When it comes to recruiting, Gus Malzahn is looking for players that can help Auburn immediately

Auburn rebounded nicely from the LSU loss, going on the road and dismantling Arkansas by a whopping 52-20 margin last weekend. The Tigers are off this weekend before setting up a huge final month of the season.

The Auburn coach was among the last coaches to speak during Wednesday’s SEC Teleconference. Here’s a summary of what he said during the call:

• Opening statements: “We had a good win on the road at Arkansas. Very glad we are at on the open week. We need to heal up and work on fundamentals.”
• Thoughts on the RB rotation? “We are going to have some self-evals this week and get the best plan moving forward, not just for the RBs but for everyone.”
•  “We have played with more of a tight end this year than we have the last two years. The way they are blocking, they are doing a super job.”
• On the struggles vs. better defenses? “I think that will be a big key to our success. This last four games, we will have to execute at a high level. We’ve had a number of different OL combos. Settling that will help with execution.”
• Can you evaluate the best unit of your team? “Just one area? That’s tough. We have improved in all areas. Our WRs have grown up with their execution in blocking and route running.”
• On the early signing day: “I think it’s changed everyone’s recruiting. You have to be aware of it. There is a lot of strategy to it.”
• On Jarrett Stidham’s improvement: “He’s grown a lot. Game 3 or 4, he started to get more comfortable. He’s done a good job of protecting that the football and that’s key.”
• What areas are you looking at in recruiting? “More than ever, it’s guys that can help you immediately. We have some talented guys but you don’t know who will come up and be willing to help you.”
• Does it make it tougher to recruit in Georgia with UGA’s success this season? “Yeah, well, every year we have to recruit the state of Georgia and we’ve done that. We haven’t played them yet, so we’ll see what happens.”

Michael Wayne Bratton

A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com