Oh, the games people play. Specifically, the people who coach college football for a living.
Last weekend, as you know, Auburn's Big Cat Weekend stole a boatload of recruiting headlines. In a not-so-stunning coincidence, it emerged early this week that five-star CB DeMarcus Milliner would be announcing his certain commitment to Alabama Thursday, which he did. Yours truly predicted this would lead to a Big Cat "Auburn = flash, Saban = substance" backlash, which I don't get points for because sometimes it's just too easy.
Besides, what I should have also seen coming is that Auburn's coaches would be smart enough to see that coming themselves. And so, in a second not-so-stunning coincidence, Jeremy Richardson committed to Auburn today, all of a day after Milliner committed to Alabama.
Auburn fans will surely respond with something along the lines of WE'RE BACK while 'Bama fans will surely respond that nabbing the commitment of the No. 26 wide receiver doesn't compare to the No. 1 corner/top player in the state. the truth, as always, in somewhere in the middle: while Milliner may--may--be even more of a lock to be a productive SEC player than Richardson, the odds are that both players will prove to be quality additions for their respective teams. Neither Auburn nor Alabama have really "won" this round over the other by virtue of either commitment: both schools had built-in advantages with their respective recruit ('Bama with their connection to Milliner's high school coach and general 'Bamaness, Auburn with their available playing time and family connection), pressed those advantages, and locked them up. The real test for Auburn will be snagging a commitment from a recruit of Richardson's quality where they don't have those advantages; at the same time, Alabama can't dismiss Auburn's recruiting efforts as empty gimmickry when it's earned them a recruit that the Tigers have seen slip away from them in recent years.
So I wouldn't go overboard with the WE'RE BACK talk. But we also shouldn't minimize that Auburn
1. just landed (or has very, very likely landed--Signing Day is, as always, forever away) their highest-profile in-state recruit since 2007
2. has received commitments from three different four-star wide receivers in the five months since Chizik and Co. have been in operation
3. is being coached by a staff that has a very clear picture of how to rebuild Auburn's recruiting brand and are more than willing to play the same game of one-upmanship their foe across the state has proven so adept at.
Things still aren't perfect on the recruiting front--as Jay's post from this morning could tell you, about which I'll have more Monday--but they're better than they've been in a long while, we can say that much.
UPDATE to add the Richardson highlight clip below (HT: Auburntron) and ask you to enjoy your weekend.
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9 comments:
Wait a minute, you can't rely on Rivals' rankings because it's biased towards Alabama, right? So Richardson is actually the #81 WR in the country, behind the #40 and #49 WRs already signed by Alabama.
http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=3996544
ty, if you can kindly point out where in the history of this blog I've said anything like that--as opposed to the countless times I've defended their rankings as more-accurate-than not--feel free. Otherwise, get lost and go troll someone who's actually made the kind of comments you're talking about.
What a baller
Get him Jerry. I'm tired of hearing that 'Bama bias BS dribble too.
Great article, quality recruit.
LT.
Sorry Jerry, I don't have any basis for accusing you personally of making those comments about Rivals. I've seen them ad nauseum from the Aub fanbase though.
Sorry again, I didn't read all the way to your second sentence before I responded. So, my response should have been rather than an apology, to tell you to go fuck yourself.
Comparing the #1 cornerback IN THE NATION to the #26 WR is hardly a big coup for Chizik and co. (Now when Seastrunck commits that WOULD be a different story.....)
Auburn is doing ok. But not any better than they did with Tuberville. If rented Limos and rolling trees with toilet paper pass as innovative or "extreme" recruiting then there evidently is such a thing as a time warp.
Maybe, instead of hyping every single accomplishment Auburn has on the recruiting trail the staff should actually go out and make real relationships with the prospects and show them how auburn could be helpful in thier journey through life.
Richardson is no big surprise. He was going to commit to Auburn anyway. So yet again, (in spite of thier "apparent" best efforts Auburn still looks like they are desperately chasing Saban.
t, I'll try to say this as nicely as possible since bammers are known for being mentally unstable to a lesser or greater degree...
You are a complete loser. What kind of ass gets on a blog covering a rival team, and puts them down for getting a quality recruit that was also offered and recruited by the coach you Bammers think is God? I mean damn, we are talking about a coach with a losing record against both Tommy Tuberville and Urban Meyer.
Also, you claim Jeremy Richardson was an Auburn lean from the beginning, which is absolutely true. However, Milliner was every bit as much of a Bama lean as Richardson was an Auburn lean. He wasn't going anywhere but Tuscaloosa from the beginning.
The reason this is big news is because in the last couple of years, Auburn has been losing recruits like Richardson on a regular basis. Auburn fans are glad to have some new blood in the program that is bringing excitement back to the plains.
In fact, recruiting is doing a hell of a lot better than it was the last few years under Tuberville. So please go back to your little bamma blogs with others such as yourself.
Doesn't look like Jerry said anything wrong to someone who clearly seemed to be trolling, but this "ty" guy got all upset...it's another "internet tough guy".
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