Auburn Recruiting Update: A Conversation with AL.com's Wesley Sinor

I recently had a chance to sit down with Wes Sinor of AL.com to pick his brain about Auburn's upcoming recruiting class. Here is a look at some of the questions that I had for him as we come down the home stretch leading to NSD.

C&M:  Who is the target that the coaching staff really needs to pull in on National Signing Day to help Muschamp "jump start" the defense next season?

Wes:  Five-star defensive end Byron Cowart will be the gem of the class if the Tigers can reel him in. Auburn wasn’t a serious contender until hiring Will Muschamp, but the Tigers now find themselves in Cowart’s final schools along with Florida and Florida State. He is expected on the Plains this weekend with a number of other high-profile recruits.

C&M: Who is the sleeper recruit this year that Auburn has or may pull in?

Wes: Edgewood Academy defensive end Prince Tega Wanogho Jr. has only played one season of high school football in his life, but the Nigerian has become a hot commodity in a hurry. He was originally part of the 2016 cycle, but was reclassified to 2015 this week. Auburn is among the schools scrambling at the last second to pull in the 6-foot-8 raw talent. Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU are also in the mix.

C&M:  Is there a target or recruit that may come in and take over the deep threat option in next year's offense?

Wes: If John Burt signs with Auburn, as many of us have projected, he will have the opportunity to fill the void left by Sammie Coates. The Tigers love his size, speed and athleticism and are pitching early playing time in hopes of landing the former Texas commit.

C&M: Are there any potential flips that the Auburn fans could look for?

Wes:  I don’t think there will be much in terms of flips this year. Five-star athlete Terry Godwin has kept Auburn and Alabama close despite his pledge to Georgia, but I’ve always got the feeling he just enjoys the recruiting process — visiting schools, speaking with coaches, etc. I would be surprised if he flips to Auburn, or anywhere else for that matter. He’s set to take his official visit to the Plains this weekend, so we’ll see.

C&M: It appears that next weekend will be a big recruiting weekend on the Plains. Could we see some commitments coming from that?

Wes:  It’s always possible, especially during official visits — and there are quite of few of those going on this week. If I had to put anyone on commitment watch, I’d probably go with 4-star linebacker Jeffery Holland of Jacksonville. During practices for the Under Armour All-America Game earlier this month he named Auburn his leader and he’s already very familiar with the campus. He also hasn’t set a date for his commitment.

All things point to what may be a Top 5 or 10 class for the Tigers. It is going to be an exciting finish with plenty of surprises and what I hope will be some positive momentum heading into Spring football in 2015. Many thanks to Wes for his insight. Until later, War Eagle!!