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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Under Armour All American Game

The day after the Outback Bowl, in St. Petersburg (a 30 minute drive from Tampa), the Under Armour All American game will be played at 11 a.m ET. For those Auburn fans who want to see the future of Auburn football but cannot attend, the game will be televised on ESPN. Here are some players to watch:

Commitments:

• Michael Dyer - White Team #5 - RB
• Antonio Goodwin - White Team #7 - WR
• Dakota Mosley - White Team #81 - TE/LS
• LaDarius Owens - Black Team #15 - LB
• Cody Parkey - Black Team #18 - K
• Jake Holland - Black Team #50 - LB

Targets:

• Corey Lemonier - White Team #55 - DE
• James Stone - White Team #64 - OG
• Mike Thornton - White Team #73 - DT

Recruiting Catch Up

I wanted to clarify for anyone what exactly is going on with the early signing period for JUCO and early graduates. Wednesday is signing day for January enrollees. Auburn is looking to sign five on Wednesday. They will all roll back to the 2009 signing class.

Jessel Curry and Craig Sanders are likely to sign on Wednesday along with current Tennessee commitment and former Auburn signee Ken Adams. Adams will make an announcement tomorrow as to whether he will stay with the Vols or switch to Auburn, which is very likely. Also, Roszell Gayden could also make a decision soon and could possibly sign with Auburn on Wednesday. Gayden is likely down to just Auburn and Cal.

Here is the latest on other top targets:

• OL - Eric Mack - Feel good about this South Carolina commitment. Auburn is in very good shape to steal him.
• OL - John Cullen - This JUCO lineman will probably not make a decision until close to signing day. Tennessee currently leads for Cullen but he plans to visit Auburn in January and teammate Joel Bonomolo could help pull Cullen to the Plains.
• OL - Brandon Mosley - Appears to be down to Auburn, Ole Miss and FSU. Ole Miss is leading but Mosley visited FSU this weekend and an announcement is expected this week. He will sign in December in enroll in January.
• OL - Laurence Gibson - Gibson committed to Clemson last night.
• RB - Marcus Lattimore - Five star running back still has Auburn and South Carolina on top. I feel great right now about signing Lattimore in February.
• RB - Lache Seastrunk - I am no longer expecting Auburn to have a serious chance with Seastrunk.
• DT - Byran Jones - Arkansas is the public leader for Jones right now but I have heard whispers that Jones could be an Auburn lean. He will take an official visit to Auburn in January and could wrap him up then.
• DT - Mike Thornton - Still an Auburn lean the last I heard but the Tigers have a lot of competition.
• DT - Jeffrey Whitaker - Auburn in awesome shape for this stud defensive tackle. I expect him to sign with the Tigers.
• DE - Corey Lemonier - Auburn has put themselves in good position with Corey. Right now it is a toss up between Florida, Florida State, Auburn, Tennessee, LSU and Miami.
• LB - Vic Beasley - Toss up between Auburn and his current commitment of Clemson. Says he will talk to his parents about visiting Auburn and if he makes it down, we could steal him.
• LB - C.J. Mosley - I would say there is a 85% chance Mosley ends up wearing crimson next season.
• DB - Ryan White - White will take an unofficial visit to Auburn next weekend and could commit then. He is probably Auburn's top uncommitted defensive back target. White also plans an official visit for the last weekend in January.
• DB - Rashad Knight - Visited Auburn this weekend but Auburn wants White over Knight. With Davis committing this weekend and Auburn in good shape with White, there may be no room for Knight.
• DB - Ahmad Dixon - It is questionable right now if Auburn would take Dixon right now. Dixon also has grade issues.
• DB - Bradley Roby - Auburn could make a move for this Vanderbilt commitment if he visits. He currently plans to take an official to the Plains on January 8th.

Lemonier To Visit (Prob Not This Weekend)

Corey Lemonier will likely use one of his official visits to check out Auburn. A date has not yet been set. He also will likely take officials to Miami, Tennessee, Illinois and another school.

Rumors Are False

Rumors surrounding a possible commitment of Corey Lemonier are false. First, rumors came out saying he was headed to be a Gator and then that he had committed to Illinois. Both of these appear to be false. He said he has no idea how those rumors got started. Lemonier appears most interested in Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, Miami and Tennessee.

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

• Four star defensive end Corey Lemonier will be in Auburn this weekend.
• Dakota Mosley will be in Auburn on Sunday on his way to Florida. He says Michael Dyer will probably be with him.
• At THIS MOMENT it appears Ahmad Dixon will be in Auburn this weekend while Lache Seastrunk will not.
• LaDarius Owens, C.J. Mosley, Kenneth Carter and Jeffrey Whitaker are some defensive stars you will see in Auburn this weekend.