By Collin Mickle

Published: February 5, 2008

The homestretch of recruiting season has been anti-climactic, to say the least, for Auburn.

The Tigers have dealt with several high-profile defections from their verbal commitment list in the last two weeks, though Auburn has also continued to add to its stable of commitments. Rivals.com currently ranks AU’s 29-man group of commitments 16th nationally.

Today will bring an end to recruiting season: It’s National Signing Day, the first day high school prospects are allowed to officially accept colleges’ scholarship offers.

For Auburn, it’s the most suspenseful Signing Day in some time.

The Tigers are still waiting to hear from at least five uncommitted prospects. That group includes three former AU commitments: Tailback Enrique Davis, defensive back George Baker and wideout Jarmon Fortson.

All three have cooled on AU since committing earlier in the recruiting process, but all are still considering the Tigers.

Among the other uncommitted prospects on Auburn’s radar are North Charleston, S.C., defensive end Robert Quinn and Gadsden linebacker Jerrell Harris. Another top AU target, Boutte, La., wideout Laron Byrd, committed to Miami on Sunday.

All three are rated four-star prospects by Rivals.com.

Harris was the only linebacker on Auburn’s radar for most of recruiting season, but the Tigers extended a scholarship offer Tuesday to Northview linebacker Spencer Pybus, who promptly accepted.

Pybus had 142 tackles last season and is rated a two-star prospect by Rivals.com. His only other scholarship offer came from Duke.
It’s unclear whether the addition of Pybus will affect the Tigers’ chances with Harris.

A big finish today would help ease the sting of a rough few weeks for Auburn, which has seen several top prospects drop off its radar.

Since Jan. 28, Auburn has watched Byrd commit to Miami and has seen Baker, Fortson and prep-school defensive tackle Charles Deas — all four-star recruits according to Rivals.com — drop off the AU commitment list for a variety of reasons.

The Tigers also reportedly chose to take themselves out of the running for Anniston offensive tackle Antoine McClain, a four-star prospect.

AU has replaced those big names with Pybus, Tampa, Fla., wideout Derek Winter and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., long-snapper Dax Dellenbach, all considered two-star prospects by Rivals.com. None of that trio had a firm Auburn scholarship offer before Feb. 1.

There is plenty of good news. Three top prospects are already enrolled at Auburn: Junior-college quarterback Chris Todd, juco defensive end Raven Gray and Columbus, Ga., quarterback Deron Furr.

Todd is expected to compete for the starting quarterback job in spring practice, while Gray, an Enterprise native, should help bolster an Auburn defensive line that lost three starters this offseason.

AU has also obtained verbal commitments from some top playmakers. The group features three running backs and five wide receivers, including tailbacks Onterrio McCalebb and Reggie Hunt and wide receivers Damion Allen and Philip Pierre-Louis.

The commitments also includes 13 defensive prospects: Six linemen, Pybus at linebacker and six defensive backs.

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Auburn’s final targets
Name Pos. Hometown Rivals rating Finalists
George Baker* DB Miami *** AU, USF, Rutgers
Enrique Davis*% RB Lynn Haven, Fla. ***** AU, Ole Miss, Tenn.
Jarmon Fortson* WR Columbus, Ga. **** AU, FSU
Robert Quinn DE N. Charleston, S.C. **** AU, Bama, UNC
Jerrell Harris LB Gadsden **** AU, Bama, Clemson
* Previous AU commitment
% Prep-school prospect

Current Auburn commitments
Name Pos. Hometown Rivals.com rating
Darvin Adams WR Kennesaw, Ga. ***
Harry Adams WR Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ***
Ken Adams TE Enterprise **
Damion Allen# WR Orlando, Fla. ***
T’Sharvan Bell DB Kissimmee, Fla. ****
Drew Cole DB Picayune, Miss. ***
Dax Dellenbach DS Fort Lauderdale, Fla. **
DeRon Furr@ QB Columbus, Ga. ****
Raven Gray^@ DE Enterprise *****
Cameron Henderson DE Birmingham ****
D’Antoine Hood DB Phenix City ***
Reggie Hunt RB Daphne ***
Marcus Jemison DB McCalla ***
Jermaine Johnson% OL Fort Lauderdale, Fla. *****
Neiko Lipscomb DB Tucker, Ga. ***
Derrick Lykes DE Clanton **
Onterrio McCalebb RB Fort Meade, Fla. ****
Philip Pierre-Louis WR Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ***
Spencer Pybus LB Dothan **
Jomarcus Savage DE Huntsville ***
Brandon Smith ATH Mobile **
Eric Smith RB Seffner, Fla. ***
Vance Smith TE Pace, Fla. ***
Freddie Smooth DL Baton Rouge, La. ***
Christian Thompson DB Fort Lauderdale, Fla. ***
Chris Todd^@ QB Elizabethtown, Ky. ***
Barrett Trotter QB Birmingham ***
Andre Wadley DE Hernando, Miss. ***
Derek Winter WR Tampa, Fla. **

@ Already enrolled at Auburn
^ Junior-college prospect
% Prep-school prospect
# Did not qualify; already enrolled at junior college