Re: Roc Thomas to Auburn
Kind of had to see this one coming. I hate it, and FWIW I do think Auburn is getting a fine player, but this is a calculated decision on the part of the staff. We are essentially going all-in on Fournette at tailback and allocating attention for all other scholarships to other positions.
What are our chances of getting Fournette? Probably not all that high, barring an(other) offensive implosion from LSU, and even then there is still a very, very strong chance that he ends up in Baton Rouge. On the other hand, realistically what is the great need we have at tailback? Yeldon and Fowler will return for 2014, and even then you still have Drake, Henry, Tenpenny, Hart, Kamara, and Tyren Jones all with three or more years of eligibility remaining.
And that, just so you know, is the real driving factor behind our decision-making here. We've got several other areas on the roster that need to be addressed, i.e. OL, TE, CB, etc. No real need for tailbacks in this class, however. So, what do you do? You go big on the top dog, and if you miss on him, so be it. It's a luxury afforded to us by our depth at this point, and in my mind's eye it's not really a bad decision on the part of the staff.
Could Thomas revisit his commitment if we swing and miss on Fournette? It's possible, but I kind of tend to doubt it. I'm sure he feels quite slighted by our slow-play of him, and the allure of early playing time at Auburn will be difficult to overcome in the face of that.
