Three Recruits to Keep an Eye on After Big Cat Weekend
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The Auburn Tigers recently held their annual "Big Cat Weekend," a recruiting event dedicated to showing potential recruits what life at Auburn could be like. Complete with scavenger hunts, a wiffle ball home run derby and more, Big Cat Weekend has landed the Tigers several recruits over the years, and this year was no exception.
The Tigers have already landed their first recruit following Big Cat Weekend in three-star 2027 linebacker Kareem Palmer, a highly-rated defensive prospect from Toombs County, Ga., and added four-star offensive lineman Layton Von Brandt on Monday.
So, of those who visited for Big Cat Weekend, who are the Tigers most likely to land? Auburn Tigers on SIbreaks down three major prospects who have been deemed likely to commit to Auburn after the university's annual recruiting event.
3-Star OL Rance Brown – Brookwood Academy (Tenn.)
The Tigers have been hot on the three-star's tail for some time now, even dating back to March 2, when Brown originally received his offer from Auburn. Right off the bat, Brown had the Tigers high on his list, but after Big Cat Weekend, his chances of landing on the Plains have soared.
"I'd have to put Auburn in my top three," he said back when he first received his Auburn offer. "You can't beat having a program and loves football more than just football itself. It just means something more to them, and that means something more to me."
Now, following Big Cat Weekend, On3 currently has Brown listed with a 94% chance to land at Auburn, with a measly 2% chance to land at Kentucky after a prediction in favor of the Tigers from Chad Simmons. Brown seems to be Auburn's to lose, but recruiting is a fickle thing, and anything can happen.
3-Star Edge Rusher Marquis Evans – Spain Park (Ala.)
Following the loss of Keyron Crawford and Keldric Faulk to the NFL Draft this past offseason, the Tigers have been looking to rebuild an edge rushing room that once terrorized the SEC. For this season, the room is headlined by Da'Shawn Womack, a former five-star prospect who transferred over from Ole Miss in January.
The future remains uncertain, but the Tigers now have the best odds to land Marquis Evans, a four-star edge rusher who is currently rated as the 13th-best player in the Tigers' home state of Alabama. After Big Cat Weekend, the Tigers stand with a 89% chance to land the in-state prospect, after predictions from Steve Wiltfong and Simmons. So, like Brown, he appears to be Auburn's to lose.
4-Star S Junior Tu'upo – Thompson (Ala.)
Another in-state prospect, Tu'upo visited the Plains for Big Cat Weekend, and like with the others, Auburn currently leads in his recruitment. Unlike the other two, though, the race is much closer, and it is with a program that Auburn would certainly not like to lose a prospect to.
The race for Tu'upo seems to be something of an Iron Bowl of recruiting, as the Tigers currently stand with a 36% chance to land the four-star, while the Alabama Crimson Tide follows closely with a 19% chance. If the Tigers can swing Tu'upo away from the Tide, it will not only be a big win for the roster but also proof that Golesh can compete with some of the most dominant recruiting forces in the country.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Three Recruits to Keep an Eye on After Big Cat Weekend.
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