Auburn football: Tigers lead pack for top running back

AUBURN, Ala. — With national signing day less than two weeks away, most of the work for Auburn’s 2010 recruiting class has been done.

It will be a quiet weekend on the Plains, with no official visitors scheduled as of Thursday, according to Auburn’s primary recruiting Web sites.

The Tigers have 23 commits for 2010, with the possibility of signing 28 on Feb. 3. But they’ve got feelers out to a few big-name recruits who will be making their final decisions soon.

Auburn, which currently ranks fourth nationally in Rivals.com’s recruiting rankings, is still in the mix for running back Marcus Lattimore, defensive end Corey Lemonier and defensive tackles Jeffrey Whitaker and Byran Jones.

Lattimore, a five-star recruit from Duncan, S.C., dropped Oregon and Penn State from consideration last week and is down to South Carolina and Auburn.

He is ranked by Rivals as the No. 1 running back in the country. The Tigers already have a commitment from Michael Dyer of Little Rock, Ark., Rivals’ No. 3 overall running back.

Although Lattimore visited South Carolina last weekend, he told The State in Columbia, S.C., that Auburn had a slight lead. He told several outlets that he might take unofficial visits to both South Carolina and Auburn before he makes his decision.

That might be the last anyone hears from him during the process. The running back’s athletic director at Byrnes High released a statement Thursday saying Lattimore and his family will not say anything more about his recruitment until he announces his decision at his church on Feb. 2 at 6 p.m.

Auburn will play the waiting game for Hialeah (Fla.) defensive end Corey Lemonier as well. The 6-foot-5, 233-pound recruit has made his decision but will not announce it until Feb. 3. He’ll have three hats on the table from which to choose, according to Rivals — Miami, Florida State and Auburn.

Lemonier visited Auburn on Nov. 26. He is ranked as the No. 3 weak-side defensive end in the country.

The Tigers also hope to boost their class with a pair of four-star defensive tackles, Whitaker and Jones, both of whom took official visits last weekend.

Whitaker, a 6-foot-3, 295-pound recruit from Warner Robins, Ga., has narrowed his choices to Auburn, Georgia and Miami, according to Rivals. He’ll take an official visit to Athens, Ga., this weekend and Miami the next. He plans to announce his decision Feb. 1 at his high school.

Jones, a 6-foot-3, 287-pound recruit from Junction City, Ark., still has interest in Arkansas, Louisiana Tech and Ole Miss. He’ll take an official visit to Arkansas this weekend and said he won’t announce his decision until signing day. He told Rivals he has no favorite.

Auburn has four defensive line commits for 2010 but only one at tackle: Kenneth Carter, a four-star recruit from Greenville, Ala.

The team’s biggest gains in the last week came on the offensive line. Five-star tackle Shon Coleman of Olive Branch, Miss., whose stock has risen since he committed to Auburn in April, told Rivals that he is “100 percent committed” to the Tigers. Nevertheless, he plans to take official visits to Miami and Arkansas.

Auburn has less to worry about with four-star offensive guard Eric Mack, who gave his verbal pledge to the Tigers Wednesday after de-committing from South Carolina a day earlier.

Mack’s addition gives Auburn six offensive linemen in its 2010 class, including two junior college transfers already in school.