Auburn picking up interest from playmakers

By Robert Rousseau  |   Wednesday, June 10, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Auburn Tigers
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For a moment before the 2008-09 college football season, the Auburn Tigers were beginning to pick up interest from offensive playmakers, including wide receivers. This is noteworthy in that the Tigers had never been truly known for their ability to add quality wideouts (or grow them, for that matter). The change was quite obviously linked to the hiring of then- coordinator Tony Franklin and his spread offense. But Franklin was relieved of his duties by then-head coach Tommy Tuberville in the middle of a poor season. Things didn't get much better afterward, and some of the prospects who had shown interest earlier that year flew the coop.

Well, these days at Auburn there's a whole new set of coaches, including offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and head man Gene Chizik. Moreover, recruiting is starting to pick up, and the fact that Jeremy Richardson, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound receiver from Springville, Ala., has verbally committed to the Tigers only serves to reinforce the program's new identity.

As a junior in high school, Richardson amassed 61 catches, 1,228 yards receiving and a whopping 18 touchdowns. He also returned 22 kicks for 368 yards, making him a highly versatile performer.

Richardson is clearly a great potential pickup for the Tigers. He seems to possess the kind of playmaking skills that the team has been seeking for years. And, like last season, a coaching change preceded the team's good fortune. Now, if the Tigers follow up a good start to recruiting with some wins this season, things may even get better when it comes to swaying prospects.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
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