Bryan Harsin on recruiting: ‘we got to go prove it on the field’
The early synopsis for Auburn Football recruiting for the 2023 cycle is “quality over quantity.”
Auburn is ranked No. 74 in the current 247Sports’ 2023 recruiting rankings with just four commits, but all four commits are four-star rated with an average grade of 91.25.
However, there is more work to do for head coach Bryan Harsin and the Auburn coaching staff.
During his time at the podium at SEC Media Days in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday, Harsin was asked about recruiting, and what his message is to recruits when it comes to choosing Auburn. Harsin responded by saying that an improvement in on-field production will translate to the recruiting trail.
“I think the message is: watch,” Harsin said. “We got to go out there and play. That’s the beauty of what we get a chance to do every Saturday, all right? When you get into the arena, you have the opportunity to go out there and settle the score, all right? You have a chance to compete. That’s really what we do this for. We do it so that we can get into that arena and have that opportunity.”
Harsin followed by saying that Auburn University sells itself with its’ campus, its’ people, and the atmosphere of a fall Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, but putting a solid product on the field is what will ultimately be the deciding factor for most top recruits.
Another item that Harsin wants to sell to future recruits is development. Harsin wants to teach his athletes characteristics that they can apply when life as a student-athlete eventually comes to an end.
“We’re trying to develop these guys so that when they leave, they’re ready to go on and be successful and continue what they’ve built in our program,” Harsin said. “I mean, that’s one of the best gifts you can give anybody, and I learned as a young coach and experiencing that as a player, is development. We can’t forget about that.”
Harsin enters his second season at Auburn looking to build on a 6-7 record from last season. Auburn opens the season on Sept. 3 at Jordan-Hare Stadium against Mercer.
