SEC Spotlight: Five coaches that need a strong close to 2024 cycle
The silly season has come in full force around college football.There is conference title game weekend, the NCAA transfer portal and the coaching carousel simultaneously in full swing, so there is no better word to describe the constant news that borders on chaos for even the casual fan.
Amid all of this chaos, coaches are trying to close their 2024 recruiting class with National Signing Day now less than three weeks away. Here's a look at SEC coaches most in need of a strong close.
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BILLY NAPIER, Florida
Florida's tumble down the stretch of the 2023 season has already been paired with big recruiting losses, as three key defensive commitments made flips to other programs during a four-day stretch in mid-November. The class was at its high point No. 3 overall and No. 2 in the SEC behind only Georgia, though it currently sits outside of the top 10 and No. 12. Of course, there is still time to push the program back into the elite numbers, nationally, with what Billy Napier and company has left on the board.
In addition to holding onto its own commitments, a story that won't soon go away with blue-chippers Xavier Filsaime, Amaris Williams, Amir Jackson and LJ McCray still coveted by others, there is a real chance Florida competes in the Jeremiah Smith sweepstakes in addition to having a true shot at fellow in-state prospects such as secondary players Jordan Pride, Zavier Mincey and Gregory Smith III.
With so much fluidity among recruiting targets in the secondary, UF will be a fascinating player in the coming weeks given Napier fired Corey Raymond to begin the week. How swiftly another hire is made while other assistant coaches pick up the slack will be telling relative to where the Gators finish next month. Even with the dip in November, the program sits higher now (12th) than it did at the close of the 2023 class under Napier (13th), so the stock arrow is still pointed up in Gainesville – especially with class headliner and blue-chip passer DJ Lagway on board.
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JEFF LEBBY, Mississippi State
The new head man in Starkville inherits the smallest recruiting class in the league (tied with South Carolina and Missouri) with just 16 commitments on board to date. Most of the attrition in the class went down before any coaching changes were made but, fortunate enough for Mississippi State, the defections each came on the offensive side of the ball. General talent, and especially skill talent based on Jeff Lebby's resume and reputation, should be the easier side of the coin to work toward a quicker fix. Not to mention, in recent history under Mike Leach and Dan Mullen, the Bulldogs seemingly operate at a higher level when being led by an offensive mind.
The early returns from both MSU commitments and targets have been understandably positive for Lebby, so the chances at retaining established commitments and/or adding new ones appear to be aimed in the right direction. Execution down the stretch in the SEC won't be the easiest for the first time head coach, but he knows the league and region well after his last few stops at Oklahoma, Ole Miss and UCF.
One-time commitments such as Braylon Burnside could come back into play while retaining key pieces like quarterback Josh Flowers, wide receiver JJ Harrell and offensive lineman Jimothy Lewis would represent just the start under Lebby. More overall volume, perhaps due to an extended footprint, could help MSU climb out of the bottom spot within the conference from a team ranking standpoint.
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MIKE ELKO, Texas A&M
Another new coach coming back to the league, Mike Elko inherits the No. 2 class in the SEC at the time of his official hire, with 20 pledges still publicly on board as of Wednesday evening, so retention will be the name of the game for the former Duke coach. There hasn't been a defection since the transition from Jimbo Fisher to Elko went down throughout November, a feat much tougher to accomplish come December. As is the case in any transition, though, Elko will hire his own coaches and dig into his own evaluations on the current commitments and potential additions down the stretch.
Regardless of methodology, there are key prospects A&M just has to hold onto for perceptional purposes. None are bigger than Cam Coleman, the top wide receiver talent who has been on board with the Aggies since July 4. Fellow top-50 prospect Terry Bussey, who could play on either side of the ball one day at Kyle Field, is another expected to be courted by several programs toward the end of the cycle. The success Elko had in College Station as a defensive coordinator, coupled with his reputation on that side of the ball, should help in the retention department. But his first hires will come with just as much weight, especially on the offensive side of the ball with two quarterbacks already in the class in Anthony Maddox Jr. and Miles O'Neill.
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NICK SABAN, Alabama
Hold on, Crimson Tide fans, before we get run through the mud on social media. Alabama has a strong class already, let's be clear, but there is something still on the line for the program coming down the home stretch. Not only are the numbers calling for more talent, as Alabama currently sits No. 9 in the overall rankings, but the mark would represent a seven-year low for Nick Saban if Bama doesn't vault up into the top-six nationally. It finished seventh back in the 2018 cycle.
The good news here, at least for Tide fans, is that December and January is where Saban seems to do his best work. He'll maximize in-home visits like few others can en route to another top class. Elite recruits such as offensive lineman Jordan Seaton, running backs Daniel Hill and Kewan Lacy, in-state linebacker Bradley Shaw, cornerback Zavier Mincey, pass rusher Solomon Williams and others remain on the board heading into crunch time. Adding to the already strong haul is all but a given at this juncture; the better question is more about how high Alabama could climb when the dust settles on Dec. 20.
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HUGH FREEZE, Auburn
After losing the Iron Bowl to Alabama on a fourth down play for the ages, recruiting against the rival Tide is the next layer in Freeze's staff getting the benefit of the doubt after an up-and-down 2023 on the field. Auburn has already flipped one top prospect from Alabama in wide receiver Perry Thompson, and it has its eyes on others such as defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman and wide receiver Ryan Williams (2025, though he may reclassify) among current Crimson Tide commitments.
Beyond competing with Saban's bunch, Auburn has a chance to buck a glaring trend if it can land the state's top prospect in Cam Coleman. The Phenix City (Ala.) Central star has been committed to Texas A&M for some time, but he has spent more and more time on the Plains of late. Should he make the flip, it would not only move Auburn to the top among the nation's top wide receiver hauls for the class of 2024, but it would be among the first wins at the local powerhouse in nearly a decade. Coleman is far from the only other flip candidate to track on the Aggie commitment list, with offensive lineman commitment Coen Echols standing as another to watch.