To dispel some of these threads being posted here is where we stand in the Freeze ERA.
Since 2000 the best Auburn has done with respect to TOP 150 recruits for a 4 year cycle is 22 by Gus. 6 in any year was also his best.
The reason the TOP 150 is important is because Saban made it so by taking recruiting to a higher level than ever.
His rosters included about 70% TOP 150sh recruits, Kirby followed and is around 60-70%. They made the standard. The standard is not what the services tell you cause Saban made a mockery of those.
So if you want to compete with them they have shown you the way.
Enter Clemson and Dabo. Dabo, not being able to recruit as well as bama tried a different approach. His approach filled every position with a TOP 150 recruit plus another 10-12 for substitutions. That means a team can have 11 offensive players and 11 defensive players (22) with another 10 subs and you still have an elite squad. What you don’t have is 30 players sitting on the bench waiting a few years to get their chance. Players sitting on the bench don’t hurt you……..so Clemson’s model, with careful position management, played just like a bama or UGA team. With a couple elite QBs they even won a few NC games.
Auburn can compete with bama and UGA by using the Clemson model. They need about 8 TOP 150sh players per year over a 4 year recruiting cycle.
That’s 32 total. It also takes good position management and an above average QB or better.
In his first 3 recruiting cycles HF has signed 26 TOP 150 recruits. This means he is doing by far, better than any HC in recent Auburn history and is actually in the elite range. His 2026 class already has 3 TOP 150 recruits so he is well on his way towards the 32 mark.
This is far superior to what Auburn fans are use to. However, there are some caveats.
1. It takes at least 2 1/2 season so that your young recruits become SEC level players. What freshman comes in an immediately looks awesome?
2. HF screwed up by not getting an elite QB earlier because now he is forced to fill that position out of the portal and likely to pay 2X as much to guarantee he gets his man. If he doesn’t get one then IMO his days at Auburn are over……Unless Deuce is a first year wonder.
3. HF has also not filled our OL with TOP 150 recruits. We have a couple but not enough and I don’t believe we have a LeftOT. This needs to be fixed too.
So as far as high school recruiting goes Auburn is in the top, very exclusive, elite group over the past 3 cycles.
But as far as NIL goes I still have my doubts that HF knows how to negotiate or throw around money to obtain these top players.
Because of this I am not sure he will represent Auburn in the portal very well either. I just don’t think he is comfortable in dishing out millions to 18-22 year olds and I don’t know whether he is much of a riverboat gambler either.
Make no mistake, if Auburn wants to play with the Big Boys then some of these high profile recruits MUST go our way. This is perhaps the biggest auction in the world and it is no time to try to be penny-wise. We must keep our paddle up and outbid some of these a Big Time schools.
But as far as high school talent Auburn is in great shape.
Since 2000 the best Auburn has done with respect to TOP 150 recruits for a 4 year cycle is 22 by Gus. 6 in any year was also his best.
The reason the TOP 150 is important is because Saban made it so by taking recruiting to a higher level than ever.
His rosters included about 70% TOP 150sh recruits, Kirby followed and is around 60-70%. They made the standard. The standard is not what the services tell you cause Saban made a mockery of those.
So if you want to compete with them they have shown you the way.
Enter Clemson and Dabo. Dabo, not being able to recruit as well as bama tried a different approach. His approach filled every position with a TOP 150 recruit plus another 10-12 for substitutions. That means a team can have 11 offensive players and 11 defensive players (22) with another 10 subs and you still have an elite squad. What you don’t have is 30 players sitting on the bench waiting a few years to get their chance. Players sitting on the bench don’t hurt you……..so Clemson’s model, with careful position management, played just like a bama or UGA team. With a couple elite QBs they even won a few NC games.
Auburn can compete with bama and UGA by using the Clemson model. They need about 8 TOP 150sh players per year over a 4 year recruiting cycle.
That’s 32 total. It also takes good position management and an above average QB or better.
In his first 3 recruiting cycles HF has signed 26 TOP 150 recruits. This means he is doing by far, better than any HC in recent Auburn history and is actually in the elite range. His 2026 class already has 3 TOP 150 recruits so he is well on his way towards the 32 mark.
This is far superior to what Auburn fans are use to. However, there are some caveats.
1. It takes at least 2 1/2 season so that your young recruits become SEC level players. What freshman comes in an immediately looks awesome?
2. HF screwed up by not getting an elite QB earlier because now he is forced to fill that position out of the portal and likely to pay 2X as much to guarantee he gets his man. If he doesn’t get one then IMO his days at Auburn are over……Unless Deuce is a first year wonder.
3. HF has also not filled our OL with TOP 150 recruits. We have a couple but not enough and I don’t believe we have a LeftOT. This needs to be fixed too.
So as far as high school recruiting goes Auburn is in the top, very exclusive, elite group over the past 3 cycles.
But as far as NIL goes I still have my doubts that HF knows how to negotiate or throw around money to obtain these top players.
Because of this I am not sure he will represent Auburn in the portal very well either. I just don’t think he is comfortable in dishing out millions to 18-22 year olds and I don’t know whether he is much of a riverboat gambler either.
Make no mistake, if Auburn wants to play with the Big Boys then some of these high profile recruits MUST go our way. This is perhaps the biggest auction in the world and it is no time to try to be penny-wise. We must keep our paddle up and outbid some of these a Big Time schools.
But as far as high school talent Auburn is in great shape.
