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Top prospects weigh in on SEC coaches behind the scenes

JEFFERSON CITY, La. – A gaggle of highly regarded prospects gathered to compete in the New Orleans stop of the Rivals Camp Series Presented by Under Armour on Sunday. The event drew dozens of prospects with offers from multiple SEC teams. Who better to explain the differences between each head coach’s recruiting approach?

Below are some of the more notable comments from players when asked to describe each SEC head coach they’ve met in person.

NICK SABAN, ALABAMA

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Nick Saban
Nick Saban (USA TODAY Sports Images)

SEASONS AT ALABAMA: 9

RECORD AT ALABAMA: 100-18

2016 RECRUTING RANKING: 1

“He’s a businessman. That’s what he is, a businessman. It’s all serious all the time. I have never seen him laugh. He’s not intimidating or anything … to me. I’m sure once you get on the team, that changes.” – Three-star defensive back CJ Avery

“He’s way more serious than the other coaches, but he’s not really into the recruiting. He just tells you to go have fun and go help your team on Friday nights.” – Rivals250 wide receiver DeVonta Smith

“He’s serious. He’s straight up with you. He gives it to you without sugarcoating anything. He tells players straight up, ‘If you don’t work hard, we will send you home.’ He’s not gonna lie to anyone.” – Rivals100 ATH Bruce Jordan-Swilling

“People say that Nick Saban doesn’t smile a lot, but he does. And it’s not like he’s mean or anything. He’s just very serious about this stuff. College football is his business. He’s basically the opposite of Coach (Les) Miles, who is kinda, like, always happy.” – Rivals100 offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood

“He gets straight down to business when you talk to him. It’s not joking or small talk. It’s right to the point.” – Rivals250 defensive end Chris Allen

“Coach Saban is about nothing but business when he’s on the field.” – Five-star linebacker Dylan Moses

LES MILES, LSU

Les Miles
Les Miles (USA TODAY Sports Images)

SEASONS AT LSU: 11

RECORD AT LSU: 112-32

2016 RECRUTING RANKING: 6

“He’s the coolest guy. He’s the nicest person in the world. He comes at you funny, man. He was telling me about his first girlfriend. He was telling me that his first girlfriend just wasn’t on the same page as him, so once he met his wife that he has now, it was all over.” – Four-star defensive end Bryan Jones

“He’s kinda cool. He’s just a cool person. He can be serious at times, though. He knows there is a place for playtime and work and he separates them.” – Rivals250 defensive end Chris Allen

“He’s a calm talker. I love him. We have a great relationship. I don’t have a bad thing to say about the man.” – Rivals100 ATH Bruce Jordan-Swilling

“He’s a down-to-earth guy. He’s a player’s coach and the kind of guy I can see myself playing for.” – Five-star linebacker Dylan Moses

HUGH FREEZE, OLE MISS

Hugh Freeze
Hugh Freeze (USA TODAY Sports Images)

SEASONS AT OLE MISS: 4

RECORD AT OLE MISS: 34-18

2016 RECRUTING RANKING: 7

“He’s a very Christian man and he’s a man of his word. He believes in God, and that’s something I like to see. I actually watch programs to see what they do on Sundays when it comes to dealing with God and all that. When I was up there, they had a worship. I went, and that really stood out to me.” – Rivals250 wide receiver DeVonta Smith

“Coach Freeze is an excited guy. He has the energy. He’s excited about everything.” – Four-star ATH Kam'Ron White

“He’s a churchy guy. He’s fun and wants you to feel at home, but he has faith too. He tells me about how it’s a family at Ole Miss.” – Three-star defensive back CJ Avery

“He’s a funny guy. He’s a lot like Coach Miles. I’m not sure there is any real difference. They are almost the same guy.” – Five-star linebacker Dylan Moses

DAN MULLEN, MISSISSIPPI STATE

Dan Mullen
Dan Mullen (BulldogBlitz.com)

YEARS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE: 8

RECORD AT MISSISSIPPI STATE: 55-35

2016 RECRUTING RANKING: 35

“Coach Mullen is just cool, calm and collected. I don’t know how he acts on the field, but he comes at me all calm. He just tells me, ‘I want you here.’ That’s point blank, period.” – Four-star ATH Kam'Ron White

“He’s a great man. He texts me over Twitter and makes me feel comfortable. Makes me feel like Mississippi State is home.” – Four-star defensive end Bryan Jones

“He’s cool and outgoing. He keeps it real. He keeps it 100 with you. He really just recruits you hard. It’s always a laid-back conversation about my family and school.” – Rivals250 defensive back Brad Stewart

“I like Dan Mullen. Some people might have a different view on him, but I like him. He’s pretty laid back. I’ve only talked to him a few times.” – Three-star defensive lineman Saahdiq Charles

BUTCH JONES, TENNESSEE

Butch Jones
Butch Jones (USA TODAY Sports Images)

YEARS AT TENNESSEE: 3

RECORD AT TENNESSEE: 21-17

2016 RECRUTING RANKING: 15

“He’s hands on. He offered me himself and took me aside to talk to me himself. I think he’s more involved than some other head coaches.” – Rivals250 offensive lineman Adrian Ealy

“He’s really laid back and is straight forward with everything he does. He comes at me about everything straight forward. He’s mellower than the other coaches.” – Rivals100 running back Cam Akers

OTHERS

Kevin Sumlin
Kevin Sumlin (USA TODAY Sports Images)

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn: “He’s sorta funny, but he talks business when he needs to talk business. I think he’s more like Coach Miles than anyone else. They can both be funny but they can both talk football.” – Rivals250 offensive lineman Adrian Ealy

Georgia coach Kirby Smart: “I love Coach Smart. He’s one of those guys that can relate to everyone. He’s a real people person. It helps that’s he’s experienced winning championships. It’s why he knows what to say. Coach Smart is fired up and ready to go all the time. You don’t have choice but to like him.” – Rivals100 running back Cam Akers

Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin: “He’s a good guy. I got a chance to go talk to him. He’s cool and straight up. He just does his job. That’s what I’d say. I’d describe him as a smart guy that knows what he’s doing,” – Rivals100 ATH Bruce Jordan-Swilling

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