02/02 at 11:12 PM

It started when Gene Chizik’s plane touched down at the Auburn-Opelika Robert G. Pitts Airport in mid-December 2008.

But it wasn’t really believed, or thought to be attainable, until today.

No one knew it then, but when Chizik stepped off that Auburn University jet more than a year ago, the culture of recruiting for the Auburn football program was changed.

And today’s class — Chizik’s first full one — proves it.

The high school seniors who will ink their National Letters of Intent this morning and fax them to Auburn’s 334 area code will make up one of the best classes in the country as voted on by the people who keep score — Rivals, Scout and ESPN.

Those guys say Chizik’s 2010 Auburn class is in the nation’s top five. That’s right. It’s up there with Florida, Texas and (yep) Alabama.

The last look at Rivals.com Tuesday evening had the Tigers with the third-best projected class in the country heading into today, one spot ahead of the
BCS National Champion and defending recruiting national title holder.

It’s taken two years, but it looks like Auburn will finally beat Alabama in something football related.

The culture has most definitely changed. And it all started with Chizik getting off that plane.

But that’s not the whole story. Nope, that’s just the start.

It gets more interesting and far better once Chizik hires a staff. Getting Gus Malzahn to come in and run the offense was a huge piece of the puzzle.

Then, a trip to Stillwater, Okla., put it all in place.

Yes, Trooper Taylor has had a lot to do with Auburn’s success on the recruiting trail. That guy gets the media pumped up, just imagine his impact on a 16-, 17- or 18-year-old high school kid. He’s good.

But let’s not forget the guy who makes it all go. And that’s the first guy Chizik hired away from Oklahoma State. The guy Chizik named recruiting
coordinator.

Yeah, that’s right, Curtis Luper.

Don’t let his laid-back demeanor fool you. This guy can get it done both on the trail and on the field coaching running backs. He’s a pro, and quite possibly the best hire on Chizik’s staff.

And Luper’s proving it, but not just with the guys who are signing today. He’s proving it with his attitude and mindset — the one handed down by Chizik.

In his first interview with the media once he was hired, Luper was asked about his plan for recruiting and what his goals were. When presented with the age old question, “do recruiting rankings really matter?” Luper didn’t hesitate.

“Oh yeah,” he said on that mid-February day in 2009. “If they’re keeping the score, you want to win, right?”

That’s a far cry from the whole “we don’t recruit out of magazines,” stance.

The truth is, everyone keeps score. Everyone. Not just Rivals or Scout or ESPN. But every fan with a computer, every talk-show host, every national media member.

Winning is everything in college football. And perception is reality. On the field and in those “magazines.”

Everyone wants to know how their favorite team stacks up against the rest of the programs in the country.

And so far, Auburn’s doing pretty well. They haven’t won yet, but they’re so much better than they were a year ago. Two years ago.

The culture has most definitely changed at Auburn.

This coaching staff is shooting for the moon. And, just look around, they’ve come pretty darn close.

To show you how far Auburn’s come, just look at running back Marcus Lattimore, one of the nation’s top recruits.

He chose in-state South Carolina over Auburn on Tuesday evening, and a majority of Tiger fans had to be talked down. There was a genuine disappointment that Auburn didn’t get what Rivals has rated the No. 1 running back prospect in the country.

Sure, fans should be a little disappointed, but on the other hand, what does it say about Auburn that the best high school running back had the Tigers in his final two? Would that have happened two years ago?

Talk about a culture change.

Now Auburn fans are mad when they don’t get another blue-chip player, when they used to celebrate just having one.

Now it’d be naïve to think that just because Auburn’s got a top-five recruiting class that it’ll go undefeated and win a national championship because of it.

These guys have a long way to go.

But why settle for less than the best?

Why settle for a three-star when you can get a five-star?

Why not try to win, even if recruiting rankings are an inexact science?

Remember, they’re keeping score anyway.

This coaching staff most definitely knows that, and they really want to win.

So far, they’re on the right track.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at or 737-2513.