Auburn football: There’s a reason for optimism for Class of 2023 recruits

Optimism and Auburn football have not been words linked in the same sentence for quite some time. The 2021 season and an offseason from hell that followed are your primary culprits for why that is the case.

That may be changing, though. Bryan Harsin’s work on the recruiting trail is designed to demolish that narrative.

The ‘Tiger Takeover’ strategy is taking the coaching staff out of Alabama, and even out of the Deep South, to find top talent for the program moving forward. AU is going as far west as Arizona and down through southern Florida on the east coast.

Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports believes we can finally share some collective optimism about the current recruiting cycle:

"With May’s arrival, we’re knee deep into the 2023 class recruiting cycle. And at Auburn, there is reason for optimism. Yes, really. And a lot of it…many have noticed a more engaging Harsin when it comes to recruiting and that hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Another positive: Based on our interviewing, he seems to be connecting much better with key prospects in Year 2. Again, not a bad thing."

Will Auburn football HC Bryan Harsin get to see his program’s progress through?

Bryan Harsin was thrown through the fire via this past offseason’s program inquiry and somehow walked out the other side of it with his head held high. The team is closer after rumors of what went on behind closed doors made its way to the public sphere.

That said, another losing season could be Harsin’s undoing on the Plains. The Auburn Board of Trustees clearly wants to move on from the Boise native, and another step backwards for one of the SEC’s richest traditions would be grounds for his dismissal.

If 2022 goes well, we could see a strong Class of 2023 come in and push the program forward toward the success AU’s main rivals (Alabama, Georgia) currently enjoy.