AUBURN | With the University closed through at least June 30, Auburn’s coaches will have to continue to recruit remotely via phone calls, videoconferencing and social media.

That’s certainly made it tougher, but it’s also offered some advantages for Gus Malzahn and his assistants.

“I know for me I’ve spent more time on FaceTime with recruits and their families and probably have a better foundation overall relationship-wise for me,” Malzahn said. “That’s been a real positive, and the coaches have had to do the same thing.”

The video conferences often include a virtual visit as Malzahn or his staff show off Auburn’s facilities and campus.

“Just doing the best we can on FaceTime and developing those relationships with the recruits and their families and all that,” Malzahn said. “The thing about Auburn is such a special deal when you get people on campus and you get that feel. That's really one of our big advantages that we have, when we get people on campus multiple times. So we're just having them do a good job, you know, with the way it is right now.”

One of the biggest challenges for Malzahn and his staff will be adjusting to how they evaluate prospects. Spring recruiting was cancelled, which gave the assistants an opportunity to visit potential players at school and speak to their teachers, counselors and coaches along with watching them practice.

Summer camps, also an important evaluation tool, were scheduled to take place June 1-13. Now, they’ll have to be cancelled or perhaps a limited number could be held in July.

“It’ll definitely change things if they can’t come on for camps, which it doesn’t look like they’re going to. It definitely changes,” Malzahn said. “I think there will be some discussion about Signing Day, you know, are they going to have an early one or not?

"I just think that all those questions are still out there once they decide when we can come back or when the recruits can actually come on campus. It’s going to be a little bit of a challenge not being able to evaluate at camps like you normally could, or even the spring. It changes things and you’ve got to rely on tape a little bit more.”

Two other very important recruiting tools for Auburn are Big Cat Weekend, which is usually held at the end of May or the first week of June, and the War Eagle Picnic, which is normally scheduled for the end of July.

Both recruiting events have been crucial in getting Auburn’s top targets on campus and developing close bonds with each other and the coaching staff. Many of Auburn’s signees over the past decade have attended one or both events.

“We’re still hopeful we have it,” said Malzahn of Big Cat. “Those different scenarios we’re still keeping open. Hopefully in the next, really I should say the near future, hopefully we’ll get some direction in the near future.”