SEC Football: 10 Best Freshmen of 2011

Just how brutal are the recruiting wars in the SEC? 

Nine of the league’s 12 members were ranked in the final Top 25 rankings for the Class of 2011.

Four SEC schools landed in the Top 10, and they appear to be well on their way of repeating their success in 2012.  

With premier coaches like Nick Saban, Les Miles, Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier roaming the sidelines, it is easy to forget that talent still trumps all, and no league has capitalized by turning wins in February into titles in January better than the SEC.

With Alabama and LSU set to square off for the BCS National Championship, the league is assured of winning its sixth consecutive national championship.

Along the way, several blue-chip recruits turned into first-year contributors who played an integral role for their respective title-winning schools.  

Guys like Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, Trent Richardson and Michael Dyer all had an impact on a championship team as true freshmen. 

So which prep phenoms are on their way to becoming household names over the next few years? 

Here are the SEC’s Top 10 freshmen of 2011.

10. Vinnie Sunseri, LB: Alabama

In a 2011 class that was loaded with can’t-miss recruits, it was the less heralded Sunseri that shined brightest on the field this season for the Crimson Tide. 

The son of Alabama linebackers coach Sal Sunseri, the younger Sunseri made his name as the Tide’s special teams demon this season. 

He also logged minutes as a backup safety this season and could find his way into a bigger role next season if Robert Lester leaves early for the NFL. 

Season Stats:  30 tackles, one quarterback hurry, one forced fumble

9. Marcus Roberson, CB: Florida

New Gators head coach Will Muschamp signed six defensive backs in his first recruiting class. 

Out of the six, Roberson, who played mostly safety in high school, found his way into the Gators lineup at cornerback. 

Roberson missed the last two games of the season due to injury, but still had a solid freshman campaign and in the process, established himself as a future star in a loaded secondary. 

Season Stats:  22 tackles, two passes broken up, one interception

8. Serdarius Bryant, LB: Ole Miss

The Rebels had a tough go of it this season, but one of the bright spots was the play of their freshman linebackers. 

While C.J. Johnson was the headliner of the Rebels’ 2011 class, it was diminutive Bryant that had the best freshman campaign for Ole Miss. 

Bryant’s signature performance was a season-high 10 tackles in a Nov. 3 loss to Kentucky. 

Season Stats:  61 Tackles, two tackles for loss, one pass broken up, one forced fumble

7. Kenny Hilliard, RB: LSU

Hilliard started the season as a fullback, but when starting running back Spencer Ware was suspended late in the season, the 5’11”, 240-pound hammer burst onto the scene with four touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving) in the Tigers' final two games. 

Despite a crowded depth chart with a trio of talented sophomores ahead of him (including Ware), Hilliard possesses a punishing running style that led to him piling up all eight of his rushing touchdowns this season in the last six games of the season. 

Perhaps Hilliard could become the third consecutive SEC freshman running back to have a big game in the national championship game, a list that includes the Tigers’ opponent on Jan. 9, Alabama’s Trent Richardson.

Season Stats:  57 carries, 320 yards, eight TD;  three catches, 13 yards, one receiving TD

6. Odell Beckham, Jr., WR: LSU

While Hilliard may have come on strong at the end of the season, Beckham, Jr. immediately stepped up to help the Tigers replace Russell Shepherd, who was suspended earlier in the season. 

Fellow stud freshman receiver Jarvis Landry may have garnered the headlines in February, but it was Beckham who would emerge as an immediate threat on the edges for the Tigers. 

Beckham, Jr. finished the season as the second leading receiver on the team behind junior Reuben Randle, and has clearly established himself as a playmaker with a bright future in Baton Rouge. 

Season Stats:  36 catches, 437 yards, two TD;  two carries, 19 yards

5. Tevin Mitchel, CB: Arkansas

Bobby Petrino brought in 30 signees in the Hogs' 2011 class, but Mitchel was the only pure defensive back of the group.  

Mitchel has great size for a corner (6’1”, 185 pounds) and brought a physical mentality to the Razorbacks secondary.  

Mitchel finished sixth on the team in tackles, and with secondary stalwarts Jerico Nelson and Tramaine Thomas moving on next year, he will become the anchor for the Hogs' last line of defense in 2012.  

Season Stats:  53 tackles, one fumble recovery

4. Malcolm Mitchell, WR: Georgia

Georgia signed three pure wide receivers in the 2011 class, but it was the athletic Mitchell, who was rated the nation’s top defensive back by Rivals, that flew up the depth charts after arriving in Athens. 

Despite missing three games due to a midseason hamstring injury, the speedy Mitchell still finished as the Bulldogs' leading receiver on the season. 

With fellow freshmen Chris Conley and Michael Bennett flanking him, look for Mitchell to continue lighting up SEC defenses over the next few years.

Season Stats:  38 receptions, 614 yards, four TD;  four carries, 38 yards

3. A.J. Johnson, LB: Tennessee

On a defense wracked by attrition, Johnson stepped up and became an immediate force upon his arrival in Knoxville. 

After starting out slowly in the first month of the season, Johnson accumulated 36 tackles in a three-game stretch against the likes of LSU, Alabama and South Carolina.  

He would go on to finish as the Vols’ second-leading tackler on the season, just one shy of tying senior linebacker Austin Johnson for the team lead. 

Season Stats:  80 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble

2. Jadeveon Clowney, DE: South Carolina

The consensus top overall recruit in the class of 2011, Clowney arrived in Columbia amid tremendous fanfare.  

It was almost impossible for the nation’s top prep defensive end to match his considerable hype, but he played well enough to show glimpses of his freakish athleticism and was unblockable at times during his freshman campaign.  

With fellow defensive line stars Melvin Ingram (and potentially defensive end Devin Taylor) moving onto the next level, Clowney will be responsible for maintaining the dominant standard of defense set by the Gamecocks this season. 

Season Stats:  33 tackles, six sacks, 10 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles

1. Isaiah Crowell, RB: Georgia

Despite battling an up-and-down season in his short time in Athens, Crowell fought through it all to end up being named as the league’s Freshman of the Year.  

Crowell produced four games with over 100 rushing yards and finished the season as the leading rusher for the champions of the SEC’s Eastern Division.  

If Crowell can stay healthy and avoid issues off the field (he served a one-game suspension this season), he has a chance to join the elite class of running backs that the league has produced in the last few years.  

Season Stats:  182 carries, 847 yards, five TD;  seven catches, 55 yards, one receiving TD