aubiefifty

the last thing i want to do is mess up the board. i might just kick back and let the big boys do it. i get upset enough with myself double posting when i miss an article on at least page one.i guess it is the getting old and watching yourself slip. i guess i will smoke on and save the worl of skyrim for a while.

this is why i do not like different articles buried in one thread. i am not going to go through each thread to see if anyone posted the article. it is not like the board is snowed under and when you do things that make it harder to post with out spending half your time on the fam seeing if an article has already been posted before you post something.... does this make any sense to you? it wastes time and it in its self by hunting for the article it discourages folks from posting. i do not get it. i get no money nor glory for posting articles. i am not a mod. but i have been told a couple of times by red he appreciates what i do for the board. i might ask red and the mods what can be done to fix this. i went and looked for articles. i found article i want to post. so i go to fam and look through the titles of threads to see if it has already been posted. no title. so i go back to the other site and copy and then come back and post it. that is a lot of wasted time. do you get what i am saying? once he sign he is not a recruit anymore right? i am not trying to be a jerk but i wasted a lot of time trying to help the basketball folks out only to get my time wasted. plus i screw up enough on my own as it is. it is very frustrating.

why no lol.

have you noticed there is less fighting on here than there has been for years? it is almost unnerving. i enjoy it but i believe mad folks talk more than the happy campers. i do and in that regard i am calling ya out loof. are the twins fuzzy today? what ya got? lol

depends are adult diapers golf...............

i like it as a chance for a new Auburn coach to set the world on fire.

thanx for posting!

i am not questioning the young mans toughness but it sure seemed like he got pushed around a lot and took a beating in some games. anyone have thoughts on that? i just think he might benefit more bulking up as working on his shot? i want him to stay but my reasons are purely selfish.

Auburn Football Auburn’s dynamic duo means cornerback should be strength for Tigers’ defense Updated Mar 10, 2021; Posted Mar 10, 2021 Auburn defensive back Roger McCreary (23) intercepts a pass intended for Mississippi State wide receiver Osirus Mitchell (5) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020, in Starkville, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)AP 161 shares By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on March 15. The eighth of a 10-part series looks at the cornerbacks. The two most important positions on defense these days, in the wake of the proliferation of spread offenses, are pass-rusher and cornerback — the players who can affect the quarterback, and those who can prevent him from completing passes downfield. When it comes to the latter, Auburn has a stacked group in the secondary, and one that will only get stronger this summer. Cornerback should be an unquestioned strength for Auburn’s defense in 2021, despite the fact the Tiger ranked 79th nationally in passing defense (242.6 yards per game) and 56th in yards per pass attempt allowed (7.3) last season. That’s because Auburn brings back each of its starting corners from a year ago, another who earned a top spot on the depth chart at the end of fall camp, as well as multiple other experienced rotational pieces returning to the fold. Projected depth chart: Cornerback Roger McCreary, senior, 45 tackles, with seven for a loss, three interceptions and six pass breakups in 10 starts. Marco Domio, senior, eight tackles in seven games, including one start. Eric Reed Jr., sophomore, appeared in one game as a freshman in 2020. Cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, junior, 25 tackles, one interception and 10 pass breakups in 11 games, including 10 starts. Jaylin Simpson, redshirt sophomore, 14 tackles and three pass breakups in eight games, including one start. Kamal Hadden, junior, three-star junior college transfer who enrolled in January. Nickelback Ladarius Tennison, sophomore, 21 tackles in 11 games, including two starts. Zion Puckett, redshirt sophomore, 15 tackles and one pass breakups in 10 games, including one start. Departed: Christian Tutt, NFL Draft early entrant. Due to arrive in the fall: Dreshun Miller, West Virginia grad transfer; A.D. Diamond, three-star freshman. Outlook: New Auburn cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge is walking into a situation that appears pretty close to ideal with his new position group this spring. Auburn welcomes back its top-two corners from last year — Roger McCreary and Nehemiah Pritchett — who might constitute one of to top cornerback duos in the SEC, if not the country, this season. In his first year as Auburn’s top cornerback, McCreary looked the part, following in the footsteps of recent highly productive Auburn corners Noah Igbinoghene, Jamel Dean and Carlton Davis. According to Pro Football Focus analysis, McCreary has a coverage grade of 89.6 since 2019 — making him the second-highest graded corner in the country during that span. Pritchett, meanwhile, led Auburn and was tied for 12th nationally in pass breakups last year with 10 while stepping into the No. 2 spot at corner for Auburn. Pritchett, another in an impressive line of under-the-radar three-star defensive back signees to break out for the Tigers in recent years, also ranked fourth nationally in fewest yards allowed per coverage snap (0.53), according to PFF. Now McCreary, who could have declared for the draft early, is back for a second year as Auburn’s No. 1 guy. Pritchett is back with an opportunity to continue to improve his game and build on a strong 2020. The Tigers also have Jaylin Simpson, who actually earned the starting job opposite McCreary at the end of fall camp but ceded that spot to Pritchett thanks to an early-season injury. Still, the former four-star prospect was a valuable piece to Auburn’s secondary, and his versatility could pay dividends as defensive coordinator Derek Mason tries to pit the pieces to his schematic puzzle this offseason. Auburn also returns Marco Domio, a former JUCO transfer who drew lots of praise last fall but whose progress was slowed due to an injury that kept him out of the Tigers’ first four games. He’s an explosive athlete who can bring some more physicality to the position, and spring should be big for him as he looks to establish himself as a key rotational piece behind the Tigers’ dynamic duo at corner. Further down the chart are redshirt freshman Eric Reed Jr., who was a highly rated 2020 signee but only saw the field in one game last season, and newcomer Kamal Hadden, a junior college transfer who could provide immediate depth in the secondary. The other component of Auburn’s cornerback group is the nickel position, where the Tigers will look to replace Christian Tutt. The two-year starter in the slot in an early entrant for the NFL Draft after also considering a transfer option this offseason. His likely successor is sophomore Ladarius Tennison, who saw considerable playing time as a freshman last fall and made the most of his playing time behind Tutt. He should have a leg up on locking down that role this spring, while redshirt Zion Puckett — a former safety who has seen time at corner and nickel — should also vie for reps in the slot. Overall it’s a strong group at corner that should only get stronger this summer, when West Virginia grad transfer Dreshun Miller — another starting-caliber corner — arrives on campus. Up next: Safeties.

ok this one hurts. what are our chances of keeping flannigan and coop?flannigan raised his game bigtime this year and coop to me needs to hit the weights and maybe work on his three point shooting? i could be way off but coop was knocked down a lot and pushed around some. he never showed any fear. anyone know?

dang boo radley talks more than you do..........grins

i do not even get honorable mention?

as obvious as that is why has no one looked closer at emmert?would it be safe to say the ncaa protects their own?

Watch: Auburn QB commit Holden Geriner at Elite 11 regionals ByKeith Niebuhr 23 hours ago 9 CARROLLTON, Ga., -- Competing against some of the best quarterbacks in the country at Sunday's Elite 11 Regional in Georgia, Auburn quarterback commit Holden Geriner of Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School more than held his own. In fact, he was one of 247Sports' Top Performers at the event (read HERE). "I think I did pretty well," Geriner said. "Obviously, I could have improved on a few things but I think I did overall pretty well." For Geriner, it was another strong showing in 2021. He also performed well at the NFA Myrtle Beach 7on7 event in February. This success isn't a surprise. Geriner, the No. 9 pro-style quarterback nationally for 247Sports, threw for 2,770 yards and 25 touchdowns to just three interceptions in 2020. Sunday, he showed off a big arm and for the most part was highly accurate. "I think the throws that were the most challenging, like on the run, just when they pushed everybody to the max, I think I did really well," Geriner said. Geriner committed to the Tigers on Feb. 1. He said Sunday his bond with the Auburn staff, particularly offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo, has only strengthened since that time. *** Get 30% off an annual subscription and receive the latest Auburn recruiting and team scoops *** *** Get FREE Auburn breaking news in your inbox *** Get the fastest scores, news, videos and more. Download the CBS Sports App and get the latest on your team today. "We have a great relationship," Geriner said. "We talk almost every single day. ... He's just ready to work and we're both super excited. It's going to be great." Geriner recently earned a fourth star from 247Sports. He said other recruits -- players he has targeted -- have taken notice of that. "Everybody kind of secretly looks at whether it's a three or four or 5-star -- or whatever it is," Geriner said. "I think it definitely plays a role into recruiting." 9COMMENTS You can watch our full interview with Geriner along with video highlights from Sunday up above. -You can follow Holden Geriner on Twitter HERE.

i was afraid you were gonnaq accuse me of turning them in lol. the crawfish mafia willget dat azz fer sure..............ok that was not funny but i tried.

Auburn recruiting snapshot: 2021 class overview ByKeith Niebuhr Feb 21, 9:19 AM 3 x Let's take a closer look at Auburn's 2021 class .. During a unique early signing period for Auburn in December, which began just three days after Gus Malzahn was fired as coach, the Tigers had 12 signees. One of them (Oklahoma tight end transfer Grant Calcaterra) later ended up at another school. On National Signing Day Part II in February, first-year coach Bryan Harsin added seven new signees. Saturday, the Tigers picked up one more commitment when 4-star defensive end Dylan Brooks, who Tennessee let out of his National Letter of Intent on Friday, gave his verbal to Auburn. Right now, Auburn has the No. 20 recruiting class from 247Sports. That's up 28 spots from when the month of February began. With slots still left to fill, this class isn't finished. However, transfers do not count in the rankings so 20th may be as high as Auburn can go. Here's a snapshot of where things stand with the Auburn class …. EARLY ENROLLEES: 6 -- Dematrius Davis, QB; Kamal Hadden, CB; Ahmari Harvey, S; Lee Hunter, DT; Landen King, TE; Garner Langlo, OT/OG. ALSO SIGNED IN DECEMBER: 5 -- Armani Diamond, CB; Ian Mathews, DE; Tobechi Okoli, DE; Hal Presley, WR; Marquis Robinson, DT. SIGNED IN DECEMBER: 7 -- Cayden Bridges, S; Tar'varish Dawson, WR; Juwon Gaston, S; Jarquez Hunter, RB; Andrew Leota, DE (transfer); Colby Smith, OT; Joko Willis, LB. COMMITTED: 1 -- Dylan Brooks, DE/OLB. CLASS RANKING: No. 20 in the country; No. 8 in the Southeastern Conference. Transfers (see Leota) don't count in the rankings. SPOTS LEFT: All told, the Tigers can have about 25 new additions in 2021 ... Right now, Auburn has 18 signees plus Brooks, but you also have to count punter Oscar Chapman, who played on the team last year as a blue shirt. That means he counts against the 2021 numbers -- not those from 2020. That puts Auburn at 20. Add it up and Auburn has about five remaining sports open. *** Get 50% off an annual subscription and receive the latest Auburn recruiting and team scoops *** *** Get FREE Auburn breaking news in your inbox *** (Photo: 247Sports) QUARTERBACK Signed: 1 -- 4-star Dematrius Davis (early enrollee) Committed: 0 Spots to fill: 0-1 The 411: The Tigers signed Dematrius Davis in December (he enrolled at Auburn earlier this year) and backup Grant Loy will use the NCAA's free year of eligibility to return for the 2021 season. That said, Auburn might take a transfer -- if he's a player with real value. Keep an eye on former Oregon starter Tyler Shough. As we recently reported, Auburn has been in contact with him and there seems to be some interest on both sides. He would have three years of eligibility remaining. The signing of Davis, 51-3 as a high school starter, obviously is big. But Loy's return might be even more significant in the short term because he has college starting experience and was starter Bo Nix's backup in 2020. The No. 8 dual-threat quarterback nationally in the industry generated 247Sports Composite, Davis went 51-3 as a high school starter. In his final season, he was 177-of-252 passing for 3,553 yards, 37 touchdowns and 4 interceptions with 121 carries for 876 yards and 22 touchdowns as North Shore went 14-1, losing only to eventual state champ Austin Westlake in the Class 6A Division I semifinals. RUNNING BACK Signed: 1 -- 3-star Jarquez Hunter Committed: 0 Spots to fill: 0-1 The 411: Starter Tank Bigsby returns. So does Shaun Shivers. Now, Hunter has signed and he'll arrive this summer. That's three -- but don't forget about Devan Barrett. A valuable backup in 2017 who later moved to defensive back, he's returning to running back this spring. If all goes well, he'd have two seasons left. That makes four. Five backs on scholarship would be ideal but you can live with four. The staff getting eyeballs on this group the spring will be a factor, also. Will it like what it sees in a few weeks? It's possible the Tigers could exit the spring wanting another veteran player here. Or just another body, period. We were told recently that Auburn probably would not recruit Tennessee signee Cody Brown, who was released from his NLI. But if the staff feels the numbers still are two low, could Brown get another look? We'll see. There's a lot to be determined. In recruiting, things always are fluid. TIGHT END Signed: 1 -- 3-star Landen King (early enrollee) Committed: 0 Spots to fill: 0 The 411: The tight ends room is in great shape. Who'd have thought we'd ever say that? King is a high-level high school recruit who had a big prep career in Texas. He finished with well over a thousand yards combined receiving yards his final two seasons at Humble Atascocita High. Listed at 6-feet-5 and 220 pounds, King is arguably the most underrated member of the 2021 Auburn recruiting class. Harsin recruited him when he was coach at Boise State. RECEIVER Signed: 2 -- 4-star Tar'varish Dawson; 4-star Hal Presley. Spots to fill: 0-1 The 411: Auburn signed five talented receivers in 2020, then added a couple 247Sports 4-stars in Presley and the speedy Dawson this cycle. So numbers wise, the Tigers appear fine. And, there appears to be a good bit of talent. What Auburn lacks is a lot of experience .After losing Seth Williams, Anthony Schwartz and Eli Stove, there aren't many veterans at this position on the roster. During spring practice, Harsin, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and receivers coach Cornelius Williams will be able to properly assess things. If they exit spring ball comfortable here, okay. But if they think a veteran may need to be added to give the group more experience, the Tigers could look to the transfer portal. All we're really saying is, don't rule that option out. Again, though, talent wise this group appears to be fine. OFFENSIVE LINE Signed: 2 -- 4-star Colby Smith, OT; 3-star Garner Langlo, OT Spots to fill: 2-3 The 411: Even after signing six here in the 2020 class, having only two signed isn't ideal. And that's putting it as kindly as we can. We fully expect the Tigers to work hard to bring in some transfers -- they need one or two tackles and probably one inside player. The Tigers don't need any more developmental guys right now. They have enough of those. What's needed is immediate help at tackle -- and maybe even someone who can push for a starting spot inside. Harsin's staff pursued Harvard guard/center transfer Eric Wilson, but he ultimately picked Penn State. But that tells you the Tigers see a need inside -- not just at tackle. That said, the bigger need clearly is at tackle, where Auburn has to get better moving forward. Even though the Tigers return numerous starters up front, they simply have to improve -- a lot -- in this area, especially in pass pro. Everyone knows it. Tackle transfers can either earn starting spots -- or push those already at Auburn to be better. Either way, it's a win-win. This is another situation where the staff can use spring practice to truly understand the depth of its needs. As Harsin pointed out Feb. 3, he has several months to fill in the blanks. And, recent history tells us many of the top offensive line transfers didn't hit the market until after spring practice. DEFENSIVE TACKLE/ENDS Signed: 4 -- 4-star DT Lee Hunter (early enrollee), 4-star DT Marquis Robinson, 3-star DE Tobechi Okoli, 3-star DE/DT Ian Mathews. Spots to fill: 0 The 411: Even though Auburn lost some talent from 2020, there is plenty returning and the Tigers did really well here in the 2021 cycle. Hunter, a tackle, already is on campus and could be a contributor in Year 1. The return of tackle Tyrone Truesdell, who could have left for the NFL, also is significant. He's a multi-year starter. Colby Wooden is a bona-fide stud. Jaren Handy is another player with potential. Now, go back to the 2020 class and you find more players who should have major roles this fall. One is tackle Zykeivous Walker, who played a lot in Year 1. Tackle Dre Butler, who had health issues last season, is primed to make a jump. Ditto for redshirt freshman Jay Hardy, another tackle with a really high upside. We expect a lot of these players to see time at both tackle and end. Depending on how he grows, Brooks could play end. For now, we're listing him at an outside backer/edge rusher. EDGE/OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS Signed: 1 -- Northwestern transfer Andrew Leota, OLB Committed: 1 -- 4-star Dylan Brooks, OLB/DE Spots to fill: 0-1 The 411: Auburn returns some young talent in Derick Hall and Romello Height -- and added Leota, a transfer from Northwestern who was solid for the Wildcats. In fact, he was third-team All-Big Ten in 2020. So we expect him to be a major contributor in 2021. Additionally, Cameron Riley is a talented young player to watch. He can line up at multiple linebacker spots. The question is, does Auburn have enough pass push on the current roster? Spring practice should give defensive coordinator Derek Masonand Co. an idea. Should Auburn see a major need there, it could seek another transfer. But our best guess is, the Tigers might be okay for now. INSIDE LINEBACKER Signed: 1 -- 3-star Joko Willis Spots to fill: 0-1 The 411: After signing three backers in 2020 and now Willis, Auburn doesn't have a huge need here, but potentially could still add a veteran Willis, a prospect from Independence Community College (Kan.), is the No. 2 junior college inside backer in the country for the 247Sports Composite. He's also a product of Troup High in LaGrange, Ga. He will have four years of eligibility at Auburn. K.J. Britt, a valuable starter in recent years, is gone, but everyone else pretty much returns. That includes returning starters Owen Pappoe and Zakoby McClain. You also have Chandler Wooten back. He opted out in 2020 but will play in 2021. He's another guy who can play multiple roles. TD Moultry, after having been at the buck, will return to linebacker in 2021. Auburn also has plenty of young talent here and those players gained some valuable experience in 2020. See Wesley Steiner and Desmond Tisdol. Meanwhile, Auburn also is tracking some transfers. DEFENSIVE BACK Signed: 5 -- 4-star safety Ahmari Harvey; 4-star safety Juwon Gaston; 3-star corner Cayden Bridges; 3-star corner Kamal Hadden; 3-star corner Armani Diamond Spots to fill: 0-1 The 411: Yes, Auburn has several players back. But in the secondary you can never have too many bodies. Last season, the Tigers battled injuries so increased depth is vital. Roger McCreary gives you one of the best corners in the SEC. Another corner, Jaylin Simpson, has flashed when healthy. Nehemiah Pritchett also has earned valuable snaps at corner. At safety, Jamien Sherwood is gone but veteran Smoke Monday is back and Chris Thompson and Eric Reed should see a boost in snaps. Ladarius Tennison could be the man at nickel. Even with all of these players returning, Auburn already is looking hard at the transfer market. One player to watch is Dreshun Miller of West Virginia. A former 4-star corner, he entered the portal last week and the Tigers are very much in the hunt. Mississippi State is another team to watch. Miller is looking to find a place where he can start on Day 1. SPECIAL TEAMS Signed: 0 3COMMENTS Committed: 0 Spots to fill: 0 The 411: Standout long snapper Kyle Vaccarella of Fairfield College Preparatory (Ct.) committed to Auburn as a preferred walk-on. Vaccarella is unrated by 247Sports, but owns a 6-star rating from Rubio Long Snapping, which specializes in evaluations for players at Vaccarella's position. Rubio ranks Vaccarella No. 2 among all long snappers in the 2021 class. At this time, we don't think the Tigers will sign any kickers for 2021. But ... if we're reading the rules correctly, Chapman of Australia, who will be a "blue shirt," will count toward the 2021 scholarship totals. Per USA Today, "Blue shirt rules allow for unrecruited players to be awarded a scholarship at the start of freshman practice. This allows a team that may have too many commits to essentially borrow against their next year’s scholarship total. The rules are rather strict in regard to what is defined as being 'unrecruited.' That means there was no official visit taken by the athlete, the coach didn’t visit the athlete at home, there was no National Letter of Intent signed, and no form of athletic aid."

if they play lannett i think they were good? they might not be now.

Brooks is Auburn's 4th in-state signee of the 2021 class and propels the Tigers to the 20th ranked recruiting class in 2021 . . . Auburn Plainsman

collegeandmagnolia.com 4-star Outside Linebacker Dylan Brooks is Headed to Auburn AUNerd 4-5 minutes Better late than never right? Yesterday, Tennessee finally caved and gave 4-star OLB Dylan Brooks his release from his signed National Letter of Intent with no restrictions. Earlier today he made official what most suspected. Dylan Brooks will be an Auburn Tiger. It’s been a long road to this point. Auburn lost Brooks to Tennessee early in the 2021 cycle thanks in large part to his close relationship with former Vols head football coach Jeremy Pruitt. Following Pruitt’s firing, coming after former UT AD Phillip Fulmer had assured Brooks that Pruitt was not going anywhere, Brooks formally request a release from his NLI. The Vols drug their feet for as long as they could but yesterday finally freed him. Now Bryan Harsin has his first blue chip recruit as Auburn’s head football coach. Highlights Scouting Report Brooks is a versatile athlete with the tools to develop into an elite edge rusher at the next level. He’ll likely start out as an outside linebacker but it would not shock me if he put put on enough weight to slide to strong side defensive end. He’s got a long frame, a great first step and the ability to turn his speed into power to overwhelm would be blockers. Will need to further refine his pass rush skills, learning how to better use his hands to defeat blockers but he’s got the athletic gifts to find a way onto the field very early in his career. The Class Despite a disappointing 6-4 season that ended with a coaching change a few days before the start of the Early Signing Period and the hiring of a new coaching staff after the Early Signing Period, Auburn’s 2021 class is in the top 20. Obviously, #20 overall and #8 in the SEC is not good enough for Auburn to compete for SEC championships but it’s outstanding considering the cirumstances. There won’t be a massive talent gap on the roster as it was feared there would be back in December. The Tigers still have some spots open for impact transfers as well. Overall, Bryan Harsin and his staff did an excellent job salvaging a situation that had the looks not that long ago of being a disaster. War Eagle Dylan!

maybe hollywood is looking for you to make you a star? lol

theadvocate.com LSU under federal investigation for 'safety practices' after sexual assault complaints ANDREA GALLO | Staff writer 4 minutes LSU is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education over potential violations of the Clery Act, which requires universities to report crimes that occur on campus and to address incidents of sexual violence. LSU acknowledged the investigation on Friday after The Advocate reported on it, citing two sources close to the investigation. One source with direct knowledge told The Advocate that the Department of Education had notified LSU "that they will be investigating their safety practices." "This week, LSU was notified that the U.S. Department of Education would be conducting a campus crime program review related to Clery Act requirements," said LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard on Friday afternoon. "Campus safety and the well being of those at LSU is always our priority, ad following Clery guidelines for reporting and notifying the campus community is an important part of crime prevention that we take extremely seriously." Alexandra Reyes thought she had an airtight case of sexual misconduct for LSU to investigate. The investigation was triggered after several women came forward with allegations that they were sexually assaulted or abused by LSU students and athletes, but said that LSU officials failed to fully investigate their complaints. LSU has commissioned its own investigation from the law firm Husch Blackwell over potential violations of Title IX, the federal law that prevents universities from discriminating against students based on their gender. The Husch Blackwell report is expected to be completed later this month. Two years ago, the NCAA, SEC and LSU’s president and top legal counsel were all warned that LSU’s athletics department had potentially run afo… USA Today first reported last year that LSU had botched investigations into rapes and domestic violence incidents involving student-athletes, including former Washington Football Team running back Derrius Guice and former LSU wide receiver Drake Davis. Several other women also said that LSU did not thoroughly investigate their allegations of sexual misconduct involving non-athletes as well. And The Advocate reported last year that even when LSU found students responsible for violating Title IX, the university issued weak punishments in many instances. This is a developing story. Check back later for more.

al.com Recruiting tips from a highly rated Auburn player By Giana Han 8-10 minutes This is part three of a three-part series asking highly rated recruits for the advice they would give younger athletes looking to play college football. Part one features an athlete who committed to Alabama; part two features an Alabama athlete who committed to an out of state school; and part three features an athlete who committed to Auburn. Growing up, Wesley Steiner always planned to enter the workforce right after his high school graduation. While he spent a lot of time playing football, which he loved, he didn’t plan to play college ball because it was too much work and wouldn’t provide for his family. But then he realized the opposite was true. If he earned a scholarship, it would pay for an education that would allow him to get a higher-paying job. As soon as Steiner realized that, he dedicated himself to earning an offer. Steiner went about his recruitment very methodically. He observed what other high schoolers were doing and what college coaches seemed to like. By the time Steiner committed to Auburn, he had earned offers from Alabama, LSU and Stanford. 247Sports listed him as a four-star recruit, a top-100 player in the country, top-15 player in Georgia and top-10 inside linebacker. He was Auburn’s third highest-rated recruit in a class that was No. 7 in the country. Now, he is a linebacker who saw time on the field as a true freshman at Auburn. Before he joined the Auburn program, he shared what he learned and the methods he used. Here are Steiner’s tricks and tips for the recruitment process: Polish your film first Steiner did do anything until he thought his film was good enough. “You don’t want to give it to somebody if you’re not ready,” Steiner said. “I felt like I was not ready to be offered a scholarship until I had some good film recorded.” That means he didn’t start reaching out until after his sophomore year. Steiner had compared himself to the other players he saw at his school and in his area, which is a very competitive place (Jake Fromm went to his high school), and knew he wasn’t on their level yet. So for two years, he put in the work to get to a place where he knew his film could start to compare. Although his sophomore season “wasn’t a stellar season, but it wasn’t a bad season,” he felt it was a good starting place and he could finally send out his film. Coaches wouldn’t “slam the door” on it, and he’d be able to talk to them and find out what more he needed to do. “That’s all I wanted,” Steiner said. “Just look at it. Just if you looked at it, and said that’s not good enough, there are some things you should improve on. I said, Okay, that’s what I need right there.” Seek feedback When a school messaged Steiner to say it liked his film, Steiner wasn’t satisfied. “If you’re going to talk to me, let’s talk business,” Steiner said. Merely saying “We like your film” is a waste of both the school’s and the recruit’s time, Steiner said. The school should give some sort of feedback or ask for more material. Steiner was not hesitant to ask for advice. He actively sought out coaches and asked them what they thought about his film and about his performances at camps. It gave him insight into what he needed to improve on as well as how college coaches think. Build your way up Once you grab one college’s attention, you can build from there. Although the conversations with the first schools Steiner talked to didn’t “flesh out,” he used them as incentive. He said if a recruit thinks logically, he can look at a school and say “Ok, this school is interested. How can I get better?” By thinking that way, Steiner earned offers from much higher ranked schools than the first who reached out to him. Don’t rely on mega camps Steiner attended “a bunch” of mega camps, and he learned what to expect and not to expect from them. From his experience, the camps are more for colleges to evaluate recruits rather than offer them. The recruits that gain offers are generally the ones that “pop out” and impress so much that the college feels the need to offer them there and then. Sometimes, colleges will also offer recruits if they’ve been tracking them for a while and it’s the first time they’ve had in-person contact, Steiner observed. So if you’re not that recruit that stands out among the best, what should you expect from those camps? Steiner said he learned it was a really good time to compare himself to the other guys at his position and see where players his age were at and what they did well. Make yourself known For Steiner, it wasn’t enough to let his play speak for him. He also made sure he put himself in front of the coaches off the field. At camps, he always tried to get coaches off to the side to ask them about his technique and what he needed to do better. Part of it was about the advice, but part of it was about the interaction. “I’m asking those coaches trying to engage them because if you bug them enough times they might remember you,” Steiner said. Once, he even walked up to a coach who was at a basketball game to recruit someone else. He introduced himself, shook his hand and said he played football. “I’m pretty sure you’re gonna remember that kid when you’re trying to recruit another kid,” Steiner said. “It’s like, this joker walked up to me. Who was that kid who walked up to me? He told me his name.” “This is free advice for kids who want to do that next time,” Steiner added in a whisper. Shoot your shot (be a “bugger”) “My Under Armour All-American status would not have happened if I was not the bugger I was,” Steiner said. He “spammed” the person in charge of the invites to the Under Armour All-American game by sending his film 30 or more times. When Steiner first started seeing news about the invites on Twitter, he looked at the different players’ film and figured he could do as well or better. He decided to look into who was controlling the invites and decided to spam his film until they acknowledged they looked at it. “I said, You know what? If I never try, I’ll never get the invite,” Steiner said. “If I tried and they said no, at least I had the chance.” It worked out, and Steiner made his way down to Orlando, Fla. to compete. Steiner got himself on ESPN’s SportsCenter by taking the same approach. After power cleaning 405 pounds, Steiner went viral. Eventually, someone joked “Should that be on Top 10?” Steiner was like “Why not? Why not?” so he reached out and asked SportsCenter if it thought it was Top 10 worthy. “They were like ‘Yeah, well, we’ll put it up there,’ " Steiner said. Find your fit “Personality is one of the most important traits of a person – your uniqueness, your individuality,” Steiner said. Watch the players on the team to see how they talk to each other and observe how the coaches interact with the players, Steiner said. Don’t settle for merely a good fit. Find the place you can be the most comfortable. “Would you be able to express yourself in that football team? If you can’t express yourself in that football team, you shouldn’t be there,” Steiner said. In the end, that was how Steiner ended up at Auburn. It seemed the best fit for the “crazy me,” the Steiner who makes some bad jokes and some good jokes, who asks a million questions. His instincts were right. The older Auburn linebackers spoke of his intelligence and his enthusiasm for learning when asked about him. “Yeah, he has all the leadership qualities,” K.J. Britt said. “He’s a freakishly athletic kid. He loves the game. He’s a scholar of the game and soaks up all the knowledge that he can - literally. He tries to soak up everything all at once, and it’s like, ‘C’mon Wesley, we’ve got you.’ He’s growing. He’s farther along than I was when I was a freshman in a good way. He’s really progressed. I can see him easily being a team captain when he gets older. I’m really proud of Wesley. I really am and just how far he’s came and for the hard things he’s been asked to do. He’s done them. I’m really proud of them. He’s got all the intangibles to be better than me one day in all aspects. He’s just got to keep on going.”

snipe?

is that golf?