News of the day, 2/8

Hey everyone. Signing day remains a hot topic on the airwaves FO SHO, so I guess we'll keep talking about this a bit longer.

Gayle (our Alabama beat ace) and I are writing recruiting analyses for Sunday's editions that are supposed to include a letter grade. I said yesterday on the blog that I'd give Auburn a C- or a D+. The final grade, the one that ends up in the paper, will be a tad higher.

I look around and see some pretty good players. Raven Gray should be excellent. Jermaine Johnson should be excellent no later than 2009. Cameron Henderson has stud potential. I feel the same way about Jomarcus Savage, T'Sharvan Bell, Harry Adams, Reggie Hunt and Freddie Smooth. Any number of the other guys could emerge as Sen'Derrick Marks did two years ago.

So I think the final grade will be a C+. A reasonable final day -- say Auburn got Enrique Davis and Robert Quinn -- would have me thinking B+. It's not fair to drop the grade so far based on two guys.

Rivals.com today selected Auburn assistant Eddie Gran as one of the nation's 15 best recruiters. He was one five SEC coaches included. Also earning recognition were Steve Addazio (Florida), Charlie Strong (Florida), Jon Fabris (Georgia), Josh Henson (LSU) and Lance Thompson (Alabama.) Gran handles south Florida for the Tigers. Gran generally doesn't receive the credit he deserves. It's good to see him get some love.

LSU men's coach John Brady is out of a job. LSU held an afternoon press conference to announce the move. Former Lexington Herald-Leader columnist Chuck Culpepper once referred to Brady as the most miserable human being alive, which Brady insisted was inaccurate. Things like that cannot be proven, of course, but Brady is one seriously sour dude.

I know some of you all are familiar with the saga of alleged Cal recruit Kevin Hart, who signed with Cal on Wednesday only to have Cal fail to acknowledge his existence. I felt so bad for the kid. It seemed to be an elaborate prank designed to give Hart the embarrassment of a lifetime.

It was a prank alright. It turns out that Hart was the genius behind this stunt. He concocted the whole story about being recruited by Cal.

"I wanted to play D-I ball more than anything," he said in a statement. "When I realized that wasn't going to happen, I made up what I wanted to be reality."

Add this to the reasons I don't like to cover recruiting.

News of the day, 2/7

Hey everyone. Did someone die around here? It's been a difficult 28 hours for Auburn fans, who were hopeful that National Signing Day would bring some intriguing surprises. Instead, it was a mess. The Tigers went 0-for-5 with their realistic "bubble" recruits, and officially lost a pair of commitments (CB George Baker and WR Jarmon Fortson) in the process.

My story today was pretty critical of Auburn's overall performance, which is reasonable given Wednesday's problems. Losing Enrique Davis is a mess no matter how you slice it.

Still, the more I think about it, Auburn's situation probably isn't as dire as it seems. I am in no way being the Iraqi Information Minister here. I believe, however, that Alabama's wildly successful class is prompting more criticism than necessary for the Auburn class.

Check it:

Scout.com ranked Auburn's class 19th.

Rivals.com ranked Auburn's class 20th.

I predicted a month ago, on this very blog, that Auburn would finish anywhere from the mid-teens to 20 "as usual." That's where Tuberville, Inc., finished. Had Alabama signed another Shula-style class, Auburn's haul would have been viewed less critically. I believe that. Duality exists in this state without question. When one team dominates something, be it recruiting or the Iron Bowl, the dominated team's situation seems more dire than it really is.

I'd give Auburn's overall recruiting performance a C- or a D+. It wasn't a go-see-the-principal F as some have suggested.

SIGNING DAY

BREAKING NEWS: Auburn is having a last-minute meltdown of sorts. TB Enrique Davis has signed with Ole Miss. DE Robert Quinn of Charleston, S.C., has signed with North Carolina. Combined, those are two really big losses. Also, OL Antoine McClain of Anniston chose Clemson. Also, DE Marcel Dareus of Huffman High chose Alabama. Also, CB George Baker of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., chose South Florida. Also, LB Jerrell Harris of Gadsden chose Alabama.

Auburn's signing class includes 27 players.

Hey everyone. You know what day it is. It's when 17- and 18-year-old kids suddenly become hotter than Jenna Fischer, eliciting unusual reactions from grown sports enthusiasts (and sports writers) from across the country.

Let's get this party started.

Before we get to that, though, we'd like to thank you all for making this the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net.

I don't see the need to update you minute-by-minute about which Letters of Intent have come through the fax machine. I'll give you periodic updates, though I'll provide my usual insightful commentary if surprises arise.

ALREADY SIGNED AND ENROLLED (4)
DE Raven Gray, 6-4, 260, Enterprise HS/Copiah-Lincoln C.C.
QB Chris Todd, 6-2, 220, Elizabethtown HS (Elizabethtown, Ky.)/Texas Tech/Hutchinson C.C.
QB Deron Furr, 6-3, 215, Carver HS (Columbus, Ga.)
LB Da'Shaun Barnes, 6-1, 210, Lincoln HS (Tallahassee, Fla.)


LOIs RECEIVED TODAY (23)
WR Darvin Adams, 6-2, 180, Harrison HS (Kennesaw, Ga.)
S T'Sharvan Bell, 6-0, 170, Osceola HS (Kissimmee, Fla.)
OL Dax Dellenbach, 6-1, 220, North Broward HS (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
WR Philip Pierre-Louis, 5-10, 175, St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
TE Vance Smith, 6-4, 245, Pace HS (Pace, Fla.)
LB Spencer Pybus, 6-1, 210, Northview HS (Dothan)
CB Drew Cole, 6-0, 180, Picayune HS (Picayune, Miss.)
DE Jomarcus Savage, 6-2, 260, J.O. Johnson HS (Huntsville)
QB Barrett Trotter, 6-2, 195, Briarwood Christian (Birmingham)
S Christian Thompson, 6-1, 195, St. Thomas Aquinas HS (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
DE Andre Wadley, 6-2, 245, Hernando HS (Hernando, Miss.)
DB Marcus Jemison, 6-2, 190, McAdory HS (McCalla)
CB Neiko Lipscomb, 6-2, 175, Tucker HS (Tucker, Ga.)
WR Derek Winter, 6-0, 180, Plant HS (Tampa, Fla.)
DE Cameron Henderson, 6-5, 240, Shades Valley HS (Birmingham)
CB D'Antoine Hood, 5-9, 185, Central HS (Phenix City)
TE Ken Adams, 6-4, 215, Enterprise HS (Enterprise)
RB Reggie Hunt, 5-10, 180, Daphne HS (Daphne)
DE Derrick Lykes, 6-4, 275, Chilton County HS (Clanton)
TB Eric Smith, 5-10, 240, Armwood HS (Seffner, Fla.)
OL Freddie Smooth, 6-5, 300, Desire Street Academy (Baton Rouge, La.)
WR Harry Adams, 6-0, 175, Dillard HS (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.)
OL Jermaine Johnson, 6-6, 310, Hargrave Military Academy (Chatham, Va.)
RB Onterrio McCalebb, 5-10, 155, Ft. Meade HS (Ft. Meade, Fla.)

DIDN'T SIGN; ALREADY IN JUCO
WR Damion Allen, 6-2, 180, Dr. Phillips HS (Orlando, Fla.)

DIDN'T SIGN; PRESUMABLY HEADED TO JUCO
QB Brandon Smith, 6-1, 185, Williamson HS (Mobile)

UPDATES: I switched T'Sharvan Bell to CB because that's where he'll play at Auburn. Also, McCalebb did sign. Also, there has been a change to the spelling of Da'Shaun Barnes' first name. This is how Barnes wants it presented and, by golly, that's good enough for me.

Tuberville held his press conference at noon. He said the stuff you'd expect: This is a good class chock full o' character kids who double as outstanding athletes. Don't rag me for this stuff. I'm just telling you what he said.

*On the loss of Enrique Davis, Tuberville said it simply came down to Davis wanting to play in a two-back system. Tuberville said repeatedly in December that Auburn would be a two-back system. He quickly caught himself on Wednesday, re-affirming his commitment to playing two backs but concurrently acknolwedging that Davis wanted to play in a two-back system. It was weird.

*On Alabama getting most of the top in-state kids, Tuberville said (without referencing Alabama directly) that many schools have more immediate holes that need to be filled and players are drawn by the allure of early playing time.

*He expects "five or six" players to miss the academic qualification threshold and head for junior college or prep school. Auburn has signed 25 kids so far. Two more should sign later today.

News of the day, 2/5

Hey everyone.

Let's get to business.

Thanks for spending an average of 117 seconds with us here at the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net.

If you were reading yesterday's blog comments (as all HOTTIES are asked to do) you'd know that we here at the HABOTN take a somewhat cynical view of the recruiting machine.

Then something interesting happens. Dothan linebacker Spencer Pybus received a pair of welcome surprises today when both Auburn and Duke University offered football scholarships. How's that for a good day? He picked the Tigers and becomes the team's 29th commitment.

I'll tell you right now that I know almost nothing about this kid, but I talked with a coach recently who thinks Pybus is a classic sleeper prospect. It sounds like Auburn was hoping to get the kid as a walk-on, then were pushed into action when Duke made an offer this morning. Good for him.

UPDATE: My man Josh Moon reports that Pybus played an outstanding game against Lee High last fall. A lot of people do, I know, but Moon says the kid was really, really sick with the hits and knowing where to be.

SECOND UPDATE: I initially listed Pybus as the team's 30th commitment. I had forgotten to knock Jarmon Fortson off the list, so Pybus goes back to No. 29. Thanks to MaritaPayneFan for that one.

Former Montgomery high-school standout Michael Henig announced Tuesday that his football career is over. He graduated from Jeff Davis High and hoped to play at Auburn, but a scholarship offer never emerged. Henig instead accepted one from Mississippi State and spent some time as the Bulldogs' quarterback. He missed most of the 2006 and '07 seasons because of injuries and seemed hexed. Henig has the guile and raw ability to have enjoyed a much better career. It happens that way sometimes.

A piece of housekeeping: If you all post on the comments, go ahead and commit to a handle. I don't make you all register because I think registering is silly. Still, it'd be funnerer if y'all would stick with the same handles. Jenna Fischer would.

News of the day, 2/4

Hey everyone. Sorry for the short absence. I spent my free time this weekend kickin' it with my 5-year-old daughter, who really enjoys Hannah Montana. Oh yea -- we were there for the BIG movie on Saturday morning.

Wasn't the Super Bowl great. I told my wifey, just before the Giants' winning drive, that there was no way the Giants could build a winning drive. I mean, Eli Manning? He's been a pretty average quarterback. I'll have to re-think that after what we all saw Sunday. What a game.

You're here for Auburn smack. So let's get to it.

Thanks for making the HOTTEST Auburn blog on the 'net part of your life. It's certainly a fun part of mine.

Recruiting is picking up, or slowing down. It all depends on your perspective. The Tigers added two kids since we last blogged -- a Georgia DB named Neiko Lipscomb and a Florida wideout named Derek Winter. My guess is that Lipscomb moved into the picture when George Baker, a recent de-commitment, moved out. I'm higher on Winter, who looks like the classic underrated prospect to me: Played really well in a reasonably tough Tampa league and he's the kind of kid who can apply intelligence to the field. That's what guys like Rod Smith and Sen'Derrick Marks do.

LB Jerrell Harris, the big recruit from Gadsden, still is considering Auburn, Alabama, Southern Cal, Clemson and Tennessee. I don't think the Vols are a real player here. Auburn would realllllly like to have Harris and would play him immediately, but I think the loss of Will Muschamp hurt the Tigers' chances to some degree. New DC Paul Rhoads is doing a fine job and all. It's just that Muschamp is Muschamp. He's nuts when it comes to recruiting.

The men's team lost at Vanderbilt on Saturday. Pretty bad loss in my mind. The game was close until the final six minutes or so when the Commodores just took off. G Frankie Tolbert was nuts, going 10-of-19 from the floor, but his teammates were pretty ineffectual. G Rasheem Barrett was 0-for-9 (!!) and G Tez Robertson was 1-for-7. If you're going to use 4 (or 5) guards at a time, you can't shoot like that. I still think Jeff Lebo is doing one hell of a job with the strategy part of his task. Lebo's recruiting leaves a lot to be desired.

The women's team beat Mississippi State senseless on Sunday. Auburn is pretty good. G Alli Smalley is going to be a really good player beginning next season ... combining with already excellent players F DeWanna Bonner and G Sherell Hobbs. I think the Tigers will qualify for the NCAA Tournament as a 4 or 5 seed -- giving coach Nell Fortner her first Auburn appearance in the Big Dance.

Some of you all may have missed it, but a former Auburn player by the name of Frank Hayes died last week. He was Travis Tidwell's center for the big upset of Alabama in 1949. I didn't know Mr. Hayes, but he was a popular dude. He'll be missed.

Photo credit: Associated Press/Chris O'Meara