Thoughts and observations, Part I

MONDAY MORNING
Post No. 1,023

Hey everyone. Thanks for reading yesterday's recruiting coverage. We received a ton of hits, getting February off to a roaring start.

I think I'm going to start posting our monthly numbers so you can see how things are going. This enterprise is as much you as it is me -- since I'd be writing to nobody if you all didn't talk about the HABOTN out and about.

If you think I'm wrong, look through the archives and see how many posts had ZERO comments back in the day.

RECRUITING CHATTER

Here are a few fairly random things I'm noticing...

• One of the HOTTIES passed along an interesting article form the Tampa Trib yesterday about Dontae Aycock. He was in Auburn yesterday for a "secret" visit. Though the story says Aycock is committed to Georgia Tech, the source is a high-school assistant coach. Auburn wants Aycock as a tailback. Tech wants him as a quarterback. The real question is: Which position does Aycock prefer?
  
  
• A trio of Auburn commitments -- LB Harris Gaston (pictured at left), CB Izauea Lanier and ATH Brandon Heavens -- took official visits to Mississippi State last weekend. Lanier and Gaston told AuburnSports.com that they're still completely faithful to the Tigers. Heavens could not be reached for comment. Are you see a recurring theme here? Heavens twice missed scheduled official visits to Auburn. I don't think he's in the Tigers' plans any longer.
  
  I'm sure that's weird for Gaston, who played with Heavens for years at Bessemer Academy until Heavens left for Jess Lanier in 2008.
  
  There still is talk that Bessemer Academy's featured tailback, Jeremy Cox, will accept a walk-on offer at Auburn. He would have been at least a semi-coveted prospect, but an early-season knee injury ended his year. He has a chance to be good. Just remember that former Prattville star Justin Albert, a scatback who also missed a portion of his senior season with a knee injury, spent last year rehabbing on the Plains and should be ready to go this spring. He'll have a leg up on Cox.
  
  
• So how many spots does Auburn have remaining? Anecdotal evidence suggests 30 constitutes a "full" class and The Tigers currently have 25 players in the 2009 signing class. They can add up to 25 scholarship newcomers heading into two-a-days, so you can see the dilemma.
  
  Several major recruits with Auburn scholarship papers waiting include: TB David Oku, DT Corey Gaines, WR Emory Blake, OT Aubrey Phillips, OG Johnnie Farms, LB Jonathan Atchison, LB Joel Kight, QB Raymond Cotton, CB Greg Reid and DL DeQuinta Jones (pictured at right).
  
  Many of those guys are committed elsewhere. Still, surprises can and do occur on Signing Day. It's worthwhile to keep in mind everyone who has an offer -- particularly the guys who have made official visits.
  
  
• Maybe you Rivals.com people saw this: LB Eltoro Freeman now is listed as a 3-star guy. That seems impossible to me. He was a 5-star guy once upon a time.