Auburn def. Arkansas, 73-51

The Auburn men turned a five-point lead into a tour de force during the final 10 minutes Saturday, earning a 73-51 win at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas scored two points during the final 9:31.

The Tigers now are 12-7 overall and 2-3 in Southeastern Conference play.

HABOTN PLAYER OF THE GAME®:
F Korvotney Barber -- 15 points and 18 rebounds


Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Saturday updates

Hey everyone. Hello from rainy Montgomery, where AUM and Faulkner will tip off at 4 p.m. CST. I know you're excited.

Let's get to business.

RECRUITING CHATTER

• Our friends at AuburnSports.com and AuburnUndercover.com are reporting that Les Tigres have added a pair of high-profile prospects to their weekend. LB Jonathan Atchison of Atlanta and WR Deangelo Benton are learning about the Tigers' program.
  
  Atchison committed to Auburn once upon a time. He's currently an Alabama commitment.
  
  He was James Willis before James Willis became that James Willis.
  
  Benton twice has signed with LSU -- once out of a Louisiana high school (2007) and once out of Hargrave Military Academy (2008). He spent the fall of 2008 back in high school. Benton remains a coveted prospect.
  
  
• LB Deontae Skinner of Macon, Miss., canceled his visit scheduled for this weekend. He remains a Mississippi State commitment.

Oku now an option?

Good afternoon.

Our friends at AuburnSports.com are reporting that TB David Oku from suburban Oklahoma City is planning to visit Auburn next weekend. Though he remains somewhat committed to Tennessee, Oku has made trips to Louisville and Nebraska. He's visiting Syracuse this weekend. Auburn comes next.

Could the Tigers actually land Oku? Impossible to know. Auburn is getting in very late on these kids. Sometimes that actually assists the Tigers' effort -- they're the "new" program with the new staff and the revised expectations.

The recruiting weekend starts NOW

Hey everyone. Thanks for making Thursday a big day for HABOTN traffic. Our servers were sizzlin' all day, which makes everyone happy. You make great comments. I enjoy great comments.

It's a match made in heaven.

Auburn has several high-profile prospects headed for the Plains this weekend. Let's take a gander at the list. I'm putting them in order of how much they intrigue me:

• QB Tyrik Rollison (Sulphur Springs, Texas)
  
• DT Jamar Travis (E. Brewton)
  
• LB DeDe Lattimore (Athens, Ga.)
  
• LB Greg King (Memphis, Tenn.)
  
• DL Myles Wade (Eugene, Ore., by way of Arizona junior college)
  
• WR Travante Stallworth (Leesville, La.) **AUBURN COMMIT**
  
• LB Deontae Skinner (Macon, Miss.)
  
• DB Izauea Lanier (Gordo) **AUBURN COMMIT**
  
• LB Joel Kight (suburban Atlanta)
  
• OL Hunter Stout (Tampa, Fla.)
  
• QB Robert Cooper (Daphne)
  

NUGGETS D'OR (couldn't think of anything clever here)

• Tyrik Rollison told AuburnSports.com that his recruitment is down to Auburn and Kansas State. How's that for accelerated attention? Auburn wasn't recruiting him on Dec. 1. If you can check out the Rivals.com film on him, do it. His footwork leaves a lot to be desired, but it's clear he knows how to make plays.
  
  
• Greg King is a new name to me. He's a speedy outside linebacker from Memphis who met with Tennessee last weekend. Looks like a useful weak-side guy to me.
  
  
• I bet Jamar Travis ends up at Auburn. He's a Southern Miss commitment, but he told AuburnUndercover.com that he's basically waiting on an offer from the Tigers. Then everything will change. What I hear about him -- smaller than ideal but plays with unusual fervor -- is exactly what we heard about Sen'Derrick Marks back in the day.
  

TO PLACATE MYSELF

Video that has nothing to do with recruiting, but makes me laugh. May make you laugh as well if you're not already familiar. They definitely got the 1980s Rod Stewart vibe with this one.

Thursday night events (Auburn women win)

Hey everyone. I am live in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, where your Auburn Tigers (18-0) play the struggling Alabama Crimson Tide. An Auburn win tonight would be the team's 10th in 11 tries.

We're also continuing to discuss recruiting, James Willis' decision to leave Auburn for Alabama and the value of punter scholarships.

ALABAMA @ AUBURN (women)

The No. 6 Auburn Tigers beat Alabama tonight, 84-66, prefacing a Sunday showdown with Tennessee.

HABOTN PLAYER OF THE GAME®:
PG Whitney Boddie: 12 points, 12 assists, 2 turnovers (third consecutive double-double)

• 2:32, 2nd half (Auburn calls timeout) -- Auburn leads, 81-62.
  
• 3:52, 2nd half (media timeout) -- Auburn leads, 77-61.
  
• 6:56, 2nd half (Alabama calls timeout) -- Auburn leads, 70-54.
  
• 9:44, 2nd half (Alabama calls timeout) -- Auburn leads, 63-49.
  
• 13:30, 2nd half -- Auburn leads, 50-44.
  
  
• HALFTIME -- Auburn leads, 39-36.
  
  
• 3:39, 1st half (media timeout) -- Auburn leads, 29-27.
  
• 7:05, 1st half (media timeout) -- Auburn leads, 23-18.
  
• 10:31, 1st half (media timeout) -- Auburn leads, 18-11.
  
• 13:18, 1st half (Alabama calls timeout) -- Auburn leads, 16-8.
  
• 15:59, 1st half (media timeout) -- Auburn leads, 7-5.
  

RECRUITING UPDATE

• Our friends at AuburnSports.com report that DT Jamar Travis from W.S. Neal High isn't dissuaded by James Willis' jump to Alabama. Travis will visit this weekend and seems intrigued with new defensive line coach Tracy Rocker.
  
  
• CB Taikwon Paige of Georgia Military Academy, who began receiving attention from Auburn a few weeks ago, now hopes to make an official visit next weekend. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof recruited Paige to Minnesota in 2008. Rivals.com rates Paige as a 4-star recruit, though only a handful of BCS-conference schools have offered scholarship.
  

Picking up the pieces

Hey everyone. Hope you're having a swell morning.

So James Willis left for Alabama yesterday, which certainly will have some ramifications, though I consider most of them short-term issues. Let's examine how his departure will affect Auburn's Signing Day haul.

• Willis was the primary recruiting contact for a number of committed players. Our friends at AuburnSports.com talked with many of those players last night and I don't see any evidence that their allegiances are waning.
  
  DE Jamontay Pilson, QB Clint Moseley, OL John Sullen, WR Anthony Gulley and WR LaVoyd James remain fully committed.
  
  
• OL/DL Nick Fairley already is enrolled.
  
  
• I haven't heard from LB Jonathan Evans. He's a tricky one because Evans always has liked Auburn and his brother played at Auburn ... yet Willis always was a big draw for him. Alabama hadn't offered him prior to this. Not sure what to think there.
  
  
• DL Terrence Coleman (pictured at right) could be tricky. He told several recruiting websites last night that he's disgusted with Willis and wouldn't consider playing for him at Alabama. He also announced plans to more carefully consider other offers. I still believe Coleman will sign with Auburn.
  
  
• Things get more dicey with uncommitted recruits.
  
  
  • Willis was the main contact for Maryland QB Raymond Cotton, whose Auburn recruitment now moves into a third stage. Steve Ensminger was Cotton's initial liaison.
    
    
  • Montgomery OL/DL Brandon Moore seemed destined for Alabama or Florida before Willis left.
    
    
  • Brewton DT Jamar Travis, a Southern Miss commitment, will visit Auburn this weekend. The scouting services list him as a 4-star player. Travis certainly is considering Auburn, so this will be an interesting development.
    
    
  • Florida LB Petey Smith was brash with his moves last night, canceling a visit to Auburn scheduled for this weekend. He told AuburnSports.com last night: "I'm Alabama all the way." That represents quite a change of direction for Smith, whose brother, Eric, is a sophomore tailback at Auburn. Petey Smith recently said the Tigers were the team to beat. It's rare that you see bridges burned so enthusiastically, but it makes for good drama.
    

Willis leaves the program

How about that? I've now officially seen it all.

Assistant coach James Willis is leaving Auburn to coach at Alabama.

Here's what Willis had to say via a statement issued from UA:

"I'm excited about the opportunity to come and work with Coach Saban at the University of Alabama," Willis said in the statement. "He is one of the best defensive coaches in the game and this is a chance to gain some great experience and learn from the best. You don't get many chances like that in the coaching business. When you combine that opportunity with the history and tradition at Alabama, it was a decision that was best for me personally as well as professionally. I know my wife and the kids are as excited as I am to join Coach Saban's staff."

IF YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS: ... good luck. I will say that James was shocked by being in limbo during the post-Tuberville period. I dismissed his shock as an acting job at the time. I'm not so sure now. I talked with him Sunday night and he didn't seem agitated. We even talked about the transition from Tuberville to Chizik. While he didn't seem particularly thrilled by (allegedly) not knowing what was happening during those first few days of Chizik's tenure, I never sensed that he was bitter. There is talk that his post-Tuberville severance package was an issue.

Willis isn't returning calls right now.

Recruiting news via aviation

Auburn's recruiting effort is in high gear. The skies are a great way to monitor where coaches are headed and, as such, it's easier to understand what they're trying to accomplish.

TODAY'S TRAVELS

• Coaches have been in Texarkana, Texas, which is home to WR prospect Cobi Hamilton.
  
  
• Another Auburn-owned jet flew to nearby Sulphur Springs, which is home to coveted QB prospect Tyrik Rollison.
  
  
• Coaches have been in Gadsden, which is home to CB prospect Dre Kirkpatrick and WR prospect Kendall Kelly. Auburn is in the hunt for Kelly.
  
  
• Coaches will head for Biloxi, Miss., this afternoon. That provides the closest airport to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston. That's where WR/RB/DE Demond Washington resides these days.

Knox lands on his feet

Hey everyone. Apparently that interview went well for Greg Knox, who confirmed this afternoon that he has been hired by Mississippi State.

We like and respect The Blog out of Jackson, Miss., which is a fellow Gannett property. Kyle Veazey -- firm but fair.

Love the Knox quote: "I'm really excited about it," Knox said. "I always thought Mississippi State was a gold mine. Great place. Kids are going to want to come there."

Recruiting roundup

Hey everyone. This is the 988th post in HABOTN history. We're rapidly approaching 1,000 and I'll welcome any ideas about how to mark this historic milestone.

This little endeavor would be nothing without you. So thanks for that.

On to the business at hand:

RECRUITING IS HOT

• Auburn is busy making a lot of follow-up calls on last week's visitors. Coaches made trips to see WR Emory Blake and DE Nosa Eguae on Tuesday. Eguae is expecting to make a decision after visiting Texas Tech this weekend. Blake probably will wait until February before announcing anything.
  
  
• Auburn still is assessing prospects and making offers. The latest one, according to our friends at AuburnSports.com, is linebacker Joel Kight of Lithonia, Ga. Kight is a high-energy player. At 5-foot-9, though, Kight is something of a niche player. Gene Chizik must like that niche because Kight earned an Auburn offer Tuesday night. He's scheduled to visit this weekend.
  
  
• This will be another major recruiting weekend for Les Tigres. Chizik has 13 prospects scheduled to arrive on Friday afternoon. Another weekend visitor, junior-college defensive Myles Wade, will be doing the Thursday-Friday-Saturday thing.
  
  Other major visitors this weekend include: Texas quarterback Tyrik Rollison, former Auburn commitment LaDarius Perkins (now with MSU), Atlanta linebacker DeDe Lattimore and Brewton defensive end Jamar Travis.
  
  Travis soon will be a graduate of W.S. Neal High. He'll share that honor with at least one HOTTIE ...

Anthony Gulley WAS in

EDIT @ 5:30 p.m.: OK. So maybe Anthony Gulley didn't commit after all.

Our friends at AUTigers.com reported earlier today that Brantley High standout Anthony Gulley officially had cast his lot with the Tigers. He said last weekend that he would commit to the Tigers in the future, but wasn't prepared to make that assertion public until after visiting Troy this weekend. He thought it was honorable to stick with his promise to visit the Trojans, which I thought was commendable.

Sounds like that trip to Troy still is on.

Here's what I had to say about Gulley earlier this week:

Anthony Gulley, WR from Brantley: Very country. I initially was surprised to see Gulley paired up with Ryan Pugh and Lee Ziemba last weekend. Then I met Gulley. He's very country. Shy kid, very quiet. He really likes baseball, too, and seems eager to play both football and baseball at Auburn. He's a shortstop by trade. Gulley also can play centerfield.

Aaron Moore is out

Our friends at AuburnSports.com are reporting that offensive lineman Aaron Moore of Plano, Texas, has decommitted.

Moore talked with Auburn assistant Curtis Luper on Monday and the theme of that conversation prompted Moore to ditch the Tigers. ``I just don't feel comfortable with some of the decisions and decided to withdraw my commitment," he told AuburnSports.com.

a.) Auburn's new staff hasn't shown much interest in Moore, so this doesn't come as a surprise.

b.) Moore always will be remembered (in my mind) as the kid Hugh Nall was visiting when Tuberville "resigned."

Prospect assessments, part II

Hey everyone. You all keep exceeding my expectations with comment banter. There is no doubt that the HABOTN is home to the deepest, brightest and most introspective Auburn fans (and an occasional Alabama stray) on the Interwebs.

Thanks for being cool.

OK. So I promised more recruit assessments. I met eight of the nine prospects in town last weekend. I provided assessments of Nosa Eguae, Emory Blake, Brandon Moore, John Sullen and Anthony Gulley yesterday.

Here is the other half:

• DeQuinta Jones, defensive lineman from Bastrop, La.: He committed to Michigan last summer, but is considering all options. Jones is a fairly introspective guy. He's laid-back in real life. I heard a few people call him "Tyson" (a la the insane boxer), though I didn't get the reference. I got the feeling that he's intrigued with Auburn much like Emory Blake: Auburn is new on the scene to them and, as such, it's handicapped because it's unknown. Judging from what I heard Sunday, Auburn has a decent chance with him. Maybe 40%?
  
  
• Tana (Tuh-NAY) Patrick, linebacker from Stevenson: Comes off cocky. Not the brash kind of cocky. He doesn't say a lot at a time. Patrick probably is the most high-profile guy Auburn is pursuing. He's headed to Southern Cal this weekend and Miami after that. Alabama is mighty interested as well. He doesn't seem excitable. He appears to be an all-business kind of fellow.
  
  
• Demond Washington, all-purpose player from Tallassee (via a Mississippi junior college): He's playful. He has a lot of energy. I loved his line about how there may not be a lot of trouble lurking around Tallassee ... but it's hard to get away from it once you're in. My first impression is that Washington eventually will sign with Auburn, though he's an Ole Miss commitment right now. He was enthusiastic about the things he heard last weekend. He plays wideout, tailback and cornerback. I don't know what the Tigers' plans are there. He seems willing to play any position as long as he's on the field.
  
  
• Donald "Dee" Ford from Odenville: He's the one guy I missed. Bummer.

Monday chatter

Hey everyone. Thanks for tuning in Sunday. We had a great day in terms of traffic and it's clear that chasing down recruits on Sunday morning is worthwhile to the HOTTIES.

To paraphrase Brandon Moore: If you're comfortable, I'm comfortable.

I provided the newspaper-style information yesterday. Here are my bloggish insights ... coming from someone who doesn't follow recruiting most of the time.

• John Sullen, OL from Auburn High: Very pleasant, easy-going fellow. He smiles a lot. He was very excited to have gotten his Auburn offer last week and was equally geeked about telling Gene Chizik of his plan to join the Tigers. Sullen's parents were cheery and nice. I like the whole family.
  
  
• Anthony Gulley, WR from Brantley: Very country. I initially was surprised to see Gulley paired up with Ryan Pugh and Lee Ziemba last weekend. Then I met Gulley. He's very country. Shy kid, very quiet. He really likes baseball, too, and seems eager to play both football and baseball at Auburn. He's a shortstop by trade. Gulley also can play centerfield.
  
  
• Nosa Eguae, DE from suburban Dallas/Ft. Worth: I was really intrigued with this kid. He's the opposite of shy, but he's not a jabberer. He's a confident fellow. My guess is that he will sign with Auburn. Eguae (pronounced "E-gway") committed to Colorado at one point. He later de-committed. He seemed to feel remorseful about doing that, which may explain why he didn't commit to Auburn this weekend. Dee Ford, an Auburn commitment, told reporters that Eguae had committed. It's clear that Eguae was talking about it during the weekend. Ultimately, Eguay left for Texas without making a firm decision.
  
  
• Emory Blake, WR from Austin, Texas: Reminded me of Kodi Burns, who was Blake's player host. Blake is a calm guy, very calculating with his words. He is just now warming to the Auburn idea after narrowing his initial list to Texas Tech and Colorado. My guess is that he won't sign with Auburn, but he's at least interested. Blake is all business.
  
  
• Brandon Moore, DL from Montgomery: It's clear that he left the Athletic Complex with plans to be diplomatic around reporters. That didn't last long. He basically trashed Auburn for not having a full coaching staff -- Auburn has more coaches than Alabama right now -- and did little to dispel speculation that he'll be choosing between Florida and Alabama. He wants to play defense, though many schools see him as an offensive lineman. He looks like an OT to me.
  
  

I'll complete the weekend roll call later.

Auburn adds another commitment

Hey everyone. Sorry I'm a bit late on this particular commitment.

Our friends at AuburnSports.com report that Leroy quarterback Clint Moseley, a three-star recruit, has committed to play football at Auburn next season. Moseley was on an official visit to Arkansas State this weekend.

He picked Auburn over ASU, UAB, South Alabama and Marshall.

NOTE: I'll be interested to see how this affects the Tigers' efforts to land Raymond Cotton.

Auburn hires an OL coach

Auburn's search for a new offensive line coach has ended.

Coach Gene Chizik has hired Jeff Grimes from University of Colorado to manage the Tigers' offensive front. He spent two seasons with the Buffaloes and three at Brigham Young prior to that.

Grimes also has worked at Arizona State and Boise State.

``I’m very excited about coming to Auburn, working for Coach Chizik and joining the tremendous staff that he has put together," Grimes said. “As coaches, we are competitive and love challenges and I’m looking forward to coaching with, and against, some of the best players in the country. I can’t express enough, how excited I am about coming to Auburn right now at this time. I’m thrilled about the opportunity and excited to help build something great.”

Photo credit: CU Athletics

Recruit-by-recruit breakdown

Here is a more in-depth look at the Auburn visitors I saw:

TANA PATRICK
Linebacker from Stevenson

Player host: Craig Stevens

On the trip in general: "Met all the coaches, ate a whole bunch of food. I'm tired of eating food right now."

On the Auburn coaching staff: "All of them are great guys. Real family-oriented. I'm all about family. It helps down the line."

On already knowing Auburn assistant Phillip Lolley, who coached Patrick's older brother in high school: "Yeah, I talked to Coach Lolley a pretty good bit. I've known him ever since I was young. (I'm) getting to know him a lot better. Plus, it helps since he's already here and where I'm from."

He expects to announce a decision on Signing Day.



EMORY BLAKE
Wideout from Austin, Texas

Player host: Kodi Burns

On the trip in general: "I had a blast, really. A lot of people recognized me. I was surprised by that. We were just walking around downtown and people recognized me."

On where Auburn stands in his recruitment: "I tend to not make decisions while I'm on the visit because my emotions are on high. Every school you go to, you want to go there. I'll go back home and try to make an important decision for myself.

On Auburn helping itself by making this trip happen: "If I didn't come, I wouldn't have considered them. It definitely helped them. It was different from what I expected. It was better than I expected, actually. I had a great trip."


DEMOND WASHINGTON
All-purpose back from Tallassee
(via Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College)
Ole Miss commitment

Player host: Phillip Pierre-Louis

On rumors that he had de-committed from Ole Miss: "It's in between Auburn and Ole Miss."

On if being close to home helps Auburn's case: "Being close to home, that's not always good. You can go home and get in trouble. If I decided to come here, that won't be a factor. I'll be here on the weekends. (Tallassee) is a small city, but there's all kinds of trouble to get into. It's easy to get into; hard to get out of."

On where he'll play in college: "As of right now, they're still saying I can play any position. Offense, defense, I'm still in that mix. Running back, receiver, corner."

He won't announce anything until Singing Day, but hopes to make a decision before then: "I don't want this buried on my back. I hope it won't go long."


NOSA EGUAE
Defensive end from Mansfield, Texas

Player host: Mike Goggans

On the trip in general: "It doesn't get much better than this. I can't lie -- Big 12 doesn't compare to the stuff you see in the SEC. It's chillin', just the way Tiger Walk is and how Alabama people feel about their football."

On where Auburn stands among his hierarchy: "It doesn't get much better than this. I can't lie -- Big 12 doesn't compare to the stuff you see in the SEC. It's chillin', just the way Tiger Walk is and how Alabama people feel about their football."

On Tracy Rocker: "He's a hell of a coach. He's a humble guy. People bring up the awards he won, that his face is on the stadium and stuff like that. He told me that none of that matter. That's what he did. What matters is what he wants me to do and the type of player I'll be."


ANTHONY GULLEY
Slot receiver from Brantley

Player hosts: Lee Ziemba and Ryan Pugh

On deciding between Auburn and Troy: "I'm going to commit next week to Auburn."

On waiting to announce a commitment: "Because I've got to go visit Troy. I don't want to disappoint coach (Shayne) Wasden. He told me they might make me change my decision."

On why he likes Auburn so much: "It just feels like this is my home – where I need to be. The field. The coaches. All of their coaching staff (are) Christians and I grew up in church and that's all I've known. It's a good thing."

On possibly playing baseball (shortstop) in college: "I talked to coach (James) Willis about that and he said all you've got to do is talk to the baseball coach."


JOHN SULLEN
Offensive lineman from Auburn High
Broke commitment to Southern Miss today; now with Auburn

On the trip in general: "It was a great experience for me. It was a side of Auburn I hadn't seen yet. It was like a completelu different world."

On Auburn's search for a new offensive line coach: "They said that he should be named soon and I'm pretty sure he'll fit right in. He'll have to with the new staff. I love the new staff. Everybody is so down to earth. It was great. You got a good family vibe and everything."

On the possibility for early playing time: "They said I can come in and compete early. I was planning on competing anyway, so it's great, to have a chance to play early as a starter in the SEC. So you really can't beat it."


DeQUINTA JONES
Defensive lineman from Bastrop, La.
Committed to Michigan

He was in a hurry to make a flight back home.

Player host: Jake Ricks

On the best part of the trip: "I'd say the whole thing. Basically, everything was good. I knew it was going to be a good visit down here."

On where Auburn stands among his hierarchy: "They're up very high. Michigan, Arkansas and Oklahoma are there, too."

On plans to announce his choice: "It'll be on Signing Day. I'll surprise everyone."



BRANDON MOORE
Offensive/defensive lineman from Montgomery

On the trip in general: "Auburn was alright. At first, Auburn was a little shaky, but I got to talk with Coach Chizik and Coach Rocker. They really left a good impression on my parents."

Coming in, everyone figured you were choosing between Alabama and Florida. Did this trip change your mind at all?: "A little bit, yeah. If my parents are comfortable ... then I'm comfortable and then everybody's comfortable."

On Auburn being considered even with Alabama and Florida: "You really can't compare Alabama and Florida with Auburn. They're rebuilding. They don't even have their whole coaching staff, so I can't really get comfortable with people who don't have a whole coaching staff."

Sunday recruiting news

1/18/09, MORNING

Hey everyone. We're now underway.

John Sullen of Auburn High.

• (9:03 a.m.) Offensive lineman John Sullen of Auburn High has committed to Auburn University. He had been committed to Southern Miss. That has changed. Sullen currently is en route to relay that information to coach Gene Chizik ... so you really do know it first.
  
  
• (9:50 a.m.) The two kids from Texas, defensive end Nosa Eguae (pictured at left) and wideout Emory Blake, were phenomenal interviews. Eguae seemed really high on Auburn. He was committed to Colorado. He's also thinking about Nebraska and Texas Tech. Word was that he had committed to Auburn during the weekend, but Eguae said that did not happen.
  
  Blake was more diplomatic, though I don't think it was a function of not being impressed with Auburn. He said Texas Tech, Colorado and Auburn are his top three.
  
  
• (10:35 a.m.) Linebacker Tana Patrick (prounounced tuh-NAY) has left the building. He didn't have a lot to say afterward. He rated his visit a 10, but still is considering Alabama, LSU, Southern Cal and Tennessee. He's headed to Los Angeles next weekend.
  
  
• (10:53 a.m.) Athlete Demond Washington said he's still committed to Ole Miss. Auburn and Ole Miss are the only two schools he's considering. It's uncertain which position would fit him best in college -- he's a cornerback and an offensive utility guy -- but his last chat was with defensive coordinator Ted Roof.
  
  
• (11:20 a.m.) Defensive lineman DeQuinta Jones has left the building. He's a Michigan commitment, but seemed pretty intrigued by the things he saw here this weekend.
  
  
• (1:10 a.m.) Offensive/defensive lineman Brandon Moore of Montgomery's G.W. Carver High just left the building after a long talk with Gene Chizik, Jona Chizik and Moore's parents. It was a long one. Moore didn't rule Auburn out, but I think this decision will come down to Alabama or Florida.
  
  
• Also visited this weekend: Wideout Anthony Gulley, defensive end (and Auburn commitment) Dee Ford.
  
  
• More to come.

Schedule update

Hey everyone. It's early morning here in the Gump, from where I soon will depart in search of Auburn's weekend visitors.

I'll start submitting reports as soon as I locate some of these cats.

OF NOTE: Our friends at AuburnSports.com report that tailback LaDarius Perkins of Greenville, Miss., has decommitted. He now plans to sign with Mississippi State. He also plans to take his visit to Auburn next week.