National Signing Day 2016: Ranking and grading each SEC football recruiting class
Even with the seemingly constant merry-go-round of commitments and decommitments that occur throughout the recruiting cycle each year in college football, we know where just about every player will end up prior to National Signing Day. However, the Auburn Tigers were one of the few teams in the SEC that rode the roller coaster all the way to the end in 2016.
Heading into signing day, Auburn had nine players already enrolled, but only seven others committed. The Tigers were in the mix for as many as ten players making their declarations official on February 3 and landed a handful of them including Derrick Brown, Prince Sammons, Nate Craig-Myers and Jayvaughn Myers. While it certainly could have gone better for Auburn football fans, it was a strong finish that should pay dividends in 2016 and beyond.
Instant Impact Performer: QB John Franklin III
The 2015 season was a disaster for Auburn quarterback Jeremy Johnson, who was mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate in the preseason, but lost his starting job after just three games. While Johnson has ideal size and arm strength and is the most experienced quarterback on the roster, there are many fans and analysts that believe he isn’t capable of leading the Tigers from behind center in 2016.
That opens the door for John Franklin III, a former Florida State signee that arrived in Auburn in January as a transfer from East Mississippi Community College. Franklin would provide an immediate upgrade for the Tigers in terms of mobility over Johnson and Sean White, which could helot rejuvenate an Auburn offense that finished a surprising tenth in the SEC in total offense (370.0 total yards per game) in 2015.
Underrated Signee: TE Landon Rice
It’s not that Rice isn’t rated highly enough – he is the No. 8 ranked tight end in the country, after all – but the four-star recruit from Calhoun, Georgia, is a solidly built 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end that fills a major need for the Tigers, yet still flies under the radar.
As much as the quarterback position has been dissected over in recent months, Auburn’s offense hasn’t been the same since H-back Jay Prosch ran out of eligibility following the 2013 BCS National Championship Game. Because of his premier size, adequate athleticism, and blocking ability, Rice has the tools to fill Prosch’s shoes and get Auburn’s offense back on track.
Unanswered Question: Can Derrick Brown be a Difference-Maker on Defense?
Auburn struggled mightily on defense in 2015 and finished No. 13 in the SEC by allowing 405.2 yards of total offense per game. The Tigers also lost some of their best defenders to graduation, including linebacker Kris Frost and cornerback Jonathan Jones, and had to replace nearly the entire defensive coaching staff after Will Muschamp left for South Carolina.
While Auburn does return several talented performers – most notably defensive end Carl Lawson – and will benefit from the early playing time 2015 signees Byron Cowart, Carlton Davis and others received, they are still in need of a difference-maker to elevate the unit into the top half of the league.
Defensive lineman Marlon Davidson and cornerback John Broussard are both early enrollees that will compete for playing time this spring, and are likely the best hope for an impact performer among the defensive newcomers in 2016, but the Tigers received a huge boost on Signing Day by landing five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown out of the state of Georgia.
Complete 2016 Auburn Football Recruiting Class:
Final Thoughts: Auburn continues to recruit well under head coach Gus Malzahn, and finished strong again in 2016. Of course, things could have gone much better as the Tigers missed out on several highly sought-after targets. The Tigers also added just one offensive lineman prior to National Signing Day, which makes Sammons’ signing Wednesday arguably the biggest of the day.
Next: Florida