Bryan Harsin, who was the head coach at Boise State for the past seven seasons, has accepted the job as Auburn's 27th head coach. Harsin will have to hit the ground running in his recruiting efforts. Here are five prospects he'll need to reach out to sooner rather than later.
RELATED: AuburnSports.com reports Harsin is the Tigers' pick | 2020 coaching carousel
*****
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
*****
*****
Dawson is still committed to Auburn, but Miami and Texas A&M seem to have the most buzz right now. Dawson is a versatile athlete from Florida, and the Tigers have a need in the secondary. The Aggies offered Dec. 16, and they may be the top school now, although he is on the Tigers' commitment list.
*****
O’Brien is still leaning toward Auburn based on what we are hearing. He almost signed early, and other schools could get involved in January, but Auburn is still in a good spot here. He is like a free safety on the next level and defensive back is a big need for Auburn come Feb. 3, so he will be one Auburn could still land.
*****
Wallace was set to sign early, but after Gus Malzahn was let go he decided to hold off until February. He was tempted to sign with Ole Miss, and the Rebels are in this, but the four-star holding off tells you how high he was on the Tigers. If Harsin keeps linebacker coach Travis Williams, Auburn has to be considered the team to beat.
*****
The Florida cornerback was a real priority for Auburn and he was very close to signing early with the Tigers. Schools like LSU, Mississippi State, Oregon and Washington State have offered recently, so he has options. Missouri was his no. 2 school heading into the Early Signing Period, and those Tigers are in this, too. He is an athletic defensive back with upside.
*****
Brooks is the top unsigned player in Alabama, and he grew up an Auburn fan, so the four-star defensive end should be a target for Harsin. Brooks is committed to Tennessee and he has been since since the spring. Although Jeremy Pruitt and his staff pushed hard, Brooks didn’t sign early. He has concerns, and he is not 100% committed, based on a source, so he will listen if and/or when Auburn calls.