Another expert chimes in

Hey everyone. I spent some time earlier today on the HABOTN Hotline® with Chad Simmons, who is Scout.com's Southeastern recruiting manager.

My people inside the Scout organization said he was the go-to guy.

And he was.

Here is some of what he had to say. You can read more in tomorrow's editions of the Advertiser, which will feature a story on quarterback Cam Newton.

• On how Newton's signing affected Auburn's recruiting allure: ``It definitely didn't hurt. Everyone thought he was going to Mississippi State because he had such a long-standing relationship with Dan Mullen. So Auburn kind of stole him away and that was something of a surprise to everyone. It created momentum. All those kids, the recruits, they know Cam Newton. They know what kind of player he is. Signing him created a buzz. The offensive recruits think to themselves: Let's go to Auburn and play with a kid like that."
  
  
• On how Marcus Lattimore choosing Auburn would push the Tigers' reputation even higher: ``I'd say him committing to Auburn would push that class right up there near the top. Anybody who gets Lattimore, whether it's Auburn or South Carolina, will be better immediately. He's an awesome player, the total package of on-the-field ability and off-the-field presence. I say that, but I like Michael Dyer almost as much. They're both as good as it gets."
  
  
• On where Auburn would rank with Lattimore and Whitaker on board: ``That's hard to say because you never know what happens on Signing Day. There's always some surprises. If Auburn holds everyone they have right now and add those two, I'd say they're in the 2, 3, 4 range." (Auburn currently is No. 5 in the Scout.com rankings.)
  
  
• On the Tigers' class in general right now: ``It's a very good class. It's the best I've seen from Auburn. You know about the four- and five-star guys, but they have some great sleepers, too. Kenneth Carter is one. Dakota Mosley is a lot better than people think. I'm not sure he'll stay at tight end at Auburn, but he'll be good anywhere they put him. Considering it's their first full recruiting year, having to build a lot of relationships from scratch, they've done a really nice job. It's a huge success."

ALSO OF NOTE:


• Simmons spoke last night with DT Jeffrey Whitaker and believes Auburn remains the leader despite Whitaker's trip to Georgia last week. ``I sense that he'll pick Auburn, though he hasn't told me that," he said.
  
  
• Simmons believes OL James Stone will sign with Tennessee.
  
  
• He made his final assessments and adjustments yesterday, which included bumping S Demetruce McNeal from the nation's No. 70 safety to No. 31: ``Teams are going to regret not going after him because he'll be an excellent college player. Auburn offered him as a sophomore and locked him up. He had an outstanding senior season," he said.