Oct 4, 2014; Auburn, AL, USA; A general view of the Auburn Tigers flag during a touchdown celebration during the second quarter against the LSU Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
In case you’ve been stuck under a rock the previous 24 hours, the Auburn football program has a new defensive coordinator – and he’s a good one – Will Muschamp.
“First of all he’s one of the best defensive minds in all of football,” Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn said Saturday at Muschamp’s introductory press conference. “He’s got a great reputation. Kids love to play for him. The success he’s had is really unbelievable. As far as what he provides, he provides a whole lot.”
One of the things Muschamp provides is recruiting ability. He has a great reputation as a recruiter and specifically as a closer.
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And he’s ready to get to work.
“As soon as we get done and walk out of that door, we’re going,” Muschamp said Saturday.
As he’s already said multiple times, Muschamp is at Auburn because he wants to win championships. To do that, he’ll need to vastly improve the Tigers defensively, both by coaching up the current players on the roster and helping to bring new ones in.
Muschamp will be a major factor in keeping the 19 players already committed to the Tigers on board, and he’ll have a lot to do with bringing in up to an estimated eight more players that are not currently committed to Auburn.
And despite concerns that Muschamp would be limited in who he can talk to, Coach Boom had the answer.
“As long as Auburn was previously recruiting a student-athlete, we’re more than welcome to recruit,” he said.
With that in mind, here are six Auburn football recruiting targets that Malzahn and Muschamp are likely to go after.
Next: Top JUCO Defensive Back
Tony Bridges, Top Junior College Defensive Back
During his press conference, Muschamp said he would be hitting the recruiting trail with Gus Malzahn immediately. Their destination was expected to be an in-home visit with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College cornerback Tony Bridges, the nation’s top ranked junior college defensive back.
Betsided
Bridges was committed to Auburn earlier this season, but flipped to Ole Miss last month.
“I committed to Ole Miss,” Bridges told AL.com at the time. “Family-wise, my mother wanted me to be closer to home. First and foremost, you have to love the coaching staff and football players. I love the players at Auburn, but I love the Ole Miss players too. Campus-wise, I love everything about it.”
Could Bridges be persuaded back to the Tigers? It’s too early to say for sure, but he did comment on Muschamp’s hiring.
“It’s a great deal,” Bridges told 247Sports Friday night. “I think it’s great. It’s a great step for Auburn.”
Getting Bridges back would be a huge boost to the 2015 Auburn football recruiting class. The Bridges ranks sixth overall in the 247Sports Composite among junior college players.
Listed at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, he has superb size for a cornerback, which is definitely a position of need for Auburn. The Tigers will lose seniors Jonathan Mincy and Trovon Reed to graduation, which leaves Jonathan Jones and Joshua Holsey as the only two players with starting experience at the position.
Also, with recent success bringing top end talent like Vernon Hargreaves III, Jalen Tabor and Duke Dawson to Florida, Muschamp has a good track record.
Next: The Best Player in the Nation
Martez Ivey, The Best Player in the Nation
Bridges may be target number one, but expect offensive lineman Martez Ivey to be next in line.
A 6-foot-6, 271-pound Floridian, Ivey is one of the best players in America. In fact, he’s the best according to 247Sports. ESPN ranks him third, and he’s a consensus five-star.
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All season, Ivey has listed Florida and Auburn as his clear top two. His high school teammate, Chandler Cox, is an early signee for the Tigers and has reportedly helped to recruit Ivey all along.
Now, with the hire of Muschamp, the Tigers could potentially pull ahead.
“Chandler (Cox) texted me and told me about it,” Ivey told Rivals.com. “I was shocked, but not really. Auburn just got a great pick up with Muschamp joining the team. He will help them dominate on defense.
“He’s a great guy. I really did like him as a coach because he tries to build a family within the team, which you get through things a player and person in life.”
Offensive line isn’t the biggest need the Tigers have – they’ve got three starters returning, five with starting experience, two early signees and one more committed – but you never pass up a player the caliber of Ivey.
Next: A Massive Defensive Tackle
Nov 8, 2014; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn shakes hands with fans as he goes through Tiger Walk prior to the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Daron Payne, Massive Defensive Tackle
Auburn needs defensive linemen. The Tigers struggled this season to get a consistent pass rush, and were forced to use interior linemen like Gabe Wright and Montravius Adams at defensive end because of a lack of depth created by the graduation of Dee Ford and an ACL injury to Carl Lawson.
Betsided
At 6-foot-2, 330 pounds, Daron Payne isn’t a pass rusher. However, he will occupy a lot of space and multiple blockers in the middle of the line, which should free up pass rushers to make plays on the outside. As a consensus top-50 player nationally, he’s got the talent to contribute immediately.
And he’d like to get on the field as quickly as possible, which could give Auburn an edge over co-favorite Alabama. According to AL.com’s John Talty:
"Payne has repeatedly insisted that early playing time will play a big role in his decision — he doesn’t want to redshirt — and is intrigued about early opportunities on the Plains. He’s developed a close relationship with Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who is expected to join head coach Gus Malzahn in the in-home visit. Payne’s faith in Garner is the reason why he isn’t all too concerned about who will be the next Auburn defensive coordinator. “Coach Garner is a great coach so either way he’ll develop me for where I want to be,” Payne said."
Now with Muschamp on board, Payne will have a few coaches with a great track record of developing defensive players to where they want to be, and Coach Boom is expected to visit with Payne very soon.
Payne is expected to announce his decision at the Under Armour All-American Game.
Next: A Four-Star Linebacker and Top 100 Player
Jeff Holland, Four-Star Linebacker and Top 100 Player
Ellis Johnson ran a 4-2-5 base defense at Auburn, meaning the Tigers generally utilized four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs (one of which was a linebacker/safety hybrid).
Will Muschamp prefers a multiple defense, based in a 4-3, but with the ability to shift in and out of three and four man fronts. Either way, Auburn will have more pure linebackers on the field under coach Boom. They’ve got some good ones coming back, but you can always use more.
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Especially one as talented as consensus top 100 player Jeff Holland, a four-star from Jacksonville, Florida.
And, it just so happens that Florida and Auburn have been the leaders to land Holland, which could once again swing into the Tigers’ favor, especially when you consider his recent comments.
“I was hoping (Muschamp) was going to end up at Auburn,” Holland told the Orlando Sentinel recently. “That would probably put them to the top, but I don’t know, I’d have to talk to my family and coaches.”
“I haven’t talked to him at all,” Holland said of new Florida head coach Jim McElwain in the same interview. “I really don’t know him so I really don’t got no thoughts. I just gotta get to meet him and he’s gotta start recruiting me fast because this thing is getting pretty tight.”
Once the news of Muschamp’s return to the Plains became official Friday, Holland appeared to be pleased. He tweeted: “WAREAGLE!”
Next: Two Five-Star Defensive Ends
Jan 3, 2014; Newport Beach, CA, USA; General view of an Auburn Tigers helmet at a 2014 BCS National Championship press conference at Newport Beach Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Byron Cowart and CeCe Jefferson, Five-Star Defensive Ends
Previously considered a bit of a long shot, thanks to the hiring of Will Muschamp, Auburn could make a big move for five-star defensive end Byron Cowart.
“(Muschamp) is a great man, more than a coach … a great father and person. I hate this to happen to him and I still love the guy,” Cowart told the Orlando Sentinel shortly after Muschamp was fired by Florida.
Betsided
Cowart is a top five player in the 247Sports Composite, and a pure five-star talent. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds and speed reportedly in the 4.6-second range in the 40-yard dash, he’s got as much upside as any pass rushing prospect in the nation.
Good news came Saturday when Allie Davison of Rivals.com reported via Twitter that Cowart will schedule an official visit to Auburn on January 16.It is also believed that CeCe Jefferson, another five-star defensive end with a similar skill set, will consider the Tigers as well.
“I’m at a loss for words, man,” Jefferson told ESPN.com’s Derek Tyson following Muschamp’s firing. “Coach Muschamp was my guy. I wish him the best of luck in the future. It won’t be long before he is back on his feet.”
Of course, Muschamp has already landed on his feet.
As we’ve previously mentioned, Auburn desperately needs to improve its pass rushing on the front four, and Muschamp has a history of developing those players into All-Americans and high round NFL picks. Cowart and Jefferson fit that mold nicely.
Overall, Muschamp could have a huge impact with these players, as well as a few others.
If the Tigers can land a few of them, Muschamp will not only improve the defense on the Plains, he’ll set the team up to make a run at a few of those championships he’s been talking about.
Next: Muschamp Intro Presser Notes, Quotes, & Video
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