THE EARLY REPORT: Signing Day, Part I

Hey everyone.

It’s National Signing Day here in the United States. Prospects may begin signing binding Letters of Intent beginning at 7 a.m. local time.

What we’ll do here is start new posts every few hours — so no single post gets bogged down with too many signee bios and news.

Three players have submitted LOIs to Auburn via fax. Your newest Auburn Tigers are:

TE Ricky Parks, 6-4, 235, Hogansville, Ga./Callaway H.S.
The oddest thing with Parks is that everyone wanted him as a tight end, which is a position he hasn’t played in two years. His high-school team needed Parks at quarterback – an assignment he graciously accepted. Prior to that, Parks was known as “Sticky Ricky” for his ability to catch any ball thrown in his vicinity. Parks is a big and muscular kid — he won’t be physically overmatched — but his footwork will be a work in progress. Parks considered offers from Alabama and Georgia before committing to the Tigers shortly after Big Cat Weekend. His allegiance never wavered. Parks is a consensus four-star prospect.

CB Jonathan Jones, 5-8, 170, Carrollton, Ga./Carrollton H.S.
Jones has the skills of a five-star defensive back, but he’s a consensus three-star guy because of his height. Jones is a little guy. He’s thin and short and, frankly, doesn’t look the least bit intimidating. Jones is extremely fast and quick. He hits hard, which is surprising giving his diminutive stature. Jones reminds me of a young Jerraud Powers, who is on the small side for a cornerback yet carved out a lucrative career in the NFL. Jones has refined skills to go with his outstanding speed, so he has a chance to surprise. He earned an Auburn offer after a July camp, accepted it a few weeks later and never entertained any other offers.

CB Joshua Holsey, 5-9, 175, Fairburn, Ga./Creekside H.S.
Holsey, like future classmate Jonathan Jones, is a very skilled prospect who lacks notable size. As it stands, he’s a consensus four-star guy who played in the Under Armour All-American game. What sticks out about Holsey is his quickness off the ball and a refined ability to play the ball in phase. He’ll need a bit more size to emerge as a valuable run-support element, but Holsey isn’t scared of contact. He’s another guy who could be a special-teams star this fall. Holsey had offers from every SEC school, but never wavered after committing in May.

(UPDATED @ 7:05 a.m. CDT) WR Cordarrelle Patterson, one of the Tigers’ top targets, has committed to University of Tennessee. It’s an upset that he picked the Vols, but I never got the sense that Auburn was a strong challenger.

(UPDATED @ 7 a.m. CDT) Let’s start with the five players who already have signed and enrolled:

OL Shane Callahan, 6-6, 275, Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.
Callahan made an unofficial visit to campus in March and enjoyed a surprise upon arrival back in Colorado: A scholarship offer from assistant coach Jeff Grimes. The tackle accepted during Big Cat Weekend and never seriously considered offers from Arizona, Colorado and Vanderbilt after that. He earned academic qualification in mid December and already is attending classes at Auburn. He needs to add some weight, which makes a redshirt season possible, but some rigorous work throughout the spring and summer might allow Callahan to challenge for a job during two-a-days. Scout.com, Rivals.com and 247Sports all rate him as a four-star prospect.

OL Patrick Miller, 6-7, 265, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer H.S.
Miller shocked outsiders in January when his enrollment was reported after he’d already attended his first class. He committed to LSU last year and was expected to make his way to Baton Rouge, but something changed in December. Auburn is now Miller’s home. He forged a tight friendship with Shane Callahan during Big Cat Weekend and the two talked about playing together in college. Miller’s high school team required him to pull often, which helped develop better lateral-blocking habits. He’s highly aggressive as a run blocker. His footwork was less impressive when it came to pass blocking. Miller is a consensus four-star prospect.

QB Zeke Pike, 6-5, 220, Ft. Mitchell, Ky./Dixie Heights H.S.
Pike is perhaps the most polarizing member of the Tigers’ signing class. He missed the first and last games of his high school season because of suspension. The first one was tied to the 2010 playoffs, which saw Pike ejected during Dixie Heights’ season-ending loss, though the second suspension never was explained. He also was ejected from a 7-on-7 tournament last April for throwing a ball at an official. Pike also was selected to participate in the Elite 11 camp for the nation’s top quarterback prospects, so the talent certainly is there. He’s big and mobile and has plenty of arm strength. Pike has plenty of physical ability, but time will tell if his past problems were a function of deep-seated behavioral issues or simple immaturity. He finished the year as a three-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247Sports. Scout.com bestowed four stars.

LB Javiere Mitchell, 6-1, 205, Leeds/Leeds H.S.
Mitchell underwent shoulder surgery earlier this winter and isn’t expected to be cleared for full contact until after spring drills conclude. That may not be a big deal. Mitchell shuttled along the defensive line in high school because his agility provided consistent mismatches, but Auburn wants him at outside linebacker. That move will require a serious adjustment. Mitchell’s speed and aggressiveness could make him a valuable member of the special-teams units this fall – or he could redshirt. His career could develop in any number of ways. Scout.com rated Mitchell a four-star prospect, though Scout.com and 247Sports bestowed only three stars. He was pursued doggedly by Tennessee, Mississippi State, Georgia and Alabama.

FB Jay Prosch, 6-1, 250, Mobile/University of Illinois
Prosch wasn’t a prospect last fall since he was a starter at Illinois, but he transferred in January and falls into the Tigers’ 2012 signing class. He was named an All-American at fullback for his violent work as a blocker. Prosch also was a standout on special teams and led the Illini with 10 tackles. It’s difficult to project Prosch’s role this fall since new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler hasn’t unveiled his plans just yet. Prosch moved closer to home because his mother, Iris, has been diagnosed with brain cancer. He is expected to gain an NCAA waiver that allows him to be eligible this season.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE FORUMS