just letting them be known like I often do with rumors. If this is confirmed to me, a story will be posted right away. Keep checking for updates!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Auburn CFL Tonight

  • Last night, Damon Duval was 2/4 on FGs with a long of 24. He was 6/6 on extra points. He also had five punts with a long of 59 yards.
  • Tonight, Calgary played Winnipeg. Tray Blackmon racked up only two tackles in a 42-30 loss.
  • Hamilton played British Columbia. Prechae Rodriguez had 3 catches for 22 yards for Hamilton in a 31-28 win.

Know A Signee: Nick Fairley

  • Will wear number 90
  • Three star on Rivals out of HS and JUCO. Ranked the 28th best offensive guard out of HS in 2007. Ranked 15th on Rivals' Alabama Top 30 out of high school. Rated a four star by Scout out of JUCO as a DT and a three star out of HS. 77/100 on ESPN.com out of HS.
  • Mobile, AL (Williamson High School) and Copiah-Lincoln CC
  • Born: January 23, 1988
  • Committed: 2/7/2007 (originally) and 5/31/2008 (out of JUCO)
  • 6'4", 295 lbs., 4.89 sec 40 yard dash
  • 2008 JUCO stats: 63 tackles, 9 for a loss and 7 sacks in seven games. 2007: redshirted. 2006 (hs): made over 90 tackles on defense and caught five passes for 150 yards as a tight end.
  • Named 5A Lineman of the Year Finalist and 5A All State Team by ASWA as a senior. Named All-Region XII in JUCO. Played both ways in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic. Named to Mobile Press Register's Elite 18 Alabama and Super Southeast 120. Named to the AHSAA North/South All Star Game as a junior in HS.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Kansas State, Louisville, Southern Miss and West Virginia.
  • Took official visits to Auburn, Southern Miss, Alabama and Florida State as a senior. Only looked at Auburn out of JUCO.
  • Has lost weight since signing in December. Could play defensive end. Has three years to play three at Auburn.
  • Says, of his decision out of high school, he could not go wrong with Auburn. Out of high school, he says he would have chosen Alabama if he did not pick Auburn.
  • Fairley has qualified and enrolled in summer classes.

SEC Announcers

The ESPN SEC early game announcers for this season will be Dave Neal and Andre Ware and Cara Capuano will be on the sidelines. Neal comes over from Lincoln Financial Sports. The SEC syndication studio will be hosted by Rob Stone and Matt Stinchcomb.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Corey Grant

Corey Grant was back in Auburn today with his father. It is his second visit to the Plains in the last 10 days. A decision between Auburn, Alabama and Florida should come before his season begins. The Opelika Bulldogs open their season on August 28, 2009 at home against Sidney Lanier High School. Grant is teammates with recruit Jacolby Hardnett whose only offer is Louisiana Tech so far.

Hawthorne Injured, Out 4-8 Weeks

Starting wide receiver Tim Hawthorne has broken a bone in his foot. He will be out at least 4 weeks and up to 8. The injury occurred during summer workouts.

Know A Signee: Jonathan Evans

  • Will wear number 35.
  • Three star and ranked as number 42 OLB by Rivals. Number 20 on the Rivals Alabama Postseason Top 40. Three star and number 31 WLB by Scout. Ranked 77/100 and the number 52 OLB by ESPN.com.
  • Pritchard, AL (Blount High School)
  • Born: November 29, 1989
  • Committed June 2, 2008
  • 6'0", 205 lbs. 4.5 sec 40 yard dash.
  • Brother of former Auburn Tiger Chris Evans.
  • 2008 stats: 93 tackles (50 solo), 2 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles and one pass break up. Carried the ball 16 times for 110 rushing yards and 3 TDs on offense.
  • Named honorable mention 6A All-State by ASWA as a junior. Number 16 on Birmingham News' Super Seniors list and ranked as the 18th best prospect in the state of Alabama by SuperPrep.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, UAB, Southern Miss and South Alabama.
  • Took official visits to Auburn and Tennessee. He also planned a trip to Oklahoma State but did not end up going.
  • Says Auburn was always his number one and took visits just to look around. Evans says his brother helped but did not determine where he would end up. He says the change of staff did not phase him and that he really likes the new staff.
  • Says if he did not sign with Auburn he would have ended up at Tennessee. He says he really liked his visit, the head coach and defensive coordinator.
  • Evans is qualified and on campus.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Parkey Impresses

Auburn kicker commitment Cody Parkey impressed this week at the three day Top 12 Camp. Chris Sailer says this group of kickers is top to bottom the most impressive he has seen. The top 40 kickers and punters gathered to show to compete for the top spot. Sailer says Parkey stood out from the rest. He says he sits at the top with no one near him. Sailer called him the strongest and most consistent kicker in the class. Parkey won the kicking competition ranks ahead of Alabama kicking commitment Cade Foster in Sailer's rankings. Parkey is a four star on Scout.com.

A Few Offers Extended For 2011

These 2011 players have offers from Auburn (according to Rivals and Scout, all offers are verbal, written offers may be sent out beginning September 1):
  • Brey Cook - OT - Springdale, AR - 6'6", 298 lbs. - has early offers from Auburn, Oklahoma and Tulsa - Cook impressed in early June at Oklahoma camp with his huge frame and ability to move his feet - called one of the best young lineman at Oklahoma's camp in quite some time - could become one of the best offensive lineman prospects for 2011 - attended Auburn's Junior Day - claims no favorites and is interested in whomever is interested in him
  • Xzavier Dickson - DE - Griffin, GA - 6'4", 230 lbs. 4.8 40 yard dash - has early offers from Auburn and Alabama (also hearing from UGA, FSU, OU and Tenn) - has a unique blend of strength and speed around the corner - has attended camp at Auburn and Alabama - grew up a UGA fan and Georgia is his leader - he will be one of the hottest recruited players in the state of Georgia - also plays basketball - uses long arms well to rid himself of offensive linemen
  • Enrique Florence - S - Valley, AL - 6'2", 181 lbs. 4.47 40 yard dash - has early offers from Auburn, UAB and Alabama (also hearing a lot from ND and UCLA) - has named Auburn his early favorite - grabbed 10 interceptions as a sophomore and can make the big hit - claims he could play linebacker if he put on some weight - camping at Auburn, Alabama, Georgia and UAB this summer - "I just like to hit"
  • Kiehl Frazier - QB - Springdale, AR - 6'2", 191 lbs. 4.5 40 yard dash - has early offers from Auburn, Tulsa and Western Michigan (also hearing from UA, UF, Tenn and UT) - named MVP of State Championship Game as a sophomore - was 96-151 for 1,434 yards and 17 TDS - ranked number two of ArkansasVarsity's Hot 11 for 2011 - Gus Malzahn is the former head coach of Shiloh Christian, Frazier's current school - called the possibility of playing for Malzahn "a dream" - Auburn is "definitely" toward the top of his list - will camp at Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Texas this summer
  • A.J. Johnson - MLB - Gainesville, GA - 6'2", 212 lbs. 4.6 40 yard dash - has early offers from Auburn, Clemson, Ole Miss, NC State and Tennessee - 165 tackles, 9 for a loss, 6 hurries, 4 sacks and one interception as a sophomore - named All-American - has a strict work ethic - says he may end up at end if he keeps putting on weight but wants to stay at linebacker - whole family is UGA fans - has visited AU, UGA, Tenn and Clem - calls Tennessee the early favorite
  • James Vaughters - MLB - Tucker, GA - 6'2", 215 lbs. 4.6 40 yard dash - name the school, he likely has an offer - one of the most coveted prospects of 2011 thus far - will consider everything when making the decision, including academics - says he will give UGA a hard look because he is from Georgia - carries a 4.0 GPA - plans to visit USC, UCLA, UGA and UF this summer
  • Gabriel Wright - DE - Columbus, GA - 6'2", 260 lbs. - has early offers from Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Arkansas, South Carolina and Maryland - very high on Auburn and Georgia - wants to major in criminal justice and wants a good FCA program to be involved in - says UGA is his first love but has previously listed Auburn as his favorite - was head and shoulders above all other defensive ends at UGA camp - moves very well and takes instructions quickly - looks to be another top recruit out of the state of Georgia

Know A Signee: Nosa Eguae

  • Name pronounced "NOSE-uh E-gway"
  • Will wear number 94.
  • Three star defensive end and ranked the 17th best strongside defensive end by Rivals. Also ranked 60th in the Texas Postseason Top 100. Two star DT on Scout. Rated a 77/100 and the 62nd best defensive end on ESPN.com.
  • Mansfield, Texas (Summitt High School)
  • Born: August 15, 1991
  • Committed January 26, 2009.
  • 6'3", 234 lbs. 4.9 sec. 40 yard dash. 1330 on the SAT
  • 2008 stats: 67 tackles with 15 for a loss and 6 sacks, recovered 3 fumbles and forced two fumbles. 2007 stats: 76 tackles, 18 for loss, 7 sacks and an interception.
  • Named a PrepStar All-American, named number 26 local prospect by the Dallas Morning News.
  • Had offers from Auburn, Colorado, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, Texas Tech and UCLA.
  • Took official visits to Auburn, Colorado, Minnesota and Texas Tech.
  • Eguae was previously committed to Colorado. Eguae committed to Colorado in September and decommitted on January 9th, 2009. Auburn did not really enter the picture until that time. He was a target of Curtis Luper's at Oklahoma State. After one visit to Auburn, Eguae was ready to commit. If he did not commit he would have visited UCLA and likely ended up at Texas Tech, UCLA or Minnesota.
  • Says that Luper and Tracy Rocker were the big reasons for choosing Auburn.
  • Qualified and on campus now.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

A Few Quickees

  • Another article has come out on Rivals regarding Michael Dyer. Dyer reiterated that Auburn was his leader. The other two schools he mentioned had a chance to catch Auburn were Tennessee and LSU. Again, the word "Arkansas" did not leave his mouth. He is very seriously trying to make a decision before the start of his senior season.
  • I was listening to Sports Call today and they brought up an interesting fact while talking about our thin defense. Apparently, 2008 signee Deron Furr is set to start at safety this season for Memphis. He was also their spring defensive MVP. And everyone said he did not want to play defense at Auburn...
  • A select number of public season tickets, mini season packages and select individual home game and Arkansas away game tickets are still available. Click here to order.

New Senior Associate AD

Auburn has named Scott Carr as the new senior associate AD, replacing Nikki Borges. He previously worked in the Athletics Department for USM. Full release here.

Know A Signee: Robert Cooper

  • Will wear number 16 (walk-on quarterback Brent Poole will also wear 16).
  • Two star dual-threat quarterback on Rivals and Scout. Also regarded as an athlete and will likely end up changing positions. A high school coach says he is going in with the mindset that he will play quarterback but says he could see him at tight end or safety.
  • Mobile, Alabama (Daphne High School)
  • Born: July 20, 1990
  • Committed on the day before National Signing Day.
  • 6'4", 225 lbs. 4.52 sec 40 yard dash (I have also heard closer to 4.4 now). 3.5 GPA and 27 on the ACT.
  • 2008 stats: 125 for 195 passing for 1,700 yards, 17 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Rushed for 605 yards and 8 touchdowns on 104 carries. Helped lead his team to a 6A playoff berth. 2007: minimal impact on offense. Threw three touchdowns on offense while picking off three passes on defense.
  • Star of Alabama Week 6 game against Foley. Cooper had 384 total yards, was 15/24 passing for 268 yards. Ran for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
  • Had offers from South Alabama and UAB. Planned on accepting a grayshirt offer to Auburn but ended up receiving a scholarship offer on May 21 after it became apparent that Reggie Taylor would not qualify.
  • Took official visits to Auburn and UAB.
  • Says he would have gone to UAB if it were not for Auburn.
  • He is qualified and on campus.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Mack Article From "The State"

Eric Mack seems to be getting sick of recruiting like a lot of recruits nowadays. It appears this South Carolina star could turn into an Alabama state battle. The two official visits he says he will take for sure are Auburn and Alabama. He has previously named Auburn as his leader but seems to have backed off of that a bit. Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina and Clemson appear to be his top choices. Also, an interesting note I learned from this article is he has a one year old daughter...this kid must be incredibly stressed.

Mack has previously said he will hold off until Signing Day to commit. His mother says she does not want him to decommit so she wants him to think this process out and know that where he commits is where he wants to be. His coach wants him to make the decision before the season begins so he can focus on winning. It's late I'm exhausted, sorry if this didn't make sense. I'm going to bed. Read the whole article here.

A Couple Of Notes

  • Garrison Smith has cut his list down to ten. Auburn is in, Alabama is out. Full list: Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Southern Cal, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. He says he will have a decision within the next three months but an even earlier decision is very possible.
  • New Rivals rankings will be released on the week of the 20th. They will update the Rivals 100 and Rivals 250 as well as giving ratings to players who were previously unrated. Players can also pick up stars. LaDarius Owens appears to be on track to be a four star.
  • Also, Tim Jackson says that three of his official visits will likely be Auburn, Wake Forest and Stanford. He makes it a point that these are not his three leaders but the schools he wants to see on officials right now.
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