Snaggs, this is your dream article
A look at Auburn's O-Line recruiting compared to other programs
ByJason Caldwell 18 minutes ago
AUBURN, Alabama—When evaluating the issues and reasons why it ultimately didn’t work for
Gus Malzahn during his time as head coach of the Auburn football Tigers, you have to look no further than offensive line recruiting to see why. It’s no secret that Auburn has struggled to sign top offensive line prospects in the last five years, but when you break it down and look at the numbers compared to Auburn's biggest rivals in the Southeastern Conference the numbers are startling.
Since the 2017 signing class, which makes up five recruiting classes when you count the most recent early signing period, Auburn has signed a total of just 14 offensive linemen compared to 20 for Alabama, 22 for Georgia and 18 for LSU. Just in terms of overall numbers, the lack of options is one part of the equation, but that’s just the beginning.
It’s not just numbers, but the talent level that remains a serious issue as well. In the last five classes Auburn has signed just one 5-star (
Calvin Ashley) and three 4-stars (
Austin Troxell,
Nick Brahms,
Keiondre Jones) on the offensive line.
By comparison, Alabama has signed 17 5-star and 4-star offensive linemen during that same stretch. Georgia has signed 18 such players during the same span while LSU has signed just nine with no 5-stars in the bunch.
Auburn's goal is not just competing in the Southeastern Conference, but challenging the top teams from anywhere t try to make a playoff run. That means going up against the most consistent teams in college footbLL like Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma. In addition to the three SEC teams, those are the three most successful programs in the country at the moment.
When comparing Auburn to those three teams the issue remains the same. Ohio State in the last five classes, including this year, has signed 19 total offensive linemen with 14 of those 5-star or 4-star prospects. Over the same period Clemson has signed 19 offensive linemen with 11 of them either 5-star or 4-star prospects. Oklahoma is much of the same, signing 19 offensive linemen with 14 of those considered blue chip prospects.
To take things another step, comparing Auburn to Tennessee you see the Tigers were even behind the Vols in terms of recruiting on the offensive line despite the program being on much more solid footing. In the last five classes the Vols have signed 19 total players on the offensive line with three 5-stars and three 4-stars. While that’s much more along the line of Auburn, signing an extra lineman on average each year gave them an opportunity to build more quality depth.
One more comparison is at Kentucky where the Wildcats have put together some strong offensive lines under Coach
Mark Stoops. While they have done a great job of coaching up guys and development, Kentucky’s recruiting has been very much on par with what Auburn has done over the same period. In the last five classes the Wildcats have signed five 4-star prospects and 13 3-star offensive linemen. While it’s pretty close it’s pretty clear Kentucky has done a better job of recruiting up front than Auburn in the last five years.
If the Tigers want to get back to the top of the SEC and begin competing for championships once again, that’s going to start with putting more of an emphasis on offensive line recruiting moving forward. That starts now for Coach
Bryan Harsin and his staff.
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/Article/Auburn-football-has-to-improve-the-offensive-line-recruiting-to-compete-with-its-biggest-rivals-158553206/