Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville on football recruiting

Bryan Matthews of AuburnSports.com/Rivals.com had a chance to speak with Auburn head football Tommy Tuberville during the month of July.  While Tuberville cannot obviously comment on specific recruits, he was able to talk about early commitments, what goes into the recruiting of an athlete for football, and a whole lot more.

This is a free article so it definitely should be checked out by readers but I wanted to make a few comments about what Tuberville said.  This is of course one of the top coaches in the SEC and he has finishing a season at 13-0 (Although he didn’t get to play for the national title).  Click here for the entire article but there are some points that I wanted to mention that really stood out throughout the article.

The 19 early commitments is by far the most at this time for Auburn. What prompted all these early verbals?

Tuberville: Well, I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. We’ve been here going on 10 years now. We know a lot about our situation. You have to know your situation before you can go out and recruit: What you need and what you know will fit in to your program, the community and school and all that. Having consistency on your staff really helps.  There’s years we’ve had a few commitments but this year has been exceptional. A lot of the guys have decided early. I think it’s a product of the system. Kids are deciding a lot earlier because they don’t want to go through the hassles of recruiting during their senior years.

I think it’s a combination of a lot of things. Next year we could have five at this time. There’s not anything we’ve done any different. Our camps have been good. We know a lot more about the players now because of our camps. Most of these kids we’ve known since the ninth grade, so it’s not like we’re out there jumping and choosing guys.  We evaluate them in a lot of different categories, not just athletic ability. It’s been good but nothing is binding. Some will change their mind and we’ll have more come our way. It’s an ongoing process.

Like with most recruits, having a solid base that recruits have seen for years will help a school like Auburn (Even when competing against other SEC programs in recruiting).  Tuberville mentioned that the camps during the summer have helped them evaluate athletes, especially early on.

I learned a long time ago, working with Jimmy Johnson at Miami, that the No. 1 thing in recruiting is winning. Winning is the No. 1 thing that gets guys to commit and come your way in recruiting.

The momentum that winning brings you is vital for college coaches in the recruiting process.  There is little doubt that the top recruits commit to a school because they are doing outstanding on the football field.

Explain your evaluation process in offering a prospect.

Tuberville: One thing we look at is character. You have to look at that from Day One. We look at character, we look at work ethic. We talk a lot to the high school coaches, head coach and assistants. We look for potential. There’s a lot of kids that are going to grow a lot between 18-22 years old: height, weight, strength, speed, quickness.  We’re predicting the future a little bit. We have to do that every year. We look at a kid and predict how much weight he’s going to gain, how much taller he’s going to get. A lot of times, you’ll get a kid committed that’s 16 years old and will graduate when they’re 17 or just turning 18.

The thing that we try to do is … No. 1, will they fit in at Auburn, in the community and the school. Can they handle college academically and the pressures of big-time college football? There’s a lot of things that go along with the athletic ability you have to have.  One thing you can’t teach is quickness and speed. I’m big on that. Height doesn’t really bother me that much. We’ll sign a 5-10 linebacker or 5-7 wide receiver. You can win a lot on quickness and speed.

A lot of places, the head coach does most of the evaluating. I use the recruiting coach, position coach, the coordinator and myself. So at least four people have to agree that this guy can be an asset to our program before we pull the trigger.

This really is a great quote from a head coach in the SEC.  Character and work ethic are VITAL during the recruiting process.  While they won’t get you a scholarship if you can’t play, it can separate you if you are a fringe recruit at the school.  Like Tuberville said, they are trying to predict the future in how the player will end up.  With work ethic on their side, that should help matters.  The height mention that he talks about is interesting.  And last but not least, most colleges have a system of what needs to be done before offers.  And at a school like Auburn, it needs to go through four coaches.

Again, click here for the full article but these are some very important thoughts about the recruiting process from one of the best coaches in the country.