It's Official: Auburn Scores Huge Recruiting Class (part 1)

For even the most jaded and pessimistic Auburn football fan, today is a day for celebration. A year ago, the Auburn football program appeared to hit rock bottom. Tommy Tuberville, the longtime coach and face of the program, was forced out of the job after a highly disappointing 5-7 season. Never mind everything Tubs had done for the program, never mind his sterling reputation and track record of success in the ridiculously competitive SEC. The powers that be had spoken, and Tuberville was gone. The resulting coaching search was an anxious time on the plains, with numerous names being thrown around, none of them particularly inspiring. In the end, Auburn handed the job to Iowa State coach and former defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. When the news hit campus, things were far from pretty. From Creekside to Eagles' Landing, Facebook statuses erupted in fits of rage. How could we possibly be replacing a coach as respected, composed, and determined as Tommy Tuberville with some idiot who had won all of five games in two years? And in the Big 12 North of all places! Auburn's fan base was incredulous. This was an epic disaster of biblical proportions. Well, things have come full circle.

The man we now glowingly refer to as 'The Chiz' has exceeded any and all possible expectations even the most optimistic fan could have attributed to his first year on the job. The moment he stepped foot on campus, he was saying all the right things. His inaugural press conference was flawless, and spawned cautious optimism. This optimism began to snowball as he proceeded to surround himself with an excellent coaching staff, highlighted by the acquisition of Gus Malzahn as Offensive Coordinator. The snowball rolled on straight into the fall and, all of a sudden, Auburn was 5-0. Sure, that 5-0 start covered up some gaping flaws, but damn it we looked good. The offense appeared to be unstoppable, led by a rejuvenated Chris Todd, Ben Tate running with more more heart and soul than ever before, and a young spark-plug in the form of freshman Onterio McCalebb. Optimism now reigned supreme. Gene Chizik had evolved into the ultimate bad ass well ahead of schedule. His team rode the hot start to an eight win season, culminated by a bowl victory over Northwestern straight out of the Theatre of the Absurd. Through all of this on field excitement, most fans were largely unaware of what was going on behind the scenes.

Beyond leading the Tigers to a season of redemption, Chizik and his staff have been busy putting together one of the best recruiting classes in the history of the school. Today, of course, is National Signing Day. The dust has settled, the Letters of Intent are in, and Auburn has 32 reasons to celebrate. The class is unanimously ranked in the top 5 nationally. More importantly, it is as loaded (or more loaded) with talent than Alabama's. Let's take a look at the commitments, by position.

Offense

Quarterback:

Cameron Newton- 6-6, 247 - Brenham, Texas - 5 Stars (rivals.com star rankings): Cameron Newton is, quite simply, a beast. To quote an old teacher, "He's a big honkin' man-child", and I have high hopes he will leave SEC defenses behind in a cloud of destruction and pain. He once served as Tim Tebow's primary backup before leaving Florida amidst some controversy involving a stolen laptop. Two years later, he's primed to enter next season as the Tiger's starting QB. Newton's commitment is just one example of how special this class is. A few short months ago, not many people were talking about Newton and Auburn. Today, he's one of the many crown jewels of Chizik & Co.'s inaugural class. If all goes according to plan, Newton will take over the reigns for the next two years, before handing them off to a polished Tyrik Rollison in 2012. Sorry, Neil Caudle.

Video evidence of Newton's bad-assery: Statuesque Cam Newton destroying poor UT Vol

Running Back:

Michael Dyer- 5-8, 201 - Little Rock, Arkansas - 5 Stars: Dyer is the most hyped, and highest rated, prospect in Auburn's class. He is also a phenomenal running back who might have us all forgetting about Ben Tate sooner than we thought. Dyer is a bowling ball type back with plenty of vision, speed, and explosiveness to be considered a home run threat. If this kid is anywhere near as good as he's expected to be, he could emerge as the primary back from a crowded backfield. In any event, the Tigers' should be set this fall with Fannin, McCalebb, Aycock, Smith, and whoever else might emerge as an option to carry the football.

Video evidence of Dyer being the second coming of Maurice Jones Drew: Good Times

LaDarious Phillips- 6-1, 275 - Roanoke, Alabama - 2 Stars: All I know about LaDarious Phillips is I had no idea who he was before today, and he hits the hole very, very hard. Chizik has also stated that Phillips may have an opportunity to play on the defensive line. This kid could be a solid signing day sleeper.

Video evidence that Phillips is a very angry young man: My God, there's a monster on the field

Wide Receiver:

Antonio Goodwin- 6-2, 170 - Atlanta, Georgia - 4 Stars: Goodwin, an Atlanta product, earned that 4-star rating with his speed (4.4 40). Pretty much the definition of a downfield threat, Goodwin was one of the fastest high school receivers in Georgia. While he needs some polishing, Goodwin has the physical tools and length to become a very useful weapon for Malzahn in the future.

Jeremy Richardson- 6-4, 220 - Springville, Alabama - 4 Stars: One of Auburn's top in-state recruits, Richardson looks to be a larger, more raw version of Goodwin. He is another explosive receiver who gets by on his speed and length. If Richardson makes his grades, he could emerge as an extremely useful player capable of stretching defenses.

Video evidence dude is fast: He can return punts??

Trovon Reed- 6-0, 173 - Thibodaux, Louisiana - 4 Stars: Yet another lighting quick receiver, Reed may be the best of the bunch. He has excellent speed and agility, and is the most versatile athlete amongst this trio. Scouts love his big play ability, and he should be given every opportunity to earn time as a freshman. His biggest knock is his size, and there are questions as to whether his body can hold up against SEC competition. If he stays healthy, he will be dangerous.

Video evidence EA sports will assign him a '99' in Speed & Agility: Gets good at around 1:45

Tight End:

Brandon Mosley- 6-6, 285 - Coffeyville, Kansas - 4 Stars: Mosely is a JUCO ATH heading to Auburn from the football hotbed known only as Coffeyville, Kansas. Although he played end at Coffeyville, he's made it clear he wants to play Tight End at Auburn. Judging by his size, he should compliment Auburn's finesse Tight End, Philip Lutzenkirchen, very well. It will be interesting to see if Mosley does indeed stick at Tight End for the Tigers, or ends up on either the offensive or defensive line.

Dakota Mosley- 6-4, 252 - Little Rock, Arkansas - 3 Stars: The other Mosley (unrelated) is more of a pure Tight End, and is more likely to stick at that position in Auburn. He could be a nice addition at a position where Auburn could use some more talent.

Offensive Line:

Ed Christian- 6-5, 280 - Valdosta, Georgia - 3 Stars: Christian is a somewhat undersized run-blocker coming out of Lowndes High in Valdosta, Georgia. Despite his size, scouts love his mean streak. If he develops some more power to add to his strong technique and aggression, he has a chance to be a mainstay somewhere along the Auburn line.

Shon Coleman- 6-7, 285 - Olive Branch, Mississippi - 5 Stars: Whew! The past 72 hours have been pretty turbulent in regards to Coleman's recruitment process. Chizik and his staff survived a late scare from ohmygodnicksabanisamazing and managed to bag one of the top OL in the country, and the #1 rated player out of Mississippi. If Auburn wasn't so set along the line for this season, it's likely Coleman would emerge as the team's next great 4 year starter on the line. Look for Shon to add around 25 pounds upon his arrival as he begins to compete for a starting position.

Video Evidence that Shon is huge: There's not a lot of OL video out there (he's #77)

Tunde Fariyike- 6-3, 295 - Thomaston, Georgia - 2 Stars: Another 2-star signing day surprise, Fariyike intrigues me for two reasons. One, he's from Nigeria. Two, he has a goofy name. Auburn swooped in an stole this kid from Duke and Eastern Carolina, presumably because he's a true center, and we don't have many of those. Here's to hoping he's a diamond in the rough.

Video evidence somebody cares: He blocks!

Roszell Gayden- 6-7, 310 - Visalia, California - 4 Stars: With a name like Roszell Gayden, this kid could only be from California. What's more important than his name is the fact that he is a very promising JUCO player we were able to pluck from the west coast. He is also a former basketball player, and very athletic for his size. Gayden is another big body, albeit a very raw one (he only recently began playing OL), who will be competing for a spot on what will be Auburn's completely re-tooled offensive line in 2011.

Video evidence that video evidence of O-linemen sucks: Knock yourself out

Eric Mack- 6-4, 315 - St. Matthews, South Carolina - 4 Stars: Mack is a very recent commitment, and he's a big one. One of the top linemen in the country, Mack should be yet another valuable pick up at a position of need. A year ago, I was terrified of the day Ziemba and Co. would graduate. Now, I'm pretty confident Auburn will be able to build a solid line with the pieces they have managed to acquire. Scouts rave about Mack's ability to move his feet, and believe he will be well above average in pass protection at the college level. He will need to improve his drive off the line when run blocking.

Video evidence the kid speaks half-decent English: Good for him!

Chad Slade- 6-6, 316 - Moody, Alabama - 3 Stars: Slade is the least polished of the OL commits. He is, however, an athletic big man and possesses excellent power and strength. His stock has steadily risen over the past year, and if he gets to campus and works hard, he could find himself on the field sooner rather than later.

Video evidence Chad is a large human: Damn, he is large

Alright, that's all for tonight. Defense to come tomorrow.