W ell, the Auburn PR machine is apparently fueled up and ready to go for another season.
Birmingham’s Fox affiliate’s Sheldon Haygood (whose wife was an Auburn cheerleader), sprinted to the microphone yesterday to announce that Auburn has nabbed Jason Smith of McGill-Toolen High School, choosing the Tigers over Alabama. Auburn beatwriter Charles Goldberg of the Birmingham News had the hot information for us as well.
There’s only one problem.
Alabama doesn’t recruit 6’1″, 187lb. spread quarterbacks.
To my knowledge Alabama doesn’t run the spread offense, nor did they when it was popular.
And for that matter, neither anymore does Auburn.
This is another case of disingenuous reporting, beatwriters rushing to the Auburn fanbase cult to hold up their prize.
And it may be a case of disingenous recruiting. Bama never considered him as a quarterback prospect, but he is reported as Auburn’s 2nd quarterback taken in this class by Goldberg.
So how does a team that no longer runs the spread offense recruit a spread quarterback?
Maybe a better question, how many times has a player been promised “a look” at the position they selfishly want to play (17 year olds selfish?) when the coaches recruiting them know they will never end up there?
Here’s the deal. If this kid were a Christmas present, for Alabama he was that gift left under the tree you didn’t know you had after all your “main” presents were opened. For Auburn he was an iPad.
It’s just dishonest how reporting happens in this state.
(Follow me on Twitter for capstonereport.com news, commentary and smack.)
I forgot to mention that Bama had two elite QBs committed already before this “decision”. Again, just shoddy reporting.
You’re right on with this one ITK…,if you give a hoot about my opinion.
RTR
Didn’t you guys know? FBJ tried to tell us all that Auburn was coming, and we wouldn’t like it. He is certainly celebrating this ‘victory’ over Bama I am sure. Way to go Auburn!
How will Bama ever compete with Chizik’s recruiting?
I think I’ll beat Hoopie to the punch: “You classless rednecks…So what if cows graze on our campus and incest is condoned…We’re all Christians and All In!”
Quarterback? Isn’t this kid listed as either an athlete or receiver by all the recruiting services? I don’t think Auburn or Bama were recruiting him as a QB.
How about Cooper Bateman leading his team to the 7 on 7 Championship at the Opening. Yeah, Barnturds, you really one upped us on that 3 star QB from McGill. Bwaa Haww Haww! And OJ Howard was the most outstanding athlete. RTr!
Abraham, according to Charles Goldberg, the Auburn beat writer for the Birmingham News, he lists the kid as “the 2nd QB in this year’s Auburn class.”
I will say this about the QB Jason Smith, I went to the McGill/Daphne game last year and he was the 2nd best player on the field behind TJ Yeldon. RTR
So you slam the article written by Goldberg as “disingenious” and “dishonest” reporting, and then turn around and cite the article as your sole source when confronted with the fact that no other recruiting service listed the kid as QB recruit? It’s also funny that you label the kid as a 3 star QB recruit when Scout, 247, and ESPN all list him as a 4 star athlete-receiver recruit. The only service that lists him as a 3 star athlete-receiver is Rivals, and they still list him as the second best player in the state. The fact is that neither Bama or Auburn recruited Smith as a QB, and Smith even stated at his announcement that he’d be fine with playing receiver. I have no doubt he was told by Auburn that he’d be given a look at QB, just like when Saban told Brent Callaway that he’d be given a look at RB. Every coach in the country has done that multiple times. It appears that the terms you used to describe Goldberg’s article would be better aimed at your own writing.
You are right Abe. Auburn stole another gem right out from under Bama. That is the ONLY way to look at this.
I’m not sure what your point is, bamabrando. My only point was that the article misrepresents the position for which Smith was being recruited and his rating, and that it was probably done knowingly. I would certainly think that someone who writes for a college sports blog is well aware of obvious issues such as positions that players are being recruited for and player ratings. As to whether Auburn stole a gem from Bama, only time will tell. However, it’s pretty ridiculous to play the “we didn’t really want him anyway” card. Bama recruited the kid and offered him a scholarship just like Auburn.
My point is that you seem to be upset that a article on a Bama site was pointing and laughing at the commitment of a spread QB going to Auburn, and how the Auburn slant on the news was implying that Auburn beat Bama out on a ‘bigtime’ recruit.
I don’t think this guy was ever a high priority on Bama’s list, but you can think like you want. The way Auburn has been dropping QBs here lately, you guys need him. Good for you guys. Bama is still out recruiting Auburn so far, much like the last 5 years have been. I think maybe the Yeldon switch has gotten you a little touchy on this subject.
But anyways, it is pretty foolish for you to come on here to this site and whine about an article that you didn’t like. It obviously done what it was intended to do.
Not upset at all, bamabrando. I’m simply pointing out the factual inaccuracies in the aricle. If there’s anyone that appears to be upset it’s the writer of this article. Why else would he try to spin a 4 star receiver recruit as a 3 star “spread” qb recruit?
What do you base your belief that Smith wasn’t a high priority for Bama upon? If you’ll be truthful, I think you’ll have to admit that you have no basis for that belief other than wishing it was true.
I’m not touchy at all about the Yeldon switch. All’s fair in love and war, and I thought it was a smart move on Saban’s part to convince the kid to get his HS coach to notify Auburn during the dead period so that Auburn couldn’t talk to him before he enrolled. I’ll be curious to see how touchy you and other Bama fans will be when Reuben Foster ends up signing with Auburn, though.
And I am pointing out factual inaccuracies in your posts. Your boy Goldberg has the headline listed “Quarterback, four-star athlete Jason Smith” and he is actually rated 4-star athlete (not at QB) or as a 4 star receiver in some services, 3 star in others. Looks like a pretty descent player, no doubt. But you seem to think he was high on Bama’s list, and Auburn got him away from Bama. He actually went to Auburns camp and was offered then. But like I said good for you guys. He really would have an uphill battle to climb at Bama, regardless of position, and that is just the truth you don’t get.
for 2013:
Raheem Falkins 4 star receiver
ArDarius Stewart 4 star athlete
from 2012:
Amari Cooper 4 star receiver
Chris Black 4 star receiver
from 2011:
Bradley Sylve 4 star receiver
Danny Woodson 4 star receiver
and so on. That is just at the receivers. And it is much the same, position by position. Auburn isn’t even close to matching that, and won’t be gaining much ground with this guy you are so upset over, and even if you really did get Foster. And by the way, Foster will go to Georgia before Auburn, but he did just say he was 100% committed to Alabama this past weekend.
Like you said, all is fair in love and war, but when Foster enrolls at Bama, it just won’t seem very fair to you guys. I guess y’all are just hoping for the “do more with less” underdog status like you are used to. Auburn will be lucky to win 8 games this season.
” Auburn isn’t even close to matching that” Do you just say things hoping people will think it’s true?
for 2013:
Earnest Robinson 4 star receiver
Jason Smith 4 star receiver 3 star athlete
from 2012:
Ricardo Louis 4 star receiver
JaQuay Williams 4 star reciever
Melvin Ray 4 star reciever (originally signed by Alabama but went in the MLB draft and reports to AU in August)
from 2011:
Jaylon Denson 4 star receiver on some sites 3 star on another other site
Sammie Coates 4 star receiver on some sites 3 star on another other site
Abslutely matches your list:
for 2013:
Raheem Falkins 4 star receiver on some sites 3 star on another other site
ArDarius Stewart 4 star athlete
from 2012:
Amari Cooper 4 star receiver
Chris Black 4 star receiver
from 2011:
Bradley Sylve 4 star receiver
Danny Woodson 4 star receiver on some sites 3 star on another other site
Just hear about AU’s 5 star recruit from NW AL has been arrested twice this month. Bless their hearts
RTR
Seems to be a pattern with a lot of Auburn recruits here lately. The one that got sent home from the Oregon camp for ‘disrespectful behavior” to Dee Liner, and Zeke Pike being sent home. Chizik probably is a really nice guy, but so was Shula, and he took chances on questionable character recruits too. I guess anyone who has recruit against Saban in the same state has to take a lot of risky chances.
That’s OK Brando,Coach GC will take him anyway. Even in a orange jump suite. RTR
Yeah the way Saban’s redneck daughter seems to be dropping her sorority sisters and getting arrested we might want to look in the mirror before pointing fingers at AU recruits. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones.