Summer Evaluation Period

[AUoutsider 0]

Looks like next week will be an important one for evaluation of QBs and safeties.  Coach Loeffler spent this week primarily in and around the campus, but is going to see most of our QB targets over the next two weeks.  We could have our QB of choice within a month.  Safety seems to have suddenly become a position of high focus;  but I can't figure out if that's because of concern over our current talent or a depth issue.  Maybe they are more worried about EF's injury than first thought, but the fact that Trent Fisher is pushing for a starting job is interesting.  Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge Trent fan, followed him in high school, and the same with his Dad, but with all we've heard about Erique, Therieze, and possibly Whitehead, it's still intriguing.  Anyway, Coach Martinez will be evaluating safwties next week.

I was about to list Means, Ryan Smith, McNeal and Bell as other safety options, but I realized they are all upper-classmen and it doesn't counter your point.  The point being that we have four viable young safeties if we include Fischer and Florence's injury isn't serious.

[Guest jrljr]

BM has an article up on 247 that pretty much mirrors my thoughts in the OP.  CSL will probably have his QB or QBs at the end of the 4-week Spring Evaluation period; safety IS a position of need and we will try to get, maybe even three depending on the final numbers of class size;  Adams is the "biggest" target on this years board; Ty Dye is our top RB prospect and if we get him, we are through there; and finally, the "flippers" could make all the difference in where we wind up rankings-wise.  He indicated, regarding the safeties, that we are still after Nick Washington (which I had heard) and Trey Matthews, as well as Vonn Bell ( who may be OSU bound).  The three QBs he named as leaders right now are Bateman, Johnson, and Buchanan, but agreed that could change quickly after CSL's evaluation.  But this really sheds a lot of light on Jonesy's comments about there being only 10 or so "committable" offers, because if you look at most people's lists of probable signees, they are very similar.  We have our targets, are zoning in on them, and seem to have an excellent shot at most of them.

On the RB position, you named Ty Dye as our top pick. I was hoping for another Ty, Ty Isaac. He has US on his list and from what I hAve seen, he is incredible.

I have seen the Dye video too. He is a nice sized very good back. I would call him a bruser.

I think the Isaac kid is a big back game changer.

The problem with Isaac is that his film is mostly him running free. You never see him fight for the tough yards or really break any tackles. It's just him running the same play over and over. Not to mention there's a chance he outgrows the RB position. I like Isaac and think he could be a good RB, it's just that IMO Dye is your more prototypical RB.

Honestly, I haven't watched film on either, but the way you're describing it sounds exactly like I described the difference between Keith Marshall and Tre Mason.

And for the record, from what I hear the coaches are much harder after Dye. Not sure if it's because Isaac has too many stars in his eyes or if they sincerely like Dye better, but I've got a feeling he's going to be our running back in this class.

^^^THIS^^^  And after watching film of both Dye is by far the more complete RB.

[aupops2 9]

Coach Loeffler on the move the next two weeks to look at QBs.  Probably will see most, if not all, the afore-mentioned prospects.  I love the fact that Derwin Grey was at MSU with M. Adams; interesting combo.  Also something to watch; the trio of Foster, Matthews, and Kamara(the kid with 105 letters from uat in one day!!).  They say that they all want to play together; most think that's either uat or thuga.  Coach Chizik talked to Matthews last week.  Of course, we all know how those "playing together" bonds can be broken, or not (TJY and Anderson).  Guess none of the gurus I mentioned wanted to stick their necks out this early, which I totally understand, because so much can happen, but I was just trying to get a bite from at least one of them. 

[klgarvey71 0]

If they all want to play together and they look at the needs of each program.  Auburn has to look good to all of them, we need all the positions they play.  You look at last years recruiting class and this years so far and Alabama has had a number of top RB's and so has Georgia.  Albabama also signed a couple of top Safties last year.  If they all want early playing time, the program for them is Auburn.

[aupops2 9]

Coach Loeffler on the move the next two weeks to look at QBs.  Probably will see most, if not all, the afore-mentioned prospects.  I love the fact that Derwin Grey was at MSU with M. Adams; interesting combo.  Also something to watch; the trio of Foster, Matthews, and Kamara(the kid with 105 letters from uat in one day!!).  They say that they all want to play together; most think that's either uat or thuga.  Coach Chizik talked to Matthews last week.  Of course, we all know how those "playing together" bonds can be broken, or not (TJY and Anderson).  Guess none of the gurus I mentioned wanted to stick their necks out this early, which I totally understand, because so much can happen, but I was just trying to get a bite from at least one of them. 

OK, so according to another thread, CSL was in Mississippi evaluating Buchanan yesterday.  Wonder where he is today?  Everyone seems to be getting on the Olsen bandwagon since his camp this past weekend.  Guess I'm the only one, but this is fun to follow.  Oh well, I'll keep talking to myself;  I've found it's the only way I can have a two-way intelligent conversation anyway!!     

[Magnolia and College 1]

Coach Loeffler on the move the next two weeks to look at QBs.  Probably will see most, if not all, the afore-mentioned prospects.  I love the fact that Derwin Grey was at MSU with M. Adams; interesting combo.  Also something to watch; the trio of Foster, Matthews, and Kamara(the kid with 105 letters from uat in one day!!).  They say that they all want to play together; most think that's either uat or thuga.  Coach Chizik talked to Matthews last week.  Of course, we all know how those "playing together" bonds can be broken, or not (TJY and Anderson).  Guess none of the gurus I mentioned wanted to stick their necks out this early, which I totally understand, because so much can happen, but I was just trying to get a bite from at least one of them. 

OK, so according to another thread, CSL was in Mississippi evaluating Buchanan yesterday.  Wonder where he is today?  Everyone seems to be getting on the Olsen bandwagon since his camp this past weekend.  Guess I'm the only one, but this is fun to follow.  Oh well, I'll keep talking to myself;  I've found it's the only way I can have a two-

way intelligent conversation anyway!!       

You're not talking to yourself pops, we're here.

[mustache eagle 2,460]

Coach Loeffler on the move the next two weeks to look at QBs.  Probably will see most, if not all, the afore-mentioned prospects.  I love the fact that Derwin Grey was at MSU with M. Adams; interesting combo.  Also something to watch; the trio of Foster, Matthews, and Kamara(the kid with 105 letters from uat in one day!!).  They say that they all want to play together; most think that's either uat or thuga.  Coach Chizik talked to Matthews last week.  Of course, we all know how those "playing together" bonds can be broken, or not (TJY and Anderson).  Guess none of the gurus I mentioned wanted to stick their necks out this early, which I totally understand, because so much can happen, but I was just trying to get a bite from at least one of them. 

OK, so according to another thread, CSL was in Mississippi evaluating Buchanan yesterday.  Wonder where he is today?  Everyone seems to be getting on the Olsen bandwagon since his camp this past weekend.  Guess I'm the only one, but this is fun to follow.  Oh well, I'll keep talking to myself;  I've found it's the only way I can have a two-

way intelligent conversation anyway!!       

You're not talking to yourself pops, we're here.

Speak for yourself!  I'm not here...

[aupops2 9]

Coach Loeffler on the move the next two weeks to look at QBs.  Probably will see most, if not all, the afore-mentioned prospects.  I love the fact that Derwin Grey was at MSU with M. Adams; interesting combo.  Also something to watch; the trio of Foster, Matthews, and Kamara(the kid with 105 letters from uat in one day!!).  They say that they all want to play together; most think that's either uat or thuga.  Coach Chizik talked to Matthews last week.  Of course, we all know how those "playing together" bonds can be broken, or not (TJY and Anderson).  Guess none of the gurus I mentioned wanted to stick their necks out this early, which I totally understand, because so much can happen, but I was just trying to get a bite from at least one of them. 

OK, so according to another thread, CSL was in Mississippi evaluating Buchanan yesterday.  Wonder where he is today?  Everyone seems to be getting on the Olsen bandwagon since his camp this past weekend.  Guess I'm the only one, but this is fun to follow.  Oh well, I'll keep talking to myself;  I've found it's the only way I can have a two-

way intelligent conversation anyway!!       

You're not talking to yourself pops, we're here.

Speak for yourself!  I'm not here...

:laugh:

[SuperNova 0]

Keep up the good work aupops2..... Does the 2 mean there are 2 of you?????? 

[aupops2 9]

Keep up the good work aupops2..... Does the 2 mean there are 2 of you?????? 

Good lord, the Mods on here hope not!!  Especially one other old fart and a big yellow one. Actually, pops1 was banned a long time ago, and came back as warrior and midnight!! :party:

[augolf1716 22,108]

Keep up the good work aupops2..... Does the 2 mean there are 2 of you?????? 

Good lord, the Mods on here hope not!!  Especially one other old fart and a big yellow one. Actually, pops1 was banned a long time ago, and came back as warrior and midnight!! :party:

Who you calling a old fart you geezer and as for the yellow one his just a bad fart in the wind.

[Guest EagleDamnWar]

AU will be visiting Tray Matthews' high school next week according to his twitter.

[aupops2 9]

AU will be visiting Tray Matthews' high school next week according to his twitter.

Thanks for the info.

[aupops2 9]

Today, Coach Martinez visited Tony Whitehead at good ole Paul Bryant; Coach Thigpen visited and we offerred Jonathon Hawkins (?); and Shelton Gibson received an offer from Indiana.  Anybody know anything about Hawkins; I can't find him anywhere?

[ArmchairAthlete7 21]

Today, Coach Martinez visited Tony Whitehead at good ole Paul Bryant; Coach Thigpen visited and we offerred Jonathon Hawkins (?); and Shelton Gibson received an offer from Indiana.  Anybody know anything about Hawkins; I can't find him anywhere?

He's a young guy, I wanna say 2015. Got very good size for his age. Read where he was about 5'10 200lbs. Being used as a RB.

[AuburnArch13 185]

How long does the spring eval period generally last?

[bigbird 61,008]

How long does the spring eval period generally last?

'Till Summer

[aupops2 9]

How long does the spring eval period generally last?

This is the second of four weeks.

[AuburnArch13 185]

How long does the spring eval period generally last?

This is the second of four weeks.

Thank you, sir.

[Guest EagleDamnWar]

Today, Coach Martinez visited Tony Whitehead at good ole Paul Bryant

"Auburn first-year defensive backs coach Willie Martinez was in Cottondale, Ala., part of his recruiting area, on Wednesday to check in on one of the top in-state receiver prospects, Paul Bryant High's Tony Whitehead.

Whitehead, 6-foot-2, 208 pounds, is receiving heavy interest from the Tigers, but has yet to receive an offer. Whitehead hopes an appearance at one of Auburn's camps in the summer changes that.

"Coach Martinez came by the school and talked to my coach," said Whitehead. "He told my coach that they really want to see me in camp. I think they are close to offering, but they want to see me in person this summer first."

Whitehead has two SEC offers and hopes more are on the way.

Whitehead said he plans to attend at least one of the Tigers' camps. He camped on the Plains last summer.

A coach from UAB was also at Paul Bryant High on Wednesday. Ole Miss, Arkansas, Alabama, and Vanderbilt are scheduled to visit next week.

Whitehead currently claims offers from Mississippi State and Ole Miss, and hopes both Auburn and Alabama follow suit. Whitehead would like to keep his talents in-state if possible.

"I like Mississippi State, Alabama and Auburn the most right now," said Whitehead. "I'm not in any hurry to make a decision. I want to wait and see what happens because if Alabama or Auburn offered, it would be tough to turn down.

"I grew up an Alabama fan and would love to go there. I love the fan base and the stadium and stuff, but I also love it at Auburn. I really like what they are doing in their new offense. I watched their spring game and love their offense. They run the ball well and throw it, too. I just loved it. They have the skill people to run it and they are young so they are going to be good for a long time."

At 6-2, 208, Whitehead claims a 4.56-second 40-yard dash and a 37-inch vertical leap."

[Guest EagleDamnWar]

Today, Coach Martinez visited Tony Whitehead at good ole Paul Bryant; Coach Thigpen visited and we offerred Jonathon Hawkins (?); and Shelton Gibson received an offer from Indiana.  Anybody know anything about Hawkins; I can't find him

Central Gwinnett (Ga.) 2015 running back Johnathan Hawkins landed his first college offer on Monday.

Hawkins, a 5-foot-11, 203-pound freshman who is teammates with 2013 Auburn commit Trey Johnson, garnered an Auburn offer after their first spring practice.

Auburn offered 2015 running back Johnathan Hawkins on Monday.

Auburn linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen was on hand to evaluate Johnson and Hawkins, and gave the good news to Hawkins coach, Todd Wofford.

"I met the coaches last year when I went to the camp, they are real nice, they have some good coaches and a good team," Hawkins said of Auburn.

Hawkins admits that by having a teammate already committed to Auburn in Johnson, he is very familiar with the Tigers' program.

"He (Trey) definitely talks to me about it a lot. He said it would be a good fit, he said the coaches are fun to be around," Hawkins said. "Auburn, definitely, yea, Trey talks about them a lot."

Clemson plans to evaluate Hawkins in person later this week and Georgia Tech has also shown early interest as well. Hawkins visited Alabama earlier this spring for A-Day, and attended Auburn and Georgia Tech's summer camps a year ago.

Hawkins grew up in Alexandria, La., later moving to Lawrenceville, Ga. when he was in the 4th grade. It was then that Hawkins began playing football and basketball, and played running back, safety, receiver, and special teams last year as a freshman for the Black Knights.

In fact, Hawkins said he started the last four games of his freshman season at safety.

"I was all over," he said. "I feel like this season will be good though. My weight room performance is better, my speed has jumped up from last fall, I keep getting more physical. I get to go against an All-American linebacker every day. I'm just going to keep working."

Hawkins played running back and safety his freshman season at Central Gwinnett.

Hawkins claims a 40-yard dash best of 4.6.

Like most prospects growing up in Louisiana, Hawkins grew up a fan of LSU. But since moving to Georgia, he claims no favorites.

"Getting to high school where you are trying to earn a scholarship, I don't have a favorite. I grew up always around LSU, but as different coaches come and you meet people, it's even all across the board," said Hawkins.

Hawkins attended a recent combine in the Atlanta area.

That combine served as a great teaching moment for Hawkins, who had the opportunity to compete against Auburn High School (Ala.) 2013 five-star linebacker and Alabama commit Reuben Foster. Hawkins was given the task of blocking an oncoming Foster during a drill and remembers it well.

"He just got me on the inside, but I learned from it and I'll get better," Hawkins said. "It was very good, if he's the number two (overall player), I get to see how much better I need to get to get to his level. It was a good learning experience."

The question is, with Hawkins seeing Johnson every day in practice, and facing Foster in a combine setting, who does he think is the better prospect?


"Intensity wise, Trey. He just gets after it, I look up to him, he just gets after it. Physical wise, Reuben is big, but I've never seen him play. I know Trey plays with a lot of heart, so I'll have to go with my Central guy, Trey."

Hawkins said he would like to camp at Auburn, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee among others this spring."

[aupops2 9]

Today, Coach Martinez visited Tony Whitehead at good ole Paul Bryant; Coach Thigpen visited and we offerred Jonathon Hawkins (?); and Shelton Gibson received an offer from Indiana.  Anybody know anything about Hawkins; I can't find him

Central Gwinnett (Ga.) 2015 running back Johnathan Hawkins landed his first college offer on Monday.

Hawkins, a 5-foot-11, 203-pound freshman who is teammates with 2013 Auburn commit Trey Johnson, garnered an Auburn offer after their first spring practice.

Auburn offered 2015 running back Johnathan Hawkins on Monday.

Auburn linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen was on hand to evaluate Johnson and Hawkins, and gave the good news to Hawkins coach, Todd Wofford.

"I met the coaches last year when I went to the camp, they are real nice, they have some good coaches and a good team," Hawkins said of Auburn.

Hawkins admits that by having a teammate already committed to Auburn in Johnson, he is very familiar with the Tigers' program.

"He (Trey) definitely talks to me about it a lot. He said it would be a good fit, he said the coaches are fun to be around," Hawkins said. "Auburn, definitely, yea, Trey talks about them a lot."

Clemson plans to evaluate Hawkins in person later this week and Georgia Tech has also shown early interest as well. Hawkins visited Alabama earlier this spring for A-Day, and attended Auburn and Georgia Tech's summer camps a year ago.

Hawkins grew up in Alexandria, La., later moving to Lawrenceville, Ga. when he was in the 4th grade. It was then that Hawkins began playing football and basketball, and played running back, safety, receiver, and special teams last year as a freshman for the Black Knights.

In fact, Hawkins said he started the last four games of his freshman season at safety.

"I was all over," he said. "I feel like this season will be good though. My weight room performance is better, my speed has jumped up from last fall, I keep getting more physical. I get to go against an All-American linebacker every day. I'm just going to keep working."

Hawkins played running back and safety his freshman season at Central Gwinnett.

Hawkins claims a 40-yard dash best of 4.6.

Like most prospects growing up in Louisiana, Hawkins grew up a fan of LSU. But since moving to Georgia, he claims no favorites.

"Getting to high school where you are trying to earn a scholarship, I don't have a favorite. I grew up always around LSU, but as different coaches come and you meet people, it's even all across the board," said Hawkins.

Hawkins attended a recent combine in the Atlanta area.

That combine served as a great teaching moment for Hawkins, who had the opportunity to compete against Auburn High School (Ala.) 2013 five-star linebacker and Alabama commit Reuben Foster. Hawkins was given the task of blocking an oncoming Foster during a drill and remembers it well.

"He just got me on the inside, but I learned from it and I'll get better," Hawkins said. "It was very good, if he's the number two (overall player), I get to see how much better I need to get to get to his level. It was a good learning experience."

The question is, with Hawkins seeing Johnson every day in practice, and facing Foster in a combine setting, who does he think is the better prospect?


"Intensity wise, Trey. He just gets after it, I look up to him, he just gets after it. Physical wise, Reuben is big, but I've never seen him play. I know Trey plays with a lot of heart, so I'll have to go with my Central guy, Trey."

Hawkins said he would like to camp at Auburn, Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee among others this spring."

Good stuff. Many thanks.

[aupops2 9]

Coach Loeffler has now evaluated three QBs;  Ryan Buchanan, Cody Thomas (Coffeyville, TX), and Max Staver (Brentwood, TN).  Buchanan's recruitment has really taken off, and a new school(s) is evaluating him every day.  Staver is teammates with Jalen Ramsey, 4* DB, at Brentwood Academy, where the likes of AJ Greene, King Dunlap, Mike Berry, John Vaughn, and Kody Bliss played.  He will spend the next two weeks evaluating more QB prospects.

[aupops2 9]

Joining Ty Issac and Ty Dye as running back prospects is Derrick Green, another 4* from Virginia

[au_bsci_04 407]

Joining Ty Issac and Ty Dye as running back prospects is Derrick Green, another 4* from Virginia

I really like the running style and build of Green. Can't go wrong with any of those three options IMO.