Auburn Football: 3 reasons Bryan Harsin was the wrong hire

1. Recruiting in the SEC is a different beast

The biggest question that must be answered, and the one that will most likely determine the success Bryan Harsin can have at Auburn, is whether or not he can recruit. He recruited at roughly the same level as Chris Peterson at Boise, but the SEC is a whole different beast altogether.

Consider that Arkansas has put together an impressive top-20 class in the 2021 cycle, and that it is only good for eighth in the conference. Florida currently sits at 10th nationally, and only fifth in the SEC.

Perhaps the biggest reason for Harsin feeling like an odd fit at a place like Auburn is that he doesn’t have the southern coaching roots that would assist him in getting started on the trail. There’s a better than zero chance that the majority of Auburn’s current recruiting targets have never even heard his name.

Harsin is from Boise and played his college ball for the Broncos. Save for the one year he spent at Arkansas State where he replaced Malzahn in 2013, Harsin’s coaching career has been spent out west.

Look for Harsin to identify assistants for his staff with roots in the area where the Tigers typically recruit. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he retained defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, though that could lead to its own set of problems after Steele publicly and privately lobbied for the head job, and seemingly had the support of at least a handful of powerful boosters.

Auburn’s decision to fire Malzahn prior to the early signing period had a major impact on their 2021 signing class. Currently the Tigers sit 41st in the 247 composite rankings. Malzahn only had two classes finish outside of the top-10, and never had one lower than 12th.

It’s probably too late to salvage this class entirely with only a few blue-chippers remaining on the board, but how Harsin recruits in 2022 and beyond will determine whether he finds success on the Plains or if the Tigers are perusing the carousel again in a few short years.

Because if you can’t recruit in the SEC, you’ll get eaten alive.