Rivals.com top recruiters: SEC
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Mike GrohClick RIVALS.COM SEC RECRUITER OF THE YEAR Here to view this Link., AlabamaClick RIVALS.COM SEC RECRUITER OF THE YEAR Here to view this Link.
Buzz: The Alabama wide receivers coach is quickly becoming known as one of the best recruiters in the country. Groh swayed five-star defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson to flip his commitment from Texas and snagged Rivals100 defensive end Dee Liner, who flipped from Auburn. He landed an early commitment from Rivals100 running back Altee Tenpenny while Arkansas heavily pursued through the final moments heading into signing day. In addition, he played a huge role in the recruiting effort of Rivals100 wide receiver Robert Foster, who many felt would end up at Pittsburgh. Groh was also in charge of the recruitment of linebacker Walker Jones and offensive tackle Brandon Hill. Hill signed with Alabama in 2012 but had to attend Hargrave Military Academy for a semester. Ole Miss flipped Hill, but Groh stayed on him and secured a verbal pledge after Hill's official visit. Groh went into Texas, Arkansas and Pennsylvania and pulled out players coveted not only by home-state schools but by others nationally.
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Buzz: The Aggies landed a huge class, and no one on the staff played a bigger part than Beaty. He was responsible for landing nine commitments, highlighted by four-star Laquvionte Gonzalez, a versatile athlete built for success in head coach Kevin Sumlin's offense. Beaty also helped recruit Johnny Football's future understudy, four-star quarterback Kenny Hill, as well as fellow Lone Star State four-stars Justin Manning, Kameron Miles and Ishmael Wilson. While eight of the nine players he recruited hailed from Texas, he also landed three-star wide receiver Jeremy Tabuyo, a Hawaii native.
Buzz: It was a banner year for Chavis, who played a major part in building a terrific class. He was the lead man on the recruitment of five-star defensive end Frank Herron and was key in LSU's ability to hold on to him after a strong push from Texas down the stretch. He also reached into North Carolina to grab four-star defensive tackle Greg Gilmore and high three-star defensive end Lewis Neal. But Chavis' impressive work wasn't just out of state; he also recruited versatile four-star athlete Kendell Beckwith and four-star offensive lineman Josh Boutte, two of the top players from Louisiana.
Buzz: If you are trying to bring in a linebacker, chances are Durkin can deliver. The newly appointed defensive coordinator picked up pledges from four linebackers. Even more impressive was his ability to flip three of the four. Durkin stayed on five-star LB Alex Anzalone after it appeared Notre Dame would fend off the hard-charging Gators. Matt Rolin had been committed to South Carolina and even had knee surgery performed at a hospital in Columbia by the Gamecocks medical team before announcing he would join the fun in Gainesville. It was Durkin who helped get Jarran Reed to switch from the Gamecocks late in the cycle, and he pulled in Daniel McMillian to boot.
Buzz: All Garner did was land the two five-stars in the Tigers' No. 8 class. The Auburn alum deserves high praise for his job in getting Carl Lawson to reaffirm his pledge. Not only did Garner have to re-recruit Lawson when he arrived to The Plains, he also had to recruit Lawson's parents. The defensive line coach played a huge role in getting Montravius Adams to take his official visit. Garner had been recruiting Adams from his time at Georgia, and he swayed the rugged defensive tackle to leave the state. It was a huge coup for Auburn, which sat outside of Adams' top two of Clemson and Georgia. Last, he stole Elijah Daniel from Ole Miss on signing day.
Buzz: Lewis did an amazing job in the Tampa, Fla., area, getting commitments from Vernon Hargreaves III, Alvin Bailey, Jordan Sherit and Joey Ivie. Hargreaves headlines the group because he finished as the No. 2 overall player in the Rivals100. The tight ends coach pulled in the Gators' most explosive offensive recruit in Bailey. Sherit is a hybrid linebacker-defensive end who can play tight end down the road, if needed. Lewis' connections in Hillsborough County helped the Gators finish inside the top five.
Buzz: It wasn't the greatest year for talent in the state of South Carolina, but that didn't slow Mangus' recruiting efforts. He went out of the state to land four four-star players, led by Rivals250 members Kelsey Griffin, Connor Mitch and Na'Ty Rodgers. Mangus was key in adding four-star running back David Williams from Pennsylvania, not typically a state the Gamecocks go to for players. Rodgers and Mitch are also from the Mid-Atlantic region, and Griffin committed to South Carolina and stuck, despite late interest from other SEC schools.
Buzz: Kentucky didn't have a top class in the SEC, but the work Marrow did to close out the cycle was impressive. The most obvious was signing Marcus McWilson, a four-star safety and the first top 10 player from Ohio to sign with the Wildcats. More impressive, Marrow flipped McWilson from Big Ten power Nebraska. Marrow was instrumental in getting two other Ohio kids to sign. Three-star defensive back Jaleel Hytchye committed early to the new staff and was important in helping recruit other players. Three-star offensive lineman Kyle Meadows was as highly regarded an Ohio player as Kentucky had gotten in recent memory until McWilson.
Buzz: McGriff was the lead for the nation's top recruit, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, as well as the lead for the nation's No. 5 overall recruit and top-ranked wide receiver, Laquon Treadwell. McGriff built strong relationships with both families and landed them for the Rebels. In addition, McGriff was the lead for defensive tackle Lavon Hooks, the nation's No. 2-ranked junior college recruit. Hooks was heavily recruited by Auburn, Mississippi State and others down the stretch. For good measure, he used his Texas connections to haul in four-star wide receiver Quincy Adeboyejo and Elite 11 quarterback Devante Kincade.
Buzz: Smart is known as one of the nation's top recruiters. The Tide's defensive coordinator landed several big fish in the Rivals' top-ranked class. He landed five-star linebacker Reuben Foster, who has an Auburn tattoo on his forearm, while snagging an early commitment from the nation's top tight end in O.J. Howard. Smart did a great job recruiting Georgia natives Alvin Kamara, Tyren Jones and Parker McLeod. It's a strong statement when three other top 100 running backs are committed in a class and you can lure away the best in Georgia (Kamara) from the Bulldogs.
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