SPORTS

Auburn poised for another top 10, perhaps top-three class

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser
Five-star defensive end recruit Byron Cowart is set to visit Auburn this week

AUBURN – The pieces are in place for Auburn to not only sign its sixth straight top-10 recruiting class, but possibly finish as high as the top thee by the end of National Signing Day.

Auburn's current class of 22 commits is ranked No. 9 by Scout and No. 11 or 12 by the other three major recruiting services, but that could all change by 8 a.m. when defensive end Byron Cowart, the top rated prospect in the country, announces his choice, which is down to Auburn and Florida.

Cowart is one of several top targets announcing today that Auburn is in the mix for, including numerous five-stars in defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr., offensive tackle Martez Ivey, defensive end CeCe Jefferson and athlete Terry Godwin, as well as four-star linebacker Jeffery Holland.

"I think if you place any stock in relationship with the player-coach dynamic then you've got to feel Auburn's got as good a shot, if not better than Florida right now," ESPN recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill said of Cowart and Ivey. "I happen to place stock in that because I think it means a lot in today's recruiting environment."

Four of the five will announce as part of ESPNU's signing day coverage, with Godwin announcing at 5 p.m. on FOX Sports South.

Should Auburn land Cowart, its class would move up to No. 9 in the 247Sports rankings and further additions would send Gus Malzahn's class up even further, perhaps to the "top two or three," according to Luginbill.

Auburn has not had a consensus top-five class since 2011.

If Cowart, Ivey and Holland were all to choose Auburn, which is considered a strong possibility, it would move the Tigers to No. 4 in the 247Sports rankings behind Alabama, USC and Florida State.

"Those guys are all capable of playing and having a significant role early on," Luginbill said. "Auburn and USC out west, they're the two teams that I see putting themselves in a position to maybe have the biggest signing day splash when it's all said and done."

Such a positive splash would stand in stark contrast to last year's National Signing Day, when Rashaan Evans, whose online bio turned into an "embarrassment" for the program and an NCAA secondary violation, spurned Auburn for Alabama.

Auburn has hit its needs at offensive line and in the secondary in this year's class, and as is usually the case it'll take time before much is known about this crop of players.

"This offensive line group, in my opinion, is a developmental one," Luginbill said. "They need to redshirt. I don't know if they're ready to take that jump in the same way that Braden Smith did a year ago."

That may change with the addition of Ivey, whose Apopka (Florida) High School teammate Chandler Cox is already on campus as an early enrollee.

Cowart would also provide an immediate boost to a defensive line that was void of pass rush a year ago and give end up opposite Carl Lawson.

Auburn brought some momentum into today with the commitments of Prince Tega Wanogho Jr. and Darius Slayton on Tuesday.

Recruiting is very much a wait and see game but by Wednesday night the wait on many decisions will finally conclude.