Auburn Football Recruiting: New Buck Target Emerges

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Auburn is hoping to sign at least two stud pass rushers in 2021

I expect Auburn to sign two Buck prospects in this 2021 class. Auburn’s focus at Buck has mostly been on a pair of instate blue chippers in 4-star Dylan Brooks and 4-star Jeremiah Williams. Brooks surprised many by committing to Tennessee while the Tigers are in a heated battle with Alabama for Williams’s pledge. There’s also JUCO standout Jimmori Robinson who the Tigers appear to like a lot and could very well end up in the class. Auburn is also a factor with 4-star Keanu Koht but LSU is going to be very tough to beat in that race.

Yesterday, a new offer of note went out to 3-star Jabril McNeill.

Auburn offered @coachg76 #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/2r2uyjKznC

— jabril (@smoove_jdm) June 2, 2020

It’s still too early to really gauge how much a factor Auburn will be with McNeill moving forward. His brother is currently a defensive tackle at NC State which is why the Wolfpack is viewed as the team to beat. Auburn offered a day after he dropped a top 11 so there is some ground to make up here but I think this is a kid to watch in the coming months.

Tigers Make 4-Star Top 5

Auburn got some bad news this weekend when 4-star Dylan Fairchild announced his pledge to the Dawgs.

Go dawgs #ATD pic.twitter.com/XprSlgCeqz

— DylanFairchild (@DylanFairchild6) May 30, 2020

Of the four elite offensive linemen in the Peach State this cycle, I thought Auburn’s best chance was with Fairchild. The Tigers offered him before UGA and were believed to be the leaders until that Dawg offer came. It was believed he would wait until the fall to make a decision but with the dead period being extended until the end of July, he wanted to go ahead and secure his spot in Kirby Smart’s 2021 class. I expect Auburn to continue to recruit Fairchild but given the fact the Tigers have never flipped an UGA commit since Smart’s arrival in Athens, I would move forward with the expectation that race is over.

The good news is not long after Fairchild’s announcement, 4-star offensive lineman Dietrick Pennington dropped a top 5 list on Twitter that included the Tigers.

I would like to thank God for the opportunities to use the gifts He’s given me. I thank my grandparents for helping me become the man I am. Thanks to all who recruited me. I have narrowed my decision to these schools@ClemsonUniv@GeorgiaFootball@AuburnTigers@LSU @floridastate pic.twitter.com/8mrSKmH2X4

— Dietrick Pennington (@Dietrick80P) May 30, 2020

I hadn’t heard Pennington’s name much up until this weekend. I believe if Clemson has room he’ll sign with them but I don’t think that’s certainty at this point. If he doesn’t have a spot this could very well turn into an Auburn vs Florida State battle. Both programs are hoping to load up on offensive line prospects, specifically kids who could play offensive tackle. The Tigers already plucked one talented OT prospect out of Tennessee this cycle, could they snag another?

Auburn Prioritizing Speed at WR

Auburn signed a talented four man class in 2020 that featured plenty of size with three of those signees standing 6’2” or taller. It appears this cycle, Auburn wants to augment that group with some speed. The Tigers already have a commit from 3-star Tar’varish Dawson who could play wideout and want to bring in at least two more. Preferably, a couple of burners.

The top three targets appear to be 4-star Christian Leary, 4-star Malcolm Johnson Jr and 4-star Shadrach Banks. Leary was set to make a commitment this week but decided to postpone his decision. That race is down to Alabama, Auburn and Florida with the Tigers coming on strong thanks in large part to Dematrius Davis’s efforts behind the scenes. Auburn was one of the first programs to offer Leary and those relationships could prove the difference come decision time. The Tide are likely the team to beat right now but I think Auburn has made that race very interesting.

Johnson is a Maryland native that included the Tigers in his top 7. Alabama is a major factor in that race as well along with the instate Terrapins. I think it’s unlikely Johnson and Leary land in the same class so when one of those dominos fall, it could provide more clarity for the other.

Finally, Banks is a longtime Texas A&M commit that currently appears locked in with the Aggies. However, he’s also teammates with Auburn commits Dematrius Davis and Jaeden Roberts. Banks and Davis are very close so you can expect Auburn’s future signal caller to be in his ear all cycle. As of today, a flip seems unlikely but Auburn will be hard after him until he puts pen to paper.

War Eagle!

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