Auburn Recruiting: 5 Bold Predictions For National Signing Day 2015

Nicholas Ian Allen

Jan 2, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Team Highlight defensive end Byron Cowart (99) rushes Team Armour quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the first half of the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game at Tropicana Field. Team Highlight defeated Team Armour 46-6. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

National Signing Day 2015 is February 4 – just 23 days away. Between now and then, the 2015 Auburn recruiting class will go from work in progress to finished product. As we look ahead to the finish line, it’s time to make some bold predictions.

Bold Prediction No.1: Auburn Will Sign Five-Star Defensive End Byron Cowart

One of the top players in the nation, and the one that is most likely to have the biggest impact on the Auburn football program as a true freshman if he signs, is five-star defensive end Byron Cowart.

The bad news is Cowart hasn’t committed to Auburn. The good news is he hasn’t committed anywhere else.

“I didn’t know where I wanted to go,” Cowart said while explaining why he did not make an announcement during the Under Armour All-American Game. “So I’m still looking forward to figuring out where Byron Cowart is going to play.”

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Cowart, who won MVP honors during the aforementioned high school all-star game, was seen as a long shot to sign with the Tigers until recently. Florida and Florida State were once believed to be the only two teams with a real chance to land him.

However, thanks to the additions of former Gators head coach Will Muschamp as new defensive coordinator and ace recruiter Travaris Robinson as defensive backs coach, Auburn is now very much in the mix – enough so that he will be on campus January 16 for an official visit.

Unfortunately for Auburn, both the Gators and Seminoles will receive visits prior to National Signing Day.

The Tigers desperately want Cowart. He’s the top player on the team’s big board, according to Keith Niebuhr, and for good reason. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound defensive end is the third ranked player in the 247Sports Composite, and he’s a perfect fit for the Buck hybrid defensive end/linebacker in Muschamp’s defense.

Cowart has had a lot of great things to say about Muschamp in the past, and his relationship with Coach Boom (as well as his mother’s comfort with Muschamp) was a big reason the Gators became the favorite to sign him. And it’ll be the primary reason he joins the 2015 Auburn recruiting class instead.

Next: Bold Prediction No. 2

Jan 2, 2015; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Team Highlight wide receiver Terry Godwin (4) attempts to break the tackle of Team Armour defensive back Micah Abermathy (4) during the second half of the 2015 Under Armour All-America Game at Tropicana Field. Team Highlight defeated Team Armour 46-6. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Bold Prediction No. 2: Cowart Will Help the Tigers Sign At Least One Other 5-Star Prospect

Byron Cowart has been one of the most talked about players in the country, both by recruiting analysts and fellow players.

“I’m going to be getting with him,” four-star linebacker Jeff Holland told the Orlando Sentinel recently. “We’ve been talking already. I’m not saying anything [to others] about committing [to Auburn] … just that we could go somewhere and play together.”

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Holland, who is uncommitted but thought to be leaning towards Auburn, isn’t the only player waiting to see where Cowart ends up. He’s also not the only uncommitted player that would love to play with Cowart at the collegiate level.

Therefore, should Bold Prediction No. 1 come to fruition, expect at least one other five-star player to join Cowart with the Tigers.

The players Auburn has a shot to land include offensive lineman Martez Ivey, defensive end CeCe Jefferson and defensive tackles Terry Beckner, Jr. and Daylon Mack.

Ivey has already made an official visit to Auburn, and is expected to choose between the Tigers and Florida. Beckner and Mack are planning to visit in January, but are expected to sign elsewhere, as are five-star wideouts Terry Godwin and Preston, who are currently committed to Georgia and Tennessee, respectively. Jefferson hasn’t yet confirmed he will visit Auburn, but there’s a good chance.

Trent Thompson, yet another five-star defensive tackle who is committed to Georgia, isn’t out of the realm of possibility, either.

Next: Bold Prediction No. 3

Oct 19, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Auburn Tigers taped football shoes on the field before the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Bold Prediction No. 3: Auburn Will Lose At Least One Committed Player

There are currently 17 high school players committed to the 2015 Auburn recruiting class. Four of them: Tyler Carr, Bailey Sharp, Chandler Cox and Tyler Queen are on campus as early enrollees and will begin classes Wednesday, as are junior college signees Jovon Robinson, Jason Smith and Maurice Swain.

That leaves 13 players currently committed to the Tigers that have 23 days to change their mind. Odds are, at least one of them will.

In my personal opinion, the most likely candidate is a linebacker. One reason is future playing time.

Four of the players currently pledging to be future Tigers play linebacker, and Jeff Holland is likely to become the fifth. With Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy returning, plus top reserves Tre Williams and Anthony Swain, playing time as a true freshman is unlikely for any new signee.

Of course, none of the four committed linebackers are considered day one impact players anyway, and they likely realize that they won’t see the field much, if at all, in 2015. But, with four linebackers in this class alone, there will be a great deal of competition over the next four years as well.

Therefore, don’t be shocked if Darrell Williams (who still has interest from Alabama), or Montavious Atkinson (who is still being pursued by Georgia), make other arrangements.

“Alabama’s got another linebacker commit, so I don’t really know,” Williams said in late December. “I still talk to them every now and then. (Oklahoma contacted) me just a few days ago saying how was I doing… They would like me to come out there.”

Richard McBryde and Elijah Sullivan are less likely to flip, but another school could swoop in at the last moment to turn them too.

Next: Bold Prediction No. 4

Sep 20, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp (left) and Travaris Robinson during the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Bold Prediction No. 4: Will Muschamp and Travaris Robinson Will Help Auburn Flip At Least One Player

Speaking of flips, Auburn hired one of the best in the business as their new defensive coordinator. Take Florida wide receiver Demarcus Robinson’s recruitment as an example:

“I expected him to go to Clemson and honor his commitment, I encouraged it,” Robinson’s high school coach Chad Campbell told the Gainesville Sun in 2013. “But coach Muschamp and his staff just wouldn’t let up. I think the relationship they built with Demarcus was real strong, and he knew they were going to take care of him like we did. But I still can’t believe they changed his mind to be honest with you.”

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Robinson also has terrific track of bringing in high-profile recruits, especially from his native Florida. As luck would have it, many of the top uncommitted prospects in the country, many of which are Auburn targets, hail from the Sunshine State.

“T-Rob was by far the biggest asset that the Florida coaching staff had going for it under Muschamp,” 247Sports scouting director Barton Simmons recently told AL.com. “If you’re putting together a dream team staff of college recruiters, I don’t think there’s any question that right now, T-Rob would be on that staff. He’s become a force recruiting the state of Florida, especially in Miami, and I think with him you’re going to see Auburn become a factor with a lot of those Dade and Broward County athletes in south Florida.”

And while Auburn has been solid recruiting under head coach Gus Malzahn, T-Rob and Muschamp have a chance to really help the Tigers close strong on Signing Day.

“Not many coaches can walk into the home of a committed recruit and convince him and his family to come to their school,” said one-time Notre Dame commit turned Florida Gators linebacker Alex Anzalone. “But if they’re willing to listen to Muschamp and what he has to offer, I wouldn’t count him out with anyone.”

So, who’s it going to be?

As we mentioned last week, Godwin and Williams are possibilities – they’ll be visiting Auburn this weekend after all. A few other names to watch are defensive tackle Trent Thompson (committed to Georgia), five-star quarterback/athlete Torrence Gibson (committed to Ohio State), and Kentucky commit, three-star cornerback Jeremiah Denson.

Next: Bold Prediction No. 5

Feb 6, 2013; Vienna, GA USA; Defensive tackle Montravius Adams reacts after making his decision to attend Auburn during National Signing Day at Dooly County High School. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

Bold Prediction No. 5: The Auburn Tigers Will Be The Nation’s Most Talked About Team on National Signing Day

There is already a lot of talk about Auburn in the recruiting world. Two big reasons are Muschamp and T-Rob, who both returned to the Plains with huge reputations as all-star recruiters. Unfortunately for the Tigers, that hasn’t translated to any new commitments.

That will change on February 4.

Recapping our previous predictions, if Cowart signs with the Tigers and brings a blue-chipper or two with him, then a committed Tiger flips elsewhere, but the Tigers steal a recruit in return, Auburn will be the talk of National Signing Day.

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Nicholas Ian Allen