SEC spotlight: Hot and cold teams

The nation’s best talent resides in the SEC footprint and with so many programs so close together, recruiting battles rage year-round. As we head toward the busy summer season of recruiting, it’s time to take a look at three programs that are hot on the trail and two others that need to pick up the pace.

HOT/COLD TEAMS: Big Ten

MORE SEC: Recruiting storylines of 2018 | Conference team rankings

What a weekend it was for the LSU Tigers. Ed Orgeron and company flipped Adam Anderson, a Rivals250 defensive end out of Rome (Ga.) who was committed to Georgia. It didn’t stop there. Anderson was joined by two of his teammates, defensive end Jamarcus Chatman and defensive tackle Ja’Quon Griffin. Chatman was considered a Miami lean and this was Griffin’s first offer. LSU now has 16 verbal commitments and it is No. 3 in the Rivals.com team rankings. Over the past two months, LSU has added 11 commitments.

Had we done this article a few weeks ago, the Vols may have been on the cold list, but as usual Butch Jones and his staff picked up the pace in recruiting right around the time of the school’s spring game. Tennessee has landed five commitments in the past two weeks, highlighted by a pair of players from Florida: four-star running back Jashaun Corbin and three-star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The duo could be the backfield of the future for the Vols and with five-star offensive tackle commit Cade Mays and Rivals250 athlete Alontae Taylor already on the commitment list, the future looks bright on offense.

The Gators closed strong in the class of 2017 and are starting earlier with the momentum in both the 2018 and 2019 classes. Over the past month, Florida has added seven total commits, four in 2018 and three in 2019. A pair of four-stars in defensive back C.J. Smith and running back Iverson Clement highlights the 2018 group of new commits. In 2019, Rivals100 wide receiver John Dunmore committed earlier this month and is part of an impressive early class of five commits. Florida’s early efforts are a great start and could be a result of some of the Gators' new assistant coaches.

Georgia lost a commitment and gained one over the weekend to leave its total at two. Anderson flipped to LSU and then the Dawgs added a top kicker in Jack Carmada after the spring game Saturday. Not too long ago, offensive lineman Max Wray decommitted from Georgia and he recently committed to Ohio State. This is not where Georgia wants to be entering the month of May, just over nine months until Signing Day. There could be good news coming though in the next couple of months, and Georgia is in a good position with numerous national prospects.

The top 40 class in 2017 is not where Hugh Freeze wants to be when the ink dries and all of the letters of intent are faxed on Signing Day, but that class looks elite compared with where the Rebels are now. As we get ready to close out the month of April, Ole Miss is still waiting for commitment No. 1. The Rebels have a lot of prospects interested in their program, including defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson, Fabien Lovett and James Williams, cornerback Jaylon Reed and wide receiver C.J. Bolar. Let's see who commits first and just when it takes place. The folks in Oxford (Miss.) are getting a little restless.

It's hard to put the Tigers in the cold category, especially after they just picked up a commitment from three-star Alabama quarterback James Foster. But unfortunately for Missouri fans, Foster is the lone high school commitment in the class and the Tigers currently sit last in the SEC recruiting rankings. The bright side is the Tigers are in a good place for several targets and making a bigger push into Texas in this year's class, so things can turn around and Foster could help lead that charge. In the meantime, the basement spot means Mizzou lands on the not list.