AUBURN, Ala. -- When ESPN 300 wide receiver Nate Craig-Myers pulled out a Tigers statue and announced his commitment to Auburn, there was obvious excitement in the school’s war room. Coaches congratulated one another. Head coach Gus Malzahn even gave his patented fist pump.
But none was more excited than Auburn wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig.
Not only was Craig the one who spearheaded Craig-Myers’ recruitment, but he also now has four wide receivers, three in the ESPN 300, arriving in the 2016 recruiting class.
Locked on the right and loaded on the left! #2016 pic.twitter.com/rzbcauEv08
— Dameyune Craig (@CoachDCraig) February 3, 2016
Boom City!! I know the people in Alabama are feeling better now. WDE for life
— Dameyune Craig (@CoachDCraig) February 3, 2016
Craig-Myers is the No. 2 wide receiver in the country. Kyle Davis, who has already enrolled at Auburn, is ranked No. 5. Eli Stove, ranked No. 113 overall in the ESPN 300, is No. 14 at his position. And three-star Marquis McClain also signed with the Tigers in the morning.
The wide receiver haul couldn’t have come at a better time, either. Auburn finished 57th among the 65 Power 5 teams this past season, averaging 173.6 passing yards per game. Plus, the team’s two leading receivers, Ricardo Louis and Melvin Ray, both graduated. That leaves a group of young and relatively inexperienced players returning, and the coaches fully expect the incoming freshmen to compete for early playing time.
Craig isn’t the only one happy about the group of pass-catchers that signed with Auburn. Quarterback Sean White also showed his excitement on Twitter.
— Sean White (@SeanWhiteAU) February 3, 2016
The Tigers have actually dropped a spot to No. 11 in the ESPN class rankings, but that could change with Derrick Brown’s announcement coming at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Brown is ranked No. 9 overall in the ESPN 300.