Now that Auburn is not allowed to have an open week before the Alabama game, it appears they are going to go the route of playing a smaller in-state school for Homecoming that week, Alabama A&M, like they did with Samford in 2011.

So after the opener was set and the week between Georgia and Alabama was set, we were left with three dates to fill: 9/15, 9/29, 11/3. The pieces fell into place when New Mexico State released part of their schedule that included their game with Auburn on 11/3. That left 9/15 and 9/29 for the Louisiana-Monroe. According to the FBSchedules.com, the WarHawks will be playing Tulane on 9/29, which leaves 9/15 for the Auburn game.

Sept. 1: Clemson (Georgia Dome)
Sept. 8: at Mississippi State
Sept. 15: LOUISIANA-MONROE
Sept. 22: LSU
Sept. 29: OPEN
Oct. 6: ARKANSAS
Oct. 13: at Ole Miss
Oct. 20: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 27: TEXAS A&M
Nov. 3: NEW MEXICO STATE
Nov. 10: GEORGIA
Nov. 17: ALABAMA A&M
Nov. 24: at Alabama

I will be doing a very early look at the schedule with a breakdown of the games in the next week or so, but a few things that stand out to me are that there is only one instance of back-to-back games that include what would be considered upper-SEC teams (LSU and Arkansas), and even then there's an off week between them. I like that.

Also, the only two away games that are back-to-back (Ole Miss and Vanderbilt) are much easier than what Auburn was dealt last year. October isn't nearly as scary as 2011's was either.

This hasn't been released by the school yet, but I'd call it official. After seeing this, what do you think? How does the schedule pan out for Auburn?

Pic via @RiaVarnell.

Shane Callahan (4-star OL)
Parker, CO (Chaparrel HS)
-Other offers: Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington
-Notes: Callahan being a Colorado native explains most of the offers from the western schools. I like seeing that Vandy offered him. Smart kid.
-Highlights:

Patrick Miller (4-star OL)
West Palm Beach, FL (Dwyer HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee
-Notes: Miller was an LSU commit since September, then at the beginning of the Spring semester he just showed up in an Auburn classroom. Big dude, should play early.
-Highlights:

Javiere Mitchell (4-star OLB)
Leeds, AL (Leeds HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Tennessee, UAB
-Notes: Auburn needs linebackers, Auburn got a good one.
-Highlights:

Zeke Pike (3-star QB)
Edgewood, KY (Dixie Heights HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Cincinnati, Clemson, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin
-Notes: Pike has been on a whirlwind the past few months. He was named an Elite 11 QB, trolled Bama fans on Twitter, left Twitter, lost a star, and now is back on Twitter. He was big in recruiting some signees.
-Highlights:

Jay Prosch (FB, Jr.)
Transferred from Illinois
-Notes: Prosch is a Mobile native. His mother has been struggling with cancer recently, so he was granted a waiver to come closer to home. Illinois was moving to the spread, which didn't bode well for his playing future, given that he is a mountain of muscle.
-Highlights:

The rest signed yesterday:

Joshua Holsey (4-star CB)
Fairburn, GA (Creekside HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Purdue, South Carolina, South Florida, Southern Miss, Tennessee, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin
-Notes: Holsey can come in and play right now, and I'm not just saying that because his mom told me to.
-Highlights:

Ricky Parks (4-star TE)
Hogansville, GA (Callaway HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State, Oregon, South Carolina, USC, Vanderbilt
-Notes: Parks was wanted all over the country, which makes sense because he's the #2 TE in the country. Vandy and Georgia Tech offers show me that he's a smart kid, too.
-Highlights:

Jonathon Jones (3-star CB)
Carrollton, GA (Carrollton HS)
-Other offers: Boston College, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Stanford, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest
-Notes: Every Auburn recruiting analyst loves this kid. Auburn fans should too, he's been Auburn all the way. And with offers from Georgia Tech, Stanford, and Vanderbilt, he's probably smarter than you.
-Highlights:

Gimel President (3-star DE)
Mt. Pleasant, SC (Wando HS)
-Other offers: Clemson, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Florida, Tennessee, UCF, Virginia Tech
-Notes: Yeah, he's got a cool name, but that's not the only positive. He committed months ago and never wavered.
-Highlights:

Robert Leff (3-star OL)
Fairhope, AL (Fairhope HS)
-Other offers: Kentucky, Lousiana-Lafayette, Southern Miss
-Notes: Leff is big (6'6"), but he'll need to gain some weight to play on a SEC offensive line. He got started on that last night when he tried to consume 7.5 pounds of seafood in an hour.
-Highlights:

Tyler Nero (4-star DT)
Atmore, AL (Escambia County HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, South Alabama
-Notes: Another cool name that has been with Auburn all the way. He also seems to be one of a few guys who said no to Dameyune Craig at Florida State, and yes to Auburn instead.
-Highlights:

T.J. Davis (3-star CB)
Tallahassee, FL (Godby HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Clemson, Florida, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina, South Florida, Southern Miss, TCU, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest
-Notes: Remember when the Auburn planes were down in Tallahassee and we all thought it was because Chizik was talking to Mark Stoops about the defensive coordinator position? Yeah, he might have been, but it was probably just any Auburn coach talking to this guy. Do you think alums of Godby High school say "I went to Godby, by God"? I'll ask T.J. when he gets on campus.
-Highlights:

Darrion Hutcherson (3-star TE)
Dadeville, AL (Dadeville HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, East Carolina, Louisville, Memphis, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Utah, Vanderbilt
-Notes: Hutcherson's family is all Alabama. He committed to Auburn and has helped recruit ever since. You have to like that. He's a big guy that could play TE or DE.
-Highlights:

JaQuay Williams (4-star WR)
Tyrone, GA (Sandy Creek HS)
-Other offers: Arkansas, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, South Carolina, Southern Miss, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
-Notes: JaQuay has been committed to Auburn for a while. Georgia made a big push at the end, which led some to believe that he'd switch. He didn't. He'll play quickly, just like he runs.
-Highlights:

Jonathan Wallace (3-star QB)
Phenix City, AL (Central HS)
-Other offers: Alcorn State, Arkansas State, Florida International, Jacksonville State, Kent State, Memphis, Middle Tennessee State, Northern Illinois, South Alabama, Southern Miss, UCF, Western Kentucky
-Notes: Wallace was the only surprise on signing day, but only in the sense that we didn't know that Chizik was looking for another quarterback. He was committed to UCF previously and obviously didn't have many illustrious offers, but I've seen him play and he is fast. He may end up playing somewhere else other than QB.
-Highlights:

Cassanova McKinzy (4-star OLB)
Birmingham, AL (Woodlawn HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Clemson, Florida State, Kansas, UAB
-Notes: Hey, did you know that McKinzy ONLY picked Auburn over Clemson because of Auburn's on-campus Chick-Fil-A? But seriously... again, Auburn needs linebackers and Auburn got a good one... with an awesome name.
-Highlights:

Jovon Robinson (4-star RB)
Memphis, TN (Wooddale HS)
-Other offers: Arkansas, Cincinnati, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Memphis, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Penn State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt
-Notes: Jovon says if Auburn fans are still talking about T.J. Yeldon in a few years, then he didn't do his job. Yeldon would have been nice, but Robinson isn't chopped liver. He's the 10th best back in the nation. He'll be another piece of Auburn's deep running back corps.
-Highlights:

Ricardo Louis (4-star WR)
Miami Beach, FL (Miami Beach HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, East Carolina, Florida, Florida International, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, South Carolina, South Florida, UCF
-Notes: Ricardo was Auburn all the way, but the delay in an offensive coordinator announcement gave ol' Dameyune a chance to swoop in and steal his commitment. But once Loeffler was hired, Louis left the Noles, and picked the Tigers like he wanted to all along. He'll play next season.
-Highlights:

Avery Young (4/5-star OL)
Palm Beach Gardens, FL (Palm Beach Gardens HS)
-Other offers: Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Marshall, Miami, Michigan, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
-Notes: Young was the only guy that signed with Auburn that nobody had a clue about where he was going. He's arguably Auburn's biggest signee on a national level, and will add on to the third straight top-5 O-line class for Jeff Grimes.
-Highlights:

Will Adams (3-star OL)
Tyrone, GA (Sandy Creek HS)
-Other offers: Buffalo, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Marshall, Memphis, South Alabama, Southern Miss
-Notes: Adams was a Georgia Tech commitment, but Auburn pushed late and got him. I've talked to one of his family members, and they said he is pumped about coming to Auburn. Evidently he was so excited that he forgot to fax in his LOI until later in the day, which explains why his name isn't up on the recruiting board picture at the top of the post. Also, his dad was a USFL quarterback. So there's that...
-Highlights:

Jordan Diamond (4/5 star OL)
Chicago, IL (Simeon HS)
-Other offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Florida State, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, Wisconsin
-Notes: Diamond was believed to be a lock by some, but with so many finalists (Wisconsin, Michigan, Arkansas, etc. it was hard to tell. He is a huge pickup and is another addition to an already stellar offensive line class. Jeff Grimes for Heisman.
-Highlights:

Auburn is also in the running for three two more guys that will be announcing in the coming days. All three Both would significantly boost this signing class.

-Jordan Diamond (4-star OT) of Simeon HS (Chicago, IL) is announcing tomorrow night (2/3) at 7 pm CT Signed with Auburn.

-Stefon Diggs (5-star WR) of Our Lady of Good Counsel HS (Olney, MD) is announcing on 2/10.

-Alex Kozan (4-star OL) of Valor Christian HS (Castle Rock, CO) was committed to Iowa, but Auburn made a late push. Kozan ended up delaying his announcement yesterday and is now considering Iowa, Auburn, and Michigan. Some think that he waiting to see where Diamond goes.

All in all, this class met Auburn's needs and did so in strong fashion. It is not the type of class of past years, but Auburn didn't necessarily need that. Auburn has two top-5 classes on campus right now, most who got playing time last year and will be around for 2-3 more years. I guess it goes to show how successful you've been when fans are disappointed in a top 15 class. They would have killed for that five years ago.

Take another look at all of the other offers these kids received. Most were wanted all over country by every elite school. Don't get caught up in the hats they chose from or if they even did an announcement. Yesterday may have not been exciting in terms of hat picking, etc. but that's because Auburn had high profile guys already on campus or that were complete locks for months. The class is very strong regardless of what happened in front of a high school lunchroom yesterday.

Update: Would you look at that. Chizik and Bramblett pretty much say the exact same thing I just said in this recap of Signing Day:

We'll see what happens with Diamond, Diggs, and Kozan, and I'll update this post as their announcements come in. Thanks for reading yesterday. It was a banner day for the 'Blogle.

Like last year, I will provide updates as soon as I get them. No doubt, with Twitter and all that, everybody in the world is going to tweet and retweet every single signing all day long. I'd guess each announcement will get at least 10,000 tweets. So why sift through all that? Let me do it for you. Just sit right here at the 'Blogle and hit refresh over and over. I'll give you everything you need to know.

Later in the day, once the class is final (at least for the day) and once Chizik has done his press conference at 3:00 PM CT, I'll do some sort of live chat like we did last year. It could be afternoon, it could be tonight, but it will happen. Again, keep hitting refresh and you'll see it.

I'll put the most recent updates at the top to make things easier on you. Be sure to check the schedule to know when guys should be making their announcements. Alright, that's enough. Now we wait for the faxes to come in...

10:45 - The live chat is done. This post is done. Full recap tomorrow. Good night.

8:50 pm - We will be live-chatting, live-blogging, doing it chatroom style for all things National Signing Day after the Auburn basketball game. It should end around 9-9:15pm, but I'll be in there at 9 either way. Come on in. Talk to me.

4:25 pm - Auburn's updated signing class rankings at this time: Rivals - #11 (8th in average stars), Scout - #14, ESPN - #17, 24/7 Sports - #17 (14th in average stars).

3:45 pm - Chizik was his normal coach-speaking self, and the questions were normal run-of-the-mill type, so there was nothing too exciting. Here are a few highlights:

• Chizik said they are excited and happy about this year's class.
• Chizik: "We feel great about the QUALITY of the class."
• He said the class is hopefully not complete. Still a few guys left out there.
• Chizik will only talk about the guys who are at or will be at Auburn.
• Chizik: "You have to be very judicious about making sure you don't over-sign, because there's no forgiveness there." Someone in the SEC doesn't feel the same way.

That's it. I told you it was boring. Recap: Happy, Excited, Fulfilled Needs, Our Players, Maybe A Few More.

3:00 pm - Will Adams (3-star OT), who announced this morning with JaQuay Williams, finally found the power cord to the fax machine and sent his LOI in. He was previously committed to Georgia Tech.

2:45 pm - All recruits that had any interest in Auburn that were planning on announcing today are done. Well, besides Alex Kozan (4-star OG) who is considering Iowa, Auburn, and Michigan. He was apparently a no-show at his announcement today and is still trying to make his decision after a late push by Auburn last night.

Other targets that will announce in the days to come are 4-star OT Jordan Diamond (Feb. 3) and 5-star WR Stefon Diggs (Feb. 10). Chizik's press conference is coming up at 3 pm CT. I'll give you updates on that here and on Twitter.

1:05 pm - Boom. Avery Young (4-star OT) of Palm Beach Gardens HS (FL) and Ricardo Louis (4-star WR) of Miami Beach HS (FL) have both committed to Auburn. Young chose the Tigers over Florida, Georgia, Miami, and many others. Louis, you will remember, was committed to Auburn, then Florida State before de-comitting from the Noles last week. Update: Both have now faxed in their LOIs.

Watch some of the coaches react to Avery Young's announcement.

11:45 am - Jovon Robinson* (4-star RB) of Wooddale HS (Memphis, TN), who will make us all forget about T.J. Yeldon, rounds out the list of verbal commitments sending in their LOI. Now we wait on some surprises.

11:10 am - According to Auburn, Jovon Robinson has not faxed in his LOI yet. But don't worry, I doubt he wore this to pull any surprises. Update: it didn't stop there. It was a full orange suit. Pics via @memphissports.

9:55 am - One of the best names in this year's class, Cassanova McKinzy* (4-star OLB) of Woodlawn (Birmingham, AL), has sent in his LOI.

9:15 - Somewhere back there I missed that Auburn got a surprise commitment from Jonathan Wallace (3-star QB) of Central HS (Phenix City, AL). He is a dual threat quarterback that was previously committed to UCF. Most say he's underrated and that the dude can fly. I'll take him.

8:58 am - JaQuay Williams has faxed in his letter. No Cyko situation for him.

8:35 am - In this first exciting announcement of the day, JaQuay Williams* (4-star WR) of Sandy Creek HS (Tyrone, GA) sticks with Auburn after some sites said he'd switch with Georgia. Also, Will Adams (3-star OT) of the same high school flips from Georgia Tech to the Tigers. Their LOIs aren't in yet, but I doubt a CyKo situation will occur like last year.

8:20 am - In another non-surprise, Darrion Hutcherson* (3-star TE) of Dadeville HS (AL) has faxed in his letter displaying his intent to play at Auburn.

7:45 am - T.J. Davis* (3-star CB) of Godby HS (Tallahassee, FL) and Tyler Nero* (4-star DT) of Escambia County (Atmore, AL) make number six and seven. All have been expected. Announcements that include hat-picking will begin soon.

7:20 am - And they just keep rolling in, although still no surprises yet. Robert Leff* (3-star OT) of Fairhope HS (AL) has made the best decision of his life and makes it official.

7:15 am - Gimel President* (3-star DE) - Wando HS (Mt. Pleasant, SC) has become the 4th newest Tiger today. No surprises so far. All four were strong verbal commitments for a while.

7:00 am - Jonathan Jones* (3-star CB) of Carrollton HS (GA), Joshua Holsey* (4-star CB) of Creekside HS (Fairburn, GA), and Ricky Parks* (4-star TE) of Callaway HS (Hogansville, GA) must have had their faxes scheduled to go off this morning because they have already signed and sent them in to Auburn. The first of many today.

* - was verbally committed

That being said, I don't follow recruiting too closely, but I do pay attention on National Signing Day. I want to see who wants to play for Auburn, and if they don't, then get them out of my face.

Here is the current schedule (all times CST, all ratings from Rivals) for every player that has committed to Auburn, shown interest in Auburn, or is even considering Auburn. As you'll see, there are a few that don't have a time, but they also happen to be locks or already enrolled, so don't worry about them.

7:00 am
Gimel President* (3-star DE) - Mt. Pleasant, SC (Wando) - Signed with Auburn.

7:45 am
JaQuay Williams* (4-star WR) - Tyrone, GA (Sandy Creek) - Signed with Auburn.
Will Adams (3-star OT) - Tyrone, GA (Sandy Creek) - Signed with Auburn.

8:00 am
Jonathan Jones* (3-star CB) - Carrollton, GA (Carrollton) - Signed with Auburn.

8:30 am
Joshua Holsey* (4-star CB) - Fairburn, GA (Creekside) - Signed with Auburn.

9:00 am
Cassanova McKinzy* (4-star OLB) - Birmingham, AL (Woodlawn) - Signed with Auburn.
T.J. Davis* (3-star CB) - Tallahassee, FL (Godby) - Signed with Auburn.

9:05 am
Eddie Goldman (5-star DT) - Washington D.C (Friendship Academy) - Signed with FSU.

9:30 am
Tyler Nero* (4-star DT) - Atmore, AL (Escambia County) - Signed with Auburn.

10:00 am
Robert Leff* (3-star OT) - Fairhope, AL (Fairhope) - Signed with Auburn.
Leonard Williams (4-star DE) - Daytona Beach, FL (Mainland) - Signed with USC.

10:05 am
Kwon Alexander (4-star OLB) - Oxford, AL (Oxford) - Signed with LSU.

10:30 am
Ricky Parks* (4-star TE) - Hogansville, GA (Callaway) - Signed with Auburn.
Cordarrelle Patterson (4-star WR) - Hutchison, KS (Hutchison CC) - Signed with Tennessee.

12:00 pm
Ricardo Louis (4-star WR) - Miami Beach, FL (Miami Beach)  - Signed with Auburn.

1:00 pm
Avery Young (4-star OT) - Palm Beach Gardens, FL (Palm Beach Gardens) - Signed with Auburn.

2:00 pm
Ronald Darby (4-star CB) - Oxon Hill, MD (Potomac) - Committed to FSU.

*-verbal commitment

Other notable announcements:
Jan. 31
Jordan Moore (3-star S) - Lithonia , GA (MLK) - Signed with TCU.

Feb. 3, 7:00 pm
Jordan Diamond (4-star OT) - Chicago, IL (Simeon)

Feb. 10
Stefon Diggs (5-star WR) - Olney, MD (Our Lady of Good Counsel)

Other verbal commitments:
Darrion Hutcherson (3-star TE) - Dadeville, AL (Dadeville)  - Signed with Auburn.
Jovon Robinson (4-star RB) - Memphis, TN (Wooddale) - Signed with Auburn.

Already enrolled:
Shane Callahan (4-star OT) - Parker, CO (Chaparrel)
Patrick Miller (4-star OT) - West Palm Beach, FL (Dwyer)
Javiere Mitchell (4-star OLB) - Leeds, AL (Leeds)
Zeke Pike (3-star QB) - Edgewood, KY (Dixie Heights)
Jay Prosch (FB, Jr.) - Transferred from Illinois

Here's the schedule for all announcements that will be broadcasted on ESPNU.

Some dates/times courtesy of the good and hardworking people at AuburnSports.com.

You should follow him on Twitter, and be sure to get all the latest recruiting updates on AuburnSports.com. We will be doing a post-Signing Day interview as well to discuss Auburn's 2012 class. Note: I said that last year, and we never did. I promise we will this time.

1. Do you foresee any major surprises on National Signing Day?

I would imagine there will be a surprise, but no telling what it will be. It could be Auburn landing more than their fair share of Eddie Goldman, Ronald Darby, Leonard Williams, Avery Young, or it could be Auburn having to fall back on other prospects that may surprise people. I'd expect a surprise, but not sure which way the surprise will go right now.

2. What have other schools used against Auburn in their recruiting pitches this season?

The lack of coordinators, first and foremost. Auburn went an extended period of time without a defensive coordinator, and even longer without an offensive coordinator. Other schools used that against Auburn commitments and top targets, pitching the uncertainty of the direction of the defense or offense, and the fact that they wouldn't have time to build a relationship with the coordinator that is hired. Despite Auburn's five loss season, I don't think that played much into things. Auburn lost five games in 2009 and landed a top five class.

3. What has been the biggest thing Auburn coaches have been able to sell this year?

Auburn has been able to sell 30 wins in three years, a Heisman Trophy, and a national championship. Every prospect that took an official visit was up close and personal with the Heisman Trophy and the crystal ball during their visit. That makes an impact. Auburn also sold the fact that they are still a young team, and there are opportunities for top notch prospects to make an impact this season. Along the same lines, the fact that Auburn played 17 true freshman this season proved they are willing to play freshmen if they are capable, that's appealing to prospects.

4. What are Auburn's two biggest needs and will they been filled?

Auburn's biggest needs were offensive line and running back. Auburn graduated both senior tackles, and the rest of the line remains young and inexperienced. Prospects like Greg Robinson and Christian Westerman are capable and talented prospects, but they are unproven. Auburn was looking to add depth to the offensive line, and they will do that with at least four signees.

The other position I felt like was a big need for Auburn was running back. With the departure of Mike Dyer, Auburn was looking to sign two running backs in the class. Auburn had two committed, until T.J. Yeldon made the switch late in the process, that left the Tigers with Jovon Robinson. Auburn thought about adding another back, but appear to be very happy with Robinson. Returning is Onterio McCalebb (who is not a between the tackles runner), and then Tre Mason, Mike Blakely, and Corey Grant, none of which are proven backs in the SEC. Auburn needed at least one big, physical runner to bring into the fold, and they will get that with Robinson.

5. Has Auburn dodged any bullets by some recruits deciding to go elsewhere?

Michael Flint, an offensive lineman from Oxford, Ala. was Auburn's first commit of the 2012 class last fall. Flint is the nephew of Auburn great Terry Henley, and had a host of early offers as a junior. But Flint slowed in his development, and Auburn and Flint parted ways in the spring. Most analysts weren't high on Flint throughout his senior season and considering the prospects Auburn may end up with, the decision to part ways with Flint may have been beneficial.

6. Who has been your favorite guy to follow and why?

Cassanova McKinzy, Rivals250 linebacker from Woodlawn (Ala.). McKinzy now holds the title of Auburn's earliest commit that will sign on signing day. McKinzy grew up an Auburn fan and has fought off numerous pressures from many places in order to stay firm in his pledge to Auburn. McKinzy hasn't always had it easy growing up, it's a case where McKinzy almost needs Auburn just as much as Auburn needs him. He's a personable, fun, honest kid that wants to set a good example.

7. Who do you think is going to be the biggest surprise on the playing field that may not have a bunch of stars by his name?

Jonathan Jones, a corner from Carrollton, Ga., and Gimel President, a defensive end from Mt. Pleasant, S.C.. Both are three-star rated prospects by Rivals.com, but both have tremendous upside. Jones is a nationally known hurdler, taking first place in the 110m hurdles during a junior national track and field competition in the summer. Jones is a well built kid that reminds me of former Auburn Tiger and current Indianapolis Colts corner Jerraud Powers.

President had a monster senior season, notching 75 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, five sacks, four quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. President also earned Parade All-American honors. Not bad for a three-star.

8. Who's one guy nationally that you think has a few too many stars by his name?

Honestly, I don't think any of Auburn's targets are overrated being four-star prospects. They all earned it on the field and in the camp circuit, and have the offers to back it up.

If I had to pick one guy that fans need to be patient with despite his four-star ranking, it would be Leeds (Ala.) four-star linebacker Javiere Mitchell. Mitchell has only played three years of football, starting only two. Mitchell played defensive line his last two years at Leeds, but will play outside linebacker at Auburn. Mitchell is a phenomenal athlete that ran track in addition to football, but Mitchell is still raw in terms of overall football knowledge and understanding how to play the linebacker position. Mitchell has a chance to be a great player, but it will take time.

9. Which commitment has done the best job recruiting for Auburn this year?Which coach?

Prospect wise, I'd say Zeke Pike. Pike pledged to Auburn early in the process, and has made it his mission to help Auburn recruit the best players in the nation. He's built good relationships with Rivals100 receiver JaQuay Williams and other top Auburn targets, and has worked extremely hard to go out of his way to help talk Auburn up to potential prospects and commits.

Auburn's best recruiter this season has been receivers coach Trooper Taylor. Taylor was the lead recruiter for Williams, as well as Rivals250 corner Joshua Holsey, Rivals250 tight end Ricky Parks, and was a big factor with Robinson, Pike, and McKinzy.

10. Lastly, how many stars would you give me in the field of blogling?

Four-stars. Plenty of talent and ability, but always room for improvement. Can't build you up too much.

Thanks Hoke, you will give me a fifth star next year.

As for last night's email, here it is:

Dear Members of the Auburn Family,

I hope you are having a wonderful new year! As always, there are many exciting things happening on the Plains.

I want to give you an update on plans to keep the tradition alive at Toomer's Corner. University experts plan to evaluate the health of the oaks this spring. As you are aware, chances of their survival are not good. For that reason, the university is moving forward with contingency plans.

In November, President Gogue asked me to chair the Committee to Determine the Future of Rolling Toomer's Corner, a group comprised of university experts, students and alumni, along with several key representatives from the City of Auburn. Our charge was to determine the best option for the future of rolling the corner. Many of you participated in a survey before the holidays and provided valuable input to assist our decision. Thank you for taking the time to do so.

Based on the feedback from you and the expertise of the members, the committee recommended replacing the current oaks—should they die—with one or more large trees. This option would provide the shortest pause in the tradition of rolling the trees, likely only 3-5 years. This week, President Gogue gave his approval for the plan.

As a temporary measure, the university will work with the City of Auburn to create an attractive structure that can be rolled while the roots of the new trees are established.

Many decisions must still be made in the coming months. We will continue to keep you posted on new developments through the Toomer's Oaks website at www.auburn.edu/oaks.

Thank you for your support of Auburn University.

War Eagle!

Dr. Debbie L. Shaw '84
Vice President of Alumni Affairs and Executive Director of the Auburn Alumni Association

What do you think? Do you agree with this decision?

Justin wants to talk about Shaq. No, not that one. He's talking about the guy who's playing for the Auburn basketball team next year.

Have you seen any videos of Auburn basketball commit Shaq Johnson yet? He is hands down the best high school dunker in the country. And he just doesn't wow in contests, he can throw it down big time in games. What do you think of him and the future of Auburn basketball?

First off, yes I have seen the videos of him, and probably too many times to be able to argue against having a mancrush on him. I love dunks. What can I say?

Point blank: the dude can fly, and he's not even that tall. He just looks fearless going after the basket. However, there's a big difference in dunking on a normal high school kid and dunking on a 7-foot SEC center, so we'll see how he does in the next few years.

Aside from the fact that Auburn is adding a high flyer to the roster, his commitment also shows what Barbee is able to do as a recruiter. Johnson was also recruited by Clemson, Florida, and Georgia, but Barbee was able to get him to commit to play for the good Tigers. As we'll see in football in about a week, anything can happen before or on signing day, but Shaq has shown no signs of wavering on his commitment. Bottom line, Barbee is bringing in exciting players, and is able to sell them on immediate playing time in first class facilities. The future should be bright for Auburn in the years to come.

Brett asks about basketball, too. Is this a record? Two questions about Auburn basketball in the same blogle. Seriously though, I like talking about basketball, but just need the motivation. Keep em' coming.

Who is your MVP so far for the Auburn Men's basketball team?

Boy this is tough. As Coach Barbee will tell you, there is a severe lack of consistency on this team. Obviously the two best players are Frankie Sullivan and Kenny Gabriel, but they are no strangers to major slumps either. One day you think they've got it all together and are ready to lead the team into a winning streak, but the next game they can't hit the broad side of awBarn.

I guess if I had to pick a player who does the least amount of dumb things, or at least doesn't completely disappear for games at a time, I'd have to go with Chris Denson. He never misses on drives and handles the ball well. Apparently Barbee doesn't think he's ready to be the man, but I think he'll be there one day. So yeah, CD3 is the man for me. Did I just say that?

Billy likes new Auburn offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, but is confused about the timing of the hire.

While I am certainly excited about the Scot Loeffler hire, like many Auburn fans, I am wondering why it took forty days to happen. During those forty days we lost a few offensive recruits who may have been understandably skeptical about committing to a program without a clear offensive direction. Even if these recruits had not been immediately impressed by the hire Loeffler could have at least been in their living rooms reassuring them. Do you think waiting as long as Chizik did cost us some good recruits? And why do you think it took so long to make the hire?

I fully believe, and somewhat know, that Chizik was waiting on an NFL guy to respond to an offer. It was thought that that guy was one of two coaches on the Baltimore Ravens staff. So it was believed that an announcement would be made following the Ravens loss in the AFC Championship Game. Well that announcement was made, but as we know now, it was Loeffler and not an NFL guy.

I was told that Chizik was working on a deal with an NFL guy as late as last Friday or Saturday, but that before the Ravens game was over, Chizik had hired Loeffler. It was just announced after the game. That is the only explanation I can think of in regards to the delay. He was simply waiting on someone on an NFL coaching staff that waited to turn the job down, leaving Loeffler as the choice. Why else would he wait until the time he did to announce a guy that was done with his season in December?

As far as losing recruits, technically only one guy dropped his commitment during that period: Ricardo Louis (T.J. Yeldon was a while back and really had correlation to do the OC situation). He switched to Florida State last week, but yesterday he announced that he was decommitting from the Seminoles and will announce his decision between Auburn and Florida State on National Signing Day. That sounds to me like he likes Loeffler and is coming back to Auburn. Why would you decommit from a school only to sign there a week later? So it looks like Loeffler is already doing his job.

Ross, the British dude, wants to know more about Loeffler's impact next season. What do I look like, a soothsayer?

Which player do you believe will benefit the most out of the Loeffler hire, in terms of development and/or system?

Emory Blake. Loeffler likes to run the ball. He had a 1400 yard rusher at Temple. He coached running quarterback Tim Tebow. So why am I saying Emory Blake? Because teams will realize that Auburn is run-heavy after a few games, leaving the passing game open, especially on a play-action pass.

With the departure of Malzahn, you have to think that the departure of the bubble screen is imminent as well. That means that the vertical passing game will be more prominent. As we saw a few times last year, that's Emory's forte. He does a good job of getting open down field and running after the catch.

Former Auburn tight end, Cole Bennett, sends in some pretty creative questions. For example...

If you had to take Kimbo Slice style hit from any Auburn defensive player, past or present who would it be and why?

I've been on a Takeo Spikes kick lately (no pun intended), so I'm going to go with him. Why? Because when he hits me it will be quick and painless since I'll die instantly. Well, that, or I'll pass out from the sight of his neck coming towards me, and won't feel the hit anyway. I won't be around to see it, but I hope he'll do one of his sack dances as he stands over my lifeless body.

So head on over there and get these on your iPhone immediately. If you would like to have something similar on your Android or any other type of smartphone, I suggest you throw it out the window, quit being anti-mainstream, and get an iPhone. But seriously, I think they may still work on other phones. They might just be a little stretched. Or someone out there who has a non-iPhone smartphone, mock up some wallpapers that fit your screen and send them in. I'll be sure to add them to the page.

Instructions on how to set these as your wallpaper are on the Multimedia page. Have fun.

Is it just me or does he kind of look like Eddie Murphy when he starts to smile? Just me? Ok, well enjoy anyway.

This puts him as one of the top 4 NFC quarterbacks. Top 4... as a rookie. Yeah, he sucks.

You can also see him in person tomorrow as the basketball team takes on South Carolina in the Auburn Arena at 12:30 CT. I'll be there if you need more of an incentive to go. Oh, and here are two videos of two of Kenny's dunks from the dunk contest at Hoops Madness in October (Dunk #1, Dunk #2). They need a doctor. They're sick.

There's one problem with using the term "fringe." When most think of a fringe they think of the area surrounding a green in golf. It is the outermost area and takes up the least amount of space. However, according to the chart and reality in general, one team has most of their fanbase in that "fringe." So technically, in regards to this one school, the "relatively normal" crowd would be the fringe, otherwise known as the minority.

I know there are decent ones out there, but it's becoming far too obvious that there are less and less than they want you to believe. Again, two guys don't make up a fan base, but the "they are just trees" and "he was just really drunk, we've all done it" crowd is much bigger than they'll admit and only kills the argument altogether.

This has nothing to do with football, but for some reason allegiance to a team has caused a tree poisoner and a teabagger to be defended and in some cases applauded. If they took away the color of the shirt either was wearing, I would hope that they would see that both actions were sad and disgusting.

Let's just take off the glasses, step back, and look at what happened. Can't we all agree that neither instances really have anything to do with a football team, a school, or fan base, and just admit they are deplorable? Plus, if there was no defending, there would be no reason to lump the rare ones in together with all of the decent ones. Right?