Everyone knows the SEC dominates on the recruiting trail compared to other conferences.
The SEC vs. everyone else: Whose 2016 recruits make for a better roster?
Can one conference assemble a more talented group than everybody else combined? We’ll track this as we approach Signing Day 2016.
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
The current 247Sports Composite ranking has six SEC teams in the top 11. This follows five straight years in which Alabama’s finished with the top class. The average four-year rank for all SEC teams is 19, well ahead of the second-place Pac-12’s 35.
But can the SEC beat every other conference combined?
What if the SEC’s currently committed recruits suited up for an actual game against everybody else’s? Which side would field more raw talent? Let’s take a look at the rosters, based on the highest-rated commits at each position, just to see what happens.
This project will be organized like a three-deep depth chart, allowing for a little bit of depth while still maintaining the focus on the best of the best at each position. We’ll update this periodically through Signing Day. All ratings are via the Composite.
Quarterbacks: The SEC
The SEC holds commitments from the top two in the class, but it’s still close. The SEC’s top three QB commits average a five-star rating, while the World’s averages a four.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Jacob Eason | Georgia | 5 (.9973) | Malik Henry | Florida State | 4 (.9746) |
| Shea Patterson | Ole Miss | 5 (.9971) | K.J. Costello | Stanford | 4 (.9740) |
| Feleipe Franks | Florida | 4 (.9790) | Brandon Peters | Michigan | 4 (.9668) |
No. 1 overall QB Jacob Eason, a Georgia commit. Photo: Student Sports
Running backs: The World
The World has a big advantage here with two five-star backs and no three-stars. The SEC’s stable of backs is good, but in a year without a lot of elite players at the position, the five-stars put the World over the top. The SEC does have Elijah Holyfield, though, the son of Evander, the former World Heavyweight Champion.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| B.J. Emmons | Alabama | 4 (.9511) | Tavien Feaster | Clemson | 5 (.9903) |
| Devwah Whaley | Arkansas | 4 (.9438) | Kareem Walker | Michigan | 5 (.9786) |
| Elijah Holyfield | Georgia | 4 (.9286) | Miles Sanders | Penn State | 4 (.9786) |
| Justin Connor | Ole Miss | 4 (.9065) | Demario McCall | Ohio State | 4 (.9758) |
| Carlin Fils-aime | Tennessee | 4 (.9032) | Antonio Williams | Ohio State | 4 (.9275) |
| D'Vaughn Pennamon | Ole Miss | 3 (.8863) | Melquise Stovall | Cal | 4 (.9260) |
Wide receivers: The World
In a year without a no-doubt five-star recruit at the receiver position, we look to depth, where the World has eight of the top 11 receivers committed nationally. But watch out for Houston commit Tyrie Cleveland, who is being pursued hard by a number of SEC schools including Florida.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Kyle Davis | Auburn | 4 (.9760) | Tyler Vaughns | USC | 4 (.9810) |
| DeKaylin Metcalf | Ole Miss | 4 (.9602) | Devin Duvernay | Baylor | 4 (.9808) |
| Eli Stove | Auburn | 4 (.9523) | Sam Bruce | Miami | 4 (.9681) |
| Drake Davis | LSU | 4 (.9508) | Tyrie Cleveland | Houston | 4 (.9652) |
| Stephen Sullivan | LSU | 4 (.9485) | Austin Mack | Ohio State | 4 (.9574) |
| Freddie Swain | Florida | 4 (.9379) | Binjimen Victor | Ohio State | 4 (.9562) |
Tight ends: The World
The SEC has the No. 1 tight end in the country, but the World holds commitments from three of the top four.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Isaac Nauta | Georgia | 5 (.9943) | Kaden Smith | Stanford | 4 (.9823) |
| Octavious Cooley | Ole Miss | 4 (.9234) | Jake Hausmann | Ohio State | 4 (.9441) |
| Jamal Pettigrew | LSU | 4 (.9048) | Naseir Upshur | Florida State | 4 (.9363) |
Offensive tackles: The SEC
The SEC holds the top-ranked committed player at any position in Gregory Little, and that’s enough to eke out an advantage, .9658 to .9640.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Gregory Little | Ole Miss | 5 (.9992) | Patrick Hudson | Baylor | 5 (.9880) |
| Jonah Williams | Alabama | 5 (.9866) | Michal Menet | Penn State | 4 (.9806) |
| Ben Cleveland | Georgia | 4 (.9677) | Ben Bredeson | Michigan | 4 (.9796) |
| Landon Young | Kentucky | 4 (.9460) | Tommy Kraemer | Notre Dame | 4 (.9759) |
| Kellen Diesch | Texas A&M | 4 (.9236) | Jean Delance | Texas | 4 (.9520) |
| Bryce Mathews | Ole Miss | 4 (.9063) | Liam Eichenberg | Notre Dame | 4 (.9463) |
Offensive guards/centers: The World
The World holds the top committed guard (John Rarldon) and center (Baveon Johnson) and takes this one, .9235 to .9107. Four of six representatives come from Big Ten schools.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Donavaughn Campbell | LSU | 4 (.9369) | Baveon Johnson | Florida State | 4 (.9788) |
| Drake Jackson | Kentucky | 4 (.9352) | John Raridon | Nebraska | 4 (.9674) |
| Deonte Brown | Alabama | 4 (.9327) | Terrance Davis | Maryland | 4 (.9654) |
| Chris Owens | Alabama | 4 (.9292) | Michael Onwenu | Michigan | 4 (.9467) |
| Jake Heinrich | Arkansas | 4 (.8968) | Tyler Gerald | Ohio State | 4 (.9326) |
| Aaron Dowdell | Georgia | 3 (.8757) | Michael Eletise | Arizona | 4 (.9239) |
Defensive ends: The World
The SEC has three top prospects, but the World has quality blue-chippers all the way down the three-deep. The Big Ten has a strong showing, with four of six World representatives. The World holds a .9584-.9001 advantage.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Marlon Davidson | Auburn | 5 (.9886) | Nick Bosa | Ohio State | 5 (.9968) |
| Justin Madubuike | Texas A&M | 4 (.9762) | Oluwole Betiku | USC | 5 (.9929) |
| McTelvin Agim | Arkansas | 4 (.9743) | Jonathon Cooper | Ohio State | 5 (.9837) |
| Chauncey Manac | Georgia | 4 (.9498) | Janarius Robinson | Florida State | 4 (.9679) |
| Antonneous Clayton | Florida | 4 (.9462) | Shane Simmons | Penn State | 4 (.9653) |
| Rahssan Thornton | LSU | 4 (.9188) | Breland Brandt | UCLA | 4 (.9533) |
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Michigan, Alabama or other for No. 1 overall prospect Rashan Gary? Photo: Steve Dykes, USA Today
Defensive tackles: The SEC
The World has the better players at the top, but the SEC has better depth and holds the slight advantage, with the potential to hold a big advantage come National Signing Day, as the top three uncommitted recruits at the position are all strongly considering the SEC.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Edwin Alexander | LSU | 4 (.9823) | Dexter Lawrence | Clemson | 5 (.9986) |
| Shavar Manuel | Florida | 4 (.9779) | Ed Oliver | Houston | 5 (.9941) |
| Antwuan Jackson | Auburn | 4 (.9710) | Jordan Elliott | Michigan | 4 (.9502) |
| Julian Rochester | Georgia | 4 (.9629) | Garrett Rand | Wisconsin | 4 (.9408) |
| Kendell Jones | Alabama | 4 (.9612) | Ellison Jordan | Penn State | 4 (.9289) |
| Benito Jones | Ole Miss | 4 (.9584) | Chris Daniels | Oklahoma | 4 (.9257) |
Outside linebackers: The World
Nothing much going on for the SEC ... yet. The World has stocked up with blue-chip commitments, while just two three-stars populate the SEC team. Of the four uncommitted five-star outside linebackers, three are heavily projected to end up at an SEC school by the 247Sports Crystal Ball.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Michael Divinity | LSU | 4 (.9703) | Curtis Robinson | Stanford | 4 (.9630) |
| Erick Fowler | LSU | 4 (.9565) | Carter Coughlin | Minnesota | 4 (.9477) |
| Daniel Bituli | Tennessee | 4 (.9220) | Keandre Jones | Ohio State | 4 (.9473) |
| Jeremiah Moon | Florida | 4 (.8926) | Daelin Hayes | Notre Dame | 4 (.9420) |
| Tre Threat | Auburn | 3 (.8686) | Camilo Eifler | Washington | 4 (.9304) |
| Ja'Quain Blakely | Tennessee | 3 (.8649) | Bryce Youngquist | Oklahoma | 4 (.9251) |
Inside linebackers: The World
The World holds a commanding lead with six four-star commitments to the SEC’s one.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Jaleen Laguins | Georgia | 4 (.9124) | Rahshaun Smith | Clemson | 4 (.9608) |
| Errol Thompson | Mississippi State | 3 (.8801) | Lokeni Toailoa | UCLA | 4 (.9441) |
| David Reese | Florida | 3 (.8791) | Tre Lamar | Clemson | 4 (.9408) |
| Kash Daniel | Kentucky | 3 (.8787) | Shaquille Quarterman | Miami | 4 (.9335) |
| Tyrel Dodson | Texas A&M | 3 (.8761) | Krys Barnes | UCLA | 4 (.9332) |
| Donta Evans | Ole Miss | 3 (.8615) | Devin Bush, Jr. | Michigan | 4 (.8920) |
Cornerbacks: The SEC
Another strong position for the SEC. The World has the nation’s top cornerback prospect, but the SEC has a .9490-.9235 lead.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Saivion Smith | LSU | 5 (.9867) | Levonta Taylor | Florida State | 5 (.9964) |
| Chauncey Gardner | Florida | 4 (.9649) | Jordan Parker | Oklahoma | 4 (.9295) |
| Marquill Osborne | Tennessee | 4 (.9176) | Isaiah Gilchrist | Washington | 4 (.9135) |
| Joejuan Williams | Vanderbilt | 4 (.9161) | Treyjohn Butler | Stanford | 4 (.9112) |
| Jaylon Jones | Ole Miss | 4 (.9140) | Troy Warner | BYU | 4 (.9067) |
| Andreaz Williams | LSU | 4 (.9135) | Kyle Meyers | Florida State | 4 (.9047) |
Top-rated DB Levonta Taylor, committed to FSU. Photo: Student Sports
Safeties: The World
The World has four players better than the SEC’s top safety, thanks to the Pac-12. The World takes this one easily, with a four-star .9057 average to a three-star .8754.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Eric Monroe | LSU | 4 (.9813) | Jamel Cook | Florida State | 4 (.9362) |
| Cameron Lewis | LSU | 4 (.8998) | Shurod Thompson | Oregon State | 4 (.9111) |
| Marlon Character | Auburn | 4 (.8883) | Demetric Vance | Michigan State | 4 (.9105) |
| Jeawon Taylor | Florida | 3 (.8826) | Marquel Dismuke | Nebraska | 4 (.9067) |
| Ikenna Okeke | Texas A&M | 3 (.8761) | Dylan Singleton | Duke | 4 (.9064) |
| Zaire Jones | Vanderbilt | 3 (.8672) | Brady Breeze | Oregon | 4 (.9034) |
Athletes: The World
The World has a big advantage here, with three of the top four committed athletes.
| SEC | The World | ||||
| Player | School | Rating | Player | School | Rating |
| Trevon Diggs | Alabama | 4 (.9452) | Jamel Cook | Florida State | 4 (.9391) |
| T.J. Hammonds | Arkansas | 4 (.9047) | Amir Mitchell | Michigan | 4 (.9373) |
| Nero Nelson | Mississippi State | 3 (.8722) | Scott Bracey | Duke | 4 (.9346) |
Final tally
The World takes it, 9-4, but that could change come National Signing Day.
Ohio State leads the World with nine players on the roster, while Florida State has eight. Michigan’s next, with seven. LSU leads the SEC with 12, and then there’s Ole Miss at 10, Georgia at eight and Alabama at six.
There’s a whole lot of time left in the recruiting cycle, and plenty of top targets remain on the board (as evidenced by the low numbers for the SEC at the linebacking positions). As the 2016 cycle moves forward we’ll continue to track how the conference stacks up against everyone else.
