AUBURN | Looks can be deceiving. So can team recruiting rankings.
Auburn’s 2018 class finished No. 12 in the country, 27 points behind No. 11 Notre Dame and 48 points behind No. 10 Florida State, according to Rivals.com’s team ranking formula. The No. 12 ranking is fourth-best for Auburn under Gus Malzahn. The Tigers finished higher in the team rankings in 2015 (7), 2013 (8) and 2014 (9).
But among SEC teams, Malzahn has not signed a better class at Auburn.
Auburn’s 2018 class ranks No. 3 in the conference. Georgia, which finished No. 1 overall, and Alabama, which finished No. 7, are the only two SEC teams ranked ahead of Auburn. Even in 2015, Malzahn’s highest-ranked class at Auburn (7), the Tigers finished fourth in the SEC. In 2013, Auburn finished No. 8 in the country and No. 5 in the SEC. A year later in 2014, Auburn’s class ranked No. 7 in the SEC despite finishing No. 9 in the country.
Of Malzahn's six classes at Auburn, all have finished in the top 15 and three have finished in the top 10.
AU'S HIGHEST-RANKED CLASSES UNDER MALZAHN
National ranking
No. 7: 2015 class
No. 8: 2013 class
No. 9: 2014 class
No. 12: 2018 class
No. 14: 2017 class
No. 15: 2016 class
Conference ranking
No. 3: 2018 class
No. 4: 2015 class
No. 4: 2016 class
No. 5: 2013 class
No. 5: 2013 class
No. 7: 2014 class
CHERRIES ON TOP
Auburn’s 2018 class didn’t have any five-star recruits, but it did have 17 four-stars. Only in 2015 has an Auburn class under Malzahn had more four- and five-star recruits (two five-stars, 16 four-stars).
2018 marked the second straight class under Malzahn that didn’t include a five-star recruit. In the four classes prior to 2017, Auburn signed at least two five-star recruits in each class.
Most five-star signees under Malzahn
2014: 3 - RB Roc Thomas, WR D’haquille Williams, LB Tre’ Williams
2016: 2 - DT Derrick Brown, DE Marlon Davidson
2015: 2 - DE Byron Cowart, RB Jovon Robinson
2013: 2 - DT Montravius Adams, DE Carl Lawson
2017: 0
2018: 0
Most four- and five-star signees under Malzahn
2015: 18 total - 16 four-stars, 2 five-stars
2018: 17 total - 0 five-stars, 17 four-stars
2016: 15 total - 2 five-stars, 13 four-stars
2014: 14 total - 3 five-stars, 11 four-stars
2013: 11 total - 2 five-stars, 9 four-stars
2017: 9 total - 0 five-stars, 9 four-stars
