Right now, Auburn only has six commitments in the Class of 2016—one 4-star and five 3-star players.
The Tigers' current class—which is of course subject to major change—is currently ranked No. 32 in the nation and No. 10 in the SEC. Only Arkansas, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Missouri trail Auburn in the conference recruiting standings.
Auburn's early 2016 ranking took a good-sized hit when Nate Craig-Myers, the No. 1 wide receiver in the country, decommitted from the Tigers after 10 months.
At this point last year, Auburn was coming off a season that finished at the national championship game and already saw nine commitments for 2015—one 5-star (No. 1 overall JUCO player and former 2012 signee Jovon Robinson) and seven 4-stars.
However, the Tigers' slow start to the 2016 class shouldn't discount the potential impacts of those who are currently committed to playing on the Plains.
Let's hand out some early grades for the current pack of future Tigers.
Offense
The lone offensive commitment for Auburn on the offensive side of the ball right now is Landon Rice, who made his initial pledge way back in November 2013.
While his ratings might not leap off the screen for most fans, the Tigers definitely need Rice to stay on board for the future.
Auburn doesn't have a lot of depth at the tight end and H-back spots—and, as C.J. Uzomah and the late Philip Lutzenkirchen showed during their times on campus, Gus Malzahn can always use a standout target at those positions.
At 6'5" and 250 pounds, Rice has the look of a big-time weapon down the road in Malzahn's offensive system and has garnered a lot of attention from other schools since his commitment to Auburn. Georgia, Florida and Michigan have all offered scholarships to the tight end.
Rice's brother is currently a walk-on at Auburn, and it doesn't look like he is going to waver from his commitment to the Tigers. While Auburn has a lot of work left to do in recruiting offensive players in this class, Rice is a great fit and could be a difference-maker in the future.
Grade: Incomplete
Defense
The rest of Auburn's 2016 commitments can be found on the defensive side of the ball, where the Tigers are continuing to look for value and depth for the future.
The star of the class so far is John Broussard, the nation's No. 8 cornerback. Broussard, who hails from nearby Phenix City, Alabama, chose Auburn over LSU and Mississippi State earlier this month.
"Broussard looks comfortable playing receivers at the line of scrimmage or 10 yards off," Auburn Undercover's Keith Niebuhr said. "Another thing you have to like is the fact he isn’t afraid of contact and does well against the run. Although he only had one interception in 2014, you see Broussard make plays time after time on the ball."
With the Tigers struggling to maintain depth at cornerback, especially after a recent streak of transfers, getting Broussard and keeping him is vital for Auburn in this recruiting cycle.
Another key name for 2016 is a familiar one for many Auburn fans: Stephen Davis Jr., whose father was a star running back for the Tigers from 1993-1995.
Bleacher Report's Michael Felder likes what he sees out of Davis, who could be the perfect safety for Muschamp's defensive scheme:
Davis Jr. told reporters earlier this month he is only "70 percent" committed to Auburn, as he also has offers from Clemson, Florida, Notre Dame and South Carolina. Because of his game and his name, Davis is a player the Tigers must keep in their class.
David Marshall and Quinnen Williams are defensive line prospects who already have the size that assistant Rodney Garner loves to see. Tre Threat is another top product from the Mobile, Alabama, area who boasts the best name and one of the best offer sheets of any current commitment.
Auburn is currently targeting 10 blue-chip defensive prospects—including six 5-star players—and several of them will be on campus this weekend for the annual "Big Cat Weekend" event.
While the Tigers' current defensive commitments won't blow away any stargazing fans, they represent a solid base for what could be another top-10 class.
After all, there is still plenty of time for Auburn to improve its grades before those final report cards come out in February.
Grade: C
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is an On-Call College Football Writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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