Recruiting predictions for 2017: SEC

There’s never a shortage of storylines in the SEC and that certainly extends to recruiting. With the 2016 recruiting cycle firmly in the past, we take a guess at what might be ahead for the league between now and Signing Day 2017.

RELATED: SEC Signing Day breakdown

There’s no reason to think Alabama’s momentum will slow. The Crimson Tide finished their national championship season with the nation’s top-rated recruiting class. Success in recruiting tends to compound, and that’s been going on in Tuscaloosa for years now. As long as Nick Saban is in place, unseating Alabama as the SEC’s recruiting champion will be a tall order. No conference foe seems to be a threat to topple the Tide at this juncture.

When Tennessee flipped Rivals100 athlete Tyler Byrd, a Naples product, from Miami, it was a story. There could be other stories like it in the next year. The Volunteers’ hiring of former Miami interim head coach Larry Scott is paying off, as the Vols are recruiting the Sunshine State harder than any time in the recent past. After signing five Florida-based prospects in the 2016 class, Tennessee is already in on a number of big names in Florida’s 2017 class. Barring a four-win season or something of the sort, it’s hard to fathom a situation in which the Vols don’t sign five or more players from Florida this cycle.

This is admittedly a bold one. Shaun Wade’s relationship with Ohio State seems strong for the time being. He remains committed to the Buckeyes and plans to attend the school’s spring game. Still, Wade is continuing to take hard looks at schools in the SEC. The five-star defensive back is scheduled to visit Alabama on Feb. 27, but Florida should be seen as the bigger threat. Wade is in nearly constant contact with the UF staff and never downplays his interest in the program. If the Gators have a solid season on the field, it might be hard to get the Jacksonville-based prospect to leave the state.

Kirby Smart did an admirable job despite having a short time to recruit the 2016 class. There were some misses on Signing Day, sure, but that’s to be expected with a new staff. Given a full year to recruit, Smart and company should win their own state and supplement that talent with players from Florida and beyond. UGA already has three four-star prospects in the fold for 2017, and a handful of elite prospects are thought to favor the Bulldogs.

With 2017 projecting as one of the best years in regards to talent in the state of Alabama, Auburn could see a boost in the recruiting rankings. Alabama is going to do what it does, regardless of talent in proximity, so the surplus of 2017 standouts from the Yellowhammer state stands to benefit Auburn more than any other program. The Tigers could score a number of commitments from highly ranked players without leaving the borders of its own state. Auburn has never struggled to land elite prospects from other states in the past, but it certainly won’t besmirch the gift of local talent.