WEA

To start getting the ball rolling with the 2011 Recruiting Info, I want to discuss some recruits that will be coming from Auburn’s Pipeline states. As Chizik and Co. proved this year, they can get top recruits from any state that they want to, but it would be nearly impossible to place every recruit on Auburn’s board in this article.

As of right now, it would be hard to announce juniors as being pro-Auburn. Because of this, I will only address recruits that are in a position to be easily contacted by the coaches. All of these guys have already visited Auburn’s campus at least once.

This is just a kickoff to what should be a very good class at AU.  There will be people on here that maybe shouldn’t be, and there will most likely be people that are left out.  This soon after signing day, nobody really knows which recruits should have emphasis placed on them. 

Side note: because of the small amount of information that has been made available for some of the recruits, I may not be able to fully analyze all of them.

Quarterbacks:

Jeff Driskel (pictured above): As a 6’4 224 pound junior at Hagerty High School in Oviedo, Fla., Jeff Driskel turned the heads of would-be recruiters all over the country.  In 2008, his sophomore year, Jeff threw for 1,125 yards and 6 TD’s. Add his 6 rushing TD’s into the mix, and you have a very solid sophomore. In 2009, Jeff solidified his spot as one of the top recruits to keep an eye on for the 2011 class. Although his team
went 2-8, Driskel threw for 1427 yards and 11 touchdowns, with only 6 interceptions. It should also be noted that Driskel ran for 170 yards and five touchdowns on 81 carries. Not bad for a kid with so little talent surrounding him. Driskel has attended Auburn Camps and is a self-proclaimed “lifelong Auburn Fan.” Definitely keep your eye out for this guy.

Kiehl Frazier – This 6’3, 212 pound recruit from Shiloh Christian in Arkansas put up some very impressive numbers over the 2009 season. Frazier threw for 2614 yards and 34 TDs with a .648 completion percentage. Frazier has also taken visits to Auburn, but is still vague about his opinions at the current time.

C.J. Uzomah – At 6’5, 210 pounds, Uzomah most certainly has the physical characteristics of a potentially great quarterback, but how about his statistics? Even if Uzomah’s stats don’t scream “star” quite as loudly as Frazier’s do, his team statistics tell plenty. As a junior, Uzomah led the North Gwinnett Bulldogs (out of Georgia) to a 12-1 season. He threw for 1428 yards with 12 TD’s. He also ran for 566 yards on 74 carries. Uzomah was impressed with Auburn’s campus on his previous visits, but seems to want to keep his options open.

Other possible QB: Stephen Rivers. . . Yes, that is Phillip Rivers’ brother.

Running Backs:

Kendarius Fritts – 5-11, 185 lbs. from Linden AL.

Isaiah Crowell – 5-11 190 lbs. from Columbus, Georgia. Carver High School. : The coaches seem pretty interested, but Crowell’s allegiance seems to lie close to the heart of Bulldog country.

DeMarcus James – 5’9, 173 lbs. Demopolis High School in Alabama. 1600+ yards rushing in 2009. James seems to have a lot of talent and is interested in learning more about Auburn.  At this point, there is no point in diving deeper.

Recievers:

Garrett Harper – 5’10, 175 lbs from Springdale, Arkansas.  Although he will probably be used as a Safety, Harper is listed as a Receiver as well. His junior year stats include 13 catches for 147 yards and 19 carries for a total of 162 yards. He visited Auburn on Junior Day, but that is about as far as the research goes.  Look fohis senior year. If he can add about 10 or 15 pounds of muscle and keep his speed, I think we may have a star on our hands.

Shamir Jeffrey – 6’2, 200 lbs.(weight varies depending on where you look) from Calhoun County High School in South Carolina. Apparently, Jeffrey had a very good season as a Junior (though no stats were found). With his 4.6 fourty time and ideal size, look for Jeffrey’s name to make frequent appearances on the Forum boards for the next year.

Marvin Shinn – 6’3 177 lbs. from Prichard, Alabama.  Although Shinn is committed to Alabama, look for Auburn to make a run.  Because he is listed as a “Solid Verbal,” I will not divulge into his statistics (they are great though). 

Other possible WR recruits: Reggie Ragland and Collins Moore.

Offensive Line:

Brey Cook – 6’7, 298 lbs. from Har-Ber High School, Arkansas. I’ve only heard good things about this guy.  He already seems to be emerging as a leader.  As part of ESPNU’s early 2011 watch list, look for this guy to be making headlines in the fall.

Watts Dantzler – OL – 6’7, 313 lbs. from Dalton, Georgia. Likes what he sees at Auburn University. He needs to hit the weights hard this year. If he does this, be looking for a top rated recruit next winter.

Reese Dismukes – OL – 6’3, 272 lbs. from Spanish Fort, Alabama.

Quincy McKinney – OL – At 6’4 295 lbs., Quincey McKinney is an beast. Watch for some heavy recruiting to be done for this kid.

Thomas Niles – OL – 6’2, 260 lbs. from Gainesville, Georgia.

Jordan Prestwood – TE – 6’8, 250 lbs. from Plant City Florida. This, my friends, will be a BIG time recruit. Prestwood caught 26 receptions for 311 yards his junior year. If you do the math, that’s 12 yards per catch. He adds 3 TD’s to his resume as well. Look for Jordan to really elevate his game this year.

Spencer Region – OL – 6’6, 330 lbs. from Cullman, Alabama. The size says it all. It should be interesting to see his weight room stats, once they are made available. Those should make the decision as to whether we should or shouldn’t follow Region. One thing to consider, Region has been considered an Alabama lean for quite a while. We’ll see how that plays out.

Other Offensive Linemen – Joe Errin, Josh Jentry, Thomas Williams, Bart Whigham, Paul Kyle, and Allen Posey. . . Yeah, it looks like we’re looking for that perfect OL.

Defensive Line:

Denzel Lott – 6’3, 295 lbs. from Vigor High School, Alabama

Jamichael Payne – 6’1, 325 lbs. from Auburn High School, Alabama. This guy is big, maybe a little too big for his height. Look for him to drop a few pounds over the off-season.  Being from Auburn, Payne will most probably place AU in his top choices. As of now, I have only heard things about his credentials. Therefore, I will not go into detail. 

Gavin Rocker – 6’2, 195 lbs. from Sandy Creek High School, Georgia

Other Possibility: Josh Gentry

Defensive Ends:

Kameron Wood – 6’4, 220 lbs. John Carroll High School, Alabama. With Alabama and Auburn placed firmly in the front runners position, Wood looks to take his already great stats and develop them even more. Wood is not only a great player, but he is also a team player. Coaches say that he thinks of the team before himself at all times. Look for this to factor into Auburn’s recruiting.

Gabriel Wright – 6’2, 260 lbs. from Carver High School, Georgia.

LaMichael Fannin – 6’6, 285 lbs. from Auburn High School, Alabama. The chances of landing a recruit skyrocket when they are in close vicinity to the school (i.e. Lattimore). Lamichael Fannin is projected by many, including those close to Auburn athletics, to emerge as a front runner in the 2011 Recruiting Class.

Xzavier Dickson – 6’4, 240 lbs. from Griffin High School, Georgia. Look for Dickson to work on his 40 time this off-season.  As it stands, Dickson is already a formidable recruit.

Other DE's: A.J. Johnson – 6’3, 226 lbs. Gainesville High School, Georgia

Brandon McGowan – 6’3 210 lbs. from North Gwinett High School, Georgia.

Chris Landrum – 6’3, 205 lbs. from Sweet Water High School, Alabama.

Other Linebackers: Shaquelle Roberson, Devareus McSwaim, and Terris Lewis.

Defensive Backs:

Ryan Watson – CB - 5’10, 175 lbs. from Decatur High School, Alabama. Ryan Watson has been making a statement as to the legitimacy of his football abilities for as long as he has been playing high school football. With 34 tackles and 5 interceptions on defense, and 639 receiving yards on offense, in 2009, its apparent why he will be a big time recruit.  His yards-per-catch percentage averaged out to 15.98.

Enrique Florence – CB - 6’3, 185 lbs. from Valley High School, Alabama.  Florence is known for a few things, mainly, his ability to hit hard with exceptional accuracy.  He seems to know the game as well as any junior out there. Another thing that strikes many recruiters as a plus are his fundamentally sound tackles. Look for him to do big things during his senior season.

Eric Dixon – CB – 5’11, 175 lbs. Vigor High School, Alabama.

Emmanuel Johnson – ATH – 5’11, 175 lbs. from McKenzie High School, Alabama.

Look for the some new additions to this section as recruiting builds. After JUCO Izauea Lanier’s commitment, the Defensive Backfield for the Tigers’ 2011 class is already looking bright.
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