Auburn Fighting Uphill Battle for 5-Star Wide Receiver

Despite pitch from commitment Alvin Henderson, Auburn Tigers look like a longshot for 5-Star wide receiver Caleb Cunningham.

Auburn Tigers wide receivers coach Marcus Davis / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY

Despite the best efforts of new Auburn Tigers running back Alvin Henderson, his burgeoning recruitment skills might need some further refinement. 

As things currently stand, 5-star recruit Caleb Cunningham, a wide receiver from Choctaw County High School in Ackerman, Miss. appears to be a longshot for Auburn.

Henderson had recently taken to social media in an impassioned attempt to convince Cunningham that Auburn should in fact be his chosen destination to land.

At least so far, it's been to no avail, because the Tigers dreaded rivals, Alabama are now undoubtedly in pole position.

"They are number one," Cunningham said, via Touchdown Alabama.

Much as Tigers fans will hate to admit it, the truth is, the constant churn of receivers the Crimson Tide manage to send to the pro ranks is pretty darn irresistible for a lot of recruits.

Listening to what Cunningham said after his visit with Alabama, the stars seem to be aligning for him on a number of fronts - some of which the Tigers would struggle to currently compete against.

"It is resources there, the love and the coaching staff," Cunningham declared. "Bama is Bama. They made me feel like one of their main priorities, and it is only two hours away from home. It's a great place to be for my position as a wide receiver. They send guys to the league."

Seeing the 6-foot-3 Cunningham take his smooth route running and elite ball skills to Alabama is bound to hurt all the more. Scouts have been salivating over the potential upside of the 185-pound Cunningham for a while now, especially his prodigious ability to come down with the ball in the red zone for scores.

Ever since the start of the month, coach Freeze has been hitting home runs in his recruitment drive, but perhaps the depth of the Crimson Tide's quarterback talent just appeared too enticing to pass up for the Mississippi native?

Not that Freeze will take things lying down, even if Cunningham does follow through on his intentions and commits to Alabama. Interestingly, Dillon Alfred, the 4-Star receiver from Mississippi has just decommitted from Ole Miss, and while he's not visited with Auburn or name checked them as yet, he's very much open to suggestions.

"I'm open to anyone right now and I'm just trying to make sure that I do what is best for me moving forward because wherever I go I'm gonna be there for the next three to four years so I have to make my final decision count." Alfred told Chad Simmons of On3.

Ironically, Cunningham heading to Tuscaloosa might just prompt Selma, Ala. wide receiver Derrick Smith to rethink his own commitment to the Crimson Tide. Of course, Smith can also play some pretty nifty safety when asked and obviously, multiple wide receivers can thrive at the same time.

Still, he took an official visit with the Tigers back on June 7th. Should the talented athlete feel he might well now be lost in the mix, or forced to play defense full-time, then perhaps Freeze and Co. might be inclined to give him another try? 

There is some recent notable past history with how current Tigers wide receiver Perry Thompson flipped his allegiance from Bama to Auburn to recount also. Certain players like Thompson simply feel there is a fascinating project ongoing at Auburn under the charismatic leadership of Coach Freeze, so who's to say more won't follow suit.

This is not the time to get at all disheartened after all, not every ship comes in, and certainly not in the high stakes poker of collegiate recruitment. Alternative options will remain open for the Tigers moving forward, especially when Freeze comes to the negotiating table.

In the meantime, the Tigers will go back to the drawing board and remind themselves that there are always plenty more fish in the sea.