Take Two: Can UGA flip Tank Bigsby from Auburn?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
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THE STORYLINE
Cartavious Bigsby committed to Auburn in August, and it was a huge recruiting coup for the Tigers to land one of the top running backs nationally.
The Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway standout is a big, bruising back who should fit perfectly in Auburn’s offense. South Carolina, Georgia, LSU and many others were involved in his recruitment.
And some schools are not giving up. Georgia is playing a delicate balancing act of not only keeping five-star running back Kendall Milton committed but also working hard to stay in the race for five-star Zachary Evans while at the same time trying to convince Bigsby to flip to the Bulldogs.
Auburn has been playing excellent football this season. The Tigers are undefeated heading to Florida this weekend, they’re running the ball well and things really look good on The Plains as they’re ranked seventh nationally.
Georgia continues to be playing a major factor in Bigsby’s recruitment, though, and the Bulldogs can never be counted out not only for an in-state kid but a prospect they really want.
Will Georgia make an even bigger run at Bigsby and be able to flip him or is the four-star running back happy and content with his Auburn pledge and not going anywhere?
FIRST TAKE: Chad Simmons, Southeast analyst
“I do think Georgia becomes a player if it truly does target and pursue him. That is still up in the air. What do they do with Evans? Does Evans even choose Georgia, does Georgia choose Evans? Georgia was at Evans’ game on Friday night and there’s no doubt he’s at the top of their board. With all the stuff that’s happened off-the-field, that’s clouded some things.
“Georgia brought Tank in for a visit last week and at one time they had him on campus over the summer as well. If Georgia really does target him and makes a push, the Bulldogs will get back in the mix. Right now, I feel Auburn is in a really good spot to hold on.”
TAKE TWO: Mike Farrell, National recruiting director
“I think he’s going to stick with Auburn. Georgia went all-in on Milton and Evans and they’ve been recruiting other quarterbacks hard and at one point it looked like South Carolina was going to get him because he was leaning that way.
“He has never fully leaned toward Georgia. Auburn is playing really well. He has the opportunity to be the back in that system. You can’t count Georgia out for anybody, but if Bigsby feels like he’s a second choice or they’re just recruiting him hard now when they weren’t before, he will probably stick with Auburn.”