Ranking every SEC recruiting class after early signing day
Hugh Freeze put Auburn recruiting back on the map with an impressive start to the early signing period.
The Tigers put an exclamation point on a successful first day by flipping 4-star defensive end Keldric Faulk from Florida State and 4-star cornerback Kayin Lee from Ohio State. The moves and the rest of the additions make Auburn one of the winners of the early signing period and have helped fill several holes on Auburn’s roster.
The Tigers signed 18 of their 19 commits and there is little reason to be worried about 4-star running back Jeremiah Cobb who did not sign.
They now have the No. 20 class in the 247Sports Composite team ranking and while that is lower than Auburn needs to be, with what Freeze inherited it is unfair to call it anything but a major success.
However, the SEC is the best conference in the sport for a reason and it starts with their recruiting. Here is a look at how Auburn’s class compares to the rest of the conference.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 54
Total Players: 20
Top Signee: 4-star CB Martel Hight
The Commodores reeled in one blue chipper in what was another solid class for Clark Lea. They will always be more focused on development than landing elite prospects than the rest of the SEC.
Missouri Tigers
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 36
Total Signees: 19
Top Signee: 4-star TE Brett Norfleet
Missouri’s class lacks the star power they had last year with five-star Luther Burden and Eli Drinkowitz will need to land some impact players in the portal if they are going to build on a 6-6 season.
Ole Miss Rebels
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National Rank: 35
Total Players: 12
Top Signee: 4-star LB Suntarine Perkins
Lane Kiffin prioritizes the transfer portal but this is a very disappointing class for the Rebels and he will need to add some impressive talent through the portal to keep up.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 26
Total Players: 25
Top Signee: 4-star S Isaac Smith
This will always be a special class for the Bulldogs and everyone involved deserves a tremendous amount of credit for how they have handled a tragic month.
Kentucky Wildcats
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 25
Total Players: 17
Top Signee: 4-star WR Shamar Porter
The Wildcat’s biggest win was landing transfer quarterback Devin Leary. They surrounded him with a solid class that just made it inside the top 25 nationally.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 22
Total Players: 20
Top Signee: 4-star CB Jaylin Braxton
The Razorbacks suffered a few blows and lost their defensive coordinator but they were able to hang on to most of their top targets and it was another good day for Sam Pittman.
Auburn Tigers
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 20
Total Players: 19
Top Signee: 4-star DE Keldric Faulk
For the first time in years, Auburn was relevant during the early signing period and Hugh Freeze and Co. deserve a ton of credit for what they have done in such a short amount of time.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 18
Total Players: 22
Top Signee: 4-star IOL Markee Anderson
The Gamecocks have landed nine players along the trenches and they continue to improve under Shane Beamer.
Texas A&M Aggies
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 15
Total Players: 18
Top Signee: 5-star RB Rueben Owens
The Aggies landed some elite players in what has become a smaller class by design but 5-star DL David Hicks did not sign his letter of intent and other schools are in hot pursuit. How his recruitment goes will have a major impact on how this class is viewed.
Florida Gators
Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 12
Total Players: 20
Top Signee: 4-star QB Jaden Rashada
The Gators needed a strong recruiting class to help make up for a disappointing season on the field in Billy Napier’s first season. They are doing that with a class that is knocking on the top 10 and has several elite players.
Tennessee Volunteers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 10
Total Players: 25
Top Signee: 5-star QB Nico Iamaleava
Tennessee had a breakout season under Josh Heupel and helped use that success to land an extremely talented quarterback and a top 10 class. Things are trending upward in Knoxville.
LSU Tigers
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 6
Total Players: 25
Top Signee: 5-star OT Zalance Heard
In his first season at LSU, Brian Kelly did a great job keeping some of the best players from Louisianna home and surrounded them with some elite offensive linemen.
Georgia Bulldogs
Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 2
Total Players: 27
Top Signee: 5-star EDGE Damon Wilson
The Bulldogs completed an impressive haul along the lines by adding Wilson and four-star defensive tackle Jordan Hall during the early signing period. They can now turn their full attention back to the College Football Playoff and repeating as champs.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
National Rank: 1
Total Players: 27
Top Signee: 5-star safety Caleb Downs
Nick Saban once again dominated the recruiting cycle, hauling in six 5-star recruits and landing an elite player at every position on the field. Alabama isn’t going anywhere and their ability to land elite talent is why.
