Auburn Football Recruiting: Tigers' Top Targets to Watch at the Opening

As a recruiting powerhouse in college football, Auburn is naturally going to have an influence on the prospects descending on Nike's campus in Beaverton, Oregon, next week for The Opening.

While none of the Tigers' 10 current commitments for the class of 2017 are headed to the massive recruiting combine on July 8-10, several of their biggest remaining targets will be in Beaverton to showcase their skills. Auburn fans wanting a possible glimpse at the future of the program will want to stay tuned to coverage of The Opening.

Auburn's targets at The Opening Finals include a trio of the highest-rated offensive tackles in the entire country, a handful of recruits from its familiar stomping grounds of Georgia and several players at major positions of need for the current class. Some of these targets will even announce their commitments at the event.

Here are 10 of the top Auburn targets who will be at The Opening next week. The rankings used here are the 247Sports composite rankings, which combine several of the industry's top ratings into one standard.

4-star | OT Ranking: 9 | Overall Ranking: 48

Hometown: Jackson, Tennessee (University School)

Size: 6'5 ½", 299 pounds

Auburn already has commitments from a pair of blue-chip offensive tackles, but it would love to add more to its 2017 haul. Trey Smith is the top target at the position—while he's only the No. 9 tackle in the 247Sports composite, 247Sports' individual ranking system has him as the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 3 overall player in the country.

According to Bleacher Report's Damon Sayles, Smith plans to announce a top-eight list at The Opening, and the Tigers are said to be in the mix with the likes of Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Tennessee. He unofficially visited Auburn last July but hasn't made a return visit to the Plains.

"You have sincere visits and you have people that are just sales pitching," Smith told Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports. "And Coach [Tim] Horton down at Auburn, he's been very sincere. Also, every time I talk to them I'm always talking to Coach [Gus] Malzahn. I really like that about their coaching staff. They're very personable.”

4-star | ILB Ranking: 6 | Overall Ranking: 197

Hometown: New Market, Alabama (Buckhorn)

Size: 6'2", 238 pounds

Auburn has missed out on several blue-chip in-state linebacker prospects in the last few cycles, but the Tigers are still in the hunt for former IMG Academy player Will Ignont. The New Market native is one of the highest-rated inside linebackers in the country and represents a real need for the Tigers in the 2017 cycle.

Ignont's recruitment looks like it could be another classic battle between Alabama and Auburn, although Georgia is said to be in the mix for his signature as well. Niebuhr reported earlier this month Ignont had a silent commitment to Alabama but has backed off to the point where Auburn should feel good about its chances.

Keep an eye on Ignont at The Opening, as he could represent a true impact commitment for the Tigers. Auburn needs more talented bodies at linebacker in a huge way, and Ignont is perhaps its biggest target at the position right now.

5-star | OT Ranking: 5 | Overall Ranking: 20

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida (Washington)

Size: 6'6", 315 pounds

Five-star Florida offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood has been committed to Alabama since June 2015, but the Tigers are pushing extremely hard for a flip from the Crimson Tide. He visited Auburn earlier this month for Big Cat Weekend, marking his second trip to the Plains in the last month.

"It was fun," Leatherwood said, per Drew Champlin of AL.com. "It was real fun. (What stood out was) the atmosphere, the fun we had, and the people that were here."

According to Champlin, Leatherwood maintained that his commitment to Alabama is "very good," but Auburn is undoubtedly making some sort of move for the 5-star tackle. He's close friends with Tigers target Nick Brahms—who will appear later in this countdown—and there's a chance he might be the star of a special offensive line haul for Auburn.

4-star | WR Ranking: 9 | Overall Ranking: 62

Hometown: East St. Louis, Illinois (East St. Louis)

Size: 5'10", 170 pounds

Schools from all over the country are in for Illinois wide receiver Jeff Thomas, and for good reason. The speedy and sure-handed Thomas has caught 28 touchdowns in his last three seasons and is just outside 5-star range in 247Sports' in-house rankings.

"Thomas can take the top off a defensive secondary with lethal straight-line speed that's difficult for any high school opponent to handle," Thomas' analysis in the B/R Future 100 reads. "He'll never be the biggest guy in your receiving corps, but he may be the toughest, dashing through tackles on a mission to churn up yards after the catch."

Thomas hasn't visited Auburn yet, and the majority of the 247Sports "crystal ball" predictions have the Illinois native committing to Alabama or Missouri. But Auburn was listed in his top six last month. The Tigers will have a chance over the next few months to push into serious contention for the standout receiver.

4-star | CB Ranking: 9 | Overall Ranking: 91

Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia (Westlake)

Size: 6'2", 180 pounds

AJ Terrell fits the cornerback mold Auburn has recruited in the last several cycles in the likes of Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean—tall, rangy and physical. The Atlanta native is a high-priority target for several SEC schools, and Auburn is firmly in the race.

Terrell is expected to land at in-state Georgia, but Florida and South Carolina have joined Auburn for his services. Auburn defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff and defensive line coach Rodney Garner, two ace recruiters, visited Terrell last month. Terrell also made an unofficial visit to Auburn in March.

It will be tough for the Tigers to pluck this Georgia cornerback away from the Bulldogs with the way head coach Kirby Smart has gotten off to a hot start with Peach State prospects. But Auburn has just as good of a shot as anyone for this physically gifted target.

4-star | S Ranking: 9 | Overall Ranking: 92

Hometown: Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy)

Size: 6'3 ½", 181 pounds

Another IMG Academy product Auburn hopes will suit up in the orange and blue one day, Grant Delpit is a huge safety who has steadily climbed the recruiting rankings over the last several months.

Auburn offered Delpit a scholarship after his visit to the Plains for Big Cat Weekend, throwing the Tigers into the mix with LSU, Auburn, Clemson, Florida and several other powerhouse programs. Delpit is considered an LSU lean, but teams everywhere will be cranking up their advances for the safety with the way his stock has risen recently.

Delpit announced he would make his commitment decision at The Opening, and while the Bayou Bengals are said to be his leaders, don't completely count out the SEC West's other team of Tigers just yet. He could be the next piece of a big secondary at Auburn.

4-star | OG Ranking: 9 | Overall Ranking: 153

Hometown: Navarre, Florida (Navarre)

Size: 6'4", 285 pounds

While most of the recruiting attention on the offensive line has gone to the tackles, Nick Brahms is an interior player who could be a huge pickup for the Tigers. The Florida native and No. 9 overall guard has visited Auburn three times in the last month-and-a-half and might be close to making his decision.

Auburn has a unique advantage in the race for Brahms' commitment. According to Niebuhr, Brahms' father is a pilot for Delta, and Auburn's aviation program stood out to him on his last visit.

"I pretty much visited with the more academic side of things," Brahms told Niebuhr. "I went to the aviation place, engineering building and the business building. And with aviation—I really liked it over there. That might be my new (plan). I've been saying business and engineering but that might be my new major."

4-star | ILB Ranking: 7 | Overall Ranking: 209

Hometown: Snellville, Georgia (Brookwood)

Size: 6'4", 219 pounds

Auburn is also looking to snatch Leonard Warner from Georgia and Georgia Tech's clutches in this cycle. The 4-star inside linebacker has received offers from all over the country, but the in-state Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets are said to be ahead for his services, per Kipp Adams of 247Sports.

Warner has been clocked at 4.66 seconds in the 40-yard dash and has been personally visited by coaches representing a dozen schools, including new Auburn linebackers coach Travis Williams. At 6'4" and 219 pounds, Warner has the look of a true force down the middle of a defense.

The Tigers will fight to make up ground in this battle, and their history in the state of Georgia could be a real boost. Auburn fans should keep an eye on Warner as this cycle continues.

4-star | WR Ranking: 28 | Overall Ranking: 220

Hometown: Covington, Georgia (Newton)

Size: 6'2", 181 pounds

Jeremiah Holloman is another target the Tigers have an outside shot of landing from Georgia, as he's currently trending toward the in-state Bulldogs and Tennessee. But earlier this week, Holloman told Luke Stampini of 247Sports that Auburn was among the schools recruiting him the hardest.

Holloman visited Auburn during Big Cat Weekend earlier this month and then stayed an extra day to camp with Malzahn and the Tigers, per Niebuhr. The Tigers also visited him at his school in Covington, Georgia, twice this spring.

"Talking with Coach Malzahn, he told me he’s going to push me," Holloman said, per Niebuhr. "And him being a receiver himself, he said he stands with the receivers and he definitely wants the best out of me. I told him if I came here I want him to push me the hardest."

3-star | TE Ranking: 18 | Overall Ranking: 451

Hometown: Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy)

Size: 6'4", 235 pounds

Perhaps the greatest possible signing for Auburn in the class of 2017 in terms of name alone, Tre' McKitty is planning on announcing his commitment at The Opening. As it stands right now, Auburn has a great chance of landing the 3-star IMG Academy tight end.

"I wouldn't say I have leaders, but I can say Auburn's high," McKitty told Evan McCullers of 247Sports earlier this month. "I've been here enough to know what they have to offer. They're really looking to use me as a very versatile tight end. They're pushing hard right now."

Auburn could take full advantage of its IMG Academy connection, as it's also recruiting Delpit and several other targets from the powerhouse program. Florida and Oregon are said to be the biggest competition for Auburn with McKitty, but the Tigers are still expected to come out on top at The Opening.

Recruiting rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.

Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.