Men's hoops: Auburn 76, Mississippi State 58

Another day, another win for the Tigers, who with 19 victories and wins in six of their last seven games, are moving into near-lock status for the postseason.

Unfortunately, I was in Auburn covering the baseball game (actually, perhaps fortunately considering the road conditions this morning), but I'll blog what I can based on the brief bits of action I saw on TV and the box score. I'll also post this picture from the Ole Miss game of Jeff Lebo, who appears to be doing some sort of disco dance.

First of all, Auburn is 19-10 overall and 8-6 in the SEC, guaranteeing the Tigers will finish at .500 in conference play for the first time since the 2002-03 season.

Secondly, the Tigers have a magic number of one to clinch the second spot in the SEC West and — get this — a first-round bye in the SEC tournament in Tampa. That means an Auburn win against either Alabama or LSU or a Mississippi State loss to Florida or Mississippi would give the Tigers the second spot in the West. Amazing.

And third, Auburn, at worst, could finish the season 19-13. A single win in either of its last two games or in the first game of the SEC tournament would give the Tigers 20 wins. It would be tough for a tournament like the NIT to deny a 20-win SEC team regardless of how down the conference is this season.

** Side note: I'm still not biting on starting any NCAA tournament talk yet. If a 19-win Kentucky team with an RPI of 61, four wins against the RPI top-50 and seven road/neutral wins is still a borderline NCAA team, how does Auburn (RPI of 84, 1-5 vs. the RPI top-50, three road/neutral wins) even enter the discussion? Beat Alabama and LSU and maybe, and I emphasize maybe, we can start that talk.

On to some notes from the game ...

• Where ya been, Auburn's bench? The Tigers' trio of Lucas Hargrove, Frankie Sullivan and Brendan Knox combined to out-score Mississippi State's bench 36-0. Holy hand grenades, that's some domination. Sullivan scored a team-high 14 points. Knox's 10 points tied a career high.

• Only one Auburn starter scored in double figures. Rasheem Barrett led the way with 12. But with bench play like that, honestly, who needs huge days out the starters?

• Auburn was 9-for-27 from 3-point range and 28-for-57 from the field. That's an efficient afternoon.

• Mississippi State (17-12, 7-7 SEC) went 9-for-30 from 3-point range. If the Bulldogs aren't making 3's, they're not winning. Ravern Johnson, the SEC's leader in 3-point percentage, went 2-for-10 from outside.

• Auburn led 38-21 at halftime after scoring the final 10 points heading into the locker room.

• The 18-point win tied for Auburn's largest margin of victory in Starkville. Auburn swept the season series from MSU for the first time since 2001.

• The Tigers have won three straight SEC road games for the first time since 2003.

• Up next: Auburn plays suddenly-resurgent Alabama (16-12, 6-8 SEC) in Tuscaloosa on Tuesday. Game time is 9 p.m. EST. The Crimson Tide has won three straight, winning at Ole Miss by 21 Sunday. The Tigers better not look past this team.
  

Baseball: Auburn 10, Florida State 9

One of the weirdest home runs I've seen resulted in a big win for Auburn on Saturday. Joseph Sanders hit a three-run home run that capped the Tigers' 10-9 come-from-behind win against No. 5 Florida State at Plainsman Park.

At least, eventually it was ruled a home run. Sanders' blast was to center field, just to the left of the batter's eye. FSU's Tyler Holt had a beat on the ball and timed his leap at the fence perfectly as the ball hit his glove.

Problem is, the glove didn't stay on the premises, tumbling over the fence with the ball as Sanders was rewarded with his fifth home run in seven games this season.

“I saw it go in Holt’s glove and he’s a great center fielder,” said Sanders, who was 2-for-5 with five RBIs. “I was like, ‘He just did that.’ … But I saw when he landed, he didn’t have a glove so I was like, ‘Thank God.’”

Some other notes and thoughts from the game ...

• Auburn finally got a strong performance by a reliever. Right-hander Austin Hubbard gave up one run in the final three innings to earn the save, the Tigers' first this season. His only mistake was a leadoff home run to Holt in the eighth. He struck out four and ended things when catcher Tony Caldwell threw out D'Vortney Richardson trying to advance on a ball in the dirt.

• Along with Sanders, Brian Fletcher hit a home run. That makes 17 in seven games for the Tigers, who head coach John Pawlowski said would have to manufacture runs this season. “Whether it will continue or not remains to be seen, but some balls that are up in the zone, they’re hammering them pretty good,” Pawlowski said. “Big strong kids in small ballparks in college baseball, you never know what can happen.”

• Big day for the top and bottom of the order for the Tigers. Leadoff man Trent Mummey went 3-for-4 with three runs and an RBI, followed by Sanders, who was 2-for-5 with five RBIs. Fletcher and Justin Hargett, the eight and nine hitters, went 2-for-3 with three runs apiece.

• The middle five batters? They were 1-for-15. Yet Auburn still won.

• Starter Jon Luke Jacobs gave up five runs on six hits in five-plus innings, leaving after his 104th pitch, a home run over the batter's eye to Stephen Cardulla. But Jacobs overcame a rough start, giving up two runs in the first inning and another in the third. "I thought he did a good job," Pawlowski said. "The thing is, against a team, Florida State, he did a great job of going out there and giving us a chance. Because it’s easy to fold the tents when you’re down 3-0 and we don’t have much going offensively. But I thought he gave us a chance to win. In my opinion, he got better as the game went on. And that was encouraging."

• Michael Hurst earned the win after facing one batter, but it was an important one. He got Cardulla to line out to third with the bases loaded, ending a sixth inning in which FSU sent 10 batters to the plate.

• Up next: Weather permitting, Auburn and FSU finish their four-game set at Plainsman Park today at 2 EST. Paul Burnside will take the mound for the Tigers.

Jeff Grimes speaks ...

Yesterday was hectic, so I didn't have a chance to post anything about offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, who joined Jay Boulware and Gus Malzahn in speaking with the media.

So here is Part VII of our running feature, Better Know an Auburn Assistant Coach, starring Grimes, who may or may not prefer to be called by Grimey.

On to the bullet points ...

• He and head coach Gene Chizik didn't have much of a relationship prior to joining up at Auburn, though Grimes coached at Colorado while Chizik was at Iowa State in the Big 12.

• Although he coached in the Western part of the country for the last couple years (Colorado, BYU, Arizona State and Boise State), his roots are in Texas, where both he and his wife are from. "I really like being in the South," he said. "I like the people here. I love the idea of being in a smaller town, a college town, and raising my kids and having my family at a place that has similar values to the kind of place I grew up."

• He was struck by how fast Gus Malzahn's offense will work, and this is coming from someone who has worked in some fairly unique, high-powered offenses before. "Being able to operate at a fast pace is something a lot of people don’t want to do," he said. "I have done that at a couple of places I’ve been but not to this extent and not that consistently. That’s the biggest difference."

• From the sounds of it, there will competition for playing time, but Grimes is not going to discount what guys have done here in the past, recognizing the fact that Auburn has four players -- Ryan Pugh, Lee Ziemba, Byron "Lee" Isom and Mike "Big Snacks" Berry -- who have experience, in some cases two years worth.

• On that subject: "I think the way you have to approach it anytime, particularly if you’re a new staff, you have to come in and say guys will have an opportunity to earn something. And that gives a guy maybe who hasn’t had a level of success he’d like to a fresh start. Guys all of a sudden have a renewed mindset because they get a clean slate so to speak.However, I don’t want to discount some of the things that have been done by some guys that have had success. We’ll certainly have a starting point but we’re not going to necessarily line up and say, ‘You guys are No. 1 until you lose the job.’ We’re going to say, ‘You guys have the opportunity to start out here,’ but this guy right here is right behind him and it may vary by day or by series."

• An early starting five? Here's a guess: LT Ziemba, LG Isom, C Pugh, RG Berry, RT Andrew McCain.

• Who else will contend? Jared Cooper, Bart Eddins, A.J. Green. "Some of those guys may be unproven on gamedays but may show us in spring ball that they’re just as deserving as starting as somebody else," Grimes said. "Those guys will have the opportunity to do that."

• Ziemba's not quite at full speed after offseason surgery, "but he's getting close," Grimes said. He'll be ready for spring.

• Auburn is undoubtedly low on numbers on the line, having signed only two offensive line recruits in its last two classes. That's going to rear its head soon. Grimes said he would like to have 15 to 17 linemen on scholarship at all times. He's got 10 right now. "It’s an urgent priority," he said. "Typically, you’re not going to have guys coming in and playing a lot as true freshmen. That’s not the way you’d like for it to be. We’d like for those guys to come in and redshirt and have a year or two and get ready to go. But that’s fixing not to be the situation for us. Most of the guys we have on scholarship are juniors. We’re really heavily stacked in the junior class, which will be great for this year and next year, but not great after that."

• Grimes said Auburn might target some junior college players to bridge the gap from the current junior class to the freshman class. He'd like to sign five or six offensive linemen next year.

• On what he looks for in recruits: "Guys have to, obviously, be big enough. Some people say they recruit guys who are 6-5 or taller, or only recruit guys who can run 'this' in the 40, or bench 'this.' I’m looking for the best guys we can find after that."

• He had a funny take on what it's like to play offensive line: "You’ve got to be a guy willing to put his hard hat on every day and work hard in the weight room and things that aren’t a whole lot of fun. It’s no fun getting out there and pushing the sled and doing all those silly drills that we do all the time. It’s not like going out there as receivers and catching balls and running routes and throwing and doing all that stuff. Think about it, when y’all were kids in the backyard you weren't working on blocking people. You were doing your touchdown dance, and throwing and catching. An offensive lineman has to have the mentality that allows him to go out there and trudge away every day and be OK with that."

• He called incoming freshmen Andre Harris and John Sullen "tweeners," in that they could possibly play both guard and tackle.

• There's a big question out there about how the linemen can stay big enough to play the physical brand of football that Auburn wants, yet be in good enough shape to run 80-plus plays, as Malzahn would prefer. Grimes would like his guys to be somewhere in the 300- to 310-pound range. That wasn't the case last year when they wanted to be lighter on their feet to run Tony Franklin's offense.

• Grimes' recruiting area is southeast Alabama as well as a little bit of Georgia and a little bit of Florida, though he didn't specify where. He likes how so many talented players are in such a condensed area. "One of the challenges of being at a place like Colorado or Arizona State or Boise State, some of those places, you've got a few kids in-state but then everyone else, you're having to travel quite a ways to grab some kids," he said. "Here, we've got so many kids that are in driving distance that can come up for camp in the summer, come up for spring ball and watch practice. I think that certainly helps."

• Grimes plans to work players at different positions in the spring, in order to build some artificial depth. He wants to have the five best players on the field at all times, which might require some shifting if somebody goes down with an injury.

• And finally, that shiner you see under Grimes' right eye in the picture is courtesy of his 130-pound bull mastiff, which, sadly, had to be put to sleep last week. The two bumped heads as Grimes was trying to carry the dog down the stairs.

Men's hoops; Auburn 77, Ole Miss 64

A miracle 3-pointer sparked a second-half surge as Auburn beat Ole Miss by 13 at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Quantez Robertson provided the shot that turned the tide, getting up the court in the final 3.1 seconds of the first half, nearly having the ball knocked loose from his hands, gathering it and sinking a 3-pointer at the horn to get Auburn into the locker room down by only four.

The Tigers (18-10, 7-6 SEC) carried that momentum through the half, scoring the first 11 points coming out of the locker room and going on a 23-5 run that Ole Miss (15-12, 6-7 SEC) couldn't overcome.

Auburn out-scored Ole Miss 41-24 in the second half, avenging the 19-point drubbing the Rebels administered in the teams' first meeting in Oxford on Feb. 4. The Tigers have won five of six since that game.

“This was one team we really wanted to beat,” said guard Tay Waller, who made four 3-pointers and finished with 18 points.

This win was significant for a number of reasons. It puts Auburn in a second-place tie with Mississippi State in the SEC West, with the teams set to play in Starkville on Saturday at 6 p.m. EST.

It's also the first time in head coach Jeff Lebo's five years on the Plains that Auburn has won 18 games in a season.

Some other thoughts ...

• You really can't overstate the importance of Tez's 3-pointer at the buzzer. Lebo said it reminded him a lot of Nets guard Devin Harris' miracle shot that SportsCenter devoted 20 hours of coverage to last week. I'd agree with that assessment, although Tez's doesn't quite compare.

• If that wasn't enough, Waller scored seven points in the first 51 seconds of the second half, getting fouled on a 3 on Auburn's first possession and completing a four-point play. The next time down the floor, he came off a high screen and sank his fourth 3-pointer of the night to put Auburn ahead 43-40.

• Waller is averaging 20.2 points in the last five games, going 21-for-47 from 3-point range.

• Another monster night for Korvotney Barber, who notched his ninth double-double, with 13 points and 13 rebounds. And he faced a big challenge on the glass, too, matching up with Ole Miss' Malcolm White, who grabbed 18 rebounds. After getting out-rebounded 22-10 in the first half, the Tigers held a 23-19 advantage in the second half.

• The Rebels fell apart in the second half. They shot 25 percent, missed 16 of their first 17 shots and finished the game with a season-high 23 turnovers. Worse yet, they were bickering on the floor for parts of the second half. "Making that nice little run we made, some teams don't know how to handle it and some do," Robertson said.

• Memo to Auburn promotions: don't try the white out again. It simply doesn't work in a half-empty arena.

• This win bodes well for Auburn's postseason chances. The Tigers were a sixth seed in the latest NIT-ology projection, last updated on Feb. 23. Not only that, but Ole Miss is shaping up to be one of their direct competitors in what could be a tight field.

• And finally, Auburn legend Vincent "Bo" Jackson, aka the Greatst Video Game Athlete of Our Lifetime (scroll to the bottom), was in attendance. Looking back, I guess he was a pretty good real football player too. I'm sure Bo was good for 10-12 points on the scoreboard, just by sitting courtside.

Jay Boulware speaks ....

Part VI of our ongoing series, Better Know an Auburn Assistant Coach. Tight ends coach and special teams coordinator Jay Boulware.

I'll spare you the preamble and get straight to the bullet points ...

• Boulware followed Gene Chizik to Auburn from Iowa State, but he was in limbo for a few weeks: "That’s the life of a coach," Boulware said. "This is a business first and foremost. What Coach Chizik had to do was take his time and do what’s best for Auburn. He wanted to make sure he took his time and picked each and every coach. I just think he wanted to do it the right way and just to make sure every aspect was addressed and he didn’t leave any stone unturned as he stared looking for a coaching staff."

• On the coaching staff Chizik assembled: "This is the best staff I've ever been on, including when I was a GA at Texas."

• Chizik hired Boulware away from Utah. They met the day of the Super Bowl to talk, hoping to get it done beforehand. Instead, they talked for 10 to 12 hours. "It was the best interview I ever had," Boulware said. "I saw no parts of the Super Bowl. The only thing I saw was (Tony) Dungy and Lovie Smith walking across the field about to shake each other’s hand and the confetti was coming down. I didn’t even know who won. I didn’t even know who won. I just looked for a second to see who was smiling and who was frowning."

• What did they talk about for 12 hours? "Ball, baby. Ball. Every single aspect. When he met me, he told me -- it’s kind of funny, he probably won’t admit this -- he said 'I got three guys I’m looking at, and you’re one of the three, and when we get done here, I’m going to interview the other two guys.’ Well, before I got on the plane, he offered me the job. So, that was pretty good feeling to know that I at least said enough to him that he respected me enough prior to leaving."

• Boulware said despite Chizik's 5-19 record at Iowa State, the Cyclones were making progress. He cited the fact that they had 33 freshmen and sophomores on the two-deep. "Which is unheard of in the Big 12," he said. "I definitely believe we were making progress. I believe we got better. I think if you ask the majority of people, they saw a quicker, faster football team in our second year. We were just really young. Any time you start nine or 10 true freshman, you’re in trouble. You’re in trouble, so you better strap it up. They say you lose two games for every true freshman that you start and we didn’t have 18 games to play."

• Boulware claims Iowa State was a lot closer to winning some games last season than its record indicates (honestly, I know next to nothing about Iowa State football, so I can't really contend his point). He even said the Cyclones could have easily had five wins if certain things had gone their way late in games. "You know, one more in there, which is very doable in the Big 12, and now you’re bowling and now he’s a hero and now you guys aren’t having conversation, and you’re looking at me like ‘OK, I know why you came here. I know why Gene’s here.’ You know, that wouldn’t even be said. Football’s a game of momentum and anytime you get it on your side, there’s no telling what ends up happening. Obviously, if you don’t have it, you’ve got to roll your sleeves up and dig your way out of it, and that’s what that football team did the entire season. They just kept fighting. Even though we weren’t winning games, they were still fighting."

• On Chizik's reaction to losing games last year: "Obviously, he didn't like the fact that we were losing games, so he had to find solutions to it. But he was awesome. He was an awesome guy to work for. He never changed. He stayed true to what he believed in. It's hard to keep guys playing hard when you're losing 10 games in a row. ... He kept those guys playing really hard and I thought he did a phenomenal job."

• Boulware was impressed with Auburn's special teams from last year, despite a shaky season from place-kicker Wes Byrum. The Tigers were at or near the top of the conference rankings in punting, punt return and kick return. "And a lot of people don't realize that, because too often times, the media and maybe even fans, you judge how the special teams were based on what you saw the kicker do."

• More on that subject: "Everybody keeps saying, 'We weren't very good on special teams.' I've heard it over and over and over again. To me, when I hear that, I say, you're wrong. You had a punt returner that took to the house, you had a kickoff return that took two to the house. The only area I felt like was deficient on this football team in that regards was your kickoff coverage unit."

• Boulware sounded excited about incoming freshman Philip Lutzenkirchen, one of Auburn's top recruits: "Phenomenal athlete. Phenomenal athlete. Tremendous hands. We plan on Philip being a big part of what we’re doing next season. I think Philip is exactly what we’re looking for and I look forward to coaching him. I like his attitude. I like his demeanor. I like everything about the kid right now."

• Boulware likes what he sees athletically out of Gabe McKenzie, who returned to tight end from defensive end near the end of last year. How much he'll be used is a matter of how much of the offense McKenzie can "absorb," though. "We'll just have to see where he ends up," Boulware said. "Gosh darn, he's a good-looking young kid, though."

• Tommy Trott, who had surgery to repair his ACL in November, is not going to participate in spring drills. "Tommy’s busting his tail right now trying to get himself healthy to come back," Boulware said. "No one’s more teed off, per se, than he is right now because he wants to be out there and he wants to be a part of it. It’s his senior year coming up and he’s looking to have a big year. I don’t think he’ll be able to participate, but I’m not sure. I’m not sure where he’s at right now. He’s not that far removed from that injury that he had."

• You kicking competitors this season: Morgan Hull and Byrum.

• Your punters: Clinton Durst (yes he's back with the team) and Ryan Shoemaker.

Gus Malzahn speaks ...

Welcome back to the War Eagle Extra. After a slow weekend of blogging, we're back with our ever popular series Better Know an Auburn Assistant Coach.

This installment (Part V I believe) is of offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who sat with us beat hacks for nearly a half an hour today, getting a little more specific into his offense and what we can expect to see next season.

Up front, here are some of the big points before we dig a little deeper:

• The quarterback position is wide open. Everyone's going to get a shot.
• He'd like one quarterback to be THE guy. He's not messing around with a two-quarterback system.
• There is no pecking order going into the spring.
  
• He wants to play fast. Getting 80 plays a game is the goal. That means snapping the ball 12-15 seconds after the ballcarrier gets up from the previous play.
  
• He'll take what the defense gives him, whether that is on the ground or in the air.
  

Now, I came on this beat in September, so I did not get to go through the installation of the Tony Franklin system last offseason, but from what I've heard, a lot of this sounds the same. Although I will say it seems like this was done far less haphazardly, in that Auburn went to great lengths to put together a coaching staff that is all on the same page. You can't say the same for Franklin and Tommy Tuberville's long-time assistants last year.

"Really, it doesn't take very long at all for players," Malzahn said of his desired pacing. "Once they get the communication down and they get going, it's a short period of time.

"Really the coaching is the difference. Coaches are so creatures of habit and are used to doing certain things a certain way. Once the coaches get to thinking quick and all the things that go into making decisions quicker and the communication, but for players, no, it happens extremely quick."

On to the bullet breakdown ...

• Malzahn explained how coaches would coach players more than actual positions in an offense that uses its personnel in lots of different ways. For instance, Jay Boulware will coach tight end Tommy Trott whether he is used in a traditional tight end formation or as an H-back.

• On the quarterback position battle: "It’s going to be wide open. We’re coming into this thing new and everybody’s starting new, and they’re going to have to earn it. ... And early on you will see some equal reps. As soon as possible, and I can’t tell you exactly when that is, but we definitely want to narrow it down. And ideally, you’d like to go into a season with a guy. Now I can’t tell you for sure right now that that will happen, but that is a goal."

• On if he's ever considered a two-quarterback system: "No. With what we do, we’re a quarterback oriented system, and I think that you’ve got to have a guy, and you’ve got to have a guy that’s the leader. So that’s what we’re looking for."

• A mobile quarterback is nice, but not essential. "We don't have to have a 4.4-4.5 guy but we need to have a good operator. You look back at the kid we had last year at Tulsa, Dave Johnson, he ran a five flat. But he was such a great operator to read zone, he could steal you an extra 10,15 yards just through his execution. But we will have to have a quarterback that will make some plays with his feet."

• He liked what he saw out of incoming freshmen Tyrik Rollison and Clint Moseley, who he says are more similar than people think. "Both of them can make plays and both of them are used to winning. I think there is great power in quarterbacks that are used to winning. I mean, you look at both those guys winning championships, that's what they're used to doing. They're both very good leaders and they both have that it factor that quarterbacks have to have; the intangibles to make everybody else on the same page and make everyone at the best that they can be."

• He said it is rare that a freshman can come in and start at quarterback right away, but it is possible. He didn't comment specifically on Auburn's situation, though.

• Chris Todd is back throwing again after offseason shoulder surgery. It's unclear if he'll be able to go full bore during spring.

• On Kodi Burns: "I watched him and the other quarterbacks, of course I'm more familiar with him because I actually coached against him in high school. He's got a great attitude right now. I know he's been working extremely hard, as well as the other quarterbacks have. He's ready to get to spring. It'll be interesting to see."

• On Neil Caudle: "I'm thoroughly familiar with Neil, too. With the fact that when I was at Springdale, we went to Hoover 7-on-7s and Spain Park was there. Mitch Mustain and Neil were kind of buddies, they were in that Elite 11 group. I'm very familiar with him, he's a rhythm quarterback and has a very good arm, I do know that about him. He seems like a super kid. He's that type of kid that has the characteristics you look for in a quarterback, so I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do."

• On Barrett Trotter: "I'm not real familiar with him, but I've heard good things about him. I really really like him as a person. He's got that ability too where he can make a play with his arm and his feet."

• There WILL be a designated Wildcat guy. In the early going, Mario Fannin will be the player most likely to fill that role because he did it last year.

• But Malzahn also liked the prospects of incoming freshman Dontae Aycock, who played quarterback in high school but will be a running back in college. Emory Blake and Travante Stallworth could play the position as well. "With our offense, we like those versatile guys the ability to run the ball, be a receiver and throw the football. All three of those guys can do that. As a play caller, that gives you the flexibility to do a lot of things."

• Junior college athlete Demond Washington will start out at tailback and see what happens.

• The main influence for Malzahn's offense is other high school coaches. He didn't serve as an assistant anywhere for long early on, getting a head coaching job in his second year. "I got different bits and pieces from different people," he said. "Just tried to have very few plays and tried to perfect them. ... For whatever reason people think we have so many different plays, but if you really break us down, we have a few base things and we’re going to try to be the best at those things and then we’ll try to build on those and this gives you the ability to take what they give you."

• On his career path and how being a head coach might have helped him in his current role: "I'm used to taking a team and trying to identify the strengths and weaknesses and trying to make it all fit. I do think in a situation like this that can give me an advantage as far as that goes. The only system I know is the one that I've been doing since I've started, so I don't know any other systems and don't have any other information. I know exactly what I want and I know exactly what I'm looking for. And then having that high school background, I've been on the other end of it. People say I think outside the box, I don't know if that's true, but I know I'm somewhat different than the traditional college coach that may be an offensive coordinator."

• Someone asked a question about needing the head coach to buy into the system as well, a not-so-veiled reference to Houston Nutt at Arkansas, who had a difference of opinion with how he and Malzahn's offense should look. "It starts with all your coaches on the same page," Malzahn said. "When your coaches are on the same page, the players believe it better. I think there's great power in that. I'll tell you right now, our coaches are all on the same page. Coach (Gene) Chizik has done a wonderful job of hiring guys who are not only good coaches, but good people. That's why I'm in coaching, to make a difference in kids. I'm a high school guy that's just been fortunate to coach college. A lot of our coaches are just good solid people."

• He has heard the haters before (Arkansas anyone?), but doens't mind: "Obviously there were doubters. When you’re a high school coach and you go into the SEC, yeah. I’m extremely motivated. It really doesn’t make any difference as far as that goes. I have very high expectations and just really focus on my job at hand, so I don’t really get caught up. But yeah, there were doubters. But that’s OK."

• To reiterate, Malzahn wants to play fast. Eighty plays per game is the goal. "Usually that equated into wins and losses."

• On if his offense is pass-based or run-based: "It goes back to taking what they give you. Last year, we were perceived as a passing team at Tulsa. At times, we were. Against New Mexico we threw for almost 500 yards. The next week, I think we ran for 300. They were playing two safeties. They were playing cover 2. We ran the football. It was common sense. We don't go into a game saying we're going to run it this many times or pass this many times."

• He didn't touch a question about why, after watching tape, he thought last year's offense struggled. Coaches don't like to throw other coaches under the bus.

• The big question is how Auburn plans to get its offensive linemen big enough to play the smashmouth brand of football Chizik wants, yet still able to line up 80 times a game and be physical. "Our offensive line does have to be in great shape," Malzahn said. "They have to get used to playing fast, recovering quickly. We try to get our guys into basketball shape. I don't mean that as a soft word. Our guys are going to recover quickly. They're going to mentally and physically recover. Our offensive line will run more than any offensive line in the country."

• He made sure to emphasize this point, so I will italicize and bold part of it: "I want to make this point too. You hear a lot about no huddle and a lot about 'fast,' but our goal is to play fast. That's who we are. That's what we do. We're not so much a no-huddle, look-to-the-side team. You will see us do that sometimes. That's not really who we are. I like to think we're a little bit different than everyone else."

• How fast? This fast: "With the old rules, when they put the ball down, we're going to snap it within five seconds of when the referee puts the ball down. Boy, I tell you what, these new rules they put in last year, for us, are really good. We'll be extremely fast. As soon as the ball is handed to the referee, I'd say within 12-15 seconds after the guy's getting up, we'll have the ball snapped."

• He's an on-the-field coach, not a press box guy: "I like looking that quarterback in the eye and getting a feel for him. I want to be right there. I don't want to talk through somebody else. I'm used to being on the field."

• Malzahn will recruit Arkansas and Louisiana and be heavily involved with any offensive player, regardless of location.

No tear in Hilliard's knee

Good news for the Auburn women's basketball this afternoon. Reserve forward Chantel Hilliard does not have a tear in her left knee after going down in pain during the second half of the Tigers' win against Georgia.

Honestly, it looked bad when she went to the floor, and didn't appear much better when she was carried off the floor. The exact injury wasn't specified by the training staff, but Hilliard is questionable for Auburn's regular season finale against Arkansas on Sunday at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Hilliard's stats are modest (3.3 ppg in 12.2 mpg) but she has become one of the few viable options off the bench for the Tigers, who are not deep. She scored eight crucial points Sunday against Arkansas, scoring six straight for Auburn as it put the game away late in the second half.

Two other Auburn-related notes today ...

• Thompson wins SEC honor: We don't cover much softball here, but it is worth noting that pitcher Anna Thompson was named SEC Pitcher of the Week. Her stats last week are ridiculous: 3-0, 0 ER, 44 K in 18 2/3 innings. She set the school's single-game record with 18 strikeouts against Middle Tennessee on Feb. 20.

• Oku makes move: The bizarre David Oku saga just got a little bit weirder. Oku has enrolled in classes at Lincoln East High in Nebraska this semester, according to Nebraska.StatePaper.com. (apparently Oku is playing the recruiting process like a Stradivarius). The all-purpose back, who is considering Auburn among a host of schools, used to live in Midwest City, Okla. This is interesting because he recently added Nebraska to the list of schools he is considering. Think the Cornhuskers might be near the top now that he's going to school in Lincoln? I'm not liking Auburn's chances much anymore.

Women's hoops: Auburn 65, Georgia 59

The Tigers did Sunday what they though was impossible four years ago. Their win against Georgia coupled with Vanderbilt's loss at Ole Miss gave the Tigers at least a share of their first SEC regular season title since 1989.

According to the players, head coach Nell Fortner told her current seniors when she was recruiting them four years ago that this was possible. They were skeptical.

“Of course, when you’re freshmen (and) you don’t even get to the WNIT, we’re like, ‘Oh no, coach. We’re not going to do this,’” forward DeWanna Bonner said. “We was like, ‘We (stink). What are you talking about?’”

“That was our vision,” Fortner said. “And we felt like we could do that with that recruiting class. … We’ve worked hard with them for four years, and now we’ve seen it pay off.”

Bonner led the way with 22 points and nine rebounds. Whitney Boddie added eight points, nine assists and six rebounds.

No. 3 Auburn (26-2, 11-2 SEC), which should drop when Monday's polls are released after losing at Vanderbilt on Thursday, can clinch the outright SEC title with a victory next Sunday at home against Arkansas.

A win or a Vanderbilt loss in its regular season finale would give Auburn the No. 1 seed heading into the SEC tournament, which begins March 5 in Little Rock, Ark.

“I don’t want to share it,” Fortner said. “If you have an opportunity to win it, you want to win it.”

Other thoughts from the game ...

• Reserve forward Chantel Hilliard gave Auburn a spark off the bench, scoring eight points, six of which came during a two-minute stretch during which the Tigers took the lead for good. But she went down with a scary knee injury with 2:44 to go. Fortner didn't know how serious it was afterward, but it didn't look good. Hilliard was in serious pain on the court and had to be carried off the court. A season-ending injury wouldn't surprise me.

• That's a blow to Auburn's bench, which was light even before Hilliard's injury. Besides Hilliard, the Tigers got 10 minutes and no points out of their remaining bench players, Reneisha Hobbs and KeKe Carrier. That'll be a concern if Hilliard can't come back.

• Other injury concerns: Trevesha Jackson has lingering knee problems and Hobbs took a hard fall in the second half. Auburn might have to just go with five players the whole game.

• Impressive showing by Georgia's forwards. Angel Robinson had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Porsha Phillips added 13 points off the bench. Teams are trying to muscle up against Auburn. It'll be interesting to see how the Tigers respond. “It’s a physical game and you’ve got to be able to stand up to it and give it back to them,” Fortner said. “It’s just the way it is.”

Men's hoops: LSU 79, Auburn 72

Didn't get to go to this one in Baton Rouge so I followed it online like I imagine most of you did. Not a bad effort by Auburn, but it wasn't enough.

What does this mean big picture? Well, instead of being tied for second place in the SEC West and having the inside track at the No. 2 seed out of the West in the SEC tournament, the Tigers (17-10, 6-6 SEC) are now tied for third with Ole Miss and would be the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament if it were to begin today.

Plus, Auburn missed out on an opportunity to get a marquee win on the road, something severely lacking on its current resume. And yes, that's going to come into play for an NIT bid in the near future (forget the NCAA folks, it ain't happening unless the Tigers win the SEC tournament and get the automatic bid).

Some numbers of note from the LSU game:

• Rasheem Barrett scored one point on 0-for-1 shooting in 15 minutes. Can't win if he has a game like that.

• DeWayne Reed scored 16 points but went 6-for-20 from the field. Can't win if he's that inefficient from the floor.
  

• Korvotney Barber finished with 19 points but only five rebounds. Auburn as a team had 24 rebounds. LSU had 38. Can't get overwhlemed on the boards like that.
  

• And if you want to see the biggest disparity between an NCAA tournament-bound team and an NIT hopeful, it's at the free throw line. LSU was 21-for-22. Auburn was 7-for-13. Ballgame.

• And still, Auburn was close at the end. This team definitely has potential if it can win enough games in the next couple weeks to make the NIT. It's a matter of making it there now. I think if the Tigers get to 20 wins -- and keep in mind they'll be competing for a berth directly against Mississippi State and Ole Miss, two teams still on their schedule -- that they have a good shot of getting in.
  

Baseball: Elon 11, Auburn 6

Auburn's fans got a glimpse of what their bullpen might look like this year. It wasn't pretty.

Tigers relievers gave up 10 runs in the final four innings Saturday at Plainsmen Park, giving up three-run home runs to Elon's Pat Irvine and Justin Hilt.

“The guys understand that against good hitting teams — teams like Elon, teams in the SEC — we’re going to have to make quality pitches,” said John Pawlowski, who suffered his first loss as Auburn’s head coach. “And I thought in certain spots we didn’t.”

The bullpen was expected to be a big question mark for Auburn (1-1) all season. The relievers used Saturday -- all four of them -- didn't provide any answers, giving up eight hits and walking three in 5 1/3 innings.

Some other quick thoughts and notes from the first baseball game I've seen here:

• First of all, what a lovely field. I've got to say I'm impressed. It rivals many minor league stadiums that I've been into. I'm sure when it gets warm (it was cool and in the 50's today), it will be a great place to watch a ballgame.

• Elon (1-1) doesn't seem like a pushover. The Phoenix are the defending champions and the preseason favorites in the Southern Conference, a league Pawlowski knows well after coaching at College of Charleston for nine years.

• Those home runs weren't cheapies. Irvine hit his opposite field over the sloping, diagonal portion of the fence in left-center. Hilt launched a moonshot over the left field wall in the ninth, prompting me to bust out the "Major League" failsafe, "No way. It's too high." It wasn't. He just crushed it.

• Not a great hitting day for Auburn, which finished with only six hits. The Tigers had their opportunities, though, stranding runners at first and third in the first inning and leaving the bases loaded in the eighth after Tony Caldwell popped out to short and Justin Hargett laced a ball that was right at the center fielder.

• CF Trent Mummey was the exception for Auburn, going 3-for-4 with two solo home runs and three RBIs. He got emphatic when rounding third after the first one, trying to get the crowd into the game with Auburn trailing 6-3. Interestingly, he only hit four home runs all of last year.

• The teams play the rubber match of the series today. Paul Burnside, who missed almost all of last season with a broken collarbone, will take the mound for Auburn.

Women's hoops: Vanderbilt 73, Auburn 70

Auburn's first shot at clinching its first SEC title in 20 years didn't go as planned. No. 18 Vanderbilt handled the No. 3 Tigers in Nashville on Thursday, building a 16-point halftime lead and holding on after Auburn rallied in the second half to pull as close as one in the final minute.

Sherell Hobbs scored a team-high 19 points in the loss. Alli Smalley added 15.

DeWanna Bonner, who went over the 2,000-point mark for her career, scored 13 points, her lowest point total in SEC play. She is the third Auburn player to reach the plateau, joining Becky Jackson (2,068) and Vickie Orr (2,0350.

That pulls the Commodores (21-6, 10-2 SEC) even with the Tigers (25-2, 10-2) in the conference with two regular season games to play.

Auburn has home games remaining against Georgia, a team it's already lost to, and Arkansas. Vanderbilt has road games against Mississippi and Tennessee.

More importantly, the Tigers no longer control their own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament, since Vanderbilt holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Auburn men crack latest NIT projection

As I mentioned in a previous post, I like to frequent a site called NIT-ology, a bracket projection for the second-tiered tournament most teams are bummed to make at the end of the season.

Auburn, I'm sure, would be thrilled to make the field. In the latest projection, done Tuesday, the site has the Tigers as a No. 7 seed.

It's still early and it's still just a projection (despite the Web site's minimalist design, it's still incredibly accurate), but that puts Auburn in good shape, especially if it can get at least one victory in either of its two remaining matchups with LSU, the only ranked team in the SEC.

Auburn has not qualified for the postseason in any of coach Jeff Lebo's first four seasons.

"It's too early to talk about it," Lebo said. "I think they know about the importance of it. It's still not there yet, I think, to talk about it too much right now. Our focus right now, with our staff and with our team is just staying the course and that big old cliche, one game at a time. That's what you've got to do. You can control a little bit here. We can't control who picks them in the end. This is how we can control it -- by each game."

Men's hoops: Auburn 71, Georgia 59

Break out the Tigers! That's four straight wins for Auburn (17-9, 6-5 SEC), which went on a 22-0 run to put the Bulldogs in an enormous hole in the first half.

It's the first time in head coach Jeff Lebo's Auburn tenure that the team has won four straight SEC games. It's the first time since starting out the 2002-03 SEC season 4-0 that the Tigers have accomplished the feat.

The last time Auburn won five SEC games in a row? Try 1989.

The closer Auburn gets to 20 wins, the less likely it's going to be that it misses the postseason. The Tigers certainly have to be in the mix for the NIT at this point, being over .500 in the SEC this late in the season for the first time since 2003.

I wasn't at the game (dang budget cuts), but here are some highlights:

• Tay Waller scored 20 points. Korvotney Barber had 11 points and matched a career-high with 18 points.

• Auburn led 38-9 at one point. That normally does a team in. But Georgia got within six at one point in the second half, so the Tigers had to put in some effort down the stretch to win it.

• The Tigers shot 45.5 percent (25-for-55) from the field and 33.3 percent (7-for-21) from 3-point range.

• The 12-point win was Auburn's largest in Athens since 1977.

• The win guarantees Auburn a winning record for the second time in three years. It equals the most wins the Tigers have had in a season under Lebo, matching the 2006-07 team.

• Up next: SEC West-leading LSU (22-4, 10-1 SEC), which rallied from a big deficit to beat Arkansas on the road Wednesday. This is an opportunity for the Tigers to get the resume-building win they so desperately need.

Busy days ahead at Auburn

The winter sports schedule is starting to pick up here (hard to imagine calling it winter when it's 70 degrees out) with a busy few days to end the week. Here's a glance at what's going on in a couple different sports:

MEN'S BASKETBALL

It's another important week for Jeff Lebo's crew (isn't it always). Tonight, the Tigers play at Georgia. Unfortunately I will not be there, but I'll be following along online. Auburn pulled off a perfect three-game homestand to pull even in the SEC at 5-5. A win against the last-place Bulldogs would give them a four-game conference winning streak for the first time in the Lebo era. That's quite an accomplishment. A postseason berth is not out of the question. Not the NCAAs. As I mentioned in today's story, the Tigers' RPI is 92. The lowest RPI of an at-large team to ever make the NCAA tournament was 74, by New Mexico in 1999. Now, the NIT is an increasing possibility. There's a pretty good Web site, NIT-ology, that does projections just like ESPN's Bracketology. Auburn is on the cusp of making the field, and that prediction was done before the team's victories against Arkansas and Mississippi State. It's something to keep an eye on.

SWIMMING AND DIVING

The SEC championships get underway today in Auburn. The Tigers men have won 12 straight conference titles. The women have won five in the last six years. That's some dominance right there people. I found it interesting that Auburn is having its teams stay at a hotel, just to get in a competition frame of mind. I spoke with Auburn's coaches yesterday and women's co-head coach Dorsey Tierney-Walker talked a little bit about the athletes going through the season without coach Richard Quick, who has taken a leave since being diagnosed with an inoperative cancerous brain tumor: "I think they are experiencing certain life experiences during their time here that has really matured them as young women more than anything. It's been more on how they've approached the situation. We talk about it. It's not something that is sort of put in the corner and nobody talks about but everybody's thinking about it. It's a daily part of life. If anything, I thinks it's sort of enabled them to appreciate the process on a daily basis.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

The No. 3-ranked Tigers (25-1, 10-1 SEC) have a shot to clinch a share of the conference title tomorrow night at No. 18 Vanderbilt. (Auburn would have a two-game lead on Vanderbilt with two to play, which would clinch the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament for sure, although I don't think tiebreakers are used to determine conference champions). Winning at Vandy is no easy task. The Commodores have that bizarre raised floor. Benches are on the baseline, so it's tough for coaches to communicate. And the current coaching staff is 0-6 all-time against Vanderbilt. This might be Auburn's toughest test of the season.

BASEBALL

The season gets underway Friday at home against Elon. It's a three-game series. The Tigers didn't get good news when catcher Ryan Jenkins fractured his hand and required surgery. His timeline for being out isn't known, but head coach John Pawlowski made it sound like it'll be at least a month. Auburn was picked to finish fifth in the SEC West by both SEBaseball.com and the conference coaches. The Tigers have some talent -- 1B Hunter Morris was a first-team pick and IF Brian Fletcher and OF Joseph Sanders made the second team -- but they're all hitters. Pitching is probably going to be the big question mark.

FOOTBALL

Can you believe this is the last thing on the list? There's not much going on publicly on campus here, but three players -- DT Sen'Derrick Marks, CB Jerraud Powers and OG Tyronne Green -- are expected to be at the NFL combine in Indianapolis this week. The workouts don't get going until Saturday, so I'm not sure how much news will be coming out of there. I'll be scouring the wire looking for updates, though. This seems like a pretty good place to start.

A picture tour of the new basketball arena

Because yesterday was such a football-heavy day here on the War Eagle Extra, I didn't get a chance to detail our tour of Auburn's budding $92-million dollar basketball arena that is being built across the street from both Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum and Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The still-unnamed arena is ahead of schedule, but it still won't be ready for Auburn until July 7, 2010, so basketball fans have another year of having to endure BEMC for another season before moving into what is expected to be the cozy confines of the 9,600-seat arena, which is 900 seats fewer than the Tigers' current arena.

Here are a bunch of pictures I took during the tour with a description under each:

Here's the exterior. This if facing north from in front of Beard-Eaves. If you'd scroll to the right, you'd see Jordan-Hare Stadium.

We in the media just put our hard hats on and go to work every day. It felt like we were part of a Paul Rhoads defense, if only for an afternoon.

Our fearless tour guide Randy Byars, Auburn's director of athletics facilities planning, an excellent source of information.

This is entering the Southwest corner of the arena. The scaffolding on the right is approximately where Auburn will have its locker rooms.

This is the first of many shots of the giant crane in the center of the arena. In about a week, the first pieces of the roof will arrive and this crane, along with several on the outside will begin putting it in place. Byars said the plan is for the roof to be dried in by the first part of summer.

This is the South end of the arena, where the giant crane in the previous photo will be taken out once the roof is in. This is the lower bowl, which will have approximately 1,500 student seats.

Looking East, you can see Jordan-Hare Stadium in the background. In the middle, workers are busy fastening the seating planks, which Byars said should nearly be complete by next week. Below the concrete wall at the bottom of the screen will be a 450-seat section called the Courtside Club, which will be the fanciest seats in the place, with access to a large lounge area that is underneath the concourse. The other three sides of the lower bowl -- South, West and North -- will be student bleacher seating.

A look down one of the unfinished concourses, where concession stands will be. The arena will have its own kitchen, so Auburn plans to expand its menu past your usual hot dog-hamburger-pizza combination.

The dining area of the new arena on the North end. You can see some of the student housing in the background that wraps around to the West side. Those units are expected to be done by next year.

Another shot of the crane looking Southeast. You can tell where they left an opening to get this beast out of the arena. Just behind the crane is where the media room will be, which I'm sure is at the top of the list of what everyone cares about.

Byars liked to point out that, unlike BEMC, you can see the court from the concourse area. This means you'll be able to get concessions and not be so far removed from the game that you don't know what's going on on the court.

A view of the monstrosity that is Beard-Eaves from the upper level of the new arena. Byars said it is up in the air, but the building is most likely destined for demolition sometime in the next five years. The student housing in the area will be completed next year and the new arena the year after that, so it's got to wait it's turn. What's going in its place? There are a couple proposals out there. It could be open space, with some outside fields and courts. Byars said there is a possibility of building a parking deck for the parking-starved campus with a recreational-type area on top. Nothing is official yet, though.

Jordan-Hare once again. The new arena looks it will have a big set of windows on the East side of the building, so Auburn fans will never be able to get football out of their minds, as if that was a problem to begin with.

Looking North from the upper level. A few things here. First, the concrete portion of the arena is nearly done, so the crew is planning to throw a little concrete-finishing party next week to celebrate. There are 1,700 seats in the upper level. Because of the configuration and overhang, these seats are actually closer to the surface of the floor than the back of the lower bowl. What's interesting is that the roof of the building will not be much higher than the steel beams sticking up from the concrete. Like I said, this place is very compact and, Auburn hopes, noisy. The ceiling is so low that the Tigers are going to have to find a new solution for the banners hanging in the old arena. There simply isn't enough room to keep them in the new place.

Another look South. Again, this place is not very big. "This place is not built for concerts," Byars said. "This thing is built for basketball, and everything will be focused on that."

A blue print, possibly Gene Chizik's.

These next few shots are some artist's renderings of the arena. The upper left picture in this shows Tiger stripes across the seats. That's not happening. The sections will have either blue or orange seats. Not striped ones, although that would have been cool.



And we'll end it with an artistic picture.

Fin.

Baseball: Jenkins to undergo surgery on right hand

With its season opener just days away, Auburn baseball already received some bad news. Catcher Ryan Jenkins will undergo surgery Tuesday to insert a pin in his fractured right hand. The senior suffered the injury during a scrimmage on Saturday.

"Losing Ryan for the first month of the season is tough but we have capable players behind him in Tony Caldwell and Caleb Brown," first-year Auburn coach John Pawlowski said. "Ryan had a great fall and had carried that over into the preseason. We will miss his leadership on the field but that gives others the opportunity to step up."

A strong defensive player, Jenkins batted .319 his sophomore year but just .233 last season with 18 RBIs in 38 games.

Auburn opens its season Friday against Elon at Plainsmen Park. Game time is 4 p.m. EST.

He's the Chiz ... and nobody beats him! Nobody!

Now that the coaching staff is complete, we had a chat with Auburn head coach Gene Chizik this afternoon, who I think should start doing some local commercials like this if he wants to pick up some extra income.

What's new? Well, a couple things. He's been busy on the administrative side of things, adding a couple of people to his staff.

Scott Fountain, formerly the Iowa State tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, will have an as-yet undefined administrative role. Fountain was a four-year letterman on offensive line for Terry Bowden at Samford. He coached in the Alabama high school ranks before moving to the college level, beginning at Florida State.

He coached with Chizik first at Central Florida in 1998 and for Iowa State the last two years.

"We'll work out later all the details of what everybody's jobs are," Chizik said. "But (I'm) really excited to have him back here."

Chizik is also adding former Auburn defensive lineman Ben Thomas in an administrative role. Thomas finished his career with the Tigers in 1985 before beginning a five-year run in the NFL.

"We just know that he was a great player here and spent a lot of time here and we just want him to be back to be a part of our football program," Chizik said. "That's the direction we're headed with that."

Spring football begins March 24. That's 36 days away. What's up in the interim?

"Well, really just a lot of getting on the same page," Chizik said. "There's just so much going on. A lot of moving parts right now. You're trying to install your offense and your defense with your coaches first. Obviously, we'll go to the players next and install it with them. ...

"We've got a lot of work to do, but mainly for us as coaches right now, it's getting on the same page when it comes to football and then getting on the same page when it comes to recruiting and dividing everybody's areas up and who's got what, and let's not let that … we've got to be mindful of that as we continue on recruiting-wise, so we've got a lot of stuff on our plate."

Here's what else he had to say:

• No news yet of how he plans to split the duties in the secondary between Phillip Lolley and Tommy Thigpen. One will coach safeties and one secondary, though. Chizik says it will come down to the "best fit."

• Chizik's followed Thigpen for a while, going back to his time as a graduate assistant at Clemson in 1988. Thigpen was a linebacker, and a good one, for North Carolina at the time.

• He said putting together a staff at Iowa State just two years ago helped him "structurally and methodically" when putting together this staff. But more interestingly, he said this: "You don't really get to do this usually not more than once or twice. For me, this will be my last go-around at doing it." Auburn fans have got to like that. No wandering eyes with this coach.

• Asked how much of an affect James Willis' defection to Alabama had on how he split up coaching duties on his staff, Chizik didn't mince words: "Uhh, none." A small tumbleweed then blew across the open space in the Rane Room to break the awkward silence. I sense some bitter feelings there.

• Chizik, like Curtis Luper, thinks the team is still playing catch-up on the recruiting front for 2010: "We'll be catching up probably for a little bit more time. But we'll be caught up shortly," he said.

• On loading up seven guys to recruit Alabama: "We just want to make sure that -- this state has great football -- we don't want to miss one of them. We want to be in the game with every one of them that we need to be in the game with. And we don't want guys to be spread too thin. We don't want to send guys all the way out over here when we've got one in our own backyard. I think we just got to be really thorough. You got to have a starting point and a home base and this state will be it. And then after that, we'll move outside the state. We got to make sure we capture what we need to capture in this state."

• Admittedly, Chizik has said he hasn't been able to watch as much tape as he'd like. And he claims to love watching tape when he has time. (Remember, he's not a multi-tasker.) "I'm at the point in the process that there's so many administrative issues that I'm handling, and won't be able to really delve into those type of things for a little bit longer, and then I'll be able to jump into it full bore," he said. "But there's too many other things going on right now, but if I had my wishes, I'd have already watched the season three or four times, but I haven't had the chance to do that yet. It'll get to that point."

• Finally, he outlined two major needs in next year's recruiting class: offfensive line and linebackers. Both areas were light this year, with Auburn grabbing two linemen and three linebackers.

• On offensive linemen: "I think there's got to be a major emphasis on offensive linemen. I think that's a no-brainer. That's kind of where we'll start. We need upgrades everywhere but that's glaring. If you want to say is there one position now and it's offensive line. And you'd like to start with tackles, Those are the hardest ones to find. That's where we'd like to start."
• On linebackers: "I think that's the other glaring thing that's out there for us. From the naked eye, that's probably the first thing you'd see."

Tracy Rocker speaks ...

Let's keep this train a-rollin'. Defensive end Tracy Rocker is Part IV of our (hopefully) nine-part series, Better Know an Auburn Assistant Coach.

We're not wasting any time. Here are his thoughts:

• On being back at the school where he starred: "The thing is familiar faces here and the thing is that's probably most unique is that it's still a pretty place. The thing that attracted me to come to school here and now of a sudden ... looking forward now to come here coaching. You dream to play here college football but I didn't dream that it would turn into now you're coaching at your alma mater. Got a challenge ahead and now I'm looking forward to it."

• He'll coach the entire defensive line, whereas the old staff split the coaching duties among tackles and ends. Rocker's thoughts: "Everywhere I've been I've had the whole front and I just prefer the challenge to be on me. If it goes wrong, blame me, if not, I have to look over at someone else and wonder what happened. I just prefer it that way and I think it brings more camaraderie in the room. Everyone skins a cat differently. My way isn't always the right way, but that's what I prefer."

• Rocker had a head start evaluating the returning talent because he watched Auburn all year long. "Throughout my coaching career, there are certain teams you turn on to watch film, teams that get after people and play hard and have some great tradition on defense has always been Auburn. You turn on LSU, you turn on Alabama. We may be playing South Carolina that week, but I'm gonna watch some Auburn film. I'm gonna find out because that's the curiosity of watching big-time defenses."

• On DE Antonio Coleman coming back: "No. 1 it brings leadership to us defensively. When you walk into a program, you always try to find out who your leaders are, so I feel like he is going to be a leader for us defensively. The thing is, I'd like to see him make it through the whole year. That would be the No.1 goal, see if we can get him through the whole year. And playing at a high level from day one, I think he has a lot of energy, he plays hard and just watching him on film, you don't question that. It's just a matter now if he can make it down to Amen's Corner."

• He was very excited about his returning players but wondered about depth. As of now, that's his biggest concern. He didn't sound too encouraged that a freshman could step in and play right away. "You hope someone could come in and step up and play, but we all know when a young man walks in here, he's going to stare at that big, pretty stadium for about 10 days, and he's going to realize he's finally at Auburn. So we're going to have to go through that phase. Once he gets over that phase, he'll be OK. We'll see what happy."

• Some quick hitters on the incoming freshmen on the defensive line:

• Nick Fairley: "I saw Nick in high school. He was a no-brainer. Everyone knows the guy is special. He can definitely be special. He can help. But it goes back to can he handle it. It's a transition"
• Jamar Travis: "I think he has great upside. The guy is strong. He's very competitive. ... I think he has great upside early and hopefully in the future."
• Josh Jackson: "He has what I call his twitch. He has that initial twitch off the ball, and he comes from a good high school program."
• Terrence Coleman: "He's very strong for his size. I think he brings something to the table. And the thing is, a guy who you hope can help us early, but you never know."
• Nosa Eguae: "Ohhhh. Hey, that's the sleeper. I think he has great upside. I think he brings definitely a maturity. He doesn't act like the average freshman. School is very important to him. Very smart. I think he brings something a little bit more to the table as this thing goes on and as he gets older here, I think, God willing, he's going to be special."
• Dee Ford: "I think Dee Ford can play either end or outside linebacker, defensive end. I just think with a year of getting strong and learning how this thing works around here, I think he has a great future here."

• Some more on depth and an ideal rotation up front: "If you want a guy to lay it on the line every down — that's the No. 1 goal you would like to have a true eight, and have at max, 10. ... As one wears down, usually one guys peaks early and they wear down as the season goes on, and all of a sudden it's that No. 9 or tenth guy, he got a clue to what's going on, he steps in."

• Rocker has some interesting things to say about what kind of player he looks for on the defensive line. Talent is obvious, but not always No. 1. He's a big fan of how bad a guy wants to play the game (some would call it will, others, want-to). "A lot of times, it’s does he really want to play? Because football’s really hard. And two, can he play hurt. And three, what’s he trying to do? Is he just trying to say ‘I came here and went to Auburn?’ Or is he trying to be special and make Auburn special? So those are things you’re trying to look for"

• He thinks very highly of defensive linemen in general (a given, considering his history). Check out this quote: "It’s not easy to play defensive line. It’s a premium position. It’s probably the toughest position on the field and I just think sometime kids have a misconception about that position. It’s a tough position. It’s a man’s man game down there. And it’s probably one of the most demanding positions. Look at the pros now, that’s the first position. I don’t care about that quarterback, but that’s where they’re going to look to say, ‘We need people to stop folks.’ And they always go to defensive linemen."

• You want to be in Rocker's good graces on the football field? You'd better be physical and go 100 percent on every play. "A lot of them have physical abilities. I tell you one thing, there’s no excuse for effort. You can have all the tools in the world, but if you aren’t going to put forth effort, it doesn’t interest us. It’s about effort. It’s about effort here. It’s about playing hard and laying it down. That’s what this school is built on. Auburn has always been tough, because it’s Auburn. I don’t see it no other way. And that’s the way we want, not just defensive lineman, but I think every position on this field to be the same way, that we are Auburn and we’ve got something to stand for. We play with effort. Win or lose, there’s one thing you’re not going to question, and that’s effort. And that’s the goal."
  

• He deftly side-stepped a questions about James Willis leaving for Alabama: "For one, it’s surprising. And two, it’s business. I have no clue and I’m not even trying to understand it. I’m fine. There’s some things you can’t consume yourself with. I wish him good luck, but nah, I’m not consumed with that."

• And finally, his impressions of head coach Gene Chizik: "The thing I enjoy about him, is there’s no gray area here. It’s cut and dry. I think, one, it helps us as a staff and, two, it helps the players know where we all stand. It’s not that we’re floating and blowing out here in the wind, we’re standing for something. And that’s what I enjoy about him. It’s cut and dry, there’s no gray area and it’s about the players and making sure when you step out of these doors that you prepared yourself for the real world. It’s going good on that aspect. And hey, he lets my little boy run about the building, so I don’t have no complaints."

Curtis Luper speaks ...

And the media listens intently in Part III of our fireside chats with Auburn's assistant coaches.

We did Trooper Taylor and Ted Roof last week. Today was running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Curtis Luper, who was cool enough to pull off wearing orange sunglasses indoors during the interview.

Here's the rundown of what he said:

• Why did he come to Auburn? Two words: Gene. Chizik. "That's 80 percent of the reason I'm here. The other 20 percent is just that Auburn is Auburn.Coach Chizik was my mentor. I tell everybody that he called me back for the last 15 years every time I called him. Even the '04 season and the '05 season when he was undefeated, irrespective of how busy he was, he would give me a call. He was instrumental and me getting every job that I got since we left. I guess we left Stephen F. Austin after the 1997 season. Every job since I got from there, since then he called and recommended me. As he progressed in his career, his calls carried a little more oomph behind them. We always stayed in touch.I knew that is was inevitable that I would be able to come back and work with him at some time. I never knew when and where, obviously. So when this job came open and he got it, I was waiting on the call needless to say."

• On the new staff's recruiting reputation and how that's beneficial: "I think the most important thing is we have people we can bounce ideas off."

• Luper thinks Auburn is behind in its 2010 recruiting, just for the fact that it was busy trying to put together a solid 2009 class before concentrating on next year. They tentatively have outlined recruiting areas.

• Auburn Junior Day is March 7. "It's very important because there will be some that come on Junior Day that that will be their only exposure to Auburn," Luper said. "We have to make sure we roll out the orange carpet."

• On the difficulties of recruiting that first year: "A lot of times it's not a perfect science that first year and ultimately you end up with getting the best players that you can get. We don't want to salvage a class. That's an overused expression. 'I always want to salvage a class.' We wanted to have an impact class and we think and we think we did that, especially in certain areas for sure."

• Luper, a former Oklahoma State coach like Taylor, watched Gus Malzahn's offense operate just 60 miles away at Tulsa. He was impressed. "His system calls for a lot of versatility. Guys are multiple, move them around. Really, guys that can catch the ball, guys that can throw the ball, guys that can play quarterback. The most multiple players give him the opportunity to really move them around and keep defenses off balance."

• Luper liked the toughness of Auburn's returning backs, Ben Tate, Mario Fannin and Eric Smith: "They're tough, physical runners which is what you need in this conference. The defenses, here, dominate this conference. Very seldom does one guy carry the load in this conference. I guess maybe Knowshon Moreno last year is one that I can think of. He alone had 250 carries and 1,400 yards or whatever he had.So we're going to use multiple backs, but those two in particular are tough, downhill runners, deceptive speed. You'll see them this spring. They'll be better than they were last year."

• Of the incoming backs, Luper liked Onterio McCalebb's speed, Dontae Aycock's versatility and ability to make a defender miss and Brandon Jacobs' size and strength (in fact, he compared him to former Auburn and current New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs). He also said Demond Washington will likely begin as a running back becuse he is "explosive."

• Does Luper have a five-year plan like Taylor? Not exactly. "For me, personally? I really only look for the next year. That's not trying to be cliche-ish or anything. It may sound really simple, but my focus is squarely on this season. Actually, this spring. That's it. My focus is on this spring and what we can do with our team. All the other stuff will handle itself."

• Luper said he never thought about the recruiting coordinator title he was given by Chizik, saying that all it means is Auburn needs "the No. 1 recruiting class in the country."

• This part was definitely interesting: Chizik has repeatedly said recruiting rankings don't mean bubkus. Luper has a different opinion when asked if they are important? "Oh yeah. If they're keeping the score, you want to win, right? I think they keep score on those things. Now, you can't get caught, four-star, five-star, you still have to evaluate if he fits into your system. If he's a three-star and you think he's the best offensive tackle in the country, then you take him. A lot of people get caught up in, 'He signed so many four-stars, or so many five-stars.' You still have to do a thorough evaluation process."

• Here is the plan of attack in recruiting areas (remember, this is tentative):

• The staff will split Alabama into seven areas -- two down south, one in Montomgery, two up north, one in Birmingham and one that is Lee County/Columbus/LaGrange (I guess West Georgia will count as Alabama).
• No decisions have been made about who will recruit what area.
• Five coaches will recruit Georgia.
• Four will recruit Florida.
• Luper will take Texas, Oklahoma and out West.
• Somebody else will have the East Coast.

• Don't expect Texas and Oklahoma to be pipeline states anytime soon. "There might be 10 athletes from that way that we'll recruit a year. We have a definite connection there. ... But we won't recruit Texas like we did at Oklahoma State, where there were six of us in that state -- nah. We'll do Alabama."

• Seven in Alabama? That seems like a lot. But here's his defense. "Well, you know I'm a military man, right? Did you know that? One of the basic elements of the military is that you protect your border. So we got to protect our border. We're going to start right here in this state. There'll be seven of us, and actually there'll be eight, because Coach Chizik will be the eighth."

Sullivan named SEC Freshman of the Week

This was just announced this morning by the SEC:

Auburn’s Frankie Sullivan was named SEC Freshman of the Week after he averaged 10.0 points and 3.0 assists in wins over Arkansas and Mississippi State.

The rookie guard had an SEC-high 14 points in 27 minutes off the bench in Auburn’s win over Mississippi State. He totaled six points, four assists and a steal in only 18 minutes against Arkansas. His insertion into the game helped the Tigers turn a 10-point second half deficit into a comfortable come-from-behind victory.

"I am very appreciative of winning this honor," Sullivan said. "It was one of my goals to be named SEC Freshman of the Week and also to be named SEC Freshman of the Year. I like the way our team is playing, and I like the way Coach is playing me. Our team is playing the way we have been practicing.*

This season, Sullivan is averaging 6.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

"Frankie plays with confidence," said Auburn head coach Jeff
Lebo. "I don't have any problem putting him in any game situations for a freshman. He's been a big lift for our team -- gives us depth in the backcourt. Typically this is a time of year where you'll see freshmen hit a wall a little bit, but he seems to be getting stronger at this point in the season."

Lolley, Thigpen round out coaching staff

Auburn's coaching staff is complete. Gene Chizik finalized his staff Sunday, announcing that Phillip Lolley and Tommy Thigpen will split duties in the secondary.

Lolley, 55, has been at Auburn since 1999, when he began as the strength and conditioning coach. He coached the Tigers' secondary in 2002-03, back when Chizik was defensive coordinator. He's been the team's Director of of NFL Relations the last five years.

He spent 22 years prior to that as a high school football coach in Alabama, serving three schools -- Warrior Academy in Eutaw, Stevenson High and North Jackson High.

“I coached side-by-side with Phillip when I was defensive coordinator at Auburn and it was very evident that he’s a great coach,” Chizik said in a release from the school. “He’s been successful at every level and he will also be a valuable asset because of his strong relationships with high school programs and coaches in the state of Alabama.”

Thigpen, 38, has spent the last four seasons with North Carolina, where he coached linebackers. He was named one of the nation's top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com in 2007.

He's had coaching stints at Tennessee State (2000), Bowling Green (2001-02) and Illinois (2003-04).

“Tommy has had a tremendous amount of success at every stop he’s made as an assistant coach,” Chizik said. “I’ve been well aware of him since his days as a standout player at North Carolina and have followed his professional career very closely. I’m extremely pleased to be adding someone with his professionalism and coaching expertise to this staff.”

A three-time all-ACC linebacker at North Carolina from 1989-92, Thigpen played professionally for the New York Giants in 1993-94 and the Barcelona Dragons in 1995-96. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at North Carolina in 1998.

Also, Auburn announced defensive coordinator Ted Roof will coach linebackers.

Men's hoops: Auburn 91, Mississippi State 76

In the time it took you to read this sentence, Tay Waller hit another 3-pointer.

Waller had a career night Saturday at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum, making eight 3-pointers and scoring a career-high 32 points.

That's three straight wins for Auburn, the second time Jeff Lebo has won three straight conference games in five years on the Plains. It's the latest in the season that the Tigers (16-9, 5-5 SEC) are at .500 in the conference since 2003.

“It looks like we’re playing with a little bit of confidence right now,” Lebo said. “We can’t let it go if we lose a game. We can’t be fragile with that. It used to be that if you lost four or five, you became fragile. Now, if you lose one game, you’re fragile. We can’t get too excited and we can’t get too down if we lose a game.”

As I mentioned in my story tomorrow, this kind of game from Waller was commonplace at Okaloosa-Walton College in Florida last year.

“Yeah, but it was in juco,” Lebo said, offering an analogy. “I scored a lot in high school. It’s just different.”

Waller's previous career-high was 22, set against Mercer and Alabama. He had struggled recently, going 8 for his last 39 from long range before busting out Saturday.

“It felt really good to do it here for the first time,” Waller said. “The coaches knew I could do it, so I’m glad they stuck with me and believed in me.”

Some quick thoughts ...

• Waller was unbelievable. He made his first five 3-pointers, helping Auburn build a 17-point first-half lead. He hit them from all angles. “He’s got an ability to do that,” Lebo said. “That’s why I give him a little more leeway there because that’s what he does. My college coach,” he added, referring to Dean Smith, “he wouldn’t play for him.”

• Auburn went 24-for-32 from the line, not bad for the worst free throw shooting team in the SEC. Korvotney Barber, one of the worst offenders, was 7-for-8.

• Frankie Sullivan came up big off the bench, scoring 14 points, eight of which came on a key 18-4 second-half run. He played some outstanding defense too.

• Mississippi State likes its 3's. The Bulldogs took 35 of them. Made 10, which wasn't nearly enough. But they've got a good style of play, with one big man (Jarvis Varnado) and four guards. I can see why this team gives so many opponents trouble.

• So what now for Auburn? Well, this team has a good chance of finishing .500 in the SEC, a big accomplishment for this group. The Tigers travel next to Georgia, which just got finished upsetting Florida. With two more home games and a road game at Alabama, getting to eight or nine conference wins is conceivable.

Kiffin can't keep out of his own way

We take a break from our regularly scheduled Auburn blogging to bring you the latest from Lane Kiffin, whose brief Tennessee tenure is turning into possibly the greatest bit of unintentional comedy the SEC has seen in a while.

Remember when Kiffin accused Urban Meyer of a recruiting violation that wasn't? Well, he might want to read up on the rules himself, because the 33-year-old coach recently committed his third minor recruiting violation since taking the Volunteers job Nov. 30, according to The Tennessean.

An excerpt:

During the radio interview, Kiffin was asked a general question about being concerned that some highly-touted recruits are waiting until after Signing Day to sign with a school. Kiffin was also reminded by the host, Dave Hooker, that coaches are not allowed to talk about specific players that UT is currently still recruiting, but Kiffin still named Brown.

“I really don’t like the direction it’s going,” Kiffin said on the show. “Once very talented players do things, it becomes the cool thing to do, and then the next guy does it. And more and more guys do it. I think what’s going to happen is you’re going to see, you know, great players like Bryce Brown are doing it now.”

This story comes right after Kiffin was featured in Sports Illustrated this week (on a side note, he played quarterback at Bloomington [Minn.] Jefferson High, archrival of my alma mater, six-time football state champion Eden Prairie). In the story, Kiffin relates a story of having to wait 25 minutes for a driver to pick him up at the airport. He claims to have fired the person in charge of setting up the pick-up.

Not so, according to Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton, who had this to say in a response to GoVolsXtra.com:

"He has not fired anybody," UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said Thursday afternoon. "If he said he has fired somebody, that's not true. I don't know if he said it from a standpoint of making a point that 'We've got to get this right.' But he didn't fire anybody.

"You can't just fire anybody at Tennessee, particularly when you're talking about non-contract employees. There's a process."

Tennessee did try to play spin control in the story:

Tiffany Carpenter, UT's director of public relations, said Kiffin had a change of heart about the firing.

"The (Sports Illustrated) interview happened the day of the incident," Carpenter said. "At that time, (Kiffin) wanted to fire that individual but after further thought and discussions decided that was not in the best interest of Tennessee."

I don't know if I necessarily believe that, but I do know that I am going to enjoy the stories that come out of Kiffin era, that's for sure.

Ted Roof speaks ...

We beat writers got to sit down with defensive coordinator Ted Roof as well this afternoon.

Here's what he had to say:

• Like head coach Gene Chizik, Roof's not giving any timetable on filling out the coaching staff, which, presumably, will include two more defensive assistants. "It's more important to get it right than getting it done for the sake of getting it done," he said. "I have every confidence. (Chizik's) in the process of doing that. When it's right, it'll get finished. You want it to happen sooner rather than later. Any time you bring a new staff together, getting everybody on the same page as far as a schematics, playbook, ways of doing things … It'll happen when it's supposed to happen, when it's right."

• Roof met with every Auburn defensive player in the first 72 hours after arriving in town, an admirable thing to do, considering it was during the height of recruiting season. "I wanted to make sure that we got off to a great start knowing our players," he said. "You don't get to know them, but it's a start. Now that we're back off the road, one of the major emphases is spending time with our players and getting to know our players and finding out what's here."

• The Georgia native certainly doesn't miss the snow in Minnesota. Also, he's got not just a good, but a great deal for anyone looking to buy a house up there.

• He doesn't sound like he's bound to a specific defensive front: "We use (4-3) some. We're pretty multiple in what we do. You have to have a system that's adaptable to different types of people -- especially if you're coming into a new situation. It's one thing if you've been at a place several years and you recruit to a specific system. It's another thing when you come in, you're new and you have a system that's broad enough and diverse enough to handle whatever personnel."

• On defending teams in the SEC: "This league, you don't trick people. You have to out-hit people. There won't be much tricking going on."

• On junior college LB transfer Eltoro Freeman: "He's an aggressive guy who plays downhill. I think he's going to be fun to coach. He's got a lot of personality and a lot of zest for the game."

• He says you can't have enough defensive linemen, considering how banged up they get through the course of the year. Good thing Auburn signed seven of them this season.

• On what he learned about himself at Duke: "I tell you, what I found was an experience that developed a skill set that you can only get by being a head football coach. You think that you understand it all as an assistant sometimes, but you really don’t – that the magnitude of every decision, every word that comes out of your mouth. Like I said, it was a great experience for me, because whatever did or did not come out of it, I have a skill set that nobody can every take away from me. I think by going through that, I’m a much better assistant coach then I was before I became a head coach, because you understand the way things are looked at, and also, the impact of every action, every word, every statement … because at the end of the day, it all ends up on one desk. Like I said, you think you’re ready for it and you think you know all there is to know, but like with any job, you don’t know all there is to know until you’re actually in there doing it. It was a lot of fun."

• Was it humbling? "I don’t know if I’d use the word humbling. I’d use the word frustrated. Because when you’re a competitor and you invest yourself into it, you invest your life into it, you invest your family into it, you want to have good results. And we did. We just didn’t win enough football games. If you really look at why you do this – to have a positive impact on somebody’s life and see people get great degrees, have great collegiate experiences, grow as young men. But at the end of the day, in our business, we’re also judged on winning and losing, too. Can’t change that part. But can certainly take great pride in the other parts of the program that were very successful. We were winning national championships in graduation rates and developing good citizens, but we didn’t win enough football games. But I think you can do all those things at Auburn."

• Roof spoke fondly of Aairon Savage, who is battling back from a season-ending knee injury. He said he could see him playing safety or cornerback: "What a great kid. Ahh, what a great kid that’s working his rear end off to get back. I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve gained a lot of respect very quickly for him by the way he works – his attitude, his consistency. He just … I’ve got a lot of respect for him. If anybody can make it back, it’s going to be him. And I sure hope it’s him, because he was a good player before he got hurt. I love his attitude and the way he works. And that’s contagious. He kind of rubs off on our other guys."

• On DE Antonio Coleman coming back: "I've spent an awful lot of time with him and what an impressive young man he is. I enjoy being around him. He's a very refreshing kid to be around -- very hungry, takes a great deal of pride in our football program and his role. I've been really impressed with him and I'm really glad that he came back. Really glad that he came back. Really glad that he came back."

• One last quick fun fact on Roof: he is believed to be the only person in Atlantic Coast Conference history to get either a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct penalty as a player, assistant coach and head coach. That's quite a distinction.

Trooper Taylor talks ...

... and talks and talks and talks. For 37 minutes. My gosh, this guy has the gift of gab. I can see why he's such a good recruiter. He can charm you with a tale or two.

We media hacks just finished a sit-down with Auburn's assistant head coach and wide receivers coach. Here's a sampling of some of the stuff he had to say:

• He still hasn't had a chance to move in yet. All his boxes are still in Stillwater, Okla. That's how makeshift this last month has been for these guys.

• How frantic has the last month been? "I used to have an afro," the balding coach said.

• On what he likes about Auburn: "I'll tell you, there's a passion. I missed that. When I left Tennessee and I went to Oklahoma State, and not that the fans aren't as rabid, but it's a way of life in the South about football." He told us he gets mobbed at restaurants, something that didn't happen in Stillwater.

• On what Gene Chizik means when he says he has to recruit his own team: "What he's saying is it's time to get our guys on board with us. Everybody cooks their dinner a different way. We can't control what happened in the past, but we can control what happens in the future. We need those guys to buy in."

• Taylor hasn't had much time to watch game film of the team's current players but is delving into that right now.

• On his reputation as being a super-recruiter: "I think that's what makes a good recruiter — being realistic. A lot of guys get caught up in the sales part of it. But you think about the bricks and the buildings and the fields, everybody's got great stadiums, everybody's got nice facilities. The difference is going to be the people inside of them."

• Taylor seems very aware of his limitations. He claims he won't fudge his way through an answer. If he doesn't know the answer, he'll find somebody who does.

• He was very Lincoln-esque when speaking about how an offense succeeds, saying, "A divided house won't stand." He doesn't sound stat-driven: "If you get caught up in numbers and statistics and all that, I think that ego deal comes back to get you. I worked for a guy before that wouldn't take a knee, and it cost us in a game one time. Rather than take a knee and losing yards, he wanted to lead the country in total offense, so he refused to take a knee. Well he went back to hand it off and fumbled it, ran it back for a touchdown. Game over. And being unselfish, he should have just taken a knee, lost the yardage and called it a day."

• What sold him on Chizik as being a guy he wanted to work for? The cleaning lady at the Auburn athletic complex came up and said hello to Chizik like they were best friends. "And if you treat the cleaning lady right, the rest of us have a chance. A lot of people don't care about that. A lot of people worry about the big alums that come through here. That just sent a message to me"

• He stressed character a lot when talking about recruits and players. He said he didn't want to invite a player over to his house that had "to clap the whole time he's in there, because if he's not, he's stealing something."

• Taylor had a lot of background with Gus Malzahn's offense. Mostly because he was charged with trying to copy it while with Oklahoma State. "I was stealing his offense anyway when I was at Oklahoma State and now I don't have to steal it. I can sit there and learn it, because I had no idea what some of the stuff was about, the signals and things. And now it's starting to make sense."

• He said the coaches don't have specific recruiting zones yet and probably won't until the coaching staff is completely filled. The current coaches have submitted to Chizik the areas they feel good about recruiting

• On Chizik's nature: "I've been around a short time and in that short period of time I've seen how specific he is about detail about things. When he asks you to do something, it's not gray. He doesn't want to repeat himself. I think he's got that barber deal where if you don't get it done, he'll go to the next one. It won't take him long. You've got to appreciate that because at least you know where you stand."

• On incoming freshman DeAngelo Benton: "He was a playmaker and I can tell you this: You don't go to sleep a circle and wake up a square. If he could play ball, he can play ball. That's the one thing I saw in the kid. And for him to finish his work and get it done what he had to get done, most kids, if they have that layoff, you're not getting that done. He was able to, so we're excited about him. But he's still got to come in and prove it."

• On not jumping to conclusions too quickly with a kid at a specific position: "Because, guess what, what if he busts? Now you're stuck with a kid that – you're not going to run him off; he's somebody's family – but you're stuck with a kid that can't play and that doesn't help you. You'll be spraying fruit for a living really fast. I don't want to be on the grapes. I like doing the football, myself."

• On his favorite kind of recruits: "I like the ones that my wife can pick out. That's pretty good, you know, when she can put the tape on and say, 'Sign him, baby.'"

• On Auburn's current receivers: "Just watching them on tape, I think they're raw, I think they've got some ability. We've just got to get them coached up."

• He said Montez Billings is someone who can make plays, Quindarius Carr stood out to him on film and that Tim Hawthorne has "some ability and talent." He said Philip Pierre-Louis has a big brace on his knee still but looks fine right now.

• On what he tells recruits who are making a decision: "I try to tell kids all the time: `Think through it.' They're making a business decision. To me, it's not going to affect just the next four years, it's going to affect the next 40. The next big decision they'll make is who they're going to marry. I'm not getting involved in that. That's on them. I try to make them see they're the CEO of their own company. They have some vice presidents – maybe mom or grandma or dad or whoever – but when those other people start coming in, you probably need to hold them off because their vested interest are not as important as yours."

Men's hoops: Auburn 75, Arkansas 62

Don't look now, but Auburn is inching closer to the .500 mark in the SEC after a 13-point victory against Arkansas on Wednesday at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum.

Big bench night for the Tigers (15-9, 4-5 SEC), who got 26 points, 12 rebounds and a strong defensive effort from the trio of Lucas Hargrove, Frankie Sullivan and Brendon Knox. This was after the Auburn bench scored one point in 32 minutes against Tennessee on Saturday.

“I like the way we did it tonight,” Auburn coach Jeff Lebo said. “I liked it because it wasn’t the so-called stars that helped us win the basketball game.”

Knox was the most pleasant surprise. Auburn's been looking for some low-post help since Johnnie Lett badly sprained his ankle 10 days ago, keeping him in street clothes the last three games.

Knox, a 6-foot-10 junior college transfer from Spartanburg Methodist College, finished with six points, four rebounds and two blocks Wednesday. He swatted Arkansas big man Michael Washington twice, and was instrumental in holding the Razorbacks' leading scorer to six points, 11 below his season average.

“When Knox plays, man, we can get it going down there,” Hargrove said. “It’s such a big body down there. There’s not too much you can do with him when he plays as hard as he can.”

Some other thoughts ...

• It was a fairly even night for Auburn scorers. Hargrove and Tay Waller led the way with 14. Rasheem Barrett added 13 and DeWayne Reed 11. Korvotney Barber added eight points and a team-best 11 rebounds.
  

• Waller, despite his 14 points, didn't have a great offensive night, going 2-for-8 from 3-point range. But he contributed in other ways, especially on defense. On one possession he notched a steal and turned it into a layup at the other end.

• Arkansas' Rotnei Clarke was a beast in the first half, making four 3-pointers and scoring 14 points. The second half? He was 0-for-4 for zero points.

• Auburn settled down after a sloppy first half, committing just six second-half turnovers. Arkansas had 11 after the break.

• A big sequence in the game was when Arkansas freshman guard Courtney Fortson fouled out with 4:32 to play (it should be noted this was a pretty bad call). Fortson slowly walked back to the Arkansas bench with his head down and apparently said something to the official, because he got T'd up. Auburn made three free throws on the possession to push its lead to 67-60.

• Quantez Robertson minutes: 11. He was 1-for-2 for three points (he made his only free throw), adding three rebounds. He must still be in Lebo's doghouse. Putting him in the game during the final seconds along with walk-on Jake Drum has got to be a slap in the face for someone who has made 113 career starts.

• It was the third time in its history Auburn has swept the season series with Arkansas and the first time since 2003. It is also the first time the Tigers have won back-to-back conference games since January of last year.

• Next up: Mississippi State (16-8, 6-3 SEC) at home on Saturday. Tip-off is 5 p.m. EST. This one could mean a lot as far as Auburn's postseason hopes (read: NIT). A win would get the Tigers to .500 in conference play, a rarefied air not often seen since Lebo inherited the program five years ago.
  

Mel Kiper Jr. breaks down Auburn's pro prospects

Who the hell is Mel Kiper Jr., anyway? Well, he's a nice fellow with a great hairdo who has done draft coverage for ESPN the last 26 years, and he was kind enough to do a conference call with reporters this morning. And while I do not know how much my mailman knows about grading NFL prospects, I do know that Kiper is first and foremost in the field of guys I would trust on this subject.

The NFL Draft combine is rapidly approaching (Feb. 18-24 in Indianapolis for those of you scrambling to set your TiVo to the NFL Network in order to watch guys run the 40-yard dash), and Auburn has three players who have been invited -- DT Sen'Derrick Marks, CB Jerraud Powers and OG Tyronne Green.

Question time was somewhat limited because, as you'd expect, Mel had a long list of people asking him questions about everything under the sun. But here's what he had to say about the Auburn players. Most of it was about Marks, but he touched on Powers and Green briefly.

On Marks and declaring after an injury-riddled junior season

"That's the thing. When you come out after a year like that, it's always going to be a little bit risky. He's still a top-five defensive tackle overall. Showed great promise as a freshman. I thought he was consistent when he was out there and uses his hands extremely well. That's the one thing that always stood out to me with Marks is he uses his hands extremely well to free himself up. Quick. He pursues to the sidelines, which I like. To me, he's another kid that had he gone back and had been healthy all year and been at full strength all year, he's a definite top 15 to 20 pick in the first round. He's probably a second-round draft choice I would say right now."

On Powers

"Powers is another one I thought should have gone back, but he's probably in that third- to fifth-round range. He's a guy who's got some ability, there's no doubt about that."

On Green

"Green right now, you look at him and he's a pretty good football player. I think he's probably a third-, fourth-round type of player. At worst the fifth round."

The Marks analysis was just what I expected. I think even Sen'Derrick knew what he could have had if he chose to come back for another season. But if you're in his shoes, and you've just had all sorts of injuries to overcome, who's too say it won't happen again? His stock is high enough right now that he'll still be a first-day pick. And he still has the combine to show what is capable of when healthy. From what I've read, scouts really like his quickness for playing on the inside but wonder about his upper body strength and ability to command double teams.

Powers' projection was a little shocking to me. He's not on any mock draft that I've seen, and those go through all seven rounds. If he can go somewhere in the third to fifth round, I don't think his decision to leave for the NFL is as bad as everyone made it out to be. And I include myself in that group.

Green is a guy who is intriguing. He didn't have an all-too-great senior season, but he's still pretty talented. The transcription of Kiper doesn't really convey how his comment came out. He paused briefly and kind of chuckled before slowing down and emphasizing his line that Tyronne "is a pretty good football player," as though that is a fact that a lot of people are overlooking.

An early look at next year's Top 25

Courtesy of ESPN's Mark Schlabach, who I got to know when I was on the Virginia beat. (I'm also trying to keep the ESPN streak of blog posts going.)

No, Auburn is not on his list (and honestly, it shouldn't be), so this post has very little to do with the Tigers. But there are five SEC teams in the top 14, so I figured it would merit some debate, especially on a non-existent news day in Auburn.

Here are the SEC teams:

1. Florida: I don't think anybody would argue with this ranking. The Gators return their whole defense (and their whole backup defense). And apparently they have a guy at quarterback who walks on water when he's not winning Heisman trophies or circumcising children in the Philippines. The Gators have to be the odds on favorite to win the national title next season. Vegas, in fact, has them at 7/4 odds. (Auburn, incidentally, is 150/1).

4. Alabama: A bit high in my opinion. Andre Smith and Antoine Caldwell were such a huge part of that offense. Anyone remember how the Tide fared in the Sugar Bowl without Smith up front? Glen Coffee was a workhorse and John Parker Wilson, despite being a caretaker for that offense, was solid under center. That defense is going to be strong, but you've got to score at some point. That Virginia Tech opener at the Georgia Dome is going to be tough. The Hokies defense is not one you want to break in a new quarterback against.

8. LSU: Is this a case of everybody reading too much into a strong bowl performance? Yes, the Tigers blew out Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, but here's the thing about momentum from a bowl game: it doesn't exist. The season starts nine months later. There's no effect. As for LSU, everyone seems convinced its quarterback situation is resolved. I'm not. Jordan Jefferson had a solid finish (414 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT in last three games), but not enough to completely alleviate every Tigers fan's fears. Charles Scott was a huge factor in that offense, and won't be easily replaced. And LSU's supposedly stout defense wasn't anywhere near as good as it has been, allowing 31 or more points in five of its last nine games.

11. Ole Miss: Everybody's darling pick for next year and for good reason, considering the Rebels won their last six games. I'm always weary of teams that make a huge jump one year and people expect them to make a similar jump the following year. That said, 11 feels about right for Ole Miss to start the season. Jevan Snead is back at quarterback, Dexter McCluster is back at RB (and Wild Rebel formation maestro) and the defense brings back a lot of players. Plus, the schedule is favorable, with Alabama and LSU coming to Oxford. BUT, let's look at Houston Nutt's credentials as a big-time coach. His best year was a 10-4 season in 2006 and he's never won an SEC title. And think of some of that talent he had at Arkansas. His last year, with Darren McFadden AND Felix Jones, his team finished 8-5, with a .500 record in the SEC. Just something to think about.

14. Georgia: it will be interesting to see how the Dawgs fare after losing both Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno to the draft. This team seems ripe with Ewing Theory potential. It's a theory floated out there by ESPN Page 2's Bill Simmons, who while many people dislike, I find entertaining to read. Here it is boiled down to its simplest form: "When a longtime superstar who has never won a championship leaves the team via injury, trade or free agency, and the media writes the team off, the team will play better." For as good as those two were, they never won an SEC title (and their one BCS victory was against a Hawaii team that had no business being there). They're kind of the darkhorse in the conference, not getting all the pub that the aforementioned four teams are getting. And while the Bulldogs will have a drop-off in play at those two positions, they still have plenty of talent.

Any other thoughts on these rankings?

ESPN's been drinking the Haterade

Not much going on in the blogosphere this week. All we have is a couple of basketball games to cover and hopefully the final two assistant coach hires (seriously, it's been two months, what's the hold up?).

While searching for something -- anything -- to blog, I came across ESPN SEC blogger Chris Low's pre-spring power rankings. Tough to debate Florida-Alabama going 1-2, but Auburn comes in at ... No. 11. Ouch. That's behind Tennessee, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.

Here's his analysis:

11. Auburn: The firestorm that surrounded Gene Chizik's hiring at Auburn has quieted ... for now. He's put together a quality staff, and the Tigers did a nice job in recruiting. Now the hard part begins -- taking it to the field and improving on last season's 5-7 record. That starts with implementing Gus Malzhan's spread offense. It's no secret that Tony Franklin's spread wasn't a big hit a year ago on the Plains. Much of the pressure will fall on quarterback Kodi Burns, who struggled mightily last season. The Tigers hope junior college receiver DeAngelo Benton can add some immediate firepower on offense. Losing tackle Sen'Derrick Marks early to the NFL was a blow defensively, but the Tigers did hold onto end Antonio Coleman.

Now, I'll add that I don't think Auburn was anywhere near as bad as its 5-7 record last year. The Vanderbilt and Arkansas losses can pretty much be directly blamed on the coaching staff's immature handling of the Tony Franklin fiasco. And while Chizik and Malzahn certainly have some major work to do on offense, I don't think it's a completely dire situation.

And honestly, I don't know how Auburn's situation is too different from Tennessee next season. Both have new coaches who have never really won anything as the head guy and both have enormous questions to answer at quarterback. In fact, Low's analysis of both teams is almost identical. Yet the Vols are ranked eighth. Interesting.

Men's hoops: Auburn 78, Tennessee 77

Auburn won a thriller at Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, pulling out a one-point win on Korvotney Barber's layup with 4.3 seconds left.

It snapped a two-game losing streak for Auburn and, at least temporarily, alleviates some of the mounting pressure on head coach Jeff Lebo, whose job security is coming into question.“They’re all big,” Lebo said of the win. “There’s not one that’s not. Try losing one, if you think it’s not, then you’ll find out — they’re all big.”

Barber scored 21 points and finished with eight rebounds.

Auburn is now 14-9 this season, with a 3-5 record in the SEC.

I'll say this: 3-5 in the SEC looks a heck of a lot better than 2-6. So Auburn's still got some hope this season, although I'm thinking best-case scenario is to earn an NIT bid.

Some thoughts on the game ...

• What a frantic final possession. Auburn missed two free throws, nearly turned the ball over twice on inbounds passes, was lucky not to get a foul call against it on the second and finally got the game-winning layup. Not exactly how the Tigers drew it up, but they'll take it.

• The Volunteers shot 59.2 percent from the field and made nine 3-pointers. So how did they lose? Well, they got hammered on the boards, getting out-rebounded 34-21. Auburn grabbed 14 rebounds and had a 19-2 advantage in second-chance points. “The other day in practice we did a drill called War Rebounds,” said Barber, who led the team with eight boards. “You do whatever you can to keep each other off the glass — tackle, just whatever we have to do. I think that drill helped us tonight, boxing out.”

• Rasheem Barrett was outstanding again, scoring a game-high 27 points. That's after he had a career-high 29 against Vanderbilt last time at home. He's got a very old-man's game, which is not an insult. All he does is hit jumpers from 8 to 15 feet. It's very effective.

• Quantez Robertson watched his 112-game starting streak come to an end after arriving late to the arena. His reason? He was at the barber shop.

• One last note before I go to cover a hockey game tonight: Johnnie Lett (ankle) was on crutches during the game and did not look in good shape. I'd say getting him back next week is very optimistic. He's supposed to evaluated again at the end of the weekend.

ESPN not too crazy about Auburn's class

Relative to the rest of the SEC, at least. The Worldwide Leader ranks Auburn's 2009 class 10th in the SEC, ahead of only Kentucky and Vanderbilt. Grade? B-minus. National rank? 25th.

Here's what ESPN had to say specifically:

A once top-15 class has imploded after Tommy Tuberville's resignation in December. But new head man Gene Chizik inherited some quality prospects and landed a few of his own. The loss of WR Brandon Heavens (Bessemer, Ala./Bessemer Academy) to Mississippi State is significant, but landing top-25 quarterback Tyrik Rollison (Sulpher Springs, Texas) down the stretch was a great "get" for the program; he could develop into a productive dual-threat at that position. Rollison is an important piece to this class, but whether he qualifies remains a big question. Athlete Travante Stallworth (Leesville, La.) will enhance this roster at a position in need of young depth. Philip Lutzenkirchen (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) is one of the more athletic pass-catching tight ends in the country. Auburn traditionally has recruited well on defense, and it shows in this class. Terrance Coleman (Mobile, Ala./Williamson) can provide some pressure as a speed rusher. Athlete Izauea Lanier (Gordo, Ala.) was Chizik's first commitment in his return to The Plains. Lanier's is an underrated skill player with the versatility to play both safety and receiver. Also, former Southern Miss commit Jamar Travis (East Brewton, Ala./W.S. Neal) will be a handful in the trenches.

Interesting analysis. No mention whatsoever of wide receivers DeAngelo Benton and Emory Blake, junior college transfers Eltoro Freeman and Demond Washington or Hargrave transfer Onterio McCalebb, a group of players many folks feel might have the biggest (or at least most immediate) impact in the class.

It just goes to show you that nobody knows anything about how these players are going to project. As far as an exact science, it's about on par with figuring out the stock market. You think you might know, but as these times show, nobody really has a clue.

Women's hoops: Auburn 72, Ole Miss 65

It was another sub-par performance for the Auburn women, who haven't looked the same since their exhilarating win against Tennessee a week and a half ago.

The No. 6 Tigers used an 18-3 run early in the second half to take control, gave it all away until the game was tied at 59 with six minutes left and pulled away (slowly) at the end.

DeWanna Bonner led the way with 23 points. Whitney Boddie overcame a rough first half to nearly register a triple-double, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds and 11 assists. She scored six points in the final four minutes when Auburn put the game away.

Still, the Tigers didn't look good. The committed 12 turnovers in the first half and shot 39 percent. They made just four 3-pointers in the game, all by Alli Smalley. And they didn't put the game away after getting up by 12 in the second half.

In its last three games, Auburn has 1) lost to Georgia, 2) trailed by five at halftime against LSU before turning it on in the second half and 3) struggled to put away a mediocre Ole Miss squad.

“A season is a marathon,” Auburn coach Nell Fortner said. “There comes a point where it kind of becomes a little bit of a grind. And right now, we’re just trying to get through this. We’ll get through it and come out on the other side of it just fine. You just have to weather the storm.”

Fortner had a long talk with her team afterward. Not too many positives were discussed.

“There wasn’t too much positive to say,” Bonner said. “It wasn’t a great performance.”

Some other thoughts ...

• Freshman Chantel Hilliard and sophomore Reneisha Hobbs came off the bench and combined to score 11 points in 31 minutes. That's huge for a team that normally only goes six deep. The Tigers are going to need those minutes in the postseason.

• KeKe Carrier was a no-show. She played four minutes and wasn't very effective, missing three shots, all from close range, and committing a turnover. She did have three rebounds and two blocks, though.

• Great game for Ole Miss' Bianca Thomas, who scored a career-high 28 points and made five 3-pointers. They weren't cheapies either. She was throwing in some bombs.

• Didn't mention this before, but Bonner was named the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division I player of the month for January. It's the first time an Auburn player has won the award. Bonner averaged 25.7 points and 8.4 rebounds in seven games and scored a career-best 35 in the win against Tennessee. She's making a very strong case for national player of the year honors.

LSU pulled Benton's offer; Kiffin scolded by SEC

Here are a couple items from today that I found interesting:

First, it seems Auburn got some help in landing wide receiver DeAngelo Benton. Namely, LSU pulling his offer. In this article on The Advocate, we find out that LSU coach Les Miles pulled Benton's scholarship offer to appease Rueben Randle, a fellow Bastrop, La., wide receiver who was concerned about having another gifted wide receiver in Baton Rouge, apparently.

Here's the best passage:

On Tuesday, Randle hinted he may postpone his signing. And Emmett Randle, Rueben’s father, told a Monroe television station there was a depth-chart issue.

Rueben then talked with LSU receivers coach D.J. McCarthy. And dad talked with Miles.

“I looked at DeAngelo and made some hard, fast decisions with him,” Miles said.

Rueben Randle said Wednesday he chose LSU on Tuesday night once he found out Benton was Auburn-bound.

Meanwhile, new Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin appears to be rekindling the Tennessee-Florida rivalry. Kiffin had to apologize after accusing Gators coach Urban Meyer of violating recruiting rules while trying to land wide receiver Nu'Keese Richardson.

Here's the best part:

WVLT-TV reported that Kiffin told a group of fans at a signing day breakfast celebration Thursday morning that Meyer phoned Richardson while the recruit was making his official visit to Tennessee recently.

"I'm gonna turn Florida in right here in front of you," Kiffin said, according to WVLT-TV. "While Nu'Keese was on campus, his phone kept ringing. One of the coaches says, 'who's that?' And he said, 'Urban Meyer.' "

Richardson, a Pahokee, Fla., native, signed with the Volunteers on Tuesday, despite having indicated he would sign with the Gators. Kiffin told the crowd, "I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn't get him."

The SEC said Kiffin broke the conference's code of ethics with his comments, violating a rule that says coaches shall "refrain from directed public criticism of other member institutions, their staffs or players."

Meyer's actions, although some would deem them shady, are not an NCAA violation.

Tennessee plays at Florida on Sept. 19 next season. Can't wait for that one.

Signing day: The aftermath

First of all, a big thanks to everyone who stopped by the blog yesterday. The War Eagle Extra set all sorts of single-day records for visitors (3,036) and page views (6,362). Just to give you an idea of how that compares to the usual daily blog traffic, here's the Sitemeter graph that shows day-to-day visits and page views. Notice the large spike yesterday.

Anyway, I never really did a breakdown of each of Auburn's signees from yesterday. Fortunately, the fine folks of Auburn's media relations staff sent out these player bios yesterday for every player in the Tigers' 2009 class.

(Also, we're trying out a new font on the War Eagle Extra. I think it looks better. And for some reason it makes formatting stuff easier, so I think it'll stick.)

Here you go:

DONTAE AYCOCK, RB, 5-10, 216,Tampa, FL (Chamberlain HS)

• High School Coach: Billy Turner
• HIGH SCHOOL: Rushed for 1,406 yards and 28 scores and completed 77-of-152 passes for 1,491 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior … Received the Guy Toph Award as Hillsborough County’s top football player … Led his team to an 11-2 record, a district championship and a Class 5A region finals appearance while leading the county in rushing yards and scoring … Named to the Class 5A All-State first team and the All-Hillsborough County first team by the St. Petersburg Times and the Tampa Tribune … Rushed for 1,110 yards and 22 touchdowns while passing for 950 yards and five scores as a junior … Class 5A all-state honorable mention in 2007 … Finished his career with 57 rushing touchdowns, a Hillsborough County record, and 6,000 total yards … Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 … Listed 165th on the Rivals.com Rivals250, and ranks 16th nationally among running backs and 32nd on the Florida Postseason Top 100 by Rivals.com … Ranked as the nation’s No. 45 running back by Scout.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 76 athlete by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Named a Florida Super 75 recruit by the Times-Union … The No. 42-ranked prospect from Florida by SuperPrep … Named a PrepStar All-American.
• PERSONAL: Born Oct. 15, 1991 ... Brother, Dwight Smith, is a safety for the Detroit Lions and has played eight seasons in the NFL with Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Minnesota and Detroit.

Daren Bates, DB, 5-11, 195, Olive Branch, MS (Olive Branch HS)

• High School Coach: Scott Samsel
• HIGH SCHOOL: Collected 90 tackles and four interceptions and had nearly 900 yards of total offense as a senior … Named to the MHSAA All-Region 1 Class 5A team … Selected for the Commercial Appeal Shelby Metro All-Suburban team … Named the BankPlus Player of the Week by the DeSoto Times following a 49-22 victory over Horn Lake in which he had 107 total yards and three touchdowns, 10 tackles and an interception.
• PERSONAL: Born Nov. 27, 1990 ... Son of Michael and Weslynn Bates.

DeAngelo Benton, WR, 6-3, 205, Bastrop, LA (Bastrop HS)

• Prep School Coach: Robert Prunty
• High School Coach: Brad Bradshaw
• HIGH SCHOOL: Honored as the 2006 Class 4A MVP after hauling in 40 catches for 947 yards and 15 touchdowns in leading Bastrop to its second straight state title ... Averaged 23.6 yards per catch his senior season ... Named a high school All-American by Parade Magazine and SuperPrep in 2006 … Caught 41 passes for 869 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior in 2005 ... Earned 4A all-state honors as a junior … Named to the Rivals.com Rivals100, Scout.com Hot 100 and ESPN.com 150 … Ranked as the nation’s seventh-best wide receiver by Rivals.com and Scout.com, and the third-best prospect from Louisiana by Rivals.com ... Member of the Baton Rouge Advocate Super Dozen, New Orleans Times Picayune's Blue-Chip List and Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 following senior season.
• PERSONAL: Born Nov. 17, 1987.

Emory Blake, WR, 6-1, 194, Austin, TX (Stephen F. Austin HS)

• High School Coach: Rodney Vincent
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, caught 64 passes for 936 yards and nine touchdowns, while rushing for 643 yards and four scores on 74 carries … Named the 2008 District 25-5A Offensive MVP … Had 22 grabs for 412 yards and five scores in just six games as a junior, while also carrying 38 times for 289 yards and two TDs … Caught 28 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns as a sophomore … Ranked 42nd nationally among wide receivers ends and 39th on the Texas Postseason Top 100 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 72 wide receiver by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked as the nation’s No. 94 wide receiver by Scout.com … The No. 30-ranked prospect from Texas by SuperPrep … Named to the Orlando Sentinel's 2008 All-Southern football team … Selected to the All-Midlands Region team by PrepStar.
• PERSONAL: Born July 18, 1991 ... Son of Jeff and Lewanna Blake … Father was an NFL quarterback for 14 years.

Terrance Coleman, DL, 6-1, 251, Mobile, AL (Lillie B. Williamson HS)

• High School Coach: Bobby Parrish
• HIGH SCHOOL: Collected 96 tackles (36 solo, 60 assists) including 14 tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a senior … Had 116 tackles with nine sacks and 26 quarterback hurries as a junior … Named honorable mention Class 6A All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior … ASWA All-State Honorable Mention as a junior … Listed as the nation’s No. 15 defensive end by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked as the nation’s No. 23 defensive tackle by Scout.com … Ranked 48th nationally among defensive tackles and 13th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Listed as the country’s No. 45 defensive lineman and the No. 10 prospect from Alabama by SuperPrep … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
• PERSONAL: Born Dec. 15, 1991 ... Son of Terry Coleman … Nephew of Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman.

Robert Cooper, ATH, 6-4, 204, Mobile, AL (Daphne HS)

• High School Coach: Glenn Vickery
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, completed 125-of-195 passes for 1,700 yards, with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions … Also ran for 605 yards and eight touchdowns on 104 carries, leading the Trojans to a 7-4 record and a Class 6A playoff berth … Played sparingly as a junior, throwing for three touchdowns while picking off three passes on defense.
• PERSONAL: Born July 20, 1990 ... Son of Lee and Brucie Lynne Cooper.

Nosa Eguae, DL, 6-3, 234, Mansfield, TX (Summit HS)

• High School Coach: Kyle Geller
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, had 67 tackles, including 14.5 for loss and six sacks, recovered three fumbles and forced two fumbles … As a junior, collected 76 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss and seven sacks, and intercepted a pass … Named to the All-District 4-5A Second Team as a senior … Named a PrepStar All-American … Ranked 17th among strongside defensive ends and 60th on the Texas Postseason Top 100 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 65 defensive end by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Listed as the No. 76 prospect from Texas by SuperPrep … Named the No. 26 local prospect by the Dallas Morning News.
• PERSONAL: Born Aug. 15, 1991 ... Son of Sam Eguae.

Jonathan Evans, LB, 5-11, 202, Prichard, AL (Mattie T. Blount HS)

• High School Coach: Kelvin Sigler
  
• HIGH SCHOOL: Had 93 total tackles (50 solos and 43 assists), two sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, three forced fumbles and one pass breakup as a senior … Offensively, carried the ball 16 times for 110 yards and three touchdowns during his senior season … Honorable mention All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a junior … Ranked as the nation’s No. 31 weakside linebacker by Scout.com … Ranked 42nd nationally among outside linebackers and 20th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 52 outside linebacker by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked No. 16 on the Birmingham News’ Super Seniors list … Listed as the No. 18 prospect from Alabama by SuperPrep … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
  
• PERSONAL: Born Nov. 29, 1989 ... Son of Mary Evans … Brother of former Tiger Chris Evans.

Nick Fairley, DL, 6-4, 295, Mobile, AL (Copiah-Lincoln CC/Lillie B. Williamson)

• Junior College Coach: Glenn Davis
• High School Coach: Bobby Parrish
• JUNIOR COLLEGE: Played at Copiah-Lincoln CC in Wesson, Miss. … All-Region XII in state of Mississippi in 2008 at defensive tackle … Had 63 tackles including nine for loss and seven quarterback sacks in seven games … Redshirted in 2007.
• HIGH SCHOOL: Spent time on both sides of the ball as a senior, grading out at 97 percent on the offensive line and catching five passes for 150 yards at tight end, while making more than 90 tackles on defense … Named a 5A Lineman of the Year finalist and to the 5A All-State team by the ASWA … Ranked 28th among offensive guards and 15th overall in Alabama by Rivals.com. … Ranked No. 32 at the offensive tackle position by ESPN.com. ... Selected to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic and played both ways in the game … Selected to the Mobile Press- Register’s Elite 18 Alabama recruits list and the paper’s Super Southeast 120 … Played in the AHSAA North/South All-Star game as a junior.
• PERSONAL: Born Jan. 23, 1988 … Son of Paula Rogers and Herbert Rogers.

Dee Ford, DE, 6-3, 205, Odenville, AL (St. Clair County HS)

• High School Coach: Charlie Boren
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, had 90 tackles (40 solo, 50 assists), including 38 tackles for loss and 18 sacks, intercepted a pass and broke up three … Selected 2008 Star of Alabama for his game against Hokes Bluff with 12 tackles including five sacks for a loss of 40 yards, and an interception … As a junior, had 87 total tackles with 36 solo, 16 tackles for a loss and 12 sacks … Named to the Class 4A All-State team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior … Ranked as the nation’s No. 26 defensive end by Scout.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 35 defensive end by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Listed as the No. 7 player from Alabama by SuperPrep … Ranked 62nd among outside linebackers and 27th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com.
• PERSONAL: Born March 19, 1991 ... Son of James and Debbie Ford.

Eltoro Freeman,LB, 6-0, 225, Alexander City, AL (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC/Benjamin Russell)

• Junior College Coach: Steve Campbell
• High School Coach: Carl Martin
• JUNIOR COLLEGE: Played at Mississippi Gulf Coast CC in Perkinston, Miss. …. As a freshman in 2007, helped Mississippi Gulf Coast to National Championship …. Redshirted in 2008.
• HIGH SCHOOL: Recorded 140 tackles and 10 sacks at linebacker his senior year, while taking 15 carries for 223 yards and three scores at running back … Recorded 100 tackles, including 52 for losses his junior year … Named a PrepStar All-American recruit … Listed as tenth-ranked prospect in state of Alabama by The Birmingham News … Ranked No. 19 nationally at outside linebacker and the No. 10 overall recruit in Alabama by Rivals.com … Ranked No. 20 among outside linebackers by ESPN.com … Selected by the AHSAA to play in the Alabama North/South All-Star game as a junior … Named Birmingham News and ASWA Class 5A All-State … Selected as a member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 … Ranked the No. 78 prospect in the Mobile Register’s Super Southeast 120 … Named a Birmingham News Super Senior before the 2006 campaign.
• PERSONAL: Born May 7, 1989 … Son of Greta and Rome Freeman.

Harris Gaston, LB, 6-3, 210, Bessemer, AL (Bessemer Academy)

• High School Coach: Josh Wright
• HIGH SCHOOL: Had 114 tackles as a senior and returned two fumbles for touchdowns … On offense during his senior season, caught 43 passes for 860 yards and 17 touchdowns … As a junior, made 112 tackles, including 11 sacks, and had five interceptions and a defensive touchdown … Named the AISA Back of the Year and to the All-State team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior … Ranked as the nation’s No. 31 middle linebacker by Scout.com … Ranked 23rd among outside linebackers and 16th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 42 outside linebacker by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked No. 10 on the Birmingham News’ Super Seniors list … Listed as the No. 13 player from Alabama by SuperPrep … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
• PERSONAL: Born Feb. 24, 1991 ... Son of Terrence and Kimbley Gaston.

Anthony Gulley, ATH, 5-11, 185, Brantley, AL (Brantley HS)

• High School Coach: David Lowery
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, had 58 rushes for 1,162 yards and 18 touchdowns and caught 17 passes for 543 yards and nine scores … Also returned six kickoffs for 244 yards and two scores and returned five punts for 203 yards and two touchdowns … Defensively as a senior, had 48 solo tackles, nine sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery … As a junior, rushed for 1,604 yards on 167 carries with 18 touchdowns, and had 11 catches for 173 yards and four scores … Completed 8-of-12 passing for 127 yards with four touchdowns during junior season … Also returned five kickoffs for 158 yards and a touchdown and 11 punts for 432 yards and three scores as a junior … Defensively during his junior season, had 37 solo tackles, five interceptions including one returned for a score and two fumble recoveries … Named to the Class 1A All-State team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior … As a junior, named honorable mention all-state … Ranked 39th nationally among all-purpose backs and 30th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 191 athlete by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Also an Alabama All-Star in baseball.
• PERSONAL: Born Sept. 8, 1990.

Andre Harris, OL, 6-4, 300, Lovejoy, GA (Lovejoy HS)

• High School Coach: Al Hughes
• HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the 2008 Class 5A All-State football team by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Named Class 5A Honorable Mention All-State as a senior by the Georgia Sports Writers Association … As a junior, named First Team All-State by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Class 5A All-State Honorable Mention by the GSWA … Ranked as the nation’s No. 24 offensive guard by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 29 prospect from Georgia by SuperPrep … Ranked 36th nationally among offensive guards and 48th on the Georgia Postseason Top 75 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 191 offensive guard by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
• PERSONAL: Born Oct. 3, 1990 ... Son of Alvin and Carmen Harris.

Josh Jackson, DL, 6-2, 260m Gainesville, GA (Gainesville HS)

• High School Coach: Bruce Miller
• HIGH SCHOOL: Had 99 tackles and 16 sacks as a senior while playing on a defense that allowed just 12 points per game … Named to the Class 3A All-State first team by the Georgia Sports Writers Association … An honorable mention all-state pick by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Named to the 7A/B-AAA All-Region first team … Participated in the Georgia North-South All-Star game … Slated to participate in the Land Down Under All-Star game in Australia … As a junior, had 87 tackles, including five sacks, and an interception … Listed as the nation’s No. 84 defensive tackle by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked as the nation’s No. 94 defensive end by Scout.com.
• PERSONAL: Born Nov. 13, 1990 ... Son of Jimmy and Erica Jackson.

Brandon Jacobs, RB, 6-0, 237, Lilburn, GA (Parkview HS)

• High School Coach: Cecil Flowe
• HIGH SCHOOL: During senior season, had 1,575 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns on 240 carries, while adding 13 catches for 95 yards … Defensively, had 37 tackles, including seven tackles for loss and a sack … Named to the 2008 Class 5A All-State football team by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution … Named Class 5A Honorable Mention All-State as a senior by the Georgia Sports Writers Association … Named Player of the Year at athlete by the Touchdown Club of Gwinnett … As a junior, had 950 yards rushing on 121 attempts with eight touchdowns, and also collected 75 tackles, including four sacks, and three interceptions … Ranked 60th nationally among running backs and 60th on the Georgia Postseason Top 75 by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 56 prospect from Georgia by SuperPrep … Ranked as the nation’s No. 74 running back by Scout.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 80 running back by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
• PERSONAL: Born Dec. 8, 1990 ... Son of Foster and Mary Jacobs.

LaVoyd James, WR, 5-10, 180, Mobile, AL (Lillie B. Williamson HS)

• High School Coach: Bobby Parrish
• HIGH SCHOOL: Played in just two games as a senior due to an ankle injury, catching nine passes for 102 yards … As a junior, had 52 receptions for 740 yards and 15 touchdowns … Listed as the nation’s No. 34 wide receiver by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked 78th nationally among wide receivers and 25th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 26 player from Alabama by SuperPrep … Ranked as the nation’s No. 128 wide receiver by Scout.com … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
• PERSONAL: Son of Doris James.

Izauea Lanier, DB, 6-0, 185, Gordo, AL (Gordo HS)

• High School Coach: David McKinney
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, rushed for 871 yards and had 870 yards receiving, while also recording 68 tackles with seven interceptions on defense … Also returned one punt and one kickoff for scores … Named ScoutSouth.com Star of Alabama for his performance against West Blocton, rushing for 166 yards and four touchdowns and adding 89 returns yards, while also collecting 10 tackles and an interception … As a junior, had 25 catches for 687 yards and eight touchdowns, returned one punt and one kickoff for scores, and had 38 tackles and five interceptions on defense … Named honorable mention Class 3A All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior … Ranked 54th nationally among athletes and 19th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 73 athlete by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked as the nation’s No. 150 wide receiver by Scout.com.
• PERSONAL: Born Feb. 9, 1990 ... Son of Patricia Lanier.

Philip Lutzenkirchen, TE, 6-4, 240, Marietta, GA (Lassiter HS)

• High School Coach: Chip Lindsey
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, caught 72 passes for 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns … Finished his junior season with 46 receptions for 496 yards and seven scores while adding 48 tackles, an interception and a blocked punt on defense … Named Class 5A All-State as a senior by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the Georgia Sports Writers Association … Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 … Ranked No. 74 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … Ranked 172nd on the Rivals.com Rivals250 … Ranked third nationally among tight ends and 11th on the Georgia Postseason Top 75 by Rivals.com … Ranked as the tight end with the nation’s best hands by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 6 tight end by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked as the nation’s No. 8 tight end by Scout.com … Listed as the country’s No. 11 tight end and the No. 11 player from Georgia by SuperPrep … Named a PrepStar All-American.
• PERSONAL: Born June 1, 1991 ... Son of Mike and Mary Lutzenkirchen.

Onterio McCalebb, RB, 6-0, 175, Fort Meade, FL (Hargrave Military Academy/Fort Meade HS)

• Prep School Coach: Robert Prunty
• High School Coach: Mike Hayde
• PREP SCHOOL: Spent the 2008 season at Hargrave Military Academy, where he rushed for 755 yards and four touchdowns in eight games … Also returned a kick 95 yards for a score, a punt 96 yards for a touchdown and scored on a 68-yard screen pass ... Rated by Rivals.com as the No. 1 prep school running back prospect in the country and No. 4 overall … One of just four prep school running backs to receive four stars by Scout.com.
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, recorded 1,995 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns ... Also had 11 receptions for 300 yards ... Had two kicks returned for scores ... As a junior, rushed for 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns ... Also had 500 yards receiving and six touchdowns ... Named to All-Southeast Region team by PrepStar ... Ranked the 34th player in the SuperPrep Florida 111 ... Named to Florida Super 75 by Jacksonville Times Union ... Named to Orlando Sun Sentinel Top 100 in Florida ... Ranked the 38th best running back in the nation by Scout.com.
• PERSONAL: Born Aug. 10, 1989 ... Son of Derrick Baker and Staphisa McMillian.

Clint Moseley, QB, 6-4, 196, Leroy, AL (Leroy HS)

• High School Coach: Danny Powell
• HIGH SCHOOL: Named Alabama’s Mr. Football as a senior by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, as well as to the Class 2A All-State team and the Class 2A Back of the Year … Led Leroy to a 15-0 record and its third straight state championship, earning MVP honors in the title game … Completed 209-of-313 passes for 3,758 yards and 35 touchdowns, and rushed for 670 yards and 15 scores on 119 carries … Also served as the team’s kicker, making 23-of-29 extra points and a field goal on his only attempt, while punting 18 times for 610 yards (33.9 average) and a long of 54 … During his sophomore season, completed 100-of-168 passes for 1,531 yards and 20 touchdowns and rushed for 512 yards and 10 scores on 62 carries while taking team to its first state title … Named to the Orlando Sentinel's 2008 All-Southern football team … Ranked 19th nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks and 31st on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Ranked as the nation’s No. 79 quarterback by Scout.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 108 quarterback by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked No. 23 on the Birmingham News’ Super Seniors list … Listed as the No. 28 player from Alabama by SuperPrep.
• PERSONAL: Born Dec. 26, 1990 ... Son of Dean and Sharon Moseley.

Taikwon Paige, DB, 5-10, 175, Aiken, SC (Aiken HS/Georgia Military College)

• High School Coach: Carey Johnson
• Junior College Coach: Bert Williams
• JUNIOR COLLEGE: Had over 40 tackles and six interceptions during his freshman season … Had 20 tackles during his sophomore campaign … Ranked 25th among junior college prospects by Rivals.com … Ranked as the nation’s No. 36 junior college prospect by SuperPrep.
• HIGH SCHOOL: Selected to play in the 2006 Shrine Bowl … One of 25 players named 2006 Palmetto Champions All-Stars by the South Carolina Football Coaches Association … Was named all-region and all-state in both his junior and senior years … Was the track team's most valuable player his junior year … Placed seventh in the 100-meter dash and sixth in the 200-meter dash at the 2007 state qualifier before suffering an injury at the state finals.
• PERSONAL: Born July 2, 1988 … Son of Howard Paige.

Tyrik Rollison, QB, 6-2, 185, Sulphur Springs, TX (Sulphur Springs HS)

• High School Coach: Greg Owens
  
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, completed 315-of-428 passes for 4,728 yards and 51 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,094 yards … Led team to the Class 4A Division II state championship, passing for 398 yards and four TDs and rushing for 127 yards and three more scores in the title game … Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-American All-Star game following his senior year … During his junior season, completed 296-of-423 passes for 3,691 yards and 37 scores while rushing for 554 yards … Class 4A first-team all-state selection as a junior … No. 60 on the Rivals.com Rivals100 … Ranked second nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks and ninth on the Texas Postseason Top 100 by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 4 quarterback in the nation and the No. 7 prospect from Texas by SuperPrep … Named a PrepStar All-American … Named to the 2008 EA Sports All-America team … Ranked as the nation’s No. 11 quarterback by Scout.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 21 quarterback by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Named to the Orlando Sentinel's 2008 All-Southern football team.
  
• PERSONAL: Born Sept. 4, 1991 ... Son of Brenda Rollison and Michael Kelly.

Travante Stallworth, WR, 5-9, 180, Leesville, LA (Leesville HS)

• High School Coach: Terence Williams
  
• HIGH SCHOOL: During his senior season, completed 92-of-150 passes for 1,339 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also rushing for 546 yards and 15 scores on 130 carries … As a junior, competed 113 of 200 passes for 1,340 yards and 10 touchdowns, while also rushing for 940 yards on 165 carries with 17 touchdowns … Named First Team All-State by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association as well as all-district first team as a senior … Listed as the nation’s No. 18 athlete by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked as the nation’s No. 122 wide receiver by Scout.com … The No. 17-ranked prospect from Louisiana by SuperPrep … Ranked 34th on the Louisiana Postseason Top 75 by Rivals.com … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
  
• PERSONAL: Born March 5, 1991 ... Son of James and Jalaine Stallworth.

John Sullen, OL, 6-5, 325, Auburn, AL (Auburn HS)

• High School Coach: Tim Carter
• HIGH SCHOOL: Named to the Class 6A All-State team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior … Graded out at 86 percent with 55 pancake blocks … Earned ASWA honorable mention all-state honors as a junior … Ranked nationally 35th among offensive guards and 21st on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Listed as the nation’s No. 63 offensive tackle by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked as the nation’s No. 102 offensive tackle by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 34 player from Alabama by SuperPrep … Named to PrepStar's
• PERSONAL: Born Dec. 31, 1990 ... Son of John and Belinda Sullen.

Reggie Taylor, DB, 5-10, 165, Fort Valley, GA (Peach County HS)

• High School Coach: Chad Campbell
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a senior, had 40 tackles and three interceptions … As a junior, had 36 tackles (25 solo, 11 assists), three interceptions and five pass break-ups … Ranked No. 116 on the Mobile Press-Register’s Super Southeast 120 … Listed as the nation’s No. 28 cornerback by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked 34th nationally among cornerbacks and 19th on the Georgia Postseason Top 75 by Rivals.com … Listed as the No. 60 prospect from Georgia by SuperPrep … Ranked as the nation’s No. 110 safety by Scout.com … Named to PrepStar's All-Southeast Region team.
• PERSONAL: Born Jan. 7, 1990 ... Son of Anna Head and Reginald Taylor.

Jamar Travis, DL, 6-1, 298, Brewton, AL (W.S. Neal HS)

• High School Coach: Blaine Hathcock
  
• HIGH SCHOOL: As a junior, had 60 tackles, including 20 tackles for loss and four sacks … First Team All-State as a junior by the Alabama Sports Writers Association … Named honorable mention Class 4A All-State by the ASWA as a senior … Named a PrepStarSuperPrep … Ranked No. 22 on the Birmingham News’ Super Seniors list. All-American … Listed as the nation’s No. 11 defensive tackle by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … Ranked 29th nationally among defensive tackles and 11th on the Alabama Postseason Top 40 by Rivals.com … Ranked as the nation’s No. 32 defensive tackle by Scout.com … Listed as the No. 17 player from Alabama by
  
• PERSONAL: Born Sept. 24, 1990 ... Son of Ronald and Chello Travis.

Demond Washington, ATH, 5-9, 185, Tallassee, AL (Mississippi Gulf Coast CC/Tallassee HS)

• Junior College Coach: Steve Campbell
• High School Coach: Phil Lindsey
  
• JUNIOR COLLEGE: In 12 games during his freshman season at Gulf Coast, rushed for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 172 carries, and returned two punts for touchdowns … Helped lead team to the National Championship … Played defense as a sophomore and had 55 tackles and three interceptions, returning them all for touchdowns, while also returning four punts for scores … Ranked as the third-best junior college prospect by SuperPrep … Ranked No. 91 on the Rivals.com junior college top 100.
  
• HIGH SCHOOL: Had an injury-plagued senior season, but as a junior, scored 27 touchdowns … Named to the 2005 Class 4A all-state first team as an athlete by the Alabama Sports Writers Association.
  
• PERSONAL: Born Sept. 30, 1987 ... Son of Cynthia McCantz.

The rankings are in ...

If you care about such things, which a lot of people, including Auburn head coach Gene Chizik, do not. Here's what he had to say on that subject:

"I think a lot of people get caught up in the rankings and I think a lot of people get caught up in the stars and things of that nature. That’s all well and good but that’s not, at the end of the day, the tell-tale sign of what Auburn is about and who it’s about. We feel really good about what we signed and who we signed. Again, at the end of the day, we’re looking for that guy that we think is the right guy.”

Well, we here at the War Eagle Extra like to rank things, even if those rankings are ridiculed a year after the fact for being completely off-base.

Here's how the teams of the highly-competitive SEC fared as of 7:30 EST, according to Rivals.com:

Team (National Rank) -- 5-star player - 4-star players - 3-star players

1. Alabama (1) -- 4-14-9
   
2. LSU (2) -- 5-11-9
   
3. Georgia (9) -- 1-13-4
   
4. Florida (10) -- 3-9-4
   
5. South Carolina (12) -- 0-14-11
   
6. Arkansas (14) -- 1-8-20
   
7. Ole Miss (17) -- 1-8-22
   
8. Auburn (18) -- 0-9-16
   
9. Mississippi State (22) -- 0-7-17
   
10. Tennessee (23) -- 0-8-10
    
11. Kentucky (42) -- 0-3-16
    
12. Vanderbilt (73) -- 0-0-12

Chizik speaks: video version

Here's Gene Chizik's whole signing day press conference:

Chizik speaks about recruiting

Just finished Gene Chizik's press conference about his recruiting class. Here are the basic points of his nearly 30 minutes on the dais:

1. He thinks his staff is great and is a major reason Auburn pulled in the class it did.
2. Auburn looked at the "mark of the man" more than anything.
3. If you want an answer about anybody specific, you're not getting much of anything.

Here are some quotes that I typed up during the presser (which will be up on video shortly, I promise):

(Opening statement)
"We’ve had a blast. It’s been so fun to go out in this state right now and recruit the state of Alabama with all the great high school coaches and rekindle a lot of old relationships. Today was a big day for us."

(On the last couple days)

"This day is a little nerve-wracking, because it comes down to the last few days. There were a lot of guys at the last minute, it happens ever year, they’re not sure where they’re going to go or what they’re going to do."

(On recruiting some bigger names like WR DeAngelo Benton)

"We feel like anytime we can get a young man on campus here right now, and they see the pride and tradition and all the things that Auburn has to offer, you’ve got a shot. We threw our hate in the ring and we battled for him. That was never an easy get all the way up to when we received the fax."

(On the goal of this year's class)

"Our goal each year: upgrade. Our goal is to make sure next year’s recruiting class is better than this one. We want competition."

(On the excitement of this morning)

"It’s kind of like game day. Matter of fact, when we talked about Fridays and Saturdays on recruiting weekends, we said it was like game day. And you’ve got to produce. It was an exciting morning. Didn’t sleep much last night."

(On the importance of signing day)

"It’s your test. It’s your exam. All the work you put in -- how’s your exam.?"

(On if recruiting Texas will be a plan in the future or a one-time thing)

"I think the first thing that’s evident is how important the state of Alabama is for us. Then you’ve got to figure out where else you’re going. And for us it was a little bit different for us this year, because you’ve got to deal with pre-existing relationships."

(On if he plans to add any members to the signing class)

"Stay tuned. We’re going to do our due diligence with anybody. If that’s an opportunity that’s right for Auburn, then we’ll go for it."

(On quarterback Clint Moseley)

"First of all, we’re always looking for winners. It’s hard to win state championships. And you’re looking at a guy who has won three. He’s a great athlete. He brings a lot of winning to the table. He’s exactly what we envision."

(On LB Eltoro Freeman and getting him mid-year)

"Really huge. You talk about an excitable guy. He’s exciting to have around. He’s what you’re looking for at that position. He’s physical and runs well. Excited about being at Auburn. And it’s huge that you get him in here at mid-year."

(Anything surprise you today?)

"I don’t think so. Nothing surprises me. With this day, shoot."

(On getting two big-time receivers, Benton and Emory Blake and if he was confident they'd sign with Auburn)

"When you’re talking about two very highly-recruited guys, you really don’t know until it’s through, it’s locked. I’m never going to say that either one were going to come through 100 percent until we got it. Until you get it, you don’t know."

(On Benton's preparedness, considering he did not play last year)

"Coming out of high school, he was one of the top wide receivers in the country. He was a great player. Again, when you talk about your staff going out and just trying to find guys. He was one that we found and looks like he can step in and play today, physically. He hasn't take a step back. He's a couple years older, a couple years wiser, and I think he's ready."

Running Signing Day Thread (UPDATE 11:36 a.m.)

There are usually two things I can wake up early for: making a flight or playing a round of golf. Today, I expanded my horizons to include 'cruitin', with a 6 a.m. wake-up call for signing day, aka, the most important Internet day of the year.

Here's how it's going to work today. I'm going to keep a running diary of the day, updating this thread as recruits fax in their letters of intent and entertaining you with such wits and witticisms as "What's the deal with soft commitments?" in between (It's funnier if you read it in a Jerry Seinfeld voice).

I'll keep update a list of the letters of intent Auburn has received and those it is still waiting for at the top of the thread and add on throughout the day at the bottom, so keep coming back to this page.

If you've got any questions or comments, you can write at the end of the thread or e-mail me directly at abitter@ledger-enquirer.com.

SIGNED (28)
Eltoro Freeman, LB, Alexander City, Ala. (Mississippi Gulf Coast), 5-11, 218
Onterio McCalebb, RB, Fort Meade, Fla. (Hargrave), 6-0, 175
Philip Lutzenkirchen, TE, Marietta, Ga., 6-4, 245
Dee Ford, LB, Odenville, Ala., 6-2, 190
Daren Bates, S, Olive Branch, Miss., 5-11, 195
Andre Harris, OL, Hampton, Ga., 6-4, 327
Reggie Taylor, DB, Fort Valley, Ga., 5-10, 167
Travante Stallworth, WR, Leesville, La., 5-10, 180
Clint Moseley, QB, Leroy, Ala., 6-4, 200
Brandon Jacobs, RB, Lilburn, Ga., 6-1, 230
Izauea Lanier, ATH, Gordo, Ala., 6-1, 185
Josh Jackson, DT, Gainesville, Ga., 6-2, 260
Tyrik Rollison, QB, Sulphur Springs, Texas, 6-2, 185
Jonathan Evans, LB, Pritchard, Ala., 6-0, 205
John Sullen, OL, Auburn, Ala., 6-5, 338
Demond Washington, ATH, Tallassee, Ala. (Mississippi Gulf Coast), 5-9, 185
Anthony Gulley, RB, Brantley, Ala., 5-11, 185
Emory Blake, WR, Austin, Texas, 6-1, 194
DeAngelo Benton, WR, Bastrop, La. (Hargrave), 6-3, 210
Nosa Eguae, DE, Mansfield, Texas, 6-2, 234
Taikwon Paige, DB, Aiken, S.C. (Georgia Military College), 5-10, 175
Dontae Aycock, RB, Tampa, Fla., 5-9, 216
Robert Cooper, ATH, Mobile, Ala., 6-4, 204
Harris Gaston, LB, Bessemer, Ala., 6-4, 225
Jamar Travis, DT, Brewton, Ala., 6-1, 312
Terrance Coleman, DL, Mobile, Ala., 6-1, 244
LaVoyd James, WR, Mobile, Ala., 5-10, 175
Nick Fairley, DT, Mobile, Ala. (Copiah-Lincoln), 6-4, 295

POSSIBILITIES
Mike Eargle, DB, Scranton, Pa. (Lackawanna CC), 6-0, 180

SIGNED ELSEWHERE
Aubrey Phillips, OL, Olive Branch, Miss., 6-6, 310 -- Florida State
Tana Patrick, LB, Stevenson, Ala., 6-3, 215 -- Alabama
Brandon Heavens, ATH, Bessemer, Ala., 5-10, 165 -- Mississippi State
Greg King, LB, Memphis, Tenn., 6-3, 200 -- Tennessee
Tyler Knight, OL Leesburg, Ga., 6-4, 245 -- Plans to attend junior college
DeQuinta Jones, DT, Bastrop, La., 6-4, 305 -- Arkansas
Jamontay Pilson, DT, Greenville, Ala., 6-3, 265 -- NW Mississippi Community College

7:01 a.m.: No surprise here. In fact, some of the beat writers were mock wagering who was going to be the first to sign. It had to be someone in the Eastern Time Zone, which narrowed it down. The answer? Lutzenkirchen. He seems like he's been committed for about three years. He's Rivals' No. 3 overall tight end in the country and should be a good weapon for offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to use in a variety of ways. Watch this catch.

7:17 a.m.: Checking some the 'cruitin' Web sites, they have press conference times for some commits. Here they are (special thanks to AUTigers.com):

• Dontae Aycock, 8:45 a.m.
• Emory Blake, 9 a.m.
• Aubrey Phillips, 9:30 a.m.
• Tana Patrick, 10 a.m.
• Greg King, 10 a.m.
• Harris Gaston, 10 a.m.
• DeAngelo Benton, Rueben Randle and DeQuinta Jones, 12:30 p.m.
• Jonathan Evans, 2 p.m.

7:36 a.m.: Four more are in: Ford, Bates, Harris and Taylor.

7:41 a.m.: It should be noted that Bates and Aubrey Phillips are high school teammates at Olive Branch, Miss. I guess Bates bypassed the formality of a signing day press conference, since he was committed and all. Phillips is supposed to announce at 9:30 a.m. Tennessee, Auburn and Florida State are in the mix. He expects to "shock" some people. Stay tuned.

7:43 a.m.: Trying to tackle these new signees one-by-one. Ford was a defensive end in high school but should play outside linebacker in college. He made 90 tackles last year for St. Clair County, with 18 sacks (18!) and 38 tackles for a loss.

7:45 a.m.: Bates is a curious case. He wasn't being offered by anybody early on. He was committed to Arkansas State until Alabama showed interest and Auburn offered. Having seen him in person, he looks like a well-built defensive back, one who could be a thumper at the safety position. Some numbers from AuburnSports.com: he runs a 4.5 40-yard dash, has a 325-pound bench press and a 38-inch vertical leap.

7:48 a.m.: Auburn misses on its first up-for-grabs recruit of the day. Phillips "shocked" some people and chose to go to Florida State. I thought things looked up for Auburn after Bates, his high school teammate committed, but the 'Noles are a tough team to go up against.

7:50 a.m.: Admittedly, I don't know that much about Andre Harris. He committed to Auburn is June and didn't waver throughout the coaching change. Didn't even take another official visit, despite drawing interest from practically the entire ACC. AuburnSports.com reported Jan. 11 that the once 327-pounder had slimmed down close to 300. That's got to be a good thing. It's always easier to put weight on in college than to take it off.

7:53 a.m.: Finally, a (somewhat) local boy. Reggie Taylor went to Peach County High in Fort Valley, Ga., the same high school as former Tigers wide receiver Chris Slaughter, who left the team this offseason. Taylor made his visit to Auburn on Jan. 9 and came away very impressed by defensive coordinator Ted Roof. He's likely to play cornerback.

7:56 a.m.: News to report on the Tony Franklin front. The former Auburn offensive coordinator is reportedly going to be hired by Middle Tennessee, according to Rivals. Sadly, I can't find any video footage on line of his, "Hell, I'd boo me" press conference. It was classic.

8:00 a.m.: Two more to report: Travante Stallworth and Clint Moseley.

8:02 a.m.: Stallworth was on the fence for a while after the coaching change. He made official visits to Michigan and South Carolina before taking a trip to Auburn and solidifying his commitment. He played quarterback his senior season at Leesville, throwing for 1,338 yards and 14 touchdowns and running for 574 yards and 14 more scores (thank you Rivals for the stats), but he'll be a receiver with the Tigers.

8:04 a.m.: Moseley is another interesting case. He committed to Auburn Jan. 18, shortly before Auburn got a commitment from four-star dual-threat quarterback Tyrik Rollison. Moseley didn't waver, though, probably because his other best offers were Arkansas State and South Alabama. Still, he can play quarterback. He threw for 3,758 yards and 38 touchdowns last year for Leroy, earning Alabama's Mr. Football title, and finished his career as the fifth-leading passer in state history. So he's got some talent. Here's a video.

8:07 a.m. Brandon Jacobs is in. Not the New York Giants running back. The one from Parkview High in Lilburn, Ga., the same school as former Auburn running back Brad Lester. Jacobs is expected to stay at running back with Auburn.

8:17 a.m.: Two more are in: Lanier and Josh Jackson.

8:21 a.m.: Izauea Lanier instantly becomes "the Auburn Tiger whose name I misspell most often. The key is to remember that there is an AU in the middle. Apparently, he was destined for Auburn. He's listed as an athlete but told us he would most likely play safety.

8:24 a.m.: Josh Jackson was late to the party, committing to Auburn last night once he got an offer. I'll be the first to throw out a Dawson's Creek reference on this one, though I think Josh Jackson (the actor) was much, much better in "The Mighty Ducks." The FOOTBALL Josh Jackson looks much more menacing on his Rivals.com picture. Jackson chose Auburn over Ole Miss and N.C. State and signed with the Tigers despite never taking a visit to Auburn.

8:25 a.m.: Quick aside: Here's my favorite story about Joshua Jackson the ACTOR, when he got busted at a hockey game for drunkenly assaulting a security guard. Just for fun, here's the mug shot, too.

8:26 a.m.: A big one just came across the fax. Rollison just signed.

8:30 a.m.: A borderline candidate just signed: Jonathan Evans. I'll touch on Rollison first, then play catch-up.

8:34 a.m.: Rollison is the catch of the class so far. Auburn went hard after the four-star dual threat quarterback as soon as Malzahn was hired as offensive coordinator. Clearly, the coaches like him as a fit in this offense. Here's a different video of some of his high school highlights from what I posted a couple weeks ago. The question now is whether he qualifies. His high school coach has told recruiting Web sites that he thinks his star player will make the necessary test score to get in. What exactly that number is is up for debate. It will create a little drama for this spring, however.

8:38 a.m.: Jonathan Evans is the younger brother of recent four-year Auburn linebacker Chris Evans. He, along with Terrance Coleman, visited Tennessee last weekend, prompting panic on the message boards that they might switch commitments. (His primary recruiter was James Willis, who left for Alabama.) In the end, though, he stuck with Auburn.

8:49 a.m.: John Sullen is in. Another local boy for Auburn. From meeting with him briefly, he is enormous. He's listed at 6-foot-5, 338 pounds and, according to OA News scribe Andrew Gribble, plays basketball on his high school team. I would not want to post up against that kid. Another one who had an interesting offer list. He was committed to Southern Miss until Auburn came calling. Not a lot of big-time offers there, but I'm sure the last thing Gene Chizik and Co. wanted to do was let a propsect in their backyard go somewhere else. Also, I wanted the opportunity to post this picture of him with an awesome hat.

9:11 a.m.: Demond Washington is the latest signee. He played defensive back at Mississippi Gulf Coast last year and running back the year before. We're not sure exactly what he's going to play at Auburn, but here's a video from 2007 (I'd post the 2008 one, but the language in the music selection is not the cleanest). He was a roommate of Tigers signee Eltoro Freeman, so his decision to come to Auburn isn't a shock. He's also from nearby Tallassee, which has to help. Interestingly, Rivals has himi as a three-star player. Scout has him as a 5-star. I can see a one-star difference, but two? It makes me question the star system even more than I already do. He has three years to play two at Auburn.

9:14 a.m.: Two more are in: Gulley and ... Emory Blake!

9:16 a.m.: Big catch for Auburn, which reeled in the big-time receiver it so desperately needs. Blake was down to Texas Tech, Colorado and Auburn. Amazing that a receiver would chose the Tigers over the Red Raiders and Mike Leach's Air Raid offense, especially with the wide-open opportunity created when Michael Crabtree declared for the NFL Draft. That makes the Auburn coaching staff luring Blake all the more impressive. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound Blake is a four-star recruit. He caught 64 passes for 936 yards and a nine touchdowns last year. It should be noted his father is former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jeff Blake, so prepare yourself for four years of those stories.

9:18 a.m.: Well, Auburn fans, here's your Zombie Nation momentum shifting moment. Auburn just signed DeAngelo Benton, a former five-star wide receiver from Bastrop, La. We didn't believe it either. Had to look closely at the faxed-in letter of intent. Major coup for the Tigers.

9:23 a.m.: More on Benton. Here's his history: the 6-foot-3, 210-pound wideout signed with LSU out of Bastrop, La., in 2007. He didn't qualify and attended Hargrave Military Academy. He tried to sign again last year and didn't qualify. He didn't play anywhere this season and all signs pointed to him signing with LSU again this year (he even went on the radio and said he was signing with LSU). He made a double-secret probation visit to Auburn a few weeks ago, some thinking it was merely a token visit. Apparently, that wasn't the case. Still shocked by this one.

9:35 a.m.: I feel sorry for Anthony Gulley, who happened to fax in his letter of intent just as the Auburn fan base was finding out about Blake and Benton. Gulley seemed genuinely excited about the possibility of committing to Auburn a few weeks ago (so much so that he jumped the gun and did it before actually getting an offer he could commit to). He's from a small school and isn't too big, but he's got some great stats, scoring 31 touchdowns his senior season. He'll play slot receiver at Auburn.

9:42 a.m.: AuburnSports.com is reporting that running back Dontae Aycock has committed to Auburn. That is committed, not signed. He's the one who had his Georgia Tech scholarship offer pulled after he visited Auburn last weekend.

9:54 a.m.: The latest signee is Nosa Eguae, who comes in a close second to Izauea Lanier for new Auburn Tiger whose name I will misspell on a regular basis. Eguae seems like an impressive recruit, despite being only a 3-star. He's 6-foot-3, 244 pounds and should play as a rush end. He originally committed to Colorado in September but opened things up. According to AuburnSports.com, he was recruited to Oklahoma State by Curtis Luper, Ole Miss by Tracy Rocker and Minnesota by Ted Roof. By coincidence, all of them came together on the same staff at Auburn, which was a major advantage.

10:04 a.m.: Tana Patrick knows how to build drama. At his press conference announcement, lining up Auburn, Tennessee and Alabama hats in front of him before pulling out a Nick Saban replica Panama Jack straw hat to a raucous round of cheers. He wins the prop award. Some recruit out there better top that.

10:08 a.m.: Two more are in: Taikwon Paige and Dontae Aycock.

10:10 a.m.: Aycock's been mentioned before. I guess he really didn't have much of a choice once Georgia Tech cut him loose. It's interesting that the Yellow Jackets had him sized up to play quarterback in their option offense. Auburn is looking at the 5-foot-10, 210-pound signee from Tampa to play running back. He played quarterback last year for Chamberlain High, throwing for 1,491 yards and 17 touchdowns and adding 1,406 yards and 28 scores on the ground. Those are some impressive numbers. He's ranked by Rivals as the No. 32 overall recruit in Florida, which, as you know, is full of football talent. That's probably top-10 in most states.

10:12 a.m.: Rivals' revised rating on DeAngelo Benton is 4 stars, which makes sense, since the wideout didn't play football anywhere last season. Interestingly, he has five years to play four at Auburn, despite spending a semester at Hargrave, according to AuburnSports.com. Hargrave is a prep school, so his time there doesn't count against his college eligibility.

10:18 a.m.: Paige, who committed to North Carolina out of high school in 2007, was talked about a little bit last night, when got an offer from Auburn and committed immediately. He and Roof seem to have a good relationship. Roof recruited him to Minnesota before coming down here. Paige actually committed to Minnesota briefly before opening things back up. Since he went to junior college for two years, he has three years to play two at Auburn. The Tigers want him to play cornerback.

10:22 a.m.: This was under the radar, but Brandon Heavens, a former Auburn commit, signed with Mississippi State. He visited Starkville after Auburn apparently waned in interest. This is not a surprise.

10:27 a.m.: Robert Cooper just sent in his letter of intent. The Mobile, Ala., athlete has agreed to grayshirt, according to AuburnSports.com, meaning he won't enroll or be on scholarship until next January. That means he'll count against next year's numbers. Rivals says the 6-foot-4, 200-pounder can play quarterback, receiver, tight end, safety or linebacker.

10:43 a.m.: Auburn's latest signee is Harris Gaston, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound linebacker from Bessemer, Ala. Gaston made some people worry when he visited Mississippi State last weekend, but he stayed true to his commitment. From the sounds of it, the coaches don't know exactly what linebacker position Gaston will play. He told Rivals that James Willis wanted him to play in the middle, but Willis isn't here anymore, and there's a little matter of Josh Bynes locking the position down for at least next year. He could definitely play earlier if he goes to the outside.

11:03 a.m.: Rivals is reporting that Memphis linebacker Greg King has signed with Tennessee. He was one of the on-the-fence recruits.

11:04 a.m. AuburnSports.com is reporting that Auburn commit Tyler Knight will not sign with Auburn and will plans to enroll in a junior college. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Knight was a two-star recruit.

11:16 a.m.: Jamar Travis, come on down. Rivals has him ranked as a four-star prospect. He's not terribly tall (6-1 according to Rivals, but I feel like I stood eye-to-eye with him and I'm not taller than 5-11). He seems like he'll be a nose tackle and nothing else, so he might have to add to his 312-pound frame. He had 70 tackles, 14 TFLs, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks his senior season at W.S. Neal, according to AuburnSports.com. That's a pretty good year.

11:19 a.m.: We're just waiting pretty much for the Williamson High guys, Terrance Coleman, LaVoyd James and Nick Fairley. AUTigers.com says they've already signed and Auburn is just waiting for the faxes to come in, so apparently there's no need to panic.

11:25 a.m.: Midwest City, Okla., running back David Oku will go past signing day to make his decision, but according to GoVolsExtra.com, citing an anonymous source, says he's likely to sign with Auburn. Oku is considering Tennessee, Auburn and Syracuse. It'd be interesting to add another running back to this class. But watch his clips. He looks like he's worth it.

11:30 a.m.: The Williamson boys are in. Coleman, James and Fairley are committed. Coleman caused a bit of a stir by visiting Tennessee last weekend. He wasn't thrilled with James Willis bolting for 'Bama. I still never pictured him going somewhere else when his uncle, Antonio Coleman, came back for his senior season at Auburn. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound James is the fourth wide receiver of this class. Fairley spent last year at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss. He tried to enroll in January but had an admissions hang-up with one of his classes and won't be able to enroll until next fall. The defensive lineman has three years to play three.

11:33 a.m.: Rivals.com just told us DeQuinta Jones, another of the seemingly endless prospects from Bastrop, La., has signed with Arkansas. Jones came on late in the game with Auburn. He was originally a Michigan commit who changed his mind.

11:34 a.m.: AuburnSports.com tells us Jamontay Pilson will not sign with Auburn today and will instead go to Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia. This too, apparently, is not a shocker.

11:36 a.m.: Unless something else surprising happens, that should be it for the day. Chizik will speak around 2 p.m. today and we'll definitely have a post-press conference post. I even get to test out a brand new tripod for my iFlip video camera. The stillness of the shot should be mesmerizing.

Recruiting: And down the stretch they come

National Signing Day is almost upon us.

From the sounds of it, things are going to start extremely early here at the Auburn athletic complex. The War Eagle Extra will set several alarm clocks to get out of bed and provide information on recruits as they send in their letters on intent, so check back periodically throughout the day for updates tomorrow.

Until then, here are some names to watch tomorrow in various categories. As usual, our information is gathered from a variety of recruting sites, including AuburnSports.com, AUTigers.com and AuburnUndercover.com:

Looking very good

• Dontae Aycock: The Tampa, Fla, native had his scholarship offer from Georgia Tech pulled after visiting Auburn last weekend. That doesn't leave him many other offers on the table. The Tigers are one team, and they're recruiting the four-star player as a running back.

Committed elsewhere, but ...

• Aubrey Phillips: Mammoth Tennessee OL commit says there might "shock" some people on signing day. Why would you say that unless you were planning on switching your commitment. His Olive Branch (Miss.) High teammate Daren Bates has already committed to the Tigers. Auburn's chances sound good her, although Florida State is in play too.
• DeQuinta Jones: The DT is a Michigan commit but backed off quickly, making several visits in January. Arkansas and Tennessee are also in the picture.

Toss-ups

• Emory Blake: The Texas WR (and son of former NFL quarterback Jeff Blake) is down to Texas Tech and Auburn, according to Rivals.com. Hard to believe a wide receiver wouldn't want to play in the Red Raiders' system, but Gus Malzahn has been known to pitch the ball around a bit too.
• Greg King: The Memphis, Tenn., LB is down to Tennessee and Auburn.

Still signing?

• Brandon Heavens: Bessemer, Ala., athlete committed to Auburn in April, but explored his . He visisted Mississippi State last weekend and, from the sounds of it, could switch his commitment.
• Terrence Coleman: Antonio Coleman's nephew has had second thoughts about his Auburn commitment. The Mobile, Ala., native didn't like how James Willis left him in the lurch. He visisted Tennessee last week and might switch things up on signing day.

Grayshirting

• Robert Cooper: The Daphne, Ala., athlete has accepted Auburn's grayshirt offer, according to AuburnSports.com, meaning he'll enroll as a full-time student and scholarship player at Auburn in January of next year.
  

If offered, will sign

• Taikwon Paige: The two-year Georgia Military College cornerback originall signed with Minnesota but opened things up. He's got a good relationship with defensive coordinator Ted Roof but hasn't yet been offered a scholarship. UPDATE: Paige was offered Tuesday night and committed, according to AuburnSports.com, making him the Tigers' 26th commitment).
  
• Mike Eargle: Same situation for the Lackawanna Community College CB, who visited Auburn last weekend.

The Lloyd Christmas "so you're telling me there's a chance" extreme longshot division

• DeAngelo Benton: The one-time five-star WR, who prepped at Hargrave, gave Auburn a super-secret visit two weeks ago. But he's a two-time LSU signee who appears to be bound for the Bengal Tigers. It'd be shocking if the Bastrop, La., native chose Auburn.
• Tana Patrick: All signs point to Alabama for the Stevenson, Ala., linebacker, who also visited Miami and Southern California.

Call back later

• David Oku: The Midwest City, Okla., RB has told coaches to stop calling him (it's about time some recruit did that). He's down to Auburn, Tennessee and (oddly) Syracuse. He's already said he'll go past signing day, so don't expect a decision tomorrow.
• Bryce Brown: Ranked the No. 1 overall recruit in the country, the Wichita, Kan., RB still has a few visits planned for after signing day. Auburn could be one of them. Right now, he's still a Miami commit, but who knows how serious that is.

Peace, we outta here

• Tracy Moore: The Tulsa, Okla., TE/WR flirted with Auburn but stuck to his commitment at Oklahoma State.
• Johnnie Farms: The OL gave Auburn a chance last week but elected to honor his commitment to North Carolina.
• Corey Gaines: The DT fell in love with Ole Miss and wasn't able to be swayed on his Auburn trip last weekend.

Lett likely out for Ole Miss game

Bad news for Auburn basketball. Forward Johnnie Lett has a badly sprained ankle and is likely to miss Wednesday's game at Ole Miss, according to a school spokesman.

Lett missed the South Carolina game Jan. 10 while clearing up an academic issue. The Tigers lost the game 68-56.

Lett averages 2.9 points and 3.4 rebounds a game, but provides Auburn with a rebounding and defensive presence in the post.

His absence leaves Auburn in a bind in the post. Beyond Korvotney Barber and Lucas Hargrove, the Tigers have few options down low. Junior college transfer Brendon Knox averages less than eight minutes a game. He played five minutes against Vanderbilt on Saturday, scoring zero points and committing four fouls.

Recruiting news, some of it bad

We've got a couple of developments on the recruiting scene today, so let's get to it ...

• Tallahassee, Fla., defensive tackle Corey Gaines has selected Ole Miss, according to RebelSports.net, the Ole Miss Rivals.com site. Gaines had Ole Miss at the top of his list before coming away from a visit to Auburn last weekend impressed. Still, he ended up going with the Rebels. The 6-foot, 274-pound tackle is a four-star player.

• Perry, Ga., offensive guard Johnnie Farms is sticking with his commitment to North Carolina, so says the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Farms, a four-star recruit, visited Auburn last weekend but despite committing to the Tar Heels in November.
  

• In better news for Auburn, the Tigers might be at the top of the list for Tampa, Fla., running back Dontae Aycock. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound, four-star recruit was told by Georgia Tech that if he followed through with a visit to Auburn last weekend, the school would pull his scholarship offer. He did and the Yellow Jackets did, according to the Journal-Constitution. Interestingly, Auburn is recruiting Aycock to be a running back. Georgia Tech wanted him as a quarterback to run its unique option offense. Also interesting is that the Journal-Constitution article said Aycock is committed to Auburn. No such news has come from the Tigers' major recruiting sites, AuburnSports.com and AUTigers.com. That news sounds a bit premature to me.

• UPDATE: Auburn couldn't sway another one of its most recent visitors. Tulsa, Okla., tight end Tracy Moore told The Oklahoman that he is sticking with his commitment to Oklahoma State. Thought Auburn might have a chance with this kid, just because he seemed very chummy with assistants Curtis Luper and Trooper Taylor.

Recruiting: The final countdown

Imagine Europe's classic rock song playing in the background as you read this blog entry about recruiting, because we are in the final countdown to the Feb. 4 National Signing Day.

Like the last two weekends, we'll be talking to the recruits we can following their visits. Like the last two weekends, we're bound to miss a few, since they leave from a couple of different places once their visit in complete.

Apparently, five-star Bastrop, La., wide receiver Rueben Randle did not make his trip to Auburn, but the Tigers still hosted around 12 recruits, including some big ones. Four-star Perry, Ga., offensive lineman Johnnie Farms was here but didn't want to talk. He's a North Carolina commit.

Some did choose to talk, which we appreciate. Here's what they had to say:

David Oku, RB, 4-star, 5-10, 186, Midwest City, Okla.

Oku committed to the Volunteers but from the sounds of it is wide open with his recruitment. He's narrowed his choices down to Tennessee, Syracuse and Auburn. He's pretty highly-ranked, touted as the No. 1 all-purpose back in the country by Rivals.com. He's ranked No. 97 overall. From a media perspective, he was easily the most engaging interview of the last few weeks.

How did the trip go? "For such short notice, after them calling me and letting me know about it, it went real good. More than likely, I told Coach (Curtis Luper), I will go past Signing Day to make the decision about that."

Do you have a target day? "No. Not really. But it’ll probably be sometime in mid-February, maybe like the 17th, 12th, something like that, until I talk to one person close to me. That’s what it will be. Not just to hold up the decision or anything like that, but just coming down here, it was just great and made me look at a lot of different stuff that I really did like."

Did it help to have a familiarity with Auburn? "It already helped, but at the same time that was the old coaching staff that was here. You can tell this new coaching staff if just out loud about it, just pumped all the time. I mean, you’ve got coach (Trooper) Taylor running through here just yelling all the time. So it’s good. I saw some things I didn’t see the last time I was here. As far as everything else goes, it’s great."

What do you think about Gus Malzahn's offense? "Basically what I have to say is his offense is not fair from what I’ve seen. It’s not fair with some of the trick plays he has done. It’s just not fair to me. I was laughing at it, just laughing at the plays that were going on. Because the defense didn’t know what was going on, so I thought it was pretty funny."

Did this trip help Auburn? "I felt like it did a lot because it was such short notice, Coach Luper was like, ‘Hey, come out here. If you like it, you like it. If you don’t, you don’t.’ Me coming out here has given me a lot to think about. That’s why I will go past Signing Day to give a fair opportunity."

Some people held up posters for you at the basketball game. What is your reaction? "Man, posters, posters, posters, man. I don’t know. I wasn’t really trying to be the centerfold of attention or anything like that. I was trying to lay low. I don’t know how people spotted me, man. I was just trying to chill. The basketball game was good. You’ve got to be blessed to be in a situation like this, basically. I was just trying to lay low. Through the game I see this big old poster go up and I start laughing."

What did they say? "'Running Back U is Waiting for Oku.' I was like, goodness gracious. And another poster was, 'Oku and Luper for Heisman.' It was just unbelievable. It was just being blessed basically."

Is your commitment still solid to Tennessee? "No. If that was the case, then I would be signing on Signing Day. Coming here and also going to Syracuse has given me a lot to think about. I’m not solid anywhere, because in that case, come Wednesday I’d just be faxing in information. That’s not the case."

Is this going to be a difficult decision to come to? "It really is. It will be a real difficult situation to come to a decision, but it’s just one that’s got to be made. So time will tell."

Corey Gaines, DT, 4-star, 6-0, 274, Tallahassee, Fla.

Gaines sounded last week like he was bound for Ole Miss, but now Auburn is certainly in the picture.

Where do you stand right now? "I’m really confused right now. I had my mind set up on Ole Miss, but Auburn is a nice place and coach (Tracy) Rocker really wants to coach me. He’s the best of the best, so that kind of threw me for a loop. So I’ve just got to pray about it and talk it over with my family."

What does it mean to talk to a coach like Rocker? "It means a lot. He got a lot of players in the NFL, but first I want to get my degree."

What was your favorite part of the trip? "Probably me and Coach Rocker talking one-on-one yesterday. That was the best part."

What are you looking for in a school? "Family atmosphere and how comfortable can I be around the coaching staff."

When are you going to make a decision? "Probably Monday night or Tuesday morning."

Aubrey Phillips, OL, 4-star, 6-6, 310, Olive Branch, Miss.

Phillips is a Tennessee commit but is drawing interest from Arkansas and Auburn. His high school teammate, safety Daren Bates, committed to the Tigers last week. They both took their official visit to Auburn this weekend.

Are you still a Tennessee commit? "I’m still committed, but on Signing Day I might shock some people."

What is it like having a high school teammate coming to Auburn? "That plays a big part in the decision because I know I can go somewhere with somebody else that I know. I won’t be so afraid to leave home if I got someone else going with me. So it plays a big role in my decision."

What did Bates have to say to you? "He just said, 'I love it down here.' And he just said, ‘Come then.’ And I just said, 'I might.'"

How is your relationship with Trooper Taylor? "He recruited me since my ninth-grade year or my sophomore year."

When are you going to announce? "Not going to announce until signing day."

Daren Bates, S, 2-star, 5-11, 195, Olive Branch, Miss.

As mentioned before, he's Phillips' high school teammate. He committed to Auburn lasts week after picking up an offer.

Are you trying to convince Phillips to come here? "Oh yeah. I'm trying to get him to come with me here so we can be roommates and be on the field together"

Why did your recruiting pick up so much recently? "It all happened in weeks. Everybody was coming at me and saying they wanted me to come visit this last week. It was easy to come to Auburn and play for them. Coach (Gene) Chizik came over to my school on a Wednesday. The next you know, Coach Taylor, Coach Roof all came over the next week. They offered me and I took it."

What was it like seeing the Jordan-Hare Stadium last night? "That was awesome. I loved running out on the field. I could see myself doing that for the next three or four years. I had my jersey number on and saw the eagle and saw the type of atmosphere it would be that we play in."

Taikwon Paige, CB, 4-star, 5-10, 175, Milledgeville Georgia Military College

Paige has drawn interest from Tennessee and UAB. A former Minnesota commit, he has a good relationship with Auburn defensive coordinator Ted Roof, a former Gophers coach.

How was your trip? "It went pretty good. It was a chance to meet some of the players. Had a good time meeting the new coaches, coach Chizik. All in all it was a good weekend."

Did you get an offer? "I won’t know until I get back to Milledgeville."

Where do you stand with Auburn? "Just with them getting the new coaching staff, a lot more recruits in, we’re going to see what happens within the hour."

Are you going to wait for Auburn? "Yeah, we’re going to see what’s going to happen today or tomorrow."

Did they tell you where you'll play here? "Corner. They’re not really that deep at the corner position."

Is it weird that Auburn doesn't have a secondary coach yet? "It’s kind of weird, but I understand with them being a new staff trying to get everything right."

Tracy Moore, TE, 3-star, 6-4, 230, Tulsa, Okla.

A late addition to the weekend roster, Moore sounded like he had a good time. He's an Oklahoma State commit but was very chummy with former Cowboys coaches Luper and Taylor.

How did your trip go? "It went good. I liked everything down here and everything. I'm still committed to Oklahoma State as of right now. I've got to go back home and talk to my parents about it and see how they feel about it."

Do you know Malzahn well? "I've been knowing about coach Malzahn since my sophomore year when he was at (Tulsa) and everything. I pretty much know everything. You've got to love that offense. It's hard to stop. "

How do you fit in this offense? "Slot receiver, running back, wide receiver. Pretty much everything – any way they can get me the ball. "

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Auburn? "The advantage that Auburn has is that offense. The disadvantage is being far away from home."

Will you wait until National Signing Day to make a decision? "I'm not sure. It will probably take me a day or two."