The drama is over and the 2015 recruiting cycle has come to an end. With National Signing Day behind us, we have an idea of how teams finished up and what to expect in 2015. As they have every year in recent memory the SEC dominated in the recruiting world. Nine SEC teams finished in the top 20 recruiting classes via 247sports. With many blue-chip recruits headed to the southeast, a handful of these players will get the opportunity to make an immediate impact.
This is the list of most significant incoming freshmen in the SEC West.
Check out our SEC East edition here.
Alabama Crimson Tide: Calvin Ridley WR/6 feet/170 lbs.
As usual, Alabama finished with the number 1 overall recruiting class. With plenty of top-tier talent to choose from, I turned to Alabama’s biggest need. With the Tide losing Heisman finalist Amari Cooper and senior DeAndrew White at wideout they will look towards their arsenal of young talent to replace them. Ridley, the number 1 overall receiver in the class. passed up offers from home-state Florida State and Miami to play for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Ridley is built like Cooper and has a similar skill set with terrific speed. Ridley, along with many others, will hope to replicate the offensive efficiency that the Tide had in 2014.
Arkansas Razorbacks: Ty Storey QB/6-foot-3/216 lbs.
Despite having two SEC wins last season, Arkansas was one of the tougher teams to play in the SEC with their brute defense and downhill running game. Their biggest weakness was in DEtheir passing game which they ranked 100th in the nation. Brandon Allen is mediocre at best and is not going to be able to consistently throw on the talented defensive backs in the SEC. An upgrade seems necessary for the Razorbacks and Ty Storey provides that.Storey was ranked in the top-10 for pro-style quarterbacks. He is an early-enrollee for the Razorbacks and will have months to get a gauge of the playbook and get a feel for the talent level while practicing against his teammates.
Auburn Tigers: Byron Cowart DE/6-foot-4/250 lbs.
The 2014 Auburn defense was ranked 64th in the country and gave up nearly 400 yards per game. Auburn fired defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson and hired recently fired Florida head coach Will Muschamp. Muschamp was able to reel in the number 1 defensive end recruit Byron Cowart whom he had been recruiting heavily at Florida. With Auburn averaging only 1.6 sacks per game, Cowart will add a much need pass rush off the edge. After seeing the success of Myles Garrett in his freshman year at Texas A&M, it would not shock me to see Cowart have similar success in 2015.
LSU Tigers: Arden Key DE/6-foot-5/230 lbs.
LSU finished with the 5th best recruiting class and will have a lot of freshman with early play-time. LSU lost both starting defensive ends, giving Arden Key the largest burden of this recruiting class. Key was a longtime South Carolina commit until Steve Spurrier’s future with the team became unclear. LSU head coach Les Miles has already compared him to the likes of former Tiger Barkevious Mingo due to his long and athletic frame. Key is one of two defensive line commits in this class and with a lack of defensive end experience, he will be on the field early and often.
Mississippi Rebels: Chad Kelly QB/6-foot-1/210 lbs.
I’m breaking my rules, but junior college transfer Chad Kelly is the most significant incomer for Ole Miss. The one-time Clemson Tiger left the program and spent a year at East Mississippi Community College. He was ranked the top junior college quarterback and will have the opportunity to be the starter with Bo Wallace graduating. Kelly has had his fair share of legal issues and that could be a reason he might not see the field early. If Kelly can calm down and manage to stay away from the Oxford nightlife, he could make a huge impact for the Rebels in his last two years of eligibility.
Mississippi State Bulldogs: Leo Lewis/6-foot-3/225 lbs.
The Bulldogs shocked the SEC last year with their best season in school history. Dan Mullen’s squad is not losing a lot of talent and will be right back in the thick of things next season. The biggest loss for the Bulldogs is likely first round pick and All-American ILB Benardrick McKinney. The Bulldogs managed to snag Lewis after his commitments to Alabama, Ole Miss, and a late push from LSU. He has the size and strength to compete at the high-level of play that the SEC provides.
Texas A&M Aggies: Daylon Mack DT/6-foot-1/330 lbs.
With the hideous defense that the Aggies displayed last year, this might be one of the easiest picks I had to make. Mack had one of the most interesting recruitments with multiple leaders and a decommitment from the Aggies. Mack won’t be the biggest defensive tackle in the SEC but his explosiveness and big-man athleticism will give him the tools he needs to be successful against the guards and centers of the SEC. A combination of Myles Garret and Mack will be hard to contain. Dual threat quarterback Kyler Murray was a close second to Mack but with a defense ranking #102 in the nation, they need all the help they can get on the south side of the ball.
*Section Photo credit to Longview News-Journal; Featured Photo (above) credit to 247Sports
