AUBURN | Five days to digest last week’s Signing Day and way too many holiday treats have made two things crystal clear.
Auburn has taken the first big step back to competing at the top off the SEC and I’ve definitely put on a few extra pounds.
I mean, all those cookies, pumpkin and pecan pies and Yvonne’s peppermint chocolate cake are gonna take their toll.
So is the relentless recruiting work put in by Hugh Freeze and his nearly completed coaching staff. It was a true team effort.
Those guys wouldn’t have been able to flip edge Keldric Faulk from Florida State on Signing Day if Zac Etheridge and Cadillac Williams hadn’t kept those relationships open during the coaching change and if Freeze and new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett didn’t make Faulk and his family a priority from the start.
It takes that level of commitment, teamwork and a dogged pursuit to win those types of recruiting battles.
Freeze understands this and AU’s assistant coaches are going to benefit greatly from a head coach that can enhance their recruiting effort and take the lead or co-lead when needed.
Etheridge and Williams have proven to be great recruiters, excelling under the toughest of conditions. But 9 times out of 10, they’re not winning a recruiting battle for a top 100 prospect going head-to-head against Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Dabo Swinney or any of the other high-profile head coaches that make recruiting a priority.
That’s how Auburn got in the position of back-to-back losing seasons and a roster devoid of enough elite-level talent to compete in the top half of the SEC.
That is changing under Freeze and it absolutely showed last week.
The late flips of Faulk, cornerback Kayin Lee from Ohio State, safety Sylvester Smith from Tennessee, center Connor Lew from Miami and defensive tackle Stephen Johnson from Arkansas were keys to the Tigers ascending to No. 16 in the recruiting rankings.
Freeze and new offensive line coach Jake Thornton immediately recognized what’s been a nearly decades-long weakness and went out and signed five offensive linemen including a late flip from Texas Tech for offensive tackle Tyler Johnson.
They may have secured Auburn’s two starting tackles for next season in JUCO signee Izavion Miller, a flip from Ole Miss, and Tulsa transfer Dillon Wade.
Based on the number of offensive line transfers that visited before the dead period began, the Tigers are in the market for at least a couple of more.
And that’s the thing to remember over the next five weeks. While I *may* cut down on my treats, Freeze and his staff will be going full speed ahead on filling Auburn’s coffers with talented players.
They added 19 signees and three transfers last week and could have the room to add another 20 or so with the late signing period Feb. 1, another wave of transfers after the bowl games and through Jan. 18 and a key second transfer portal opening May 1-15.
Not to mention all the 2024 and 25 prospects that will be contacted and brought in for visits over the next several months.
It’s a festive time to follow Auburn recruiting. Cheers to you all.
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In today’s musical journey, we go back 54 years to the day one of the greatest bands of all time began their first U.S. tour. On Dec. 26, 1968, Led Zeppelin opened for Vanilla Fudge in Denver, Colo., in their first U.S. appearance. They went on to produce nine albums but only had one single in the top 10 of the Billboard 100, 1969’s Whole Lotta Love, which peaked at No. 4. The group did produce six consecutive No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and are known as one of the foundational bands of hard rock and stadium rock. Zeppelin is considered one of the greatest touring bands of all time, performing over 600 live concerts and ranking as the world’s most popular live group from 1968-1980. They broke The Beatles’ Shea Stadium record by performing in front of 56,800 fans in Tampa in 1973, and then blew that away by appearing in front of 76,229 fans at Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., in 1977. With over 250 million records sold, Led Zeppelin ranks with The Beatles, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Elton John, Queen, Madonna and Rihanna as one of the top eight best-selling artists of all time. Roling Stone ranks Led Zeppelin 14th on their list of Greatest Artists of All Time. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
A former session musician and member of the Yardbirds, guitarist Jimmy Page started Led Zeppelin in 1968, choosing Robert Plant as lead singer, John Bonham as drummer and John Paul Jones as bassists and keyboardist. They first toured in Scandinavia as the New Yardbirds and began recording their debut album in late 1968. They officially changed their name to Led Zeppelin after Page’s original idea of forming a super group was panned by The Who’s Keith Moon and John Entwistle, saying it would, “Go down like a lead balloon.” Lead balloon became Led Zeppelin and the rest is history with a picture of the Hindenburg disaster being used on the cover of its self-titled debut album. The album wasn’t released until more than two weeks into their U.S. tour with Vanilla Fudge. Their breakout came in 1969 with the release of their second album, Led Zeppelin II, which included Whole Lotta Love and Ramble On. Other popular Zeppelin songs include Black Dog, Rock and Roll. Stairway to Heaven, which includes an incredible solo by Page on his double-neck guitar, Over the Hills and Far Away and Kashmir. The band disbanded in 1980 after the death of the 32-year old Bonham following a night of heavy drinking and drug use. The band has reunited on a number of occasions including having Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, playing drums.during several concerts. In a famous scene from the movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Mike Damone tells Mark Ratner to play side one of Led Zeppelin IV as part of his special five-point plan if he wants to make out with Stacy Hamilton. Instead, the next scene shows Rat and Stacy driving in a car with Kashmir, from the Physical Graffiti album, playing instead.
