In order for Auburn to get back to where it feels like it belongs in the college football world, it had to keep doing what it was doing on the recruiting trail.
On Wednesday, Auburn officially signed its fourth straight top-10 recruiting class under Gus Malzahn. The Tigers finished No. 9 nationally in 247Sports' composite team rankings.
Even after back-to-back seasons in which it fell short of high expectations, Auburn continues to bring in the talent necessary to compete for championships in the cutthroat SEC West.
The Tigers overcame some late losses of key recruiters on the coaching staff and still managed to sign one of the nation's best classes for both defensive linemen and wide receivers.