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National Signing Day 2016: SEC football winners and losers

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Feb 3, 2016; Buford, GA, USA; Lanier High School defensive tackle Derrick Brown commits to the Auburn Tigers at Auburn University during national signing day at Lanier High School. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Buford, GA, USA; Lanier High School defensive tackle Derrick Brown commits to the Auburn Tigers at Auburn University during national signing day at Lanier High School. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn enters Legion Field prior to the Birmingham Bowl against Memphis Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn enters Legion Field prior to the Birmingham Bowl against Memphis Tigers. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /

Winner: Auburn Tigers

Auburn spent most of signing day outside the top ten in the national recruiting rankings, which in the cutthroat SEC put the Tigers in the middle of the pack. However, three huge additions landed Auburn the No. 9 class in the country and a top-five mark in the league.

The first good news of the day came from four-star standout Prince Sammons – a 6-foot-8, 280-pound Ohio native that is expected to help build Auburn’s offensive line depth but is ranked as the No. 11 strong-side defensive end recruit in the 247Sports Composite.

Speaking of defensive line prospects, Auburn’s biggest catch of the day came in the afternoon when five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown picked the Tigers over the in-state Georgia Bulldogs and rival Alabama. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 317 pounds, Brown is ranked No. 9 overall and No. 4 among interior defensive linemen. He was also the top-ranked prospect from the state of Georgia.

Auburn also struck gold by landing former commit Nate Craig-Myers, who decommitted from the Tigers in the summer of 2015. A 6-foot-2, four-star prospect, Craig-Myers was ranked among the nation’s top 50 players and the No. 6 wide receiver prospect.

With the addition of Craig-Myers, the Tigers now have arguably the best wide receiver class of 2016. The Tampa native joins early enrollee and top 100 overall prospect Kyle Davis, as well as four-star Eli Stove (the No. 20 receiver and No. 171 overall player in the nation) and 6-foot-2 three-star prospect Marquis McClain. Adding Craig-Myers also likely played a big role in Auburn nabbing three-star cornerback Jayvaughn Myers.

Auburn missed out on Rashan Gary (the nation’s top-ranked recruit), as well as five-star linebacker Ben Davis, but both players were long shots anyway. Overall, things turned out nearly as well as they possibly could have on the Plains.

Next: LSU

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