Auburn has Work to do Between Now and Big Cat Weekend

Between now and Big Cat Weekend at the end of July, the Auburn Tigers will endeavor to regain vital lost recruiting momentum

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is looking to close the month of July with fireworks. / Mickey Welsh / Advertiser / USA TODAY

This year on the Plains it was June, and not March which came in like a lion but went out like a lamb.

During the early part of last month, Auburn Tigers head Hugh Freeze managed to flip 4-star running back Alvin Henderson to really get the pulses collectively racing. Freeze also expertly landed 4-star safety Eric Winters, 4-star offensive lineman Broderick Shull, 4-star cornerback Donavan Starr and 3-star athlete Bryce Deas, quite a haul.

Unfortunately for Tigers fans, notable momentum was lost when a pair of 4-star recruits in offensive lineman Carde Smith and linebacker Tyler Lockhart suddenly backed away from their respective pledges to join Auburn.

When the Tigers were really humming, they had suddenly rocketed up all the way to the fourth spot on the 247sports rankings, but have subsequently fallen out of the top 10.

Tigers insiders might be determined to block out the outside noise - not so the fans - who are bound to be noting that, via On3 they're currently occupying the 12th slot on their own recruiting rundown.

Getting the ball rolling once again is obviously of paramount importance, bad vibes can roll down the hill rather quickly and destructively. Getting 4-star tight end Hollis Davidson back in the fold this week was a good start.

So it's highly likely that emphasis will switch over to their pursuit of 4-star safety Anquon Fegans for the short term. As is his preference, Fegans is planning to wait until after the Big Cat Weekend before he reveals his decision.

Reality bites down with regard to the ongoing courtship of Fegans however, and that's due to the brutal reality that Clemson, Georgia and LSU all continue to chase him down.

In the meantime, viral rumors that superstar quarterback prospect Julian "Ju Ju" Lewis might be reconsidering his options has given the Tigers a timely boost with an assist from Henderson.

Truth is, Lewis would need a serious amount of work to turn his head completely away from his seemingly heartfelt pledge to USC, but the door is ever so slightly ajar just all of a sudden.

Of course, the fact is that Freeze absolutely can't afford to sit on the hand he's already shuffled for himself, rust never sleeps in the recruitment game after all.

Auburn has a solid class in place ahead of Big Cat Weekend. They have the luxury of big-game hunting including Lewis and 5-star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham. Getting Davidson to re-commit has re-established som momentum for the Tigers that they hope to capitalize and finish the month of July with fireworks.