Auburn regressed from its SEC championship in 2013 to finish 8-5 with an Outback Bowl loss to Wisconsin in 2014. The Tigers are poised to challenge for the SEC title once again in 2015, and like most other schools it has its sights set on the future, and not just the immediate future.

The Tigers are already doing work on their 2016 recruiting class, continuing to lay the foundation for success in the daunting SEC for years to come.

With that in mind we ranked the top 5 targets Auburn ought to aggressively pursue between now and next year’s signing day:

1. Five-star OLB Ben Davis: At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, the Gordo, Ala., native is listed as both a linebacker and an athlete, and the athleticism he could bring to the middle of Will Muschamp’s defense could elevate the entire unit by the time he’s an upperclassman. Davis has great footwork and moves well in his college-ready frame. He can range from sideline to sideline to make plays, and is a fairly nasty pass rusher as well. The Tigers will have to compete with most other SEC schools, including in-state rival Alabama, for his services.

2. Five-star OLB Lyndell Wilson: Another five-star outside linebacker from the state of Alabama, Auburn will have to pursue Wilson as persistently as it’s pursued Davis so far in the recruiting process in hopes of nabbing at least one of the two stars (if not both) from the clutches of the Crimson Tide. Wilson has a knack for tracking down ball-carriers at the line of scrimmage, and he recorded five forced fumbles as a high school junior last season in addition to 71 tackles and seven sacks. As a top 10 player at any position in the 2015 class (according to 247Sports), Wilson is being chased by a number of power programs, so Will Muschamp will have to save his best sales pitches for his meetings with the Montgomery, Ala., native.

3. Five-star DT Julian Rochester: It’s easy to understand why Auburn would love for this 6-foot-5, 315-pound monster to line up in the middle of its defense. With incredible size, strength and power, Rochester is a load to contain and often wears down his opponents by the second halves of games. He won’t have quite the size advantage in the SEC that he enjoys in high school, but he already has a college-ready body and knows how to use it better than most his age. Auburn struggled along the defensive line last season, but with Byron Cowart headed to the plains this year, the addition of Rochester next year could do wonders for the future of Auburn’s defense.

4. Four-star QB Jawon Pass: Nick Marshall showed what a dual-threat quarterback can do at the helm of Gus Malzahn’s offense the last two years, and Pass might be the perfect fit to lead that offense when Jeremy Johnson’s time under center comes to an end. The appropriately named Pass is the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the country, and without a need to play right away he can take his time in learning the offense and finding his niche at the quarterback position The Columbus, Ga., native is yet another player Auburn will have to woo away from fellow SEC contenders, but it has the offense best-suited to turn Pass into a success at the college level.

5. Four-star OG Richard Merritt: Offensive guard may be the least-appreciated position in football, but having sturdy talents at the position is the key to laying the foundation for a potent rushing attack. Auburn obviously values running the football, and having a guard like Merritt, the No. 2 guard prospect in the class, would fill that void. At 6-foot-5 and 345 pounds, he’s already big enough to play the position in the SEC today. If he can improve his footwork and can learn the subtleties of Malzahn’s offense, he’s a home run signing in the making even at a position where he’ll rarely, if ever, be recognized.