Sports Illustrated Recruiting Expert calls Auburn "Disappointing" on the recruiting trail

The Auburn Tigers have drawn some criticism from everyone from national pundits to the average fan when it comes to what they have done on the recruiting trail.

In Sports Illustrated's John Garcia's latest article, he highlighted five football programs that have been disappointing on the recruiting trail.

Auburn's class only has four members currently but all are solid four-star players that could find a way to real playing time within their first two years on campus.

Still, the lack of numbers should probably be a concern. One has to assume more will come with time.

Here's what Garcia wrote about the Tigers.

Many in the industry point to the state of Alabama as one of the sneaky talent-producing states nationally in football. Those locals will stand on the table for an uptick in talent for the class of 2023 in the Yellowhammer State, particularly along the defensive line. It means the expectation under Bryan Harsin was one on a path to recruiting success—something that has yet to materialize.

Not only did the top quarterback in the state, Chris Vizzina, elect to play elsewhere (Clemson) even without Alabama in the mix, but No. 2 option Brock Glenn now looks like an uphill battle despite an early lead and his legacy status. Back in the home state, local talent has escaped the Tigers in the trenches including Keldric Faulk (Florida State) and Tomarrion Parker (Penn State) just in the last three weeks. The top offensive line recruits in the state are likely to look away from the Plains as well.

It's hard to paint potentially losing Glenn and Faulk in this class. Still, there's plenty of talent in the state for Auburn to rally and reach out to over the next few months.

Beyond the intricacies, not to mention surging programs all around the Tigers in the SEC, the optics of the class are a tough sell. AU has just four verbal commitments to date, the lowest number in the conference. Half of the group, for glass-half-full types, has jumped on board this month and both running back Jeremiah Cobb and wide receiver Karmello English are semi-local to campus. Big Cat Weekend, the program's marquee July recruiting event, could not come at a better time.

Big Cat Weekend will be huge for the 2023 Auburn recruiting class. It sounds like there will be at least one commitment announced during the event. Perhaps it can help ignite some momentum for Harsin and this coaching staff.

The other schools on the list were Florida State, Michigan, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.

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