Last 5 years of Recruiting SEC

[Big Orange #1]

Its that time of year again....signing day is approaching. I love history and love looking back at past classes to look at numbers through recruiting.

So here's what I did. I used 24/7 Composite rankings and started in 2013. I added up each SEC school and how many top 50 players they signed. I added in 2017 from what they have till today. I thought it was very interesting how lop sided the numbers were. Just thought everyone would like to see the numbers over the last 5 years.

AL = 33
ARKY = 2
AUB = 12
LSU = 14
OLE MISS = 9
MISS ST = 2
TEX AM = 7

FL = 9
GA = 15
KY = 0
MIZZU = 2
USCe = 0
UT = 6
VANDY = 0

I know some of the top 50 guys are busts but dang the numbers dont lie. The teams that have had success sign alot of players in the top 50. Just thought it was interesting. Hope everyone enjoys a little history.

 

[terrypedigo]

It's bama and really the rest , LSU is right there with bama in talent now we will see if they can be coach up i don't see nothing changing in the next few year's but we are in the East so we should be able t compete for the East then your reward is to play bama again don't seem fair i just wish some NFL team would offer Nick 10 million a year but that won't happen look bama once again will be number 1 in recruiting we will be 12th to 15th so you know what i know 2 top 5 classes a 14th and 15th won't get you to the playoffs so i guess be happy with going 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 and winning the Bowl with a over rated little 10 school not taking shot at us but thats the way i see it.

 

[whitw]

It's bama and really the rest , LSU is right there with bama in talent now we will see if they can be coach up i don't see nothing changing in the next few year's but we are in the East so we should be able t compete for the East then your reward is to play bama again don't seem fair i just wish some NFL team would offer Nick 10 million a year but that won't happen look bama once again will be number 1 in recruiting we will be 12th to 15th so you know what i know 2 top 5 classes a 14th and 15th won't get you to the playoffs so i guess be happy with going 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 and winning the Bowl with a over rated little 10 school not taking shot at us but thats the way i see it.

Holy grammar foul!

 

[Volitourt]

Past the top 50 players - the recruits Bama brings in continues to add talent and high quality depth (3 deep red shirt juniors and seniors in the trenches end up being 23 year old grown men at this point ) - even in the successful Fulmer years - we never came close to a run of s recruiting this strong - throw in Saban's coaching ability paired with top 1 and 2 recruiting classes for seven consectutive years - my gosh - how can you not have 12 + wins each season and compete for SEC and National Championships every year? Even Volnation would expect more NC's.

 

[Volitourt]

Past the top 50 players - the recruits Bama brings in continues to add talent and high quality depth (3 deep red shirt juniors and seniors in the trenches end up being 23 year old grown men at this point ) - even in the successful Fulmer years - we never came close to a run of s recruiting this strong - throw in Saban's coaching ability paired with top 1 and 2 recruiting classes for seven consectutive years - my gosh - how can you not have 12 + wins each season and compete for SEC and National Championships every year? Even Volnation would expect more NC's.

 

[voldawgforever]

You can say that again

 

[alaVOL]

You can say that again

And again.

 

[alaVOL]

With the talent Bama has had, even Dooley could have averaged 10 wins.

 

[Glitch]

 

[VOLinCO]

GA seems to do less with more.

IIRC, according to Rivals (when they were fairly solid), GA was second only to USC for average class ranking from '02 - '11. However, they could never turn those great classes into a national championship.

Alabama, Auburn, Florida and LSU, on the other hand, dominated despite the Bulldogs supposedly having a better team on paper many of those years.

 

[VolsDoc81TX]

With the talent Bama has had, even Dooley could have averaged 10 wins.

Seriously doubt it...especially if Sal were to be his DC

 

[robow]

Holy grammar foul!

You think maybe, he is in a comma !

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

They'll have no chance against our 22 diamonds in the rough

 

[Le Diplomate]

I used 24/7 Composite rankings and started in 2013. I added up each SEC school and how many top 50 players they signed. I added in 2017 from what they have till today. I thought it was very interesting how lop sided the numbers were. Just thought everyone would like to see the numbers over the last 5 years.

FL = 9
GA = 15
KY = 0
MIZZU = 2
USCe = 0
UT = 6
VANDY = 0

Thought-provoking post. The breakdown by year shows a few interesting trends for the SEC East:

• Kirby Smart may be an iffy coach, but his in-state recruiting is widening the talent gap between Georgia and the rest of the SEC East;
• The Tennessee staff has identified talent early, but 2016 was a disaster for closing with top players;
• MacElwain has been better than I expected at recruiting top players-- but Florida is struggling this year.

Top 50 recruits from the 247 Composite by year:
2017: Georgia 6*, Tennessee 1**, Florida 0***
2016: Georgia 3, Florida 3, Tennessee 0
2015: Georgia 3, Tennessee 3, Florida 2
2014: Georgia 3, Florida 3, Tennessee 2
2013: Florida 2, Georgia 0, Tennessee 0

*Georgia is still recruiting #25 Aubrey Solomon
**Tennessee is still recruiting #26 LaBryan Ray and #40 Jeff Thomas
***Florida doesn't even have a Top 100 guy committed, and #69 Tedarrell Slaton is the only guy they're predicted to land.

Prominent misses by Tennessee by year (not exhaustive, just what I remember about guys the Vols were in on):
2017: #2 Cam Akers, #18 Jacoby Stevens, #19 Tee Higgins, #30 Hunter Johnson, #46 Lamont Wade, #49 Deangelo Gibbs
2016: #9 Derrick Brown, #13 Mecole Hardman, #19 Jeff Simmons, #26 Tony Clayton, #31 Landon Dickerson, #35 BJ Emmons
2015: #26 Chuma Edoga, #38 Jarrett Stidham
2014: #7 Adore Jackson, #28 Clifton Garrett
2013: #21 Carl Lawson, #26 Vonn Bell, #27 Derrick Green, #29 Mackensie Alexander

 

[RPAV]

Very good info. No doubt Alabama under Saban has top status and we have to face it that each year TN is in uphill battle to finish top 5 class each year. Ga and LSU have a huge built in advantage. We can and have signed some top 5 classes in past and will again but to run off these numbers when there is really 50 or so players that stand out from among the next 300 kids. Add in OH ST and Mich and USC FL ST only so many Elite kids to go around.

 

[LynxVol]

Thought-provoking post. The breakdown by year shows a few interesting trends for the SEC East:

• Kirby Smart may be an iffy coach, but his in-state recruiting is widening the talent gap between Georgia and the rest of the SEC East;
• The Tennessee staff has identified talent early, but 2016 was a disaster for closing with top players;
• MacElwain has been better than I expected at recruiting top players-- but Florida is struggling this year.

Top 50 recruits from the 247 Composite by year:
2017: Georgia 6*, Tennessee 1**, Florida 0***
2016: Georgia 3, Florida 3, Tennessee 0
2015: Georgia 3, Tennessee 3, Florida 2
2014: Georgia 3, Florida 3, Tennessee 2
2013: Florida 2, Georgia 0, Tennessee 0

*Georgia is still recruiting #25 Aubrey Solomon
**Tennessee is still recruiting #26 LaBryan Ray and #40 Jeff Thomas
***Florida doesn't even have a Top 100 guy committed, and #69 Tedarrell Slaton is the only guy they're predicted to land.

Prominent misses by Tennessee by year (not exhaustive, just what I remember about guys the Vols were in on):
2017: #2 Cam Akers, #18 Jacoby Stevens, #19 Tee Higgins, #30 Hunter Johnson, #46 Lamont Wade, #49 Deangelo Gibbs
2016: #9 Derrick Brown, #13 Mecole Hardman, #19 Jeff Simmons, #26 Tony Clayton, #31 Landon Dickerson, #35 BJ Emmons
2015: #26 Chuma Edoga, #38 Jarrett Stidham
2014: #7 Adore Jackson, #28 Clifton Garrett
2013: #21 Carl Lawson, #26 Vonn Bell, #27 Derrick Green, #29 Mackensie Alexander

We are not still recruiting Jeff Thomas.

Also, I think you should define what you mean by "prominent misses" a little better. For example, I would not consider Stidham a miss in 2015 given that we ended up with Sheriron Jones. At the time, I don't recall anyone complaining about that. So, do you consider a "miss" as someone we really wanted but didn't land? If that is the case, several on your list, especially post-2015, are debatable.

 

[Bring_Back_Dooley]

We are not still recruiting Jeff Thomas.

Also, I think you should define what you mean by "prominent misses" a little better. For example, I would not consider Stidham a miss in 2015 given that we ended up with Sheriron Jones. At the time, I don't recall anyone complaining about that. So, do you consider a "miss" as someone we really wanted but didn't land? If that is the case, several on your list, especially post-2015, are debatable.

I agree. Some of these alleged "misses" are head-scratchers. For instance, Jacoby Stevens never seriously gave UT the time of day, so I have no idea how he could be a "miss". UT recruited him, but he didn't want to listen.

The jury is still out on Smart, IMO. UGA shat the bed this year with a pretty talented team. Yes, yes, I know, UGA is recruiting well. But they've been doing that for years, with little to show for on the field. Smart could very well be a good coach, but it's WAY to early to make that call.

 

[Le Diplomate]

We are not still recruiting Jeff Thomas.

Also, I think you should define what you mean by "prominent misses" a little better. For example, I would not consider Stidham a miss in 2015 given that we ended up with Sheriron Jones. At the time, I don't recall anyone complaining about that. So, do you consider a "miss" as someone we really wanted but didn't land? If that is the case, several on your list, especially post-2015, are debatable.

Feel free to quibble about several guys on the list like Jacoby Stevens (mentioned by another poster), Stidham, or Landon Dickerson-- it's not meant to be exhaustive, it's what I remember off the top of my head about various targets. The Vols landed both Dormady and Jones that year, but Stidham was allegedly number one on the recruiting board.

If you wanted to, I suppose you could go back and classify targets by how desperately the Vols wanted them and how much of a "miss" it actually was. I'd expect in-state guys like Vonn Bell and Tee Higgins would be on the top of that list, along with late surprises like Derrick Brown to Auburn.

 

[Le Diplomate]

I agree. Some of these alleged "misses" are head-scratchers. For instance, Jacoby Stevens never seriously gave UT the time of day, so I have no idea how he could be a "miss". UT recruited him, but he didn't want to listen.

The jury is still out on Smart, IMO. UGA shat the bed this year with a pretty talented team. Yes, yes, I know, UGA is recruiting well. But they've been doing that for years, with little to show for on the field. Smart could very well be a good coach, but it's WAY to early to make that call.

Who's saying that Smart is a good coach?