Scholarship Status Update, Part 3
Scholarship Status Update, Part 3
Now the four SEC schools. SEC recruiting rules limit classes to twenty-five, unless a team would fall short of eighty-five with those twenty-five.
Florida and Alabama were touched on a bit with previous posts.
Florida -
59 scholarship players on the current roster + 14 current enrollees/commits = 73.
Gators had four walkons with scholarships last year. Renew the four walkons that got scholarships last year, close with five bluechippers and still finish in the low 80s in total numbers. Five players were early entrants to the draft, a couple of transfers.... They even had a small class (10) of graduating Seniors. A huge injury problem in '16. Will some be career-ending? They are not recruiting well in Florida or making that up elsewhere in the South.
Targets: They could reasonably close with five blue chip players and an outside chance at a sixth, improving their current SEC ranking of eleventh. These include Tedarrell Slaton, James Robinson, Elijah Conliffe, Brad Stewart, Chris Henderson - all four stars. Nick Smith, OLB, has Florida as his favorite.
Update: Brad Stewart and Nick Smith commit to Florida, which improves to 8th in the SEC. (1/29/17)
Georgia -
64 scholarship players + 23 enrollees/verbals = 87. Georgia's class is currently third nationally with average ranking second only to Ohio State. Georgia has had seven January visits by uncommitted recruits and looks to add another CB, too.
Targets: They are favored with one more bluechipper (Markaviest Bryant, WDE) and are in it for two more (Aubrey Solomon, DT, and Nico Collins, S).
Alabama -
62 scholarship players + 25 enrollees/verbals = 87. They haven't finished. Six January visits by uncommitted recruits plus attempts to flip recruits committed to other SEC schools. Only four of the twenty-five in the '17 Class might go elsewhere (see above).
Targets: Alabama is favored with six more bluechippers (LaBryan Ray, SDE, Jarez Parks, WDE. Phidarian Matthis, DT, Christopher Henderson, CB, Devonta Smith, WR, and Henry Ruggs, WR). After NSD, Bama will probably be over ninety.
LSU -
63 scholarship players + 21 enrollees/verbals = 84. LSU is looking to close strong once again. LSU currently ranks sixth nationally, third in the SEC behind Alabama and Georgia.
Targets: They are among the favorites - or lead - for three LBs (Willie Gay, Tyler Taylor, Ellis Brooks), a DT (Marvin Wilson) and a S (Todd Harris), but could also add a DE (K'Lavon Chaisson, Markaviest Bryant or Justin Harris) if they come from behind. They would love to add Devonta Smith, WR, who is from La and are among his favs.
What is remarkable is that at least eighty percent of these uncommitted recruits' favorites come down to the same SEC schools. Michigan is in it for Aubrey Solomon. Ellis Brooks has three B10 schools in his top five. Two of LSU's recruits have visited TCU.
4 teams that could close the strongest on National Signing Day 2017 (USC, Nebraska, Miami, Florida)