When Gene Chizik and his freshly put together staff hit the recruiting trail in full force just months before February’s National Signing Day, time wasn’t on their side.

Relationships, which can develop over years between players and schools, had to be crafted and finalized in less than a few weeks in some cases. The decisions were made hard and fast and, as a result, a handful of players never set foot on campus because of qualification issues.

Those circumstances, of course, have vanished for Chizik and Co.’s second go-around.

They’ve now had time to be picky.

Out of sheer necessity, Auburn’s recruiting focus has targeted players who are near-locks to qualify before the summer — and some who might even enroll early — while ignoring those who may have the talent, but aren’t worth the risk.

“Strategically, we’re going to have to be right on with every decision we make recruiting-wise,” Chizik said. “When we’re bringing them in. How many we bring in. We’ve got a lot of scholarships to fill.”

The Tigers will lose at least 11 scholarship players to graduation after the season — 12 if injured safety Aairon Savage does not request or is not granted a sixth year of eligibility. That would bring the Tigers down to a maximum of 63 scholarship players heading into Signing Day.

New rules initiated by the SEC before the season allow teams to sign just 28 players, of whom 25 may receive scholarships.

So to meet that maximum, which is pretty much done by all major programs, the Tigers will have to do something they haven’t done in years: retain the vast majority of the names they gloat about on Signing Day.

From 2006-09, Auburn has lost 44 of its 113 signees — almost 39 percent, the major contributor to the Tigers’ depth issues at nearly every position this season.

Chizik’s first class has lost eight of 29 to date, which, for now, stands as the least of the four previous classes.

It just has to be much better than that this year if Chizik wants to fix this problem sooner rather than later.

The first step has been to find players whom Auburn can rely on to enroll in January. If players can graduate early and enroll for spring semester at Auburn, their scholarship counts for 2009 rather than 2010.

The Tigers already have two players — linebacker Jessel Curry (Buford, Ga.) and defensive end Craig Sanders (Ariton) — who have indicated they plan to enroll early. There could be more on the way, especially at positions of high need.

Chizik said offensive tackle, a position currently occupied by senior Andrew McCain and junior Lee Ziemba, is the highest priority.

“Without question that’s got to happen in January,” Chizik said. “I mean, that’s what our goal is. That’s our sight. Again, it’s got to be the perfect fit. He’s got to be able to be getting out, graduating, but we know we need that.”

Chizik said he doesn’t have one particular type of player in mind, whether it be from the high school, prep school or junior college level.

Even while being choosy, the Tigers have been able to land marquee names that have been unheard of around the Plains in years

If Little Rock, Ark. running back Michael Dyer, a current Auburn commitment, signs, qualifies and plays next season, he’ll be the first five-star — per Rivals.com — to see the field in an Auburn uniform since linebacker Tray Blackmon, a 2005 signee. Dyer is considered Arkansas’ No. 1 prospect, joining wide receiver Trovon Reed (Thibodaux, La.) and offensive lineman Shon Coleman (Olive Branch, Miss.) as players currently committed to Auburn who are considered the best in their respective state by Rivals.com.

Auburn currently has the eighth-ranked group of 2010 commitments, according to Rivals.

“They’re all great players, but they’re also in our opinion the right fit, the right kind of guys for this place,” said Chizik, speaking generally without naming names because of NCAA recruiting rules.

“It’s really neat to see the response nationwide wherever we go. Obviously, most of our concentration is in the Southeast of some sort, but that doesn’t mean that’s our only focus.

“But it’s been neat.”

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