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Signing Day Blitz: Ranking the SEC

More Conferences: ACC | Big East | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-10
Rivals.com breaks down every class and takes a look at the headliners and sleepers each school signed in the special Signing Day edition of the SEC Blitz.
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Alabama | Arkansas | Auburn | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky
LSU | Mississippi State | Ole Miss | South Carolina | Tennessee | Vanderbilt
Headliner: Will Hill - Big, fast, strong, quick, physical. What more do you want out of a prospect? Hill has the full package.
Sleeper: T.J. Pridemore - The less-heralded piece of the Buford, Ga. duo, Pridemore is physically ready right now and could be an impact player on special teams early.
Overview: Florida not only pulled in an immensely talented group but the Gators got help in areas of need. Five-star Carl Moore can step in immediately for Andre Caldwell at receiver. Omar Hunter and Earl Okine will provide depth on the defensive line as freshmen, while Will Hill has the kind of ability to challenge for the starting safety job from Day One. Matt Patchan and William Green may become superstars with the right physical development.
No. 3 Georgia
Headliner: A.J. Green - If Julio Jones is the most complete wide receiver, Green has the most upside. He simply does things other players can't dream of.
Sleeper: Carlton Thomas - With his speed and shiftiness, Thomas can make an immediate special-teams impact.
Overview: Georgia brings in a class with a lot of balance and some key cogs on either side of the ball. The offensive line has two big men of the future with A.J. Harmon and Cordy Glenn. Green should provide immediate help in the receiving corps and Richard Samuel could be special at running back if not at linebacker. On defense, DeAngelo Tyson is the anchor on the inside while Marcus Dowtin has the potential to provide immediate depth at linebacker. The class even gets special teams help with return man Carlton Thomas and kicker Blair Walsh rounding things out.
No. 4 LSU
Headliner: Patrick Johnson - You can't ask for anything more out of a lockdown corner: size, speed, athleticism and instincts.
Sleeper: Kellen Theriot - The high school quarterback can really move for a guy his size and could be a great one down the road at linebacker.
Overview: LSU's class is full to the brim of upside players. The top-end players speak for themselves. Patrick Johnson, DeAngelo Benton, Brandon Taylor and Ryan Baker are all players with immediate impact potential. However some players like late-riser Jordan Jefferson, high school quarterback Kellen Theriot and defensive back Ryan St. Julien could end up being major difference-makers in the SEC. Two positions that add a lot of depth in this class are defensive back and wide receiver. The Tigers are getting Johnson, St. Julien, Taylor, Derrick Bryant, Rockey Duplessis and Karnell Hatcher at defensive back with Benton, Chris Tolliver, Tim Molton and Jhyryn Taylor all stepping in at wide receiver.
No. 5 Auburn
Headliner: Raven Gray - Coming from the JUCO ranks, Gray is expected to make an immediate impact in the SEC.
Sleeper: Derek Winter - Somehow Winter managed to fly under the radar despite being one of the most productive high school receivers in Florida with 75 catches for 1,686 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Overview: The installation of Tony Franklin's offense played a major role in the composition of the 2008 class. Tommy Tuberville's staff has done a nice job finding the speed and athleticism to make that offense work. Philip Pierre-Louis and Harry Adams are burners with track speed that should immediately help Auburn with depth at wide receiver and provide value on special teams. Reggie Hunt and Onterrio McCalebb - the running backs in the class - also fit the mold of versatile, all-purpose players that will thrive under Franklin.
No. 6 South Carolina
Headliner: Charles Whitlock - Whitlock could be a lockdown cornerback for the Gamecocks because of his great instincts and athleticism.
Sleeper: Devin Taylor - Taylor is a basketball player who is still learning the game of football but has a big frame and terrific feet, two keys to potential on the line of scrimmage.
Overview: After a year in which South Carolina pulled in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation, Steve Spurrier had trouble maintaining that momentum, but still put together a Top 30 group with some top-end talent. The Gamecocks went the prep school route to land defensive backs Antonio Allen and Akeem Auguste as well as running back Eric Baker. Those four-stars will be joined by Charles Whitlock, who put together an impressive post-season performance in the Under Armour All-Star Game. Jarrett Burns, D.L. Moore and Devin Taylor could end up being sleepers in the long run and round out a solid, balanced class.
No. 7 Ole Miss
Headliner: Enrique Davis - One year after coaching Darren McFadden, Houston Nutt will have the opportunity to coach a player with the same kind of potential in Davis.
Sleeper: Kermit Tyler - If Tyler can progress as quickly at Ole Miss as quickly as he did in the practices at the Offense-Defense All-Star Game, he will be a major contributor down the line for the Rebels.
Overview: Houston Nutt's first class at Ole Miss is high on numbers but his inability to hang on to some of former coach Ed Orgeron's commitments stung the group a little bit. Still, the Rebels will close with one of the top junior college prospects in the country in Emmanuel Stephens. They were also able to pick up one of the top prep school wide receivers - four-star wideout Andrew Harris. Davis and Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville's Brandon Bolden form a solid pair of running backs and bring different skill sets to the table.
No. 8 Tennessee
Headliner: E.J. Abrams-Ward - Abrams-Ward played quarterback in high school and will be a dangerous red-zone threat at Tennessee. His athleticism is apparent by his basketball prowess.
Sleeper: Montori Hughes - Hughes created a huge buzz following a dominating performance in the Tennessee East-West All-Star Game.
Overview: The Volunteers got a slow start to the 2008 recruiting class but picked up momentum late in the process. The class consists of several intriguing prospects. Marlon Walls brings a lot of speed to the Volunteers defense but is a little bit of a 'tweener. Prentiss Waggner is a big, ball-hawking corner who needs to get more physical. Casey Kelly is a baseball talent with a lot of promise as a quarterback but may end up in the Major Leagues before his football potential is realized. Despite the lack of big-name players that have been Phillip Fulmer staples, this class could end up being a sleeper group.
No. 9 Arkansas
Headliner: De'Anthony Curtis - Curtis is a compact back who is thick enough to get between the tackles but has the speed to break one at any time.
Sleeper: Jelani Smith - The speedy linebacker is a big hitter who may be the best defensive pickup in the class.
Overview: Bobby Petrino's biggest hauls in his first recruiting cycle at Arkansas were a freshman transfer and a player who was already committed. Getting Ryan Mallett to transfer from Michigan gives Petrino his quarterback of the future and keeping Curtis true to his commitment gives him the feature back he needs. Another success of Petrino's first class is a group of recruits was the addition of four very good wide receiver prospects and athlete Jerico Nelson out of Destrehan, La. He also was able to steal Rivals250 talent Joe Adams out from under USC's nose on Signing Day which was huge.
No. 10 Mississippi State
Headliner: Charles Mitchell - Mitchell has the build to play safety or grow into an outside linebacker, but he has the cover skills of a corner.
Sleeper: Trevor Stigers - With the loss of both starting defensive ends, Stigers has an opportunity to make an immediate impact for the Bulldogs.
Overview: Sylvester Croom was able to parlay his team's success in 2007 into some blue-chip recruits in the class of 2008. The jewel of the class is four-star Charles Mitchell. Mitchell is the kind of physical ball-hawk that can change a game. Templeton Hardy can have a similar impact at the line of scrimmage and should be a disruptive force at defensive tackle. On the other side of the line Tobias Smith was one of the Southeast's top late risers and is joined by three-star John Paul Alford in the trenches.
No. 11 Kentucky
Headliner: Aaron Boyd - Kentucky was able to land the gem of the state in Boyd, a big smooth wide receiver that will be a great addition to Rich Brooks' receiving corps.
Sleeper: William Johnson - Due to his athleticism (played WR and KR in high school), Johnson could be a good one at linebacker as he continues to add weight to his 6-foot-3 frame.
Overview: Though it isn't the most heralded class, the Kentucky staff has done a good job of identifying some talented players that have flown under the radar. Sean Stackhouse is an athletic pass-catching tight end, Randall Cobb is an electrifying athlete and Deaunte Mason is a very raw but very talented dual-threat quarterback. The Wildcats were able to supplement some out-of-state sleepers with some of the top talent within Kentucky. Safety Winston Guy and wide receivers Boyd and E.J. Fields could give the 'Cats immediate help.
No. 12 Vanderbilt
Headliner: DeAndre Jones - You have to know where Jones is whenever he's on the field. He's a difference-maker that will add to Vanderbilt's strong linebacking tradition.
Sleeper: Johnell Thomas - Stout but mobile, Thomas is a force on the defensive line that could grow into a tackle and become a big talent in the SEC.
Overview: Vanderbilt really made an effort to shore up its defense with the 2008 class, particularly on the defensive front. Johnell Thomas and Taylor Loftley are players with similar body types that should develop nicely. DeAndre Jones is a premiere player in this class and Casey Hayward could give Vanderbilt a lot of athleticism in its secondary. Offensively, John Cole comes to Vanderbilt as a Wes Welker clone and adds some real big-play ability.
More Conferences: ACC | Big East | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-10
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