Many experts and fans wondered if Bryan Harsin would continue the tradition that was started by Gene Chizik in 2009: Big Cat Weekend on the Plains. Many schools have tried to mimic Auburn Football, but there are only a few programs who could match the excitement and hype that Big Cat Weekend generated through the 2010’s for AU.
Keith Niebuhr from Auburn Undercover announced that a source told him that the 2021 edition of Big Cat Weekend will be held on July 25th, which is much later than the usual Memorial Day weekend celebration on the Plains.
The source also hinted that this Big Cat weekend could be a bit more lowkey than previous years:
"“This will be more of a chill vibe barbecue type deal.”"
In the past Big Cat Weekend has led to major progress in relationship building and silent verbal commitments. Kerryon Johnson, Jeff Holland, Chandler Cox, Jamien Sherwood, and many more impact Auburn football players have went through Big Cat Weekend. Gus Malzahn told Jeff Shearer that over 80% of the team in 2017 was on campus for Big Cat Weekend on the Plains.
This announcement comes at a perfect time for the Tigers and could be a power move to generate more interest on the recruiting trail. The Tigers currently have six commitments for the 2022 class, but only rank #71 overall and still rank last in the SEC in the 247Sports rankings.
This upcoming Big Cat Weekend could play an integral part in finding a way to increase commitments and build relationships into 2023 and 2024 so the Tigers will not experience another slow start to the recruiting cycle.
Invites and announcements are expected to come soon, but many experts expect the top targets from this recruiting cycle, the 2023 and 2024 recruiting cycle to all receive invites to Big Cat Weekend.
Auburn football could really use some extra momentum headed into the fall on the recruiting trail and Bryan Harsin may have just found the exact recipe to cook up something special on the trail. Stay tuned for more information right here on Fly War Eagle!