My Updated Predictions

• All reports point to Auburn and South Carolina being even for Marcus Lattimore. I no longer have a great feeling regarding Marcus. I will put it at 55-45 Auburn right now because I am not near as confident as I used to be.
• All indications are that Shon Coleman has not contacted anyone at Auburn to tell them he was considering switching commitments to Alabama. At any rate, I will say there is a 60% chance he signs with Auburn.
• I still predict Jeffrey Whitaker to Auburn.
• I am going to predict Byran Jones to Arkansas because I have heard he is leaning there heavily.
• I am predicting Corey Lemonier to Auburn still.
• Markeith Ambles may visit Auburn after NSD but it looks doubtful. I think he will end up at Southern Cal or UNC.
• I think D.J. Howard ends up at Clemson.
• We may see some new names pop up in the next couple of days. Dimitri Orr, a defensive tackle Auburn previously recruited, could be one of those but I have heard he has academic issues. Another is UAB commitment Maurice Hayes and Stockbridge, GA defensive tackle Brandon King.

Lattimore Update

Gene Chizik and Gus Malzahn visited Marcus Lattimore in home last night for around 45 minutes. Steve Spurrier is expected to visit Lattimore today. Marcus will announce between Auburn and South Carolina Tuesday night at 6 PM at his church. For more information on his announcement click here.

A Name To Watch

I threw a name around recently that I thought we might see near the end of recruiting. Now it seems it may come to fruition. Patrick Swilling, Jr., the son of former Pro Bowl linebacker for the Saints Pat Swilling, is seriously considering a visit to Auburn this weekend.

Swilling may be a diamond in the rough like Daren Bates last season. Swilling is a 6'3" corner back with 4.5 speed could help boost Auburn's secondary if he receives a committable offer. Also a basketball star, Swilling would prefer playing football and at the safety position in college but his future might be in basketball. Swilling apparently has all the intangibles but he is not known as one to want to make the big hit.

With a 3.2 GPA and a 22 on the ACT, Swilling is expected to qualify. If he makes the trip to the Plains this weekend, he could be a replacement for D.J. Howard if Howard switches to Clemson or Kentucky since Darius Robinson now says he is 100% to Clemson.

Updates

• Shon Coleman did indeed show up in Tuscaloosa for his official visit to Alabama. Coleman will also visit Miami this weekend. He has been quiet about his recruitment lately but some are starting to think he is Alabama's to lose.
• Also visiting Miami this weekend is Jeffrey Whitaker. He will announce his decision on Monday. It is likely that Whitaker is deciding between Auburn and Georgia. I still think Whitaker signs with the Tigers.
• Jonathan Mincy will not take any visits this weekend. He originally planned on visiting South Carolina but has decided against it.
• All signs point to Arkansas having a slight lead for Byran Jones. Jones could make an announcement tomorrow.
• Vic Beasley is still considering a visit to Auburn.
• No word yet on if Markeith Ambles will visit Auburn this weekend. I believe he will and I would keep an eye on him. Auburn could definitely steal Ambles.
• Gene Chizik will make an in-home visit to Marcus Lattimore tomorrow. South Carolina will visit him Saturday.
• Auburn Undercover says that Lane Kiffin and Southern Cal made a late push for Joel Bonomolo but got nowhere.
• Right now it appears D.J. Howard will not sign with Auburn but rather Kentucky or Clemson. He may visit Kentucky this weekend.

RUMOR: Savage Gets Sixth Year

Rumor has it that Aairon Savage has received a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. The corner back tore his Achilles during summer workouts, missing the entire 2009 season. He had previously missed the entire 2008 season.

Seastrunk Picks Oregon

Lache Seastrunk has officially committed to Oregon. I hope this will kill the nonsense of him still possibly coming to Auburn. He has been off Auburn's radar for some time. I wish him the best of luck.

AC Gets His Invite

Antonio Coleman has received an invitation to the NFL Combine. Coleman appeared to have been overlooked and Ben Tate was the only Tiger who received an invitation when they were initially sent out. Walt McFadden still has not received one.

New Coleman Update

Shon Coleman will host Alabama head coach Nick Saban on an in-home visit tomorrow. He will visit Alabama officially from Wednesday-Friday. Many think that if James Stone goes to Tennessee, Saban will try his hardest to steal Coleman. I will keep you updated.

Catch Up On All Targets and Wavering Commitments

Targets:

• Marcus Lattimore appears ready to remain silent until February 2nd. I still think he signs with Auburn.
• Lache Seastrunk will make an announcement tomorrow. Barring a surprise, Lache is expected to choose the Oregon Ducks.
• There were rumors that Markeith Ambles committed to Southern Cal this weekend but his father says that is not true. According to Auburn Undercover, the coaches will in-home visit Ambles tonight. He may visit Auburn this weekend. USC is the team to beat. Keep an eye on this.
• James Stone has cancelled his visit to Auburn and will decide between Alabama and Tennessee.
• I am expecting Damien Robinson to choose Mississippi State. I do not believe he has a committable offer from Auburn currently.
• Corey Lemonier has eliminated Miami according to AuburnSports.com. He has already made his decision but will announce between the Tigers and the FSU Seminoles on National Signing Day. I still think he picks Auburn.
• Jeffrey Whitaker visited Georgia this weekend but didn't strike me as blown away. I still see him picking Auburn.
• Mike Thornton told the AJC recently that he has not eliminated Auburn but I still believe Georgia is the team to beat for him. I do not believe he has a committable offer.
• Byran Jones visited Arkansas this weekend. As of now, he says the two teams are so even. Some moderators for Auburn sites project him to Auburn but I say it is way too close to call.
• Darius Robinson is a new name to watch for. The four star Clemson DB commitment is rumored to have visited Auburn this weekend. He played at the same high school as Cam Newton and contacted the staff when Newton signed. Auburn could steal Robinson if he is offered.

Commitments:

• Shon Coleman visited Arkansas and Ole Miss last weekend. He is reportedly 100% solid to Auburn according to AuburnUndercover.
• Trovon Reed visited LSU and appears solid to Auburn. He says LSU gave him something else to consider but I believe most of Reed's interest in LSU is made up by his high school football coach.
• Jonathan Mincy plans to visit South Carolina this weekend following the news of interest in Darius Robinson. If Auburn offers Robinson, Mincy could bolt for the Gamecocks.
• D.J. Howard visited Clemson this weekend. He may switch considering he is likely to get a chance to play running back at Clemson. The Auburn coaching staff did not find out about the visit until he was there and were disappointed. Rumors are swirling that the staff has pulled Howard's offer but those are unconfirmed and not likely.

Catching Up With A Former Signee

Former Auburn running back signee Reggie Hunt has committed to Southern Miss as a defensive back. Hunt was a highly sought after all purpose back out of Daphne High School in 2008 with offers from Auburn, Florida, West Virginia and Oklahoma, among others.

After choosing Auburn, Hunt failed to qualify and ended up at Copiah-Lincoln CC in Wesson, Mississippi. He changed into a corner back at CLCC but failed to receive an offer from Auburn this season. He chose Southern Miss over Troy, Memphis and MTSU.

I will have a few more updates this afternoon to catch up on everything I have missed.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Auburn has five spots remaining for the 2010 class but may take only 2-4. Here are the recruits still on the board and what I predict:

***** - RB - Marcus Lattimore - I believe Auburn will land Lattimore over South Carolina and have for some time. The latest I have heard is Auburn has a slight lead.

***** - RB - Lache Seastrunk - I see Seastrunk as an Oregon Duck next season.

***** - WR - Markeith Ambles - Wide receiver has off the field issues. The staff has pulled his offer but he has a lot of interest in Auburn. If you watched the Army All-American game, you know this guy is a game changer. If Auburn has room and will risk offering him, I see him ending up at Auburn, however, I do not see an offer being extended. I see him either going back to UT or switching to UNC.

**** - OG - James Stone - Has said his finalists are Auburn and Alabama. He plans to visit Auburn this weekend. With Mack's commitment today our offensive line may be full. He has been rumored to be 'Bama bound anyways so I expect him on the Tide.

**** - OT - Damien Robinson - Again, I believe we are done recruiting offensive line but we were never a serious contender for Robinson I do not believe.

**** - DE - Corey Lemonier - Has made his decision and will announce on National Signing Day. He has narrowed his choices to Auburn, Miami and Florida State. Has visited Auburn and FSU officially and may take an unofficial to Miami. I say Auburn is the leader for Lemonier but he may want to stay closer to home. I will predict him to be a Tiger.

**** - DT - Jeffrey Whitaker - Whitaker is between Auburn, Miami and Georgia. He visited Auburn this past weekend and was blown away. He will visit Georgia this weekend and Miami the next. Barring an overwhelmingly impressive official in the next two weeks, I think he is an Auburn Tiger on NSD.

**** - DT - Mike Thornton - Thornton has eliminated Auburn. According to sources, there was an incident on the Auburn coaches' visit to the Thornton household in which Thornton's father would not allow the coaches in to talk to him. Apparently the coaches were the ones who backed off of him, not he who backed off of Auburn like he claims in a recent article. Either way, I have always projected him to UGA.

**** - DT - Byran Jones - Jones is down to Auburn and Arkansas. Jones had a great visit to Auburn this weekend and will officially visit Arkansas next weekend. Does not claim a favorite right now. Right now I will call this a toss up. He will make his decision after the Arkansas visit but will not announce until NSD.

**** - DB - Ahmad Dixon - Recently re-committed to Baylor. Has previously committed to Texas, Baylor and Tennessee. Dixon cannot make up his mind but I think he stays with Baylor.

*** - ATH - Vic Beasley - Clemson commit could play linebacker or safety in college. Right now I am not positive that Beasley has a committable offer from Auburn. He claims to be 90% to Clemson right now but plans to visit Auburn this weekend. I will say Clemson right now but will re-evaluate after this weekend.

Now if there is room, where else might the staff look? Here are some names:

CB - Akeem Cunningham - haven't heard much about him lately.

ATH - Eric Russell - if an offer is extended he would accept.

S - Patrick Swilling - if an offer is extended, he would consider.

Just To Keep Auburn Humble...

Rivals has dropped Ed Christian from a four star to a three star.

Mack Commits!

Four star offensive guard (ranked the second best in the country by ESPN.com) Eric Mack has committed to Auburn today following his de-commitment from South Carolina. Mack is Auburn's 28th commitment for 2010. While the SEC limit is set at 28, Auburn is able to take 5 more players for 2010 since 5 early signees rolled back to 2009. Mack is considered the 10th best player in the state of South Carolina on Rivals and the 6th best guard. He chose Auburn over offers from USC, Alabama, Clemson, FSU, Miami, Oklahoma, West Virginia and many more.

BREAKING NEWS

Eric Mack has de-committed from South Carolina! He will now decide between Auburn and Florida. More to come!

Auburn Gets Bump on Scout

Scout.com has bumped a few Auburn commitments. Trovon Reed has moved from a four star to a five star and Kenneth Carter has been bumped from a three star to a four star. These moves have moved Auburn from 8th to 5th in their rankings. Auburn is still 4th in recruiting on Rivals.

A Couple Of Notes

• Cam Henderson, Adam Herring, Spencer Pybus and Vance Smith are no longer with the team.
• Prayers are requested for Mike Blanc and his family who have Haitian relatives. He has not been in contact with family members yet.
• Lee Ziemba obviously did not declare for the draft.
• Herring, Pybus and Smith all left due to medical issues. Henderson was suspended all season.
• Merkeith Ambles did not make it to Auburn this weekend for his visit. He will reschedule.
• Gus Malzahn is expected to return to Auburn next year. He has been rumored to be a leading candidate for the Louisiana Tech head coaching job.

Updates

• Mike Thornton has lost all interest in Auburn and will no longer visit Auburn this weekend. I called this a while back but now it appears Auburn's DT targets will only be Whitaker, Jones and possibly Calvin Smith.
• Markeith Ambles has de-committed from Tennessee and has strong interest in Auburn. He may unofficially visit Auburn this weekend and return for an official on the 29th. Ambles, who is possibly the best wide receiver in this year's class, does not currently has a firm offer from Auburn. The staff, along with many other schools, withdrew offers due to off the field issues. Markeith is a five star but is currently considered a "back up plan".
• Shon Coleman WILL be visiting this weekend and the staff will try and solidify his commitment up.
• Lache Seastrunk appears ready to commit to Oregon.
• Non-committed targets who are visiting this weekend are: Trent Fisher (future walk on), Byran Jones, Jeffrey Whitaker, Alan Turner; this according to AuburnUndercover and AuburnSports.com. Fisher is son of Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher.
• ESPNU's final 150 has been released. Here are where Auburn commitments and targets rank: Michael Dyer (5), Marcus Lattimore (19), Trovon Reed (39), Lache Seastrunk (40), Antonio Goodwin (47), Eric Mack (78), Shaun Kitchens (98), James Stone (100), LaDarius Owens (138).
• Jake Holland has picked up a well deserved fourth star on Rivals. His profile will likely be updated today.

Updates

• Shon Coleman has picked up a 5th star on Rivals and is listed as the 22nd best player in the nation.
• Calvin Smith has decommitted from Tennessee and is considering Auburn, among others. He is high school teammates with Corey Lemonier.
• More to come on the new Rivals 100.

Tate

Ben Tate will be Auburn's only representative at the NFL Combine, according to Charles Goldberg. It will take place from Feb 24-Apr 2. Tate was the only Tiger to get an invite and Coleman and McFadden seem to have gotten snubbed. Georgia and Mississippi State are also only sending one player.

Team Tubs

Tommy Tuberville will be the next head coach at Texas Tech according to ESPN.

Driskel

A lot of buzz has been surrounding 2011 quarterback prospect Jeff Driskel. Driskel has drawn comparisons to Tim Tebow and has already been invited to play in the Under Armour All American game next January (1 of only 19 invited thus far). Driskel grew up an Auburn fan and the Tigers appear to be the early leaders. He also has offers from Florida, Virginia Tech and Ole Miss. He recently told Auburn Undercover that the signing of Cam Newton will not affect his decision.

Driskel recently lit up the Under Armour All American junior combine and was the top quarterback at the Army All American junior combine. Definitely keep an eye on Driskel for the future.

Ziemba To Return

Offensive tackle Lee Ziemba will return for his senior season, according to Scott Reaves of AuburnEagle.

Mosley To Bama

As expected, C.J. Mosley has announced he will play for Alabama next year. And by play, I mean ride the bench for the next few years for the loaded Tide linebacking group.

Adams To LSU

Sources say that Ken Adams may have waited too long with Auburn and missed an opportunity to play for the Tigers. Adams has signed with LSU. While sometimes fanbases say a player chose another school because their coaches did not want a player anymore, this appears true for Adams and Auburn.

MSU Moved To Thursday

Auburn's away game vs. Mississippi State has been moved to a Thursday night ESPN game.

Seastrunk's Options Narrow

According to Rivals recruiting expert Mike Farrell, both Auburn and LSU have backed off of five star Lache Seastrunk. Seastrunk now appears headed for the Pac-10 to either USC or Oregon.

Tuberville To Interview

Former head coach Tommy Tuberville will interview for the head coach job at Texas Tech.

U.S. Army All American Bowl

Here are the notable players in the Army All-American Bowl, to be played this Saturday in the Alamodome at Noon CT on NBC.

Commitments:

• Shon Coleman - East Team - #72 - OT
• Trovon Teed - West Team - #1 - WR

Targets:

• Marcus Lattimore - East Team - #28 - RB
• Jeffrey Whitaker - East Team - #55 - DT
• Damien Robinson - East Team - #79 - OT
• Lache Seastrunk - West Team - #15 - RB
• Ahmad Dixon - West Team - #26 - S (Baylor commit)
• C.J. Mosley - West Team - #32 - LB

One More Month

It is just one month until National Signing Day of 2010 and Auburn is sitting pretty with recruiting. New SEC rules cap the total amount of signees for 2010 at 28 but Auburn can technically bring in 33, counting 5 early signees toward the 2009 class (Curry, Newton, Sanders, Gayden and B. Mosley). So, with Auburn currently at 27 total (22 counting toward 2010), how will NSD look for the Tigers? Let's take a look:

Current Commitments Who May Be Wavering:

• **** Shon Coleman - OT - looking around at schools such as Ole Miss, Miami (FL), Tennessee and Arkansas. He also has set an official visit to Auburn. I say Auburn holds onto Coleman but he is a very soft verbal.
• *** D.J. Howard - S - looking at Clemson and Kentucky. Auburn is recruiting him as a safety but he wants to play running back in college, which is more likely at Clemson. I say it is 50-50 between AU and Clemson right now.

Top Uncommitted Targets:

• ***** Marcus Lattimore - RB - Auburn appears to be in great shape for the number 2 running back in the nation according to Rivals. If I had to guess right now, I would say Lattimore picks Auburn over his home state Gamecocks but with three official visits still planned (Oregon, Georgia and USC) anything could happen. EDIT: Lattimore has eliminated UGA since I posted this.
• ***** Lache Seastrunk - RB - Due to Dyer's commitment and Lattimore's interest in AU, Seastrunk appears to not be Auburn bound. Lache has been very quiet lately regarding recruiting but appeared to enjoy his Oregon visit and the Ducks could be the team to beat, as well as the Southern Cal Trojans.
• **** Eric Mack - OG - the current South Carolina commitment was spotted wearing an Auburn hat at the Under Armour All American game (link here, pic courtesy of Auburn Eagle). It has long been speculated Mack would change to the Tigers and I see that happening.
• **** James Stone - OT - considering a January visit to Auburn but it is not likely Auburn lands the Nashville tackle. His top four are Auburn, Stanford, Alabama and Tennessee and I see him either playing for Saban or Kiffin next season.
• **** Jeffrey Whitaker - DT - All American is likely to sign with Auburn. I don't want to use the word "lock" but I would be very surprised if he went elsewhere.
• **** Mike Thornton - DT - many think Auburn is the leader here but I am skeptical. He has Auburn, UGA, Penn State, Florida and Miami at the top of his list. My prediction is UGA or Penn State for Thornton.
• **** Byran Jones - DT - I think Auburn swoops in and steals another top Arkansas player. The second best player in the state seems to be leaning toward Auburn and if the Tigers indeed do not land Thornton then I would not be surprised to see Auburn land this four star.
• **** Corey Lemonier - DE - this Florida d-end appears to be Auburn bound. He will decide on NSD between Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, LSU and Tennessee. The All American seems to enjoy the family atmosphere at Auburn and I see him in orange and navy next season.
• *** Ken Adams - DE - JUCO defensive end originally signed with Tuberville's staff out of high school. He is deciding between Auburn, LSU and UNC. I see Auburn as his leader and would look for him to sign soon.
• *** Vic Beasley - LB - Clemson commitment is open and if there is room I see Auburn in Beasley's future. The Auburn legacy would wrap up an amazing linebacker class for the Tigers.

So there are my predictions for the rest of this class: Ken Adams, Corey Lemonier, Byran Jones, Jeffrey Whitaker, Marcus Lattimore, Eric Mack and Vic Beasley (obviously D.J. Howard would have to decommit to fit all of these seven in). With Auburn's class currently ranked THIRD on Rivals, it is safe to say this class would end up in the top five.

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