Simmons' Mailbag: Auburn, RBs, Haselwood, UGA

There is nothing better than interacting with all the college football and college football recruiting fans out there. Thanks to all for your questions.

There were questions about Auburn, Georgia, state rankings, five-star Jadon Haselwood and more.

Here are my answers.

I liked what I saw in Ja'Varrious Johnson. He is a small receiver who has great short-space quickness. He worked outside much of the game against Cedar Grove, but will be a slot receiver at Auburn. He looks to be a very good fit in the Tiger offense. I think he can be used as a punt returner on the next level as well. Overall, I liked what I saw. He was a targeted numerous times, he was consistent with his hands and I liked his quickness and ability to make guys miss.

Richie Leonard is a big lineman on our radar. It is still very early in the 2020 rankings, so he is likely to be ranked later this year or early in 2019. He is not a prospect in my area, so I cannot speak on him too much. I cover the states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

I like Daijun Edwards a lot. He is a physical back with great balance. He is sneaky quick to the hole too. I love his power and the ability he has to run through tackles. We have him ranked No. 16 at running back, so he is pretty high already. We will continue to evaluate him this season. I have already seen him live once and I will likely see him at least one more time this season. He is a productive back and he is a back I feel can be very good on the next level. Georgia is a school that have the early lead, but there is still a long way to go.

I do not want to call any class “weak” yet because it is still early and new prospects will emerge in each state. Looking at the 2020 class in Alabama early, it is not as strong as 2019. At least not at the top. It would be hard for any state to compete with George Pickens, Clay Webb and Bo Nix though. That is hard for any state to repeat. Still though, in 2020, there are already six of the top 10 prospects committed to SEC schools. Four to Alabama and two to Auburn. There is not a clear-cut No. 1 in this class at this time, so there could be some shuffling in the coming months in the top 10. I expect some new names to emerge too.

I will actually be in Louisiana this week. Not sure if I will be at your school, but I will definitely keep an eye on you. Thanks for reaching out. I have been to your high school man times. Even saw big Cameron Robinson there when he was a freshman. Cam Sims came through there too.

I do feel Larry McCammon is under-recruited. He may not be a flashy back or a back that blows anyone away with one or two parts of his game, but he is productive, he can receive the ball out of the backfield and I like how he runs with patience. He is a back I have seen play live three times and he has played at a high level each time. I like his overall game and he is likely to add offers this fall.

It is hard to put a number on it, but Auburn does have a chance. Georgia is the school to beat, but Haselwood has made no secret about his plans to visit other schools. Auburn is one who could receive an official visit. He said Miami will definitely get one. We know Georgia will too. Oklahoma has already received one. If you ask me, Auburn and Miami are the biggest threats to Georgia at this time. Auburn has had him on campus as much as anyone, maybe more over the last four or five months. Although he is committed, Haselwood will be one many keep their eyes on until he signs his letter of intent.

They appear to have their guy right now in John Plumlee this class. I do not see UGA going after another quarterback in 2019. They likely six spots left and I do not see one being used for a quarterback. They could try to sign two in 2020, but Georgia plans to play Plumlee at quarterback. He did hold offers to play defensive back and wide receiver when he committed to Georgia, so he is a versatile athlete, but Georgia likes him at quarterback.

I honestly have not had time to go back and watch the tape yet. I filmed that game from up top, so it is hard to truly evaluate guys when I film games. I follow the ball, so unless the ball was thrown their way, I did not see them. I remember seeing Codey Martin a few times and he seemed to be active. He is a 2020 defensive back I like in Alabama. He is a physical kid. I am on the road a lot the next couple of weeks, then I will really dive into film.