Tigers ink No. 6 class

 

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AUBURN, Ala. | A fast finish pushed Auburn up to No. 6 in the Rivals.com team recruiting rankings late Wednesday.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was quick to credit his staff's work in the states of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The Tigers' class included eight from Alabama, 10 from Georgia and eight from Florida.

In Alabama, Auburn signed four of the top six prospects in Rivals100 running back Kerryon Johnson, 4-star offensive lineman Tyler Carr, 4-star linebacker Darrell Williams and 4-star defensive end Prince Tega Wanogho Jr..

"One of our main goals is to win the state of Alabama and we feel like we did that this year," Malzahn said.

Auburn went head-to-head with Florida for a number of elite prospects and won more than their fair share of those battles.

Adding defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson, both former Florida coaches, were key in landing elite Sunshine State prospects such as 5-star defensive end Byron Cowart, 4-star cornerback Carlton Davis, 4-star cornerback Javarius Davis, 4-star linebacker Jeffery Holland, 4-star safety Tim Irvin and 4-star wide receiver Ryan Davis.

In Georgia, Auburn won key battles for 4-star wide receiver Darius Slayton, 4-star offensive linemen Marquel Harrell and Kaleb Kim, and 4-star safety Jordan Colbert.

"The three states, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, we kind of hang our hat on, and with the Florida ties we have on our staff - not just Will and T-Rob, but we've got some other guys - we really think that is a state we feel great about," Malzahn said. "You see the balance of our numbers in those three states. I feel very good about that.

"But I'm proud of our entire staff, they put a lot of work. A lot of times at Signing Day you just see the Signing Day, but what everybody doesn't see is that year-to-two-year relationship that these guys put in and worked extremely hard."

Malzahn commented on most of Auburn's 27 signees including the eight that enrolled early:

DE Byron Cowart: "The No. 1 player in the entire country. We feel very good about him being able to come in immediately and help us rushing the passer. Our defensive staff did an excellent job recruiting that young man."

OL Tyler Carr: "Big, athletic, tough. When you think of Auburn tough, this is what I think about with this guy. I think he's got a chance to really help us and he'll even have a chance to play early."

FB Chandler Cox: "Very versatile and is going to play our 3-back position. He played a very similar position in high school. He is one of the better all-around football players in the entire country, we felt like. He really fits our offense well."

DB Tim Irvin: "Very good football player. He's tough, he's a very good tackler. Coach T-Rob had a very good relationship with him. He came on board with us really in a short period of time after his official visit."

QB Tyler Queen: "Runs a similar offense to what we do. He's very good with the read zone. He's a very physical runner and has been committed to us for a long time. We're very excited about Tyler."

QB Jason Smith: "We are going to start out and he is going to have a chance to play quarterback; that is what we recruited him out of high school. He went to junior college and he is going to start out as quarterback, but he is athletic enough that if it did not work out, he would play some other positions. We are very excited about Jason. We think he has a chance to be a real special player."

RB Jovon Robinson: "He is a big, physical guy that can run. He really has a chance to be an elite player we feel like."

PK/P Ian Shannon: "We had a few issues last year in our kicking game. We feel he has a chance to come in and compete for the job. He's got a big leg. He can do all the kicking duties, but primarily he will be punting next year."

OL Marquel Harrell: "He's a big, athletic lineman that can run. We really think this guy has a chance to be an elite player. He can play center. He can play guard. He is very strong. He is everything we look for in a lineman."

OL Kaleb Kim: "He was committed to us for a long time. We feel like he can play guard or center. He's very smart, intelligent. He's going to get bigger and stronger. We feel like he has a lot of potential to be a very good football player."

DT Jauntavius Johnson: "Coach Garner has been on him for a long time. We really feel like he can be an impact player. He's very explosive. He uses his hands well. He'll definitely help us."

DE Prince Tega Wanogho Jr.: "He came on our radar early in the season. He's a big guy. We feel like this young man has unbelievable potential. He's only been playing the game one year. He's got a motor. We are very excited about him rushing the passer. That was one of our emphasis and we feel like he can help with that."

OL Michael Horton: "We've been recruiting this young man for a long time developing relationships. He came on a visit last weekend. He also had a relationship with Will and T-Rob when they were at Florida. We feel like he has a chance to be a very special player. He's very big. He's very thick. And he can move. We are excited about him."

LB Darrell Williams: "I am very proud of this young man. He was extremely loyal to us. He was a highly-recruited in-state guy. He had a chance to take a lot of visits, but he chose to come back here and help us recruit. That's two years in a row that we've had elite guys come back and help us recruit. That means something to the Auburn family. He's got a unique skill set. He had two interceptions in the Under Armour game. I really think he fits in Coach Muschamp's defense well."

TE Jalen Harris: "This is a guy that Philip Lutzenkirchen actually coached him. (St. James) runs a very similar offense. He can put his hand down. He can move back and forth from H-back. He's got a lot of flexibility and versatility so we are excited about him."

LB Richard McBryde: "An in-state guy that we targeted two years ago that we felt like he had a chance to be a special player. Inside linebacker, he has great instincts, will fit very god onto coach Muschamp's defense."

WR Ryan Davis: "Especially when we lost Sammie Coates, felt like we need to really go after a couple of more receivers. He's one of the guys, he had a relationship with Will and T-Rob already and we started recruiting really hard the last month. Had him on an official visit. Really feel like he fits in well. He plays quarterback and we've had great success with quarterbacks moving to wide receiver position, we really feel good about Ryan."

RB Kerryon Johnson: "Mr. Football in our state, he's one of the more versatile players in the entire country and with our offense we can get very creative with him. We really think this young man has a chance to be an elite, special-type player. We feel like he's got everything it takes. We're very excited to add him to our offense. He'll have a chance to be an impact player coming in immediately."

CB Carlton Davis: "A big, long, tall defensive back that coach T-Rob, one of the first guys that when we hired him he said man we really need to try to go after this guy. He was committed to another school. That relationship really helped with him. Came on a visit, really felt at home. This guy's got a chance to help us right off the bat."

S Montavious Atkinson: "Has been committed to us a long time. He's a very good tackler, a very good athlete, kind of a no nonsense guy. He'll fit our defense very well. We think that he'll have a chance to help us immediately too."

LB Jeffery Holland: "Has family that used to play basketball here. We've been on him a long time. Coach Garner has a great relationship with him. Coach T-Rob, coach Muschamp already had a relationship with him. He is a pass rusher. We really feel like he can really help us in the pass rush and he has a lot of flexibility, he's a very good tackler too."

WR Darius Slayton: "He's the nephew of Darrell Crawford. He has a lot of family associated with Auburn, Initially we were recruiting him as a DB, he felt like he wanted to be a DB about a year and a half ago and then kind of transitioned into the wide receiver position and we started recruiting him probably the last five weeks extremely hard. He can run, he's a big guy that can run, we feel like he'll have a chance to help us next year and we're very excited about him."

CB Jeremiah Dinson: "Coach T-Rob, one of the first names he brought up, said this guy can really play. He can run, he can tackle, he's a tough, tough guy. Came on a visit, loved it right off the bat."

CB Javarius Davis: "One of the faster players in all the country I believe a 10.3 guy. There's not a whole lot of 10.3 guys running around. Going to be a great cover guy, eh also returns kicks. Really think this guy will have a chance to help us right off the bat."

S Jordan Colbert: "A big defensive back playing safety, 6-3, 200 from Griffin High School. Been committed to us a long time. Did a very good job of helping us recruit over the past year and he's got the physical set that he can play right off the bat so we're very excited about him."