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Ranking the SEC Recruiting

 

This is from scout and you can read it directly from their site here.  I thought it was a good read, and I actually learned a bit about some of the lower ranked classes.   It is interesing the way that teams recruit... it is not always about getting the highest ranked folks.  It is all about filling the "needed" areas.

 

East 

1. Florida | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... NFL players. Yeeeeeeeesh. Everything worked for the terrific Florida class as Urban Meyer's health concerns didn't turn out to be  a problem in any way. The Gators got 13 players (but it's probably over 15) that would be the crown jewel in the class of roughly 110 other programs including Mack Brown, a lightning fast back who might finally be the one to give Meyer the feature-back he's been searching for. Chris Dunkley, Adrian Coxson, and Solomon Patton might have started, or at least would've seen time, at wide receiver last year and should be key parts of this year's team, offensive tackles Chaz Green and Ian Silberman will be starting at the next level if they can effectively add 20 pounds of muscle, and Sharrif Floyd out of Philadelphia and Dominique Easley from New York City might be the nation's two best defensive line prospects. And then there's the secondary. Matt Elam and Jonathan Dowling are tall, talented safeties, and Jaylen Watkins, Joshua Shaw and Cody Riggs are special corner prospects. 

2. Tennessee | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... The passing game. The defense was hardly ignored in Derek Dooley's first class with three excellent linemen in JUCO transfer DT John Brown and ends Jacques Smith, and Corey Miller all good enough to see time right away. JUCO transfer Dave Clark needs to play a big role this year at one corner, while JaWaun James might be the SEC's best recruit for the O line. Before leaving, Lane Kiffin made a big deal out of securing the quarterbacks, and Dooley kept them around with Tyler Bray, a very big, very talented passer to go along with Nash Nance and JUCO transfer Matt Simms. Simms will be expected to compete for the starting job this offseason. Four terrific receivers were signed with Da'Rick Rogers, Justin Hunter, and Matt Milton all with next level skills. 
  
3. Georgia | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... The lines. After signing a ton of skill players last season, Georgia needed the building blocks this year. The team's best recruit was Alec Ogletree, a guided missile of a linebacker who was the key to the defensive haul several months ago. Up front, head coach Mark Richt inked Brent Benedict out of Jacksonville, one of the nation's top tackle recruits, and also got the very promising Kenarious Gates. On the defensive side, Garrison Smith spurned Alabama, Florida State, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma and USC to be the leader of the Dawg line in the near future. T.J. Stripling will be a terror on the end after hitting the weighs and adding at least 25 pounds, while Michael Thornton is a ready-made tackle who's good enough to see time right away. 

4. South Carolina | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Marcus Lattimore. Steve Spurrier focused mostly on the secondary with five defensive back prospects signed who need to develop quickly. There isn't a star of the lot, but Victor Hampton with his tremendous speed comes close. The passing game got a little help with QB Connor Shaw and a few decent receivers including Ace Sanders, a 5-7 speedster, but the entire class, and especially the offense, revolves around Lattimore, Scout.com's No. 1 ranked back. The 6-0, 207 pounder picked the Gamecocks over Auburn, Florida State, and Georgia, among others, and he'll be the centerpiece of the Spurrier offense very, very soon. 

5. Kentucky | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... The running game. Last year Rich Brooks made sure the future of the passing game was set by bringing in three quarterbacks, five wide receivers and two tight ends. The future became the present with so many issues at quarterback last season. this year, new head man Joker Phillips made sure the running game was secure with four very good prospects led by Brandon Gainer out of Miami and Raymond Sanders out of Georgia. In an interesting move, Phillips also loaded up on tight ends bringing in four with Alex Smith a big blocker and Tyler Brause like a big receiver. Don't dismiss the big signing of Joe Mansour, one of the nation's top punting prospects. 

6. Vanderbilt | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. The Commodores got a little bit of everything for both sides of the ball and came up with some good defensive back prospects, led by corners Andre Hall and Karl Butler, and some intriguing receivers with 6-5 Chris Boyd and lightning-fast Jonathan Krause leading the way. But the need was the defensive front and that's where the stars are with tackles Vince Taylor, Kyle Woestmann, and Jared Morse leading the way. Thomas Ryan and James Kittredge might be needed right away on the end.

West 

1. Auburn | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Skill stars. The class went big on defense coming up with a whale of a group for the line led by tackles Jeffrey Whitaker and Kenneth Carter, and coming up with a key signing getting end Corey Lemonier out of Florida. LB LaDarius Owens will be an All-SEC performer before he's done, and enough good defensive backs were brought in to secure the secondary for the next few years. As good as the defensive class is, the stars signed on offense should make a bigger impact as offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has his players to work with. Cameron Newton is a 6-6, 245-pound quarterback with a live arm, Trovon Reed and Antonio Goodwin are special receiver prospects, and Michael Dyer could've gone anywhere as, arguably, the nation's top running back recruit. If he wasn't No.1, he was in everyone's top five. Throw in all the help on the line, including JUCO transfer tackle Roszell Gayden and top guard Eric Mack, and the Tiger offense should be fantastic.

2. Alabama | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive backs. How good is Nick Saban and his staff when it comes to recruiting? The Tide didn't have a ton of needs with so many great classes brought in over the last few years, and the monster class that capitalizes on the national title is supposed to come in next year, but that doesn't mean that several top players available this season didn't want to come wear the Crimson uniform. Phillip Sims is by far the most talented quarterback prospect the Tide has had in several years, and the receiving corps will be loaded with DeAndrew White, Ronald Carswell, Blake Sims and Keiwone Malone would all be No. 1 targets at just about anywhere else. The defensive backfield is amazing with the best class in America led by top corner prospect Demarcus Milliner and big-time safety Jarrick Williams. Johnavon Fulton has NFL corner speed and JUCO transfer Dequan Menzie could see time immediately. 

3. LSU | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive lineman. The secondary got an infusion of talent with Eric Reid and Tharold Simon giving the Tigers two very big, very NFL-looking safeties, and Tyrann Mathieu has good size and could be a strong corner in time. RB Spencer Ware could be the star of the running game in the near future and Kadron Boone was a great get to be the team's No. 1 WR soon. The biggest stars are at linebacker, led by Justin Maclin, but the biggest part of the class is on the line with Ego Ferguson one of the nation's top tackle prospects and Jordan Allen and Travis Dickson a dangerous end pair. 

4. Ole Miss | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Defensive linemen. With the early loss of Jevan Snead, Ole Miss needed options at quarterback and it got a small, athletic playmaker in JUCO transfer Randall Mackey. Vincent Sanders is a freshman receiver too good to keep out of the mix early on, while the defense got a big boost in the secondary with JUCO transfer Damien Jackson a big, intimidating safety and Tony Grimes a terrific corner prospect. The defensive line should be terrific with an outstanding mix of talents led by JUCO transfer Wayne Dorsey, a very tall, very quick pass rusher who would've been a key get for places like Tennessee, Auburn, Michigan, and Florida State. Carlton Martin and Bryon Bennett are the future at defensive tackle, while Carlos Thomas and Delvin Jones will eventually be the team's star pass rushers with speed, size, and a world of upside for the outside.

5. Arkansas | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Talent. Last season Bobby Petrino's class was heavy on live bodies to create more competition and to build better depth, especially on the defensive line. This year's class was about upgrading the overall talent level with the main focus on receiver. Marquel Wade and Julian Horton should thrive in Petrino's system, while QB Jacoby Walker will get a few years to groom to be ready to be in the mix by 2012. Calvin Barnett is the 305-pound defensive tackle prospect to work the line around, Brad Hefley will end up being the leader of the linebacking corps, and Eric Bennett is a nice looking corner.

6. Mississippi State | Scout List 
The Class Is Heavy On ... Running back. Dan Mullen got the receivers for his offense last year, and this year he worked on the ground game with 6-8, 330-pound Damien Robinson one of the nation's top offensive tackle recruits to go along with four running backs to try to replace Anthony Davis. Matthew Wells is the best of the lot, but JUCO transfer Vick Ballard might make the most immediate impact with a physical style and good quickness. Nick Griffin and Jay Hughes could've been toting the rock at several other big name schools. Defensively, 6-7, 370-pound James Carmon and 6-4, 330-pound Jeffrey Howie are massive JUCO transfers brought in to clog things up right away, while Kaleb Eulls, an end, is one of the best players in the class