Can Auburn really recruit the West?

[aubiefifty 18,231]

al.com

 

Can Auburn really recruit the West?

By Giana Han

5-6 minutes

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Bryan Harsin answers questions from the media at his introductory press conference at Auburn on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2020. (Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics)Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

Bryan Harsin came to Auburn to win championships, and one of the most important building blocks is recruiting the right coaches and players.

At his first press conference as Auburn’s new coach, Harsin mentioned building relationships and finding the right staff, all things Auburn has focused on in the past when recruiting. But then he mentioned something that broke from the norm. He mentioned the West Coast.

“We have to make sure that we are going out there and getting the best of the best,” Harsin said. “And so where do we do that? Well all over the country. I’m coming from a long ways away, I can tell you that when I flew in today, that’s a long flight. Alright, but I’m going to tell you now those guys from the West Coast, myself included, they’re going to come here, they’re gonna want to be a part of this.”

But can Auburn realistically recruit the West Coast? In the last five years, Auburn has only received three commitments from out west, and all three of them were junior college transfers. Only one was actually from the West Coast. Auburn hasn’t expanded much into regions outside its core areas, either. Just four players have come from the Midwest and two from the DMV (the D.C-Maryland-Virginia region).

But recruiting is all about relationships, ESPN’s recruiting coordinator Craig Haubert pointed out, and it’d make sense for Harsin to take advantage of the relationships he’s already established. In five years of top-75 classes at Boise State, Harsin signed just eight in-state players. The majority of his recruits have come from California, while another solid group came from Texas. He’s had a lot of practice recruiting out of state and even signed multiple players from the East Coast and Hawaii while at Boise State.

Now, Harsin will have the advantage of the Auburn name to add to his recruiting skills, Haubert said.

“I mean, this is one of the kind of upper tier programs in college football and in the SEC as well,” Haubert said. “He’ll have a program to recruit to that I think still carries a lot of weight.”

One of the challenges to recruiting players outside the 200-250 mile radius, ESPN’s national recruiting director Tom Luginbill said, is the cultural differences and the distance from everything that’s familiar. That’s why it’s really important to evaluate the player during the recruitment process to be sure they can succeed socially and academically that far from home. Harsin is clearly familiar with that process since he’s signed players from all across the country.

On top of that experience, Harsin now has the lure of the SEC. The conference has a track record for placing players in the NFL, and that can outweigh a lot of other factors. Haubert said the love the Southeast has for college football can be attractive to recruits coming from regions where attentions is divided between college football and pro sports teams. Auburn does not have any in-state professional teams to compete with for its fans’ attentions. It only has to compete with its rival, Alabama.

Although Harsin wants to create a national recruiting footprint at Auburn, he also said he knows how important recruiting “our backyard” is. Neither Haubert nor Luginbill thinks Harsin would try to completely move Auburn’s focus to another region of the country. Luginbill said when Harsin mentioned the West Coast, he probably means 2-4 players each year, not 10-12.

Alabama and Clemson and even LSU and Florida have also expanded their footprints to include the West Coast. In recent years, Alabama has signed five-star recruits like running back Najee Harris and quarterback Bryce Young out of California. Auburn already recruits three of the “big four” states — Georgia, Florida and Texas — and with Harsin’s new focus, it would extend into the fourth, California.

“So I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting to supplement with your classes with players you feel can fit the program and can help the program from other parts of the country,” Haubert said. “It should be about getting the best players.”

[Win4AU 4,182]

I have a feeling Auburn is about to go from Rags to Riches in some aspects of recruiting.  I think you’ll see Olineman a plenty with the prospect of playing in a pro style offense and potentially be a multi year starter in the SEC.  

[AU-24 3,130]

He has got to get some O-lineman somewhere.

https://247sports.com/college/auburn/Article/Auburn-football-has-to-improve-the-offensive-line-recruiting-to-compete-with-its-biggest-rivals-158553206/

Since the 2017 signing class, which makes up five recruiting classes when you count the most recent early signing period, Auburn has signed a total of just 14 offensive linemen compared to 20 for Alabama, 22 for Georgia and 18 for LSU. Just in terms of overall numbers, the lack of options is one part of the equation, but that’s just the beginning.

[Mikey 16,781]

If we can successfully recruit Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi we don't need the West. The players who win national championships are here, in our own backyard. There are only two reasons to look elsewhere:

1) You identify an outstanding talent way off that has some interest in AU. Example: Carlson brothers kickers.

2) You get run out of your preferred area and are forced to go look elsewhere. Example: In this current class we have a good looking QB prospect from Texas. But we wouldn't have pursued him had we not missed on the 5* QB with Auburn ties that lives in Georgia and chose UGA.

[LKEEL75 2,567]

I don't disagree with @Mikey to the extent that we should not be losing out on players who have AU ties and choose to go elsewhere.  However, I don't see any harm in expanding our search area.  There are always going to be great talent in SE but we have to be much more willing to expand and target players outside of SE.  The SE players when NC because of the coaching not because they are from the SE.  There is a TON of talent outside of the SE that we should not be afraid to target.  I guess what I am saying is that I am very happy for them expand BUT we need to get some of our footing back in the SE.

[Mikey 16,781]

1 minute ago, LKEEL75 said:

There is a TON of talent outside of the SE that we should not be afraid to target.

Not afraid to target, but if recruiting resources are finite (and they are) then let's don't be using time and money flying to Oregon if a similar talent is in Pensacola.

[LKEEL75 2,567]

1 minute ago, Mikey said:

Not afraid to target, but if recruiting resources are finite (and they are) then let's don't be using time and money flying to Oregon if a similar talent is in Pensacola.

I understand, but the odds of winning targets outside of the area may be much greater for the exact reason you said.  "Come to the SEC and play for NC" or stay out west and have pretty uniforms hahaha  Bottom line is that in the SE there are 5 other programs on same level as AU.  That is not necessarily the case looking for talent elsewhere

[aubaseball 2,819]

Just now, LKEEL75 said:

I understand, but the odds of winning targets outside of the area may be much greater for the exact reason you said.  "Come to the SEC and play for NC" or stay out west and have pretty uniforms hahaha  Bottom line is that in the SE there are 5 other programs on same level as AU.  That is not necessarily the case looking for talent elsewhere

5??? LSU, Alabama, Georgia, FSU, Florida, Miami, Clemson and Tennessee.   This is just the ones that I consider capable of pulling someone that Auburn is targeting from three states (Alabama, Georgia and Florida).   Throw in trying to get guys from Mississippi, you have to compete against those two schools 

[LKEEL75 2,567]

1 minute ago, aubaseball said:

5??? LSU, Alabama, Georgia, FSU, Florida, Miami, Clemson and Tennessee.   This is just the ones that I consider capable of pulling someone that Auburn is targeting from three states (Alabama, Georgia and Florida).   Throw in trying to get guys from Mississippi, you have to compete against those two schools 

At this time, I do not put FSU or Miami at our level due to coaching and recent history.  TN is getting close and I wasn't really thinking of them.  They have not been relevant in NC hunt in decades.

[C'viewTiger 247]

17 minutes ago, Mikey said:

Not afraid to target, but if recruiting resources are finite (and they are) then let's don't be using time and money flying to Oregon if a similar talent is in Pensacola.

Mikey, I agree with this. However, in the past we have zeroed in on the local guys with no alternative or solid back up until it was too late. I don’t agree with using resources frivolously but if it means AU has a legitimate and talented recruiting class I am good if he keeps that guy from OR in the running with the guy from P’cola. First one to sign.
 

Maybe I’m wrong but fill the cupboard where you can until you have the luxury of turning them down. 

[toddc 13,197]

I think it might work for a year or two because CBH would have relationships with some recruits from the left coast already while at Boise State. The risk/reward/cost would probably decrease quickly after that.

[AuburnNTexas 7,317]

CBH and some of the people he will bring in already have contacts there not just with the players but with the coaches as he said he is not looking to abandon his prime recruiting territory (Alabama, Florida, Georgia) just supplement it. We have started to get a few from Texas and CBH has contacts there so we are really only looking to add California to the mix. We have always  periodically picked up a player or two from outside normal areas but that is usually because player showed interest or one of our recruiters knew somebody.  That will continue.

We also have some things working in our favor. Tennessee may be in trouble with the NCAA, Georgia despite owning us has greatly under achieved with the talent they have recruited.  They got hammered by both bama and Florida and squeaked out a win against Cincy. If Tennessee really does get hit one less competitor. Kirby has a year or two more to prove he can win with the talent he has. Finally Saban is not getting any younger how much longer will he be there. It is hard to follow a legend. Even Florida lost to 3 SEC West teams A&M, a bad LSU Team, bama, and then got spanked by OU.

If CBH can find a way to take existing talent that stays, and incoming players and have a solid season next year under these circumstances he can use that to pitch his team to recruits. I expect both our O-Line and D-Line to be better next years just because of all the experience this year (I did not say great just better). Obviously we are losing some key WR's in Stove, Seth and Flash, I believe we have some real young talent at both WR and TE, I am waiting to see if Tank, Williams, and Shiver return at RB and who will be our QB. On D I have some real concerns at DB and to be honest at LB if we go to a different type LB with our new DC. It will be interesting.

I do like the idea of supplementing from our key recruiting areas but I also want us to do better there also.