Despite the hype that has been generated around the new stretch Escalade, I really see little indication that anything is changing that much in terms of recruiting.
To be sure, Auburn has clearly made an impression on a few elite tailbacks, namely Lache Seastrunk, Michael Dyer, and Marcus Lattimore. Nevertheless, it's hard to see anything major happening with those guys. Regardless of a few rave visit reviews, Seastrunk is still an LSU v. Texas battle, Dyer is essentially an Arkansas lock, and though Lattimore constitutes their best chance, him ultimately ending up at Auburn in eight months would still be a very big surprise.
Moving forward, exactly what has been done to address the two biggest problems they have, i.e. a complete lack of quality depth on the offensive line and a quality quarterback? Absolutely nothing. None of the big-time time offensive line recruits are really looking their way, and the same things go at quarterback.
Moreover, exactly what is changing in-state? Again, nothing. Alabama once again looks to make an almost complete run of the top in-state prospects, while Auburn will once again have to sign the leftovers. All of the state's top prospects -- Milliner, Williams, Perry, Mosley, Sanders, etc. -- look to sign with Alabama, with the only ones really getting away being the ones that we ultimately do not want (i.e. guys like Richardson). Aside from that, Auburn looks to take only one top in-state prospect from us, and that is Ladarius Owens, and he has family ties to Auburn (just like Terrance Coleman did last year).
Beyond that, their supposed "resurgence" in recruiting has done nothing to stop us from getting a lot of talent out of Georgia, and it is doing nothing to change the fact that we should be going into their backyard of Columbus and getting Brian Vogler.
All in all, I see where very little has changed. To be sure, Chizik has gotten some interest in Auburn again -- they largely through laughable means, see the Hummer -- but at the end of the day it still looks like Alabama will continue to get all of the state's top prospects that they want, while Auburn continues to play second fiddle. And that's before you even address the reality that they are likely to have another bad season in 2009.
Again, it's all hype and talk right now, not substance.