NSD Conference Breakdown: SEC
Alabama may or may not win another national recruiting title, but rest assured no one in the SEC is catching the Crimson Tide in the class of 0. Here is a look at how the -member conference stacks up heading into National Signing Day.
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SEC
AlabamaClick 1Here to view this Link.Click 1Here to view this Link.
Damien Harris is one of four five-stars committed to Alabama.
The Alabama recruiting machine remains well oiled. The Crimson Tide is headed toward Signing Day with the nation's top rated class once again. Nick Saban's haul is highlighted by No. overall prospect Damien Harris, the top running back in America. The Tide also has a commitment from No. Calvin Ridley, the No.1 receiver in the class. In all, the Tide's class includes four five-stars so far. Saban and company are still involved with Arkansas-based four-star,wide receiver K.J. Hill, who remains uncommitted.
TennesseeClick 2Here to view this Link.Click 2Here to view this Link.
The Vols are having another terrific year recruiting under Butch Jones and are still hoping to add one more big fish to a class that already includes five-stars Alvin Kamara, Kyle Phillips and Kahlil McKenzie. The big name to watch heading into Signing Day is five-star Memphis (Tenn.) University school offensive tackle Drew Richmond. The nation's No. overall prospect spent the weekend in Knoxville and is now mulling his longtime commitment to Ole Miss or a potential flip to the in-state Vols. As Jones and his staff have shown, they're always capable of pulling off some recruiting surprises, and 201 has been no different.
GeorgiaClick 3Here to view this Link.Click 3Here to view this Link.
Even though the Dawgs are sweating out a late push from Auburn for five-star commit Terry Godwin and four-star commit Darius Slayton, 201 has been a very fruitful recruiting cycle for them. In addition to five-star defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, Georgia has managed to reel in commitments from other prospects rated four-stars or higher if Godwin is included. Among that group are four Rivals0 defensive ends and Rivals0 safety Rashad Roundtree. Heading into the last few days, Georgia is hoping to lock down Godwin and Slayton and add an commitment from in-state Rivals0 linebacker Roquan Smith.
Texas A&MClick 4Here to view this Link.Click 4Here to view this Link.
Despite a down year on the field for the Aggies compared to their recent SEC success, things haven't really slowed on the recruiting trail. Texas A&M has 23 commits, highlighted by five-star wide receiver Christian Kirk. The Aggies are also still in the mix for several prospects, including Rivals0 defensive tackle Daylon Mack and Rivals20 Tennessee running back commit Kendall Bussey. Even if the Aggies can't reel them both in, a year with prospects ranked as four-stars or higher and a top-five finish in the conference is another great haul for coach Kevin Sumlin and his staff.
LSUClick 5Here to view this Link.Click 5Here to view this Link.
The Tigers seem to close strong every year, and 2015 is no exception. The Tigers picked up four of their 1 total commitments during January, highlighted by five-star wide receiver Tyron Johnson's announcement at the Under Armour Game. Heading into Signing Day, the Tigers still have hopes of landing in-state four-star wide receiver Daylon Charlot, as well as Rivals250 standouts Arden Key and Prince Tega Wanogho Jr.. Even if the Tigers miss on their big targets, a class with four five-stars has to be mentioned with the nation's best in terms of quality, high-end talent.
AuburnClick 6Here to view this Link.Click 6Here to view this Link.
The storyline dominating the landscape at Auburn is that of Byron Cowart. The top-ranked player in America is attempting to choose between the Tigers and Florida. Other schools are technically "alive" in his recruitment, but AU and UF have certainly separated from the pack. Aside from the chase for Cowart, Auburn is still involved with prospects such as four-star Ryan Davis and Ohio State commit Carlton Davis, a four-star defensive back from Florida. Auburn is already sitting on a solid class that includes five-star junior college running back Jovon Robinson, and the Tigers could improve the top of the haul with any number of names, including five-star athlete Terry Godwin (whom the Auburn staff is attempting to flip from Georgia) and five-star OT Martez Ivey.
South CarolinaClick 7Here to view this Link.Click 7Here to view this Link.
The Gamecocks loaded up on talent early in the cycle, and despite losing one-time commitments Arden Key and Mark Fields, things are still looking up for the school and its expected 30-member class. Things could get even better if Key, who says he's still strongly considering South Carolina, recommits to the school for a third time. While the Gamecocks don't have any five-stars in this year's class, they do boast commitments from four-stars, including Rivals0 offensive lineman Zack Bailey and Rivals0 linebacker Sherrod Pittman.
Mississippi StateClick 8Here to view this Link.Click 8Here to view this Link.
Mississippi State is in pursuit of former Ole Miss linebacker commit Leo Lewis. The Bulldogs are also involved with a number of other prospects who could make moves down the stretch. Dan Mullen's staff has already signed a pair of four-star prospects in junior college players Martinas Rankin (OL) and Donald Gray (ATH). Three other four-star prospects are currently committed, the most decorated of whom is Rivals0 linebacker Jamal Peters. There is some light buzz that Alabama commit T.D. Moton, who was committed to Mississippi State long ago, might be considering giving the Bulldogs another look, but the seriousness of that relationship is unclear.
ArkansasClick 9Here to view this Link.Click 9Here to view this Link.
After an impressive season on the field, it looks like head coach Bret Bielema has the Hawgs headed in the right direction. While they're not in the top half of the conference in recruiting, this year's class still boasts seven four-star players, including in-state stars quarterback Ty Storey and tight end Will Gragg. The loss of four-star wide receiver and longtime commit K.J. Hill stung for Razorbacks fans, but a close with Rivals0 prospect Toby Weathersby would be an excellent finish to the 2015 cycle.
MississippiClick 10Here to view this Link.
Ole Miss is looking to retain some top committed prospects while landing a few uncommitted stars down the stretch. The Rebels are alive with five-star CeCe Jefferson and will need to beat out in-state Florida to land him. Meanwhile, current commit Drew Richmond is being courted by both Alabama and Tennessee. Four-star linebacker Leo Lewis recently broke his commitment to Ole Miss and is now considering LSU in addition to Mississippi State. Meanwhile, the Rebels are considered the heavy favorite to land receiver DaMarkus Lodge, a one-time Texas A&M commit.
MissouriClick 11Here to view this Link.Click 11Here to view this Link.
Missouri's most notable stretch-run storyline concerns its pursuit of Rivals100 defensive tackle Terry Beckner Jr.. Mizzou and Florida State seem to be the two most likely landing places for Beckner, who is also on the recruiting boards of Ohio State and Auburn. Quarterback Drew Lock, an in-state Mizzou legacy, highlights the Tigers' list of current commits. Lock is the No. 7 pro-style quarterback and the No. 177 overall prospect in the country. He's joined on Missouri's commitment list by fellow four-stars Marquise Doherty (RB), AJ Harris (OL) and Natereace Strong (RB). Junior college running back Chase Abbington also carries a four-star ranking but redshirted this season at the JUCO level.
KentuckyClick 12Here to view this Link.Click 12Here to view this Link.
After being one of the biggest stories in recruiting in 20, the Wildcats have come back to Earth a little bit in terms of recruiting in 2015. The loss of a few commitments over the past two weeks have hurt, but Kentucky is hoping to close strong on a few targets down the stretch, including Rivals100 defensive back Marcus Lewis. The Wildcats just missed on bowl eligibility in 20, and a strong season on the field in 2015 would be a big help to coach Mark Stoops' continuing efforts to rebuild the program.
VanderbiltClick 13Here to view this Link.Click 13Here to view this Link.
After a few years of appearing in the top half of the conference rankings under coach James Franklin, the Commodores are back near the basement with a few days until Signing Day. The 'Dores 16-member class features three four-stars, including in-state stars Josh Smith (No. 103 overall in the Rivals250) and four-star defensive back Donovan Sheffield. The Commodores are still hoping to reel in a few late targets, including three-star Wisconsin commit Jordan Griffin.
FloridaClick 14Here to view this Link.Click 14Here to view this Link.
Florida's class is way behind where it traditionally is; that's no secret. The program's on-field downturn along with a coaching change has seriously affected the 2015 recruiting cycle. That said, the Gators are still alive with some of the country's biggest names. The most notable possibility is, of course, top ovrall prospect Byron Cowart, who seems torn between Florida and Auburn. Five-star offensive tackle Martez Ivey and five-star defensive end CeCe Jefferson are also in play for UF. It seems likely that the Gators will snag at least one of the three. As things stand now, though, Florida's crop of commits is comprised solely of two- and three-star prospects.
