*EE = Early Enrollee
** Rankings per 247 Sports
Tigers
Class Analysis:
For Gus Malzahn, his first year at Auburn was a tremendous success, both on the field and on the recruiting trail. Despite losing five star linebacker Rashaan Evans to rival Alabama, the Tigers have assembled a great class.
The offense is led by the number one JUCO recruit for the 2014 class, D’haquille Williams and RB Roc Thomas. Auburn returns a good bit of their offense, with the biggest losses being RB Tre Mason, and OT Greg Robinson, so there wasn’t any position that was in dire need of players who can contribute early, except receiver, which is why there wasn’t as a big of a focus on it as there was on defense.
The Tigers defense lost a huge amount of its starters and backups to both the NFL draft and graduation. The top recruits on this side are Tre’ Williams and Nick Ruffin, both playing positions that will have openings when they arrive on campus this fall. If the Tigers are going to have a chance at repeating their success from last season, they will need all of these freshman and JUCOs to pick up their positions early and help Auburn reload, as opposed to rebuilding.
Top Impact
Recruits:
Running back Tre Mason is now gone, leaving an opportunity for running back Roc Thomas to early a role in Malzahn’s offense. I will go on record with this, Thomas will be an All-SEC type back. He has great patience, but isn’t afraid to make his own running lanes, and has a great burst of speed to get through the lanes. Not only does he have speed, he is one of the most elusive running backs I’ve seen. He is capable of turning on a dime, even when going at his top speed. Watching his film, all you see is Thomas blazing by defenders and shaking off any attempt they make to bring him down. If Thomas gain add just about ten pounds to his frame, then there will be no way that he doesn’t become a top back in the SEC.
The pick on defense is linebacker Tre’ Williams. While there isn’t as much room for Williams to come in and start, there is a great chance for him to find his way into Ellis Johnson’s rotation, and could see a great amount playing time. One of the biggest strengths for Williams is his tackling ability. He always wraps up, and never lets anyone get by him. He is also a leader on his defense. You will see him constantly watching the offense and adjusting the defense on the field to adjust.
Underrated:
Andrew Williams is a defensive end that might not see much time as a freshman, but he has the potential to become a new Dee Ford. Williams is a low four star from Georgia, who was recruited by most of the SEC and turned down offers from South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama to attend Auburn. He isn’t the fastest defensive end, and his frame will need some time to bulk up and develop, but he does have a great burst off the line. His biggest asset appears to be his disruptiveness on run plays, along with his tackling.