• DL/OL Arik Armstead from suburban Sacramento, Calif. — Visited Auburn two weeks ago. Wants to play football and basketball. Would like to spend his first season with his brother, DL Armond Armstead, who is looking to transfer away from Southern Cal. The SEC last summer banned the graduate-and-transfer rule (aka the Russell Wilson Rule), so it seems unlikely that Armond Armstead will be able to play in the SEC next season, though anything is possible. The Armsteads also are considering Oregon, Cal and a few other west coast schools. Both guys are major prospects.
• WR Stefon Diggs from suburban Washington, D.C. — Visited Auburn two weeks ago. Short, quick guy. He’s also considering Florida, Southern Cal, Cal-Berkeley and Maryland. Diggs is a major, five-star prospect.
• DT Eddie Goldman from Washington, D.C. — Made-to-order interior defender. Major, five-star prospect. It appears he’s down to Auburn and Florida State.
• DB Ronald Darby from suburban Washington, D.C. — One of the five best cornerbacks available. Finalists include Auburn, Florida State and Notre Dame. Major, five-star prospect.
• WR Cordarrelle Patterson from a Kansas junior college — Big receiver with really good speed; not epic speed. Knows how to cut back. Great hands. Nation’s best junior-college player. It’s down to Auburn, Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss and LSU. Major, five-star prospect.
• OL Avery Young from West Palm Beach, Fla. — He’s 6-6 and very developed in a physical sense. He’s not a tubby guy who successed just because he’s big. TE Brandon Fulse is Young’s cousin and they talk. This is widely believed to be a battle between Auburn, Florida and Georgia. Excellent prospect, four or five stars depending on the site.
• LB Kwon Alexander from Oxford H.S. — He’s in the top 10 or 15 in the country as an outside linebacker. It’s down to Auburn, Alabama, Florida State and LSU. Excellent prospect, four or five stars depending on the site.
• DE Leonard Williams from Daytona Beach, Fla. — He’s a beast; tall, quick and powerful. He played inside in high school, but probably will be a strong-side end in college. Reminds me of Luis Castillo with the San Diego Chargers. Excellent prospect, four or five stars depending on the site. (I’d give him five.)
• WR Ricardo Louis from suburban Miami — Big and relatively powerful wideout. Was committed to Auburn for most of 2011, decommitted earlier this month, committed to FSU, now is uncommitted again. It’s between Auburn and FSU. He’s a four-star guy.
• OL Alex Kozan from suburban Denver, Colo. — Down to Auburn, Iowa and Michigan for Kozan, who probably will play guard in college. He’s a four-star guy.
• OL Jordan Diamond from Chicago — Will play tackle in college. Down to Auburn, Arkansas, Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin. He’s a four-star guy.
• ATH Jeremy Liggins from Oxford, Miss. — He’s 6-4 and played quarterback in high school, but his career could develop in any number of ways. It’s down to Auburn, Ole Miss, Alabama, Mississippi State and LSU. He’s a three-star guy, but that’s mainly due to uncertainty about his future position.
• S Jordan Moore from Atlanta — Didn’t play safety until late in the high-school season and Moore expected to run track at LSU. Now he’s aiming to play football. It’s down to Auburn, TCU and perhaps North Carolina. He’s a three-star guy, but that’s mainly due to a lack of experience at the position.
