On Wednesday, Auburn officially signed its fourth straight top-10 recruiting class under Gus Malzahn. The Tigers finished No. 9 nationally in 247Sports' composite team rankings.
Even after back-to-back seasons in which it fell short of high expectations, Auburn continues to bring in the talent necessary to compete for championships in the cutthroat SEC West.
The Tigers overcame some late losses of key recruiters on the coaching staff and still managed to sign one of the nation's best classes for both defensive linemen and wide receivers. Auburn did especially well in the nearby state of Georgia and continued to maintain a stronghold in Florida.
Auburn's 2016 roster situation should make for plenty of early impact from this year's signing class, which features a few potential starters for this upcoming season.
It's time to get to know the players who will be huge pieces to the team's puzzle for the next several seasons, from the much-needed passing targets to the under-the-radar names on the defensive side of the ball.
Here's an in-depth look at Auburn's 2016 recruiting class.
Signing-day specials
The top offensive and defensive recruits of the 2016 class for Auburn both came down to national signing day, when they gave the Tigers plenty of reason to celebrate in the war room.
Five-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown was rated as the ninth-best player in the entire country. He'll provide a huge boost to what should already be a strong Auburn defensive front in 2016.
The longtime Georgia lean trended toward the Tigers in the days leading up to signing day. He ultimately picked Auburn over the in-state Bulldogs, Alabama and Tennessee.
By signing with Auburn, he became the program's best-ever pick from the Peach State, as the Tigers hadn't signed Georgia's No. 1 player in the recruiting ranking era.
"I think that for the next three-to-four years, it's going to be great to watch Auburn football," Brown said on the ESPN2 telecast of his announcement. "That's why I made this decision."
Brown has the skill set to play a huge role and even start for Auburn in 2016. He's extremely athletic for a 317-pound defensive tackle, and his top-notch pursuit abilities made him a National Player of the Year candidate in high school.
"He's a true impact player," Malzahn said. "We believe he’s one of the best players in the entire country. I got a chance to watch him in person, and it was one of the more impressive performances I’ve had a chance to watch at any position."
The Tigers needed more punch at the point of attack and another highly rated playmaker to line up alongside the likes of Carl Lawson, Montravius Adams and Byron Cowart. It'll be nearly impossible to keep him off the field this fall.
The same goes for 4-star wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers, a big-bodied receiver who will provide a major shot in the arm for a receiving corps that lost both of its top playmakers from the 2015 season.
Craig-Myers announced his commitment to Auburn over finalist North Carolina on Wednesday morning at his high school and immediately made big promises to the Tiger fanbase:
The Tampa native has an all-around game to go with his 6'2", 205-pound frame. When healthy in high school, he was one of the nation's most productive receivers, and he had a chance at being a top-10 player for the Class of 2016 before a knee injury in his junior season.
"He’s a big guy, he can go get the football, he’s tough to tackle and he’s got that competitive edge," Malzahn said.
In addition to Craig-Myers, the Tigers also picked up his brother, 3-star cornerback Jayvaughn Myers. A 6'0" athlete who made it to the Under Armour All-American game, the Tigers will be thrilled to also seal Myers over UNC, especially with some of their depth concerns at corner.
"He’s long and he’s very athletic," Malzahn said. "Coach [Wesley] McGriff is very excited about this guy. We think he’ll have a chance to come in and compete for playing time."
One of Auburn's biggest signing-day pickups in quite some time was 4-star offensive tackle Prince Sammons, a Nigerian-born recruit who was also highly ranked at defensive end. He chose Auburn over Michigan State, Oregon and Duke.
Sammons has a similar background to 2015 defensive end signing Prince Tega Wanogho. Still relatively new to the game of football, Sammons was still able to earn a coveted 4-star rating thanks to his 6'8", 280-pound frame and his physical nature on both sides of the ball.
"We really went hard the last month or so at offensive tackle," Malzahn said. "He’s a guy that a lot of people wanted as a defensive end, and that tells you his physicality. We’re very excited about him playing offensive tackle for us. We think the sky is the limit."
With tackles Avery Young and Shon Coleman leaving early for the NFL draft, Auburn needed to restock at the position. Sammons has an extremely high ceiling and could be one of the most dominant players of this recruiting class.
Already on the Plains
Even with all the normal drama on national signing day, Auburn was able to be 100 percent confident in nine impact players for its 2016 class—because they were all already on campus.
Auburn's nine early-enrollees were led by three top-100 recruits, two of which will play on the defensive line with the 5-star Brown.
Marlon Davidson, a former 5-star at defensive end, committed to the Tigers last September and stayed strong the entire way. The state of Alabama's No. 3 recruit is the younger brother of Kenneth Carter, who was a defensive lineman at Auburn from 2010 to 2013 and is currently on Malzahn's staff.
"We think he’s an impact player," Malzahn said. "He's a big, athletic guy that can run, and we feel very good about him."
While most recruiting services preferred the linebacker combination of Ben Davis and Mack Wilson—both former targets for the Tigers—Malzahn said Davidson was identified early on by staff as the best player in Alabama:
Antwuan Jackson is another highly rated defensive tackle whom Auburn plucked from the state of Georgia. Like Brown, Jackson stands out for being so light on his feet while weighing more than 300 pounds.
His explosion off the ball will make him another early-impact signing for the Tigers defensive line, especially since he enrolled in time for spring ball on the Plains. Expect him to play some sort of role in the rotation for the Tigers this fall.
"Auburn's top four defensive tackles all return, so Jackson, an early enrollee, could contend for playing time as the fourth man in the rotation or be a redshirt candidate," James Crepea of AL.com wrote. "Three defensive tackles are entering their senior seasons, so developing Jackson should be the priority in 2016 regardless of his playing time."
Perhaps the name Auburn fans are most familiar with among the early enrollees is 3-star JUCO athlete John Franklin III.
The former Florida State player, who practiced with Nick Marshall during the Seminoles' preparation for the 2013 national title game, is expected to be one of the top names in Auburn's upcoming quarterback battle.
"He’s got great speed, and we think he throws the ball well," Malzahn said. "He’s familiar with our offense, so we’re definitely excited about what he can do."
Auburn made Franklin a priority during this recruiting cycle, and his early arrival should give him a great chance at taking the starting job this fall. He's built for the more run-heavy style of offense Auburn used to perfection in 2013 and 2014.
Although he wasn't the full-time starting quarterback at his junior college, Franklin made plenty of plays with his legs and arm. He'll be one of the stars of the spring for the Tigers.
Four-star wide receiver Kyle Davis, another top player from the state of Georgia, could be catching touchdown balls from Franklin as early as this spring.
The early-enrolling Davis is similar to Craig-Myers in both size and skill set, making him the ideal possession receiver in Malzahn's offense. He also pushed for the No. 1 spot at the receiver position during this cycle.
"We really put an emphasis in this class on big guys that could run and could do some things with the ball after they catch it," Malzahn said. "We think he’s got a chance to be a phenomenal player."
Other big names who enrolled early at Auburn include 4-star tight end Landon Rice—which gives Auburn a traditional weapon at the position—4-star local area standout John Broussard and 4-star JUCO pass-rushing specialist Paul James.
Best of the rest
Auburn signed a few more blue-chip prospects on Wednesday, including its possible quarterback of the future in 4-star Woody Barrett.
Barrett is a dual-threat quarterback who has some bulk at 225 pounds. The Florida native is equally as skilled at running over defenders as he is at tossing spirals over their heads for big plays.
Although he's not as polished a quarterback in terms of technique just yet, the potential is there in Barrett's legs and arm.
Malzahn said Wednesday he would also have a shot as the starting quarterback, but the early projection on him is that he'll be a No. 1 guy later down the road.
When he gets adjusted to the college game and tightens up a few things, Barrett looks like he'll be a perfect fit in a Malzahn offense. He can be quite dangerous on the ground and through the air.
Fellow 4-star Eli Stove, on the other hand, might not take as long to make an impact on Auburn's offense.
Stove is the third member of a wide receiver class that has a claim to be the best in the entire country for 2016. He has skills that immediately translate to the next level.
He has sure hands and a little more quickness than some of the other receivers Auburn picked up in 2016.
“We really feel like he’s got a very unique skill set," Malzahn said. "We think he’s got a chance to be an impact player. He can really do some things with the ball once he gets the ball in his hands."
Four-star defensive end Nick Coe will bring great size to his position from the moment he steps onto Auburn's campus as a freshman.
At 6'5" and 269 pounds, Coe can be plugged in virtually everywhere on the Auburn defensive line—any position, any role. His athleticism jumps out in his high school film, and the ceiling is high for the North Carolina native.
"The fronts that they run, they like to have a stud end," Owen George, Coe's high school coach, told Drew Champlin of AL.com. "They all talk about how his size is going to help him immediately. He's got the size and athleticism to play in a three-man front at defensive end or in a four-man front, maybe slide down to a 3-technique in the pass rush."
Coe also excelled as a high school wrestler, making him a force in one-on-one situations with offensive linemen. While Auburn signed quite a few players for a defensive line that returns several key players, Coe has the ability to crack the rotation early.
Sleepers to watch
If any Auburn fans are looking for any 3-stars who could develop into some top-notch Tigers, start with linebacker Tre Threat—the only player at his position in this year's class.
By being the lone incoming linebacker in a season after the departure of three seniors, Threat automatically has a shot at early playing time for Auburn.
Enrolling early will be another benefit for this underrated Under Armour All-American, whom Auburn targeted early in the cycle as a player to have.
"He’s got the unique ability where he can play inside or out, so he’s going to give Coach [Kevin] Steele and Coach [Travis] Williams some flexibility," Malzahn said. "He’s a talented young man."
Threat comes from a strong high school program at Spanish Fort in southern Alabama and has an edge to his game that could make him a real difference-maker in college. He's the type of linebacker who can get a team fired up with a big hit.
Another defensive player to watch is the lowest-rated one on the board for Auburn in 2016 and the last one to receive a scholarship offer.
Three-star defensive back Daniel Thomas had to play the waiting game with the Tigers, who were after 4-star safety Nigel Warrior. When Warrior decided to follow in his father's footsteps and play at Tennessee, Auburn gave the Montgomery native a shot.
"He’s been on our radar a long time," Malzahn said. "He’s come over to games, and we brought him on an official visit this weekend and just fell in love with him and his family."
According to recruiting analyst JC Shurburtt, Thomas could be one of those players in a few years whom fans will look back on as a severely underrated prospect:
At Robert E. Lee High School in the Alabama capital, Thomas picked off seven passes last season and had a couple of huge touchdowns in the return game.
Auburn could always use depth at both roles, and Thomas will have a chance to become an under-the-radar difference-maker for the Tigers in the next few seasons.
All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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