SEC Breakdown: Players exceeding recruiting rankings

On every college team, there are players who out-perform their high school ratings. This week we take a look across the SEC and pick one player from each program who has most exceeded expectations.

MORE: Big Ten Breakdown | Farrell 50: Nos. 36-40 | 41-45 | 46-50

Recruitment: Sure, Williams was a Rivals250 member and had a pile of major offers. The fact that he has already managed to outperform his impressive No. 113 ranking says a lot about how dominant he’s looked this season.

College: Allen has morphed into one of the country’s top pass rushers and already has seven sacks on the season. He’s look downright unblockable at times and could be a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft. In short, his lofty ranking was probably still more than a touch too low. Williams is one of the anchors of an Alabama defense that, for the time being, looks historically talented.

Recruitment: The Colorado-based Skipper signed with Arkansas as a high three-star prospect in 2013. He chose the Razorbacks over offers from a number of schools all over the country. Skipper listed offers from Florida State, Colorado, Washington State and many others. Skipper always had a massive frame with incredibly long arms but didn’t run up against top-notch competition in high school.

College: Skipper started eight games as a true freshman but really came into his own as a sophomore, when he started 13 games. He was a second-team All-SEC selection a year ago and has already made an impact this season, blocking a pair of field goals in addition to his work as an offensive lineman.

Recruitment: A 230-pound high school senior, Pettway listed just three scholarship offers in 2014. His ranking and short offer list may have been due to the fact that he was listed as a fullback that few saw as a player with every-down potential. He made a mark on that year’s Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game and signed with the in-state Tigers shortly thereafter.

College: So much for being a situational fullback. Pettway rotated at fullback a year ago and saw very limited action. This year, however, things are different. Despite not getting a carry in the season-opener, Pettway currently leads Auburn in rushing and has accounted for six touchdowns on the season. He is averaging 136.3 yards in Auburn's four SEC games. He’s flashed some shocking versatility and seems to have a big career in front of him.

Recruitment: Now a guard, Taylor was a low three-star that carried a bit of bad weight into college. He listed 12 major offers, but Florida and Vanderbilt were the only SEC schools to court the Sunshine State prospect. Many projected him to move to guard at the next level but Rivals.com kept him listed at his natural position of tackle.

College: Taylor has reshaped and is shining at tackle at Florida. He is starting as a true freshman and looks to have a bright career in front of him. He should only improve as he continues to get stronger.

Recruitment: Because he was missing a qualifying test score, Herrien saw Signing Day come and go without any FBS options. But he kept at it and two months after Signing Day he qualified academically, much to the delight of the coaching staff at Georgia. He announced his decision to sign with Bulldogs in mid-May, providing a late steal for the Dawgs.

College: While it’s still early in his career, Herrien has already seen a lot of action and looks like he could be in a position to get quite a bit of carries if and when Nick Chubb and Sony Michel leave college after this season. He is averaging 6.6 yards per carry on 52 carries in a backup role. While it’s tough to knock Herrien’s ranking because, at the time it looked like he was headed to junior college, he’s already shown flashes of four-star level talent.

Recruitment: Johnson was an off-the-radar prospect coming out of the JUCO ranks, with his lone Power Five offer coming from the Wildcats. Even that offer didn’t come until New Year’s Eve, but just two weeks later Johnson committed after an official visit to Lexington.

College: Johnson wasn’t supposed to start this year but an injury to former Rivals250 prospect Drew Barker cleared the way for Johnson to get his shot. He has more than delivered on his opportunity and has the Wildcats (4-3) in a position to make a bowl game for the first time since 2010. He’s already outplayed his two-star ranking in less than one full season.

Recruitment: For the longest time it looked like LSU was going to pass on Riley, who was weighing options from Minnesota, TCU and Tulane until a late offer came in from the Tigers. With an offer in hand, Riley jumped at the chance to play for his dream school and committed just before Signing Day in 2013.

College: Just like in high school, Riley had to wait a while to shine but is now thriving as a senior. He played 38 career games as an underclassman but has already eclipsed his stats from those three years halfway through his senior season. He currently ranks second on the team in tackles and third in tackles for loss and is a key part of LSU’s resurgence. Ranked as a mid three-star, Riley is a classic late bloomer who looks like he will get a shot to play at the next level.

Recruitment: A low three-star as a high school senior in 2012, Coman, who has actually signed with the Bulldogs twice, was re-ranked as a mid-level three-star following a year of prep school in 2013. His prep school recruitment was rather quiet because most colleges knew he would re-sign with Mississippi State.

College: Coman has been a mainstay on the Bulldogs' defense during his time in Starkville and has recorded a pair of interceptions to go along with 28 total tackles so far this season.

Recruitment: Mizzou reached into Texas to land Moore, a high three-star in the class of 2013. He chose the Tigers over TCU and Texas Tech in addition to a number of major out-of-state programs.

College: Moore was quiet in his first year as a Tiger, took a massive step forward a year ago and now appears on pace for a breakout season. The former three-star prospect ranks second in SEC in receiving yards (539) and is tied for the league lead in touchdowns receptions with six. He has been a surprise bright spot on a struggling Mizzou team this season.

Recruitment: Kelly’s case is interesting. He was a Rivals250 member when he signed with Clemson out of high school, but because of issues off field and otherwise, was rated as a three-star as an Ole Miss signee out of junior college.

College: Kelly has certainly looked much better than his junior college ranking during his Ole Miss career. He was an All-SEC selection a year ago and currently leads the SEC in passing yardage. Ole Miss is having an up-and-down year and Kelly hasn’t looked quite as impressive as some hoped he would this season, but he’s certainly performed miles better than his ranking.

Recruitment: Holloman committed to South Carolina during the spring of his junior year and never wavered on his commitment.

College: Holloman redshirted his first year on campus but has been a constant for the Gamecocks defense ever since. Now in his fifth year, he sits second on the team in total tackles and interceptions. Holloman was a mid three-star, but with his play he likely should have been higher at his position and in the state of Georgia.

Recruitment: Dobbs committed to Arizona State during the summer prior to his junior year and seemed bound for Tempe despite several schools showing interest in the fall. Things changed once Butch Jones and his staff took over the job in Knoxville, convincing Dobbs to flip his commitment on Signing Day in 2013.

College: Dobbs saw action in both his freshman and sophomore seasons but didn’t truly come into his own until his junior year in Knoxville. This year he’s helped the Vols remain a constant in the Top 25 and clearly should have been ranked higher than his 5.7 three-star designation.

Recruitment: Reynolds was a late-emerging talent out of the junior college ranks and Texas A&M and Oregon battled for him over the last month of his recruitment. In the end, the chance to stay close to home helped the Aggies win out.

College: Reynolds has been a star since arriving in College Station and is well on his way to his third consecutive 50-plus catch season. The converted basketball player looks like a natural on the gridiron and clearly should have been a four-star or higher.

Recruitment: Webb bet on himself during the recruiting process, electing to take his recruitment all the way down to the wire and took official visits to FAU, Minnesota, Boston College and Vanderbilt. The Commodores got the last crack at him and it paid off with his commitment on Signing Day in 2013.

College: Webb is well on his way to becoming Vanderbilt’s all-time leading rusher, something that wasn’t forecast for him when he was ranked as a low three-star in 2013. After redshirting his freshman year, he gained 907 yards in 2014, 1,152 in 2015 and leads the SEC with 855 yards this season.