Did Auburn's Recruiting Class Help Close The Gap With Alabama and Georgia?
The top of the SEC has Alabama and Georgia above all others, but will Auburn's 2024 recruiting class help to get the Tigers into that conversation?
The answer is a resounding yes! Here's why, with four points being covered that talk about the long-term effects of the 2024 Auburn recruiting class.
1) Walker White can be a big-play quarterback.
Long-term, Auburn's offense will be versatile but also operate primarily through its signal caller. That's where White comes into play. His ability to create plays with his feet and his arm gives Hugh Freeze and the offensive staff a playmaker behind center.
Of note, White's downfield passing ability will be a great addition to what the Tigers do on offense. He has a big arm. To throw to the players being brought in with him, that arm shall be put to good use. That brings us to the point about playing against Bama and UGA.
It's hard enough to sustain 10, 12, and 14-play drives versus mid-level SEC teams. Doing that one or two times, in a single game against Bama or Georgia is not out of the question. Sustaining long drives, over and over, against the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs, is not all that realistic.
Auburn needs chunk-yardage plays and White can provide that. He has a chance to be Auburn's next big-time quarterback.
2) Playmakers will help tilt the advantage toward Auburn.
The speed of a slot receiver like Bryce Cain can be utilized in numerous ways. Cain likely sees a plethora of single coverage as well because of the players also coming to the Plains.
Hard to imagine Bama and UGA consistently playing man coverage against Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, and the same should be brought up about Malcolm Simmons.
Coleman and Thompson are the big-bodied receivers who make the 50-50 ball catches; they provide top-end speed. When needed, each of them will also make a defender miss. Simmons is quite as big but do not be fooled because he's another weapon when the football is in his hands.
All four of these young men will be hard for Alabama or Georgia to cover. To that point, do not be surprised if Auburn uses more four-wide receiver sets to place pressure on defenses by spreading them out. Auburn will be able to place pressure on the Bama and Georgia defenses.
3) Auburn's defensive line recruiting is big-time.
If you did not yet watch the HUDL film for Amaris Williams, take the time to do so. He's an absolutely incredible athlete who plays running back and wildcat quarterback for his Clinton (N.C.) High School program, at 265 pounds!
Along with TJ Lindsey, Malik Blocton, and eventually Dimitry Nicolas (signing in February), this is a versatile group that adds all of the size, speed, and athleticism to allow the Auburn coaching staff to be creative.
It's one thing to be pumped to play Bama or Georgia, it's another to have the raw trench-talent to create havoc behind the line of scrimmage. These four defenders are going to elevate Auburn's defensive front and create chances for more big plays against the Tide and Bulldogs.
4) The defense will have the talent to be aggressive, even against Bama and UGA.
Bama and Georgia often run over the opposition during the late third quarter and fourth quarter of any given game; each of them wears an opponent down. Auburn is helping itself with the 2024 class to no longer be one of those teams that get blown off the football or have tired legs at a position like cornerback.
More size, more speed, and more sheer numbers of talented players for the Tigers, that's the 2024 class in a nutshell. A player like Demarcus Riddick is a prime example. He's a speedy defender who can play against a slot receiver or bang in the box against the run. Playing safety for Chilton County High School in Clanton, Ala., Riddick is a known playmaker who will help Auburn match up better against either of their SEC rivals.
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2024 Auburn Commitments and Evaluations
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