11/30/2013 Alabama vs Auburn Football Highlights
As the calendar turns to 2016, it"s time to pay extra special attention to the recruiting trail on the Plains as head coach Gus Malzahn tries to tie a bow on what is a critical class for the future of the Auburn football program.
Several Auburn commits and targets will be on the field participating in all-star games over the next two weekends during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl(Saturday, Jan. 9 at noon ET on NBC) and Under Armour All-America Game(Saturday, Jan. 2 at noon ET on ESPN2).
Who should Tiger fans keep an eye on during the annual events?
Woody Barrett, Dual-Threat QB, Under Armour All-America Game
The quarterback position has been a major point of contention on the Plains over the last three months, as Jeremy Johnson shed "future star" status in place of the more notorious "bust" label, was replaced by Sean White after just three games and was re-inserted down the stretch after White suffered multiple injuries.
Who"s the answer to Auburn"s quarterback blues? Junior college transfer John Franklin III could be the immediate fix, but the long-term solution is likely dual-threat quarterback Woody Barrett from West Orange High School in Orlando, Floridahome of the Under Armour All-America Game.
The 4-star prospect has been committed to the Tigers since June 3, andalong with Franklinserves as another sign that Malzahn recognizes that his push to prove that his offense works with pro-style quarterbacks as well as those who can run has been put on the back burner, and the head coach of the Tigers is reverting back to more mobile signal-callers.
Barrett is a perfect fit for that kind of Malzahn offense.
"There are a lot of people looking forward to me stepping up and being the guy," Barrett told AL.com"s Wesley Sinor earlier in December. "So I just humble myself and come in and do what I can... We run a similar offense back at West Orange so there"s nothing new. It"s just the signals. So once I get that down pat, I can be come and be the dual-threat and be me."
Tiger fans could get a glimpse of the future when Barrett steps on the field in Orlando.
Antwuan Jackson, Defensive Tackle, U.S. Army All-American Bowl
Games are won and lost in the trenches, and Antwuan Jackson is likely to be one of the guys setting the down up front for the Tigers for the next few seasons.
The 6"2", 285-pound commit from Ellenwood, Georgia, will take the field in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 9 looking to show off his versatility, strength and agility against the best in the class of 2016. The 4-star prospect was part of Auburn"s December surge on the recruiting trail despite the absence of a defensive coordinator.
He has the size and strength to play right away for the 2016 Tigers and the ability to move up and down the line based on situation and team need. The Tigers lose DaVonte Lambert to graduation and could see tackle Montravius Adams head to the NFL if he gets a favorable grade from the NFL.
Jackson could join forces with current freshman defensive end Byron Cowart and create the new identity for the Tiger front regardless of who takes the vacant coordinator position. As an early enrollee, Jackson will have the chance to come in right away and contend for playing time either as a starter or an ever-important rotational tackle.
Marlon Davidson, Defensive End, Under Armour All-America Game
Jackson is going to be part of the future of Auburn"s interior line, but only one part of it. Marlon Davidson, a 5-star defensive end commit from Montgomery, Alabama, will also be a big part of the future of the Tiger defense.
A commit since September, the 6"4", 260-pounder has the speed and quickness of a 4-3 edge-rusher but the size to drop down inside and play closer to the ball. Simply put, he"s as much of a Carl Lawson clone as there is in the class, and he will be following Lawson"s footsteps to the Plains.
He signed financial aid papers with the Tigers this month, and, like Jackson, will enroll in January with a chance to earn immediate playing time as a freshman after a full offseason learning the system.
A full nine months in a college strength and conditioning program for a player who"s already built like a veteran will work wonders for his development and give the new staff options on where and how they use him in 2016 and beyond.
Nate Craig-Myers, Wide Receiver, Under Armour All-America Game
Nate Craig-Myers, a former Auburn commit and 5-star wide receiver prospect from Tampa, has a recruiting story that"s all over the place. Whether it"s Auburn, Florida State, Ole Miss or another school, the 6"2", 205-pounder is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing recruiting stories down the stretch in 2016.
He has tremendous hands, is physical at the line of scrimmage and will be a difference-maker from Day 1 wherever he signs.
His performance in the All-America game won"t matter in terms of where he lands, but it will be the nation"s first big glance at what the future superstar brings to the table.
Jayvaughn Myers, Cornerback/Athlete, Under Armour All-America Game
Does the landing spot for Craig-Myers depend on what his half-brother Jayvaughn Myers does?
That remains to be seen. At the very least, though, they will go through important aspects of the recruiting process together.
Myers, a 4-star cornerback/athlete from Dade City, Florida, will visit the Plains in mid-January once the recruiting dead period comes to a close with Craig-Myers.
Even if they aren"t a package deal, though, keep an eye on Myers.
The 6"1", 185-pounder has quick hips, great body control and tremendous recovery speed. A bigger corner, Myers is physical at the line of scrimmage and has the potential to play anywhere in the secondary thanks to his size and strength.
Auburn found a potential star in SEC All-Freshman cornerback Carlton Davis last recruiting cycle, and if it lands Myers, he could be one candidate to follow in Davis" footsteps.
John Broussard, Cornerback, Under Armour All-America Game
The departure of former defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson shook the ground a little bit for 4-star cornerback commit John Broussard. In the end, though, he became part of Auburn"s December defensive surge when he signed financial aid papers in December to enroll early with the Tigers.
At 6"0", 164 pounds, Broussard is one of the best cornerbacks in the class of 2016 and a huge piece of the recruiting puzzle for Malzahn. He has elite cover skills, tremendous quickness, and the native of Phenix City, Alabama, could become an instant impact player on the Plains.
As Will Sammon of theOpelika-Auburn Newspointed out, Broussard doesn"t lack confidence. He issued a challenge to New York Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in August saying that the former LSU stud could only catch two of five passes one-on-one against him.
That"s the kind of confidence cornerbacks need. But before he goes up against the best the NFL has to offer, showing out against his peers in high school in Orlando will be his first major test.
Landon Dickerson, Offensive Tackle, Under Armour All-America Game
Auburn is in the market for some help at offensive tackle, and 4-star, Hudson, North Carolina, native Landon Dickerson might be the next in line on the Plains.
The 6"5", 293-pounder visited the program over Iron Bowl weekend, which seemed to make a big impact on him.
"It"s been a really busy season for us, so I thought coming to this game would probably be the best chance to witness what the atmosphere would be like," he told Wesley Sinor of AL.com. "I was very impressed with what I saw. Overall I know they didn"t win, but just seeing the fans and how they reacted the entire game was really great to see and a great thing to witness."
There are a lot of other teams after Dickerson, including Virginia Tech, Florida State and Tennessee, but Auburn appears to be making a late push.
On the field, Dickerson will get a chance to show off his quickness and strength against some of the best defensive ends in a class stacked with talent at that position. If he holds his own, that"s a great sign for a player who could become a star early in his college career.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy ofcfbstats.com, and recruiting information is courtesy of247Sports.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio onSiriusXM83. Follow Barrett on Twitter@BarrettSallee.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2602970-auburn-football-players-to-watch-in-high-school-all-american-games
