Lattimore was the recruit Auburn coach most regrets losing

Marcus Lattimore in the blue and orange of Auburn?

It could have been.

Auburn wound up being the second choice of Lattimore, who, of course, went on to star at South Carolina despite having two seasons cut short by knee injuries.

When asked by ESPN’s Joe Schad about “the recruit that got away” he most regrets, Auburn coach said it was Marcus Lattimore.

LSU coach Les Miles named Southern Cal linebacker Junior Seau, when Miles was an assistant at Colorado.

Malzahn, who was then the offensive coordinator at Auburn under head coach Gene Chizik, said of Lattimore: “That was a tough one. Super individual and family.”

Lattimore, from Duncan’s Byrnes High, was getting advice during his recruitment from Stephen Davis, a former Auburn running back from Spartanburg.