Tigers cap off this past weekend with some star-studded official visitors prior to dead period

This past weekend was a huge one for the Auburn coaching staff. It was the last chance for the coaching staff to bring in recruits before the dead period that begins on June 27. The dead period prohibits recruits from having face-to-face interactions between both coaches and players.

This past weekend the Tigers saw four recruits come in for official visits. A tandem from Montgomery, Alabama headlined the group. That is four-stars James Smith and Qua Russaw. Recently, the two recruits released their top eleven schools. Both Smith and Russaw had the Tigers in the mix. In all likelihood, the two will continue to play with one another in college. With that being said, it was essential for the Tigers to get them both on campus for official visits.

The two of them really seemed to enjoy their visit this past weekend. Just a week earlier, the two made an official visit to Georgia. Although those two schools seem firmly in the mix, Alabama is also heavily recruiting the two of them as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if it comes down to those three schools in each of their recruitments.

Another key visitor from the weekend was three-star linebacker Phil Picciotti. The Pennsylvania native is one of the Tigers’ top defensive prospects. The coaching staff will likely have their hands full in his recruitment as other schools like Penn State and Oklahoma have also received official visits. It was Picciotti’s first trip to the Plains, so he was able to see what Auburn is all about. He has been predicted for months to commit to the Sooners, but we will see how his recruitment unfolds.

Another interesting visitor was Ohio State commit Cedric Hawkins. He has been committed to the Buckeyes since January and he seems unwavering with his commitment. Jeffrey Lee of On3 reported that he remains firm to the Buckeyes. His visit doesn’t give the Tigers hope in his recruitment. It seems as if he was just trying to get a feel for the school without actually having extensive interest.

The Tigers certainly hope that the other three official visitors will evaluate their options and keep the program in contention. All three are top-end recruits that the coaching staff would love to add to the recruiting class. It will be interesting to see if any of them elect to return to the Plains for a visit in the fall.