SEC Football: Early Grades for Each Team's 2016 Recruiting Class
It's still really early, but SEC football isn't dominating college recruiting like it has in recent past.
That doesn't mean the whole league is struggling, though. Yearly juggernauts such as Alabama and Texas A&M got off to a bit of a slow start. Tennessee hasn't surged up the rankings so far this year the way it has under Butch Jones, either.
Only four conference teams are currently in the top 10 of the 247Sports team rankings, and one of those is a surprising Kentucky team that already has 16 commitments, checking in at 10th.
Two of those—Georgia (fourth) and LSU (fifth)—appear to have the momentum and staying power to eventually unseat Florida State for the top ranking.
Ole Miss, behind the pledge from stud quarterback Shea Patterson, is off to another fantastic start under Hugh Freeze. With a big commitment on Friday, Alabama soared back into the top 10 after an extended hiatus on the outside looking in.
Much like in the regular rankings over the past couple of seasons, the SEC has fallen behind FSU and Ohio State in the recruiting rankings. Will it stay that way? There's still a long way to go.
With the camp-heavy days of summer approaching, let's take a look at some early grades for the conference's classes thus far.
Alabama
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Alabama proved Friday that there was no reason to fret such a slow start to the recruiting campaign.
Massive 4-star offensive tackle Charles Baldwin pledged to the Crimson Tide, giving them seven 4-star prospects in a class that surged five spots all the way to seventh in the rankings.
For a team that was already loaded on the offensive line, Baldwin is good enough to play right away.
It's only going to get better, too. With Nick Saban at the helm, UA always will lure elite talent to the Capstone, and a laundry list of the nation's top uncommitted prospects (such as the nation's top-ranked player, Rashan Gary) are high on the Tide.
It isn't like the cupboard's bare, either. Bama's roster already is loaded, and this class has its share of early jewels among the nine members.
The Memorial Day weekend commitment of 4-star defensive tackle Kendell Jones gave UA a pair of players at the position who could really develop into stars, along with massive 3-star prospect Raekwon Davis. Jones is such an impressive physical specimen that he's nicknamed "Hulk."
Saban also dipped down into Louisiana and stole his customary blue chipper in 4-star cornerback Shyheim Carter, who is the nation's third-ranked player at his position.
Add to that haul 4-star offensive linemen Jonah Williams and Deonte Brown, and just because UA had a slow start doesn't mean it's struggled to recruit top-notch names. They're steadily trickling in.
Grade: A
Arkansas
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Bret Bielema has done a good job recruiting Arkansas and even dipped down into Florida for a strong representation of future Hogs the past few years.
During the 2016 cycle, his presence has continued within his own state borders. But with Randy Shannon gone to Florida, the Razorbacks have yet to secure a single commitment from the Sunshine State. We'll see how that affects their ability to sign a strong class.
Though Bielema is never known for surging up the recruiting rankings, he does a good job finding schematic fits, and this year's class appears on that same track.
The haul starts with a duo of 4-star defensive tackles in Austin Capps and Briston Guidry. The former was the second-ranked player in the state of Arkansas in this cycle, and Guidry was a really nice pull considering Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, Tennessee and others had offered.
T.J. Hammonds is a bit of a scat back who could grow into a change-of-pace runner for the Hogs, but he's really not in the mold of Jonathan Williams or Alex Collins. Still, he could be a nice offensive weapon down the road.
The Hogs aren't off to a terrible start, but currently they're only 38th in the country, which is good for 11th in the league. That needs to improve dramatically if Arkansas is going to keep pace in the recruiting wars of the SEC.
Grade: C-
Auburn
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Auburn is on the tips of a lot of elite athletes' tongues early in this recruiting cycle, but the Tigers haven't parlayed that into many commitments until recently.
A barrage since the popular "Big Cat Weekend" shindig on the Plains that included commitments from elite wide receiver Eli Stove and 4-star dual-threat quarterback Woody Barrett has gotten AU out of a little bit of a rut.
Considering how they finished last year and with the loaded recruiting staff coach Gus Malzahn has assembled, there's no reason yet to worry. But the recent rally only brought home how slow the start was on the trail.
Even with the commitments of Barrett and Stove, AU is ranked just 28th in the country and 10th in the SEC. The Tigers will never stay that low.
But with Georgia coach Mark Richt having a strong year recruiting in Georgia and with Nick Saban always doing well in Alabama, it may not be easy to have a huge year.
Still, there's no denying the impact AU has had recruiting since the calendar flipped from April to May and on into June. The nice run began with Phenix City, Alabama, 4-star cornerback John Broussard.
Then, it continued with Stove, who is a pass-catching target basically everybody in the country wanted. Now that Barrett is on board, other dominoes will fall.
The Tigers' class is just getting started. Since it's only six players deep, it'll get docked a few letter grades here, but with all the exceptional recruiters on staff, it's a grade that will probably rise as the weather gets warmer.
Grade: C+
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Florida
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It may be doing Florida a bit of a disservice to give the Gators a B+ at this point considering they're ranked 10th in the country.
But new coach Jim McElwain's solid start in his first full recruiting class has yet to secure its first game-changer. Instead, it's a steady, sturdy class that includes 12 3-star players and just two 4-stars.
Granted, in-state cornerback Chauncey Gardner and JUCO running back Mark Thompson are two nice players who should have solid careers in the Swamp, but are they superstars? Not really.
With offensive line being such a massive need, it's not a huge comfort to see commitments from just two players in JUCO guard Branton Autry and high school tackle Stone Forsythe.
There's such a need for big bodies and playmakers on offense that McElwain almost needs to hit a few home runs or UF could experience a lengthy down cycle.
The jury's still out a bit on this staff's ability to recruit, but closing with elite prospects Martez Ivey and CeCe Jefferson a year ago was a really promising start. Even so, the Gators haven't been able to out-recruit Florida State or Miami.
On top of that, LSU, Georgia and Auburn have invaded the Sunshine State for prospects as well. McElwain needs to stop that. Thus far, there's strength in numbers for the Gators' haul, but it's short on star power. Until that changes, this grade can't be an A.
And it may fall fast without an influx of stars. Securing Binjimen Victor would be a nice step in the right direction.
Grade: B+
Georgia
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The marquee conference representative thus far in the 2016 recruiting class makes its home in Athens, Georgia.
Coach Mark Richt has done a superb job of keeping elite talents such as 5-star defensive tackle Julian Rochester, offensive tackles E.J. Price and Ben Cleveland, defensive end/outside linebacker Chauncey Manac, defensive tackle Tyler Clark and cornerback Chad Clay at home.
Those guys are talking about building a dream team, and they very well may wind up doing it.
With elite Georgians such as 5-star defensive tackle Derrick Brown, and 4-stars Mecole Hardman, Nigel Warrior and Kyle Davis, among others, strongly considering UGA, it's setting up to be a potential monster class.
Add those to the nation's top-ranked quarterback in Jacob Eason, and Georgia has the chops and the staying power to finish with the top class in the country. Eason has the potential to be a generational quarterback who has the tools to do big things right away.
Everything else has fallen into place around him as the signal-caller has built a strong relationship with plenty of Dawgs targets.
In the past, Alabama coach Nick Saban, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, Tennessee coach Butch Jones and others have plucked some top talent from the Peach State. That hasn't happened yet in this cycle, though there's a long way to go.
There's plenty of momentum wearing red and black. If it continues, the Bulldogs will contend for the nation's top spot.
Grade: A+
Kentucky
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Much like Florida's class, the one put together by Kentucky coach Mark Stoops includes just two 4-star prospects so far and a bunch of solid 3-stars.
But the biggest difference in the two classes is one belongs to a Gators team that is expected to recruit well every year. The other one is the surprising result of Stoops building solid foundations in the Bluegrass State as well as Ohio in his two-plus seasons.
Simply put: UK isn't supposed to put together classes such as this one.
Recently, the Wildcats have gotten off to hot starts only to see some of those players decide to go to more traditional powerhouses. Ohio State, for example, stole away a couple of those players in recent years.
But with the Buckeyes already having 15 commitments, this year's UK class could have staying power.
At the top of the class are two strong offensive linemen who'll be centerpieces of the future offense in 4-star center Drake Jackson and 4-star offensive tackle Landon Young. The two Kentucky products have so far elected to stay home and play for Stoops.
Cornerback Jordan Griffin has a nice offer sheet, too. Those guys are a big reason why UK is currently ranked 11th nationally. Yes, that's one notch behind Florida, who has a better grade, but, again, this is Kentucky we're talking about.
Stoops has done a good job recruiting along with ace assistant Vince Marrow. The key now is getting over that hump and into a bowl game. If UK shows progress, the players may stick even if more powerhouses show interest.
Grade: A
LSU
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The Bayou Bengals are building another superb recruiting class that ensures they're going to have a flat-out nasty defense for years to come.
Coach Les Miles assembled an all-star recruiting staff that added defensive line coach Ed Orgeron and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele—both longtime accomplished recruiters—to a staff that already featured Corey Raymond and Frank Wilson.
The results so far have been strong.
The Tigers are currently ranked fifth in the nation, just behind Georgia. They have pieced together a group of players that not only includes two superb defenders in 5-star cornerback Saivion Smith and defensive tackle Edwin Alexander but also dual-threat quarterback Feleipe Franks.
To go into Florida and pluck Smith and Franks tells you all you need to know about the name power of LSU. Also, considering Louisiana is absolutely loaded in talent again this year, that ranking has nowhere to go but up.
The quarterback issues run as deep as the bayous in Baton Rouge right now, but Franks has the ability to put an end to the doldrums. Outfitting him with three excellent targets in Dee Anderson, Stephen Sullivan and Jamal Pettigrew will help matters, too.
So far, the class features two 5-stars and eight 4-stars among its 11 total commitments. Not only is the class deep, it's also extremely talented, and there is more room for really good players.
Much like Georgia, LSU sits on a hotbed of talent, and this is a particularly good year in-state. Because of that reason, the Tigers also could contend for the top spot.
Grade: A+
Mississippi State
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A year ago, Mississippi State's Big Dawg Camp yielded plenty of commitments for coach Dan Mullen. Since that has yet to come this year, Bulldogs faithful still have a potential big weekend in front of them.
But the start of the cycle hasn't been bad at all for a team coming off a breakout season that saw them ranked No. 1 in the nation for a few weeks of the season.
Currently, MSU is 19th nationally. Though that's only good for eighth in the SEC, it has been a relatively quiet start.
Like always, the Bulldogs have hit up the Mississippi junior colleges for a ton of early talent. The top four ranked players on the commitment list all hail from two-year institutions.
Offensive tackle Tommy Champion of Copiah-Lincoln Community College heads the list. He has the skill set to come right in and start on an offensive line that could use him now. Teammates Lashard Durr and Deshon Cooper also have pledged to the Bulldogs.
The other big JUCO coup so far is athlete Cameron Myers of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. His position is currently up in the air, but it appears he may be ticketed for receiver. Myers also could play defensive back.
The 6'2", 185-pound Hattiesburg, Mississippi, native has star potential and could step right in and play for Mullen.
It'll be interesting to see how the summer shakes out for the Bulldogs, but currently they're off to a pretty steady start.
Grade: B-
Missouri
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Last year, it looked as if Missouri may begin to recruit like the SEC powerhouses around it. After two consecutive SEC East division crowns, the Tigers finished 25th in the final '15 rankings.
That was really high for a Gary Pinkel program that's not known for its prowess on the trail.
This year, it's back to the same ol' struggles. Pinkel probably doesn't care too much about rankings since he's won with classes that weren't highly regarded. But a start that includes three 3-star players and two currently unranked JUCO prospects is a small reason for concern.
Last year, quarterback Drew Lock and defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr. gave Mizzou fans reason for excitement for the future. It's still really early, but there's no real marquee names in this year's haul.
The commitment of 3-star defensive end Tre Williams on Friday gave the Tigers their top prospect in the class thus far. He's the 31st-ranked weak-side defensive end in the nation.
Athlete Caron Baham and offensive tackle Trystan Castillo give the Tigers a pair of solid prospects but nobody who's going to make the college football world stand up and take notice. They're currently ranked 78th in recruiting and dead-last in the SEC.
It's all fine and good to build your reputation on player development the way Pinkel has. He's one of the best game-day coaches in the league. But eventually you've got to start running with the big dogs when it comes to recruiting the big names. It's hard not to fall behind if you can't.
Last year, Mizzou took a step forward. The Tigers haven't so far been able to sustain that momentum.
Grade: D-
Ole Miss
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Stealing a quarterback star like No. 2-ranked pro-style signal-caller Shea Patterson from Arizona can make an entire class.
Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze was able to secure the Shreveport, Louisiana, signal-caller early in the process, and because of that the Rebels are off to their strongest start since shocking the nation in 2013 with an eighth-ranked class from seemingly out of nowhere.
This year, Freeze has the Dixie Rebels in sixth place and third in the league. That's a welcome sign for a program that stumbled last year down the stretch in losing some key commitments.
Patterson, of course, is the catalyst for the ranking. Any other year, he'd be a shoo-in for the top-ranked quarterback, but Jacob Eason is just on another planet. Still, Patterson is a stud, and he has a strong haul behind him, too.
Waynesboro, Mississippi, defensive tackle Benito Jones had drawn interest and offers from some of the Southeast's top schools, but he chose to stay in his home state. Ole Miss also was fortunate to have U.S. Army All-American receiver DeKaylin Metcalf in their backyard in Oxford.
In-state tight end Octavious Cooley, Georgia defensive lineman Charles Wiley, North Panola, Mississippi, running back Justin Connor and JUCO linebacker David Luafatasaga round out the Rebels' 4-star prospects. They also went into Tennessee and nabbed a strong athlete in Gabe Angel.
From top to bottom, it's a very impressive haul. Freeze has the perfect mixture of young, energetic recruiters and old war horse assistants who know the game. That translated with a strong showing last year on the field, and it has materialized again in this recruiting cycle.
It'll be tough for Ole Miss to finish as high as it is currently ranked, but a top-10 class with Patterson at the helm is a realistic expectation.
Grade: A+
South Carolina
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It's not good when the biggest news of your recruiting class so far is a decommitment.
But that's exactly the kind of start South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has experienced on the recruiting trail. The loss of receiver Kyle Davis, who is now expected to be favoring Georgia and Tennessee, was a crucial blow to some early momentum.
The biggest commit for the Gamecocks thus far undoubtedly is dual-threat quarterback Brandon McIlwain of Newtown, Pennsylvania, the nation's eighth-ranked player at his position. He is an Elite 11 semifinalist who really will be a nice addition in Columbia.
ESPN.com's Gerry Hamilton said of the South Carolina QB: "McIlwain might have ample opportunity to play very early at South Carolina pending what happens in 2015."
Beyond him, there are three 3-star commits, and that's it.
While that may seem like a reason for concern, recruiting coordinator Steve Spurrier Jr. told the State's Dwayne McLemore that it's by design.
"We're trying to temper it a little bit more," Spurrier said. "We'll recruit a little bit longer this year. This year it will go into January and February where we're continuing to recruit a larger number of players. That's our plan. It might work that way. It might not."
Receiver Bryan Edwards and inside linebacker JaCorey Morris, who is a 4-star prospect on 247Sports, are a solid pair behind McIlwain. But a class that is expected to number in the low 20s needs to get going.
This summer is huge for the Gamecocks.
Grade: C-
Tennessee
12 of 14
The star-gazers in the Big Orange Nation that are used to coach Butch Jones pulling in top-10 classes may be in for a rude awakening this year.
With all the star names the Vols are in the running for, it'll still be another strong haul when all is said and done. But considering UT may sign only 17-18 players, the ranking probably won't reflect the star power.
That's what happens when you've got to completely overhaul the program the way Jones had to by signing 62 players the past two seasons. Eventually, the numbers game catches up, and with a loaded in-state class in 2017, UT will take a smaller class this year.
Already, there has been a world of momentum swings in quarterback recruiting as the Vols snagged a commitment from 4-star Austin Kendall, who decommitted and pledged to Oklahoma when UT kept turning up the heat on Jarrett Guarantano.
The 4-star quarterback from New Jersey rewarded that relentlessness by pledging to Tennessee over Ohio State and Rutgers to give the Vols their centerpiece in a signal-caller for the future.
Elite cornerback Marquill Osborne is the biggest coup on defense thus far, and UT filled some major needs with the pledges of offensive linemen Ryan Johnson and Brodarious Hamm, who should be the foreman on the All-Name Team.
Beyond those guys, there are some nice developmental prospects and a couple of players who need big summers to stay on the commitment list. Though the list of commits is good enough for 17th nationally, it's only seventh in the SEC.
The biggest questions surrounding the finish to UT's class are who is going to fill huge needs at receiver and running back, and just how much movement will there be on the current commitment list since the Vols are more than halfway to the target number?
It hasn't been boring on the recruiting trail in Knoxville since Jones took over, and it won't be for other reasons this year.
Grade: B-
Texas A&M
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Sure, Alabama got off to a very slow start despite being a recruiting juggernaut. Expect Texas A&M to follow closely behind.
The Aggies have just nine commitments in a class that currently ranks 19th nationally, but coach Kevin Sumlin has done such a good job convincing players to come to College Station and sits on such a gold mine in the Lone Star State that you know the prospects will eventually trickle in.
Already, the NFL offensive tackle pipeline program looks like it has its next stud in 5-star lineman Gregory Little. The Allen, Texas, monster is the nation's best offensive tackle and the second-ranked player overall.
Cornerback Travon Fuller, weak-side defensive end Mark Jackson, inside linebacker Tyrel Dodson and cornerback Charles Oliver rounds out the top five commits on the current list. So, it's obvious new defensive coordinator John Chavis already is paying huge dividends on the recruiting trail.
Chavis isn't known for his recruiting prowess, but a lot of guys want to play for the "Chief" since he has put a ton of guys in the NFL.
Dodson, who hails from Franklin, Tennessee, was an evaluation gem who was offered early in the process by Chavis before he was highly ranked or noticed. He rewarded the Aggies on Friday with a commitment.
With the offense already stacked for the future, A&M has gone about recharging its defense early in the process. There are plenty of top names left on the board, and it's just a matter of time before some start falling.
For now, it's just a "meh" grade.
Grade: B-
Vanderbilt
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It may seem like Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is getting picked on quite a lot, but the fact is nothing about his brief tenure in Nashville resembles the upstart program James Franklin had built.
Following a forgettable 2014 season, Mason assembled the nation's 46th-ranked class a season ago, which was dead-last in the SEC. This year, the start is even worse.
VU's three commits rank 77th nationally, and the only team from the SEC that is lower in the rankings than them is Mizzou.
At least Vandy has a commitment from a really good-looking quarterback prospect in Deuce Wallace of Sevierville, Tennessee. 247Sports' Jesse Johnson said of Wallace:
"Wallace is an ideal quarterback prospect for Vanderbilt's new offense under offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig. Standing at 6'2", 205-pounds, he possesses prototypical height and size for a pocket passer, though his frame also suggests he will pack on another 15 pounds during his playing career. Wallace possesses a good strong arm with great velocity in the short and intermediate routes, and enough RPM and accuracy to execute downfield throws.
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Oklahoma safety Austin Quillen and Virginia receiver Donaven Tennyson round out the Commodores' commitments. The hiccup-quick Tennyson especially looks like a nice find at receiver.
There's a long way to go in this cycle, and there's also a long way to go in Mason building a program at Vanderbilt. He can still get it done, but he has to find a way to start luring more talent to Nashville in a hurry.
Grade: D-
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