With National Signing Day complete, here's 100 words on every SEC team's class

Another National Signing Day has come and gone. Needless to say, the SEC did incredibly well on the recruiting trail once again.

According to the composite rankings at 247Sports, the best conference in America landed five of the Top 10 classes for 2017, including Alabama at No. 1 for the seventh straight year. What the Crimson Tide are doing is borderline unfair.

Second-year Georgia coach Kirby Smart solidified himself as an ace recruiter and signed the No. 3 class. LSU coach Ed Orgeron justified his promotion by finishing at No. 7. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn came in at No. 9 despite what’s going on in Tuscaloosa. Florida coach Jim McElwain silenced some critics by creeping up to No. 10.

No other Power 5 league placed more than two schools in the Top 10. From the Big Ten, Ohio State was No. 2 and Michigan was No. 5. From the ACC, Florida State was No. 6. From the Big 12, Oklahoma was No. 8. From the Pac-12, USC was No. 4.

With the fax machines safely put away until next February, here’s a snapshot for each of the SEC’s 14 member institutions in a hundred words or so.

ALABAMA

5-stars: 6
4-stars: 18
3-stars: 4

So long as coach Nick Saban is in charge, there’s no reason to think that the Tide won’t ink the premier recruiting class in the country each and every year. Of the six 5-star kids on the books, five of them are already on campus as early enrollees. They added the No. 1 high school player available in the state of Alabama, Florida, Hawaii and Kentucky, plus the No. 1 JUCO player on the market in California and Mississippi. Running back Najee Harris was arguably the best prospect for 2017 regardless of position, and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was rated higher than Jalen Hurts.

Final class ranking: No. 1

ARKANSAS

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 4
3-stars: 20

Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Razorbacks have nine early enrollees on campus in Fayetteville, highlighted by 4-star receiver Brandon Martin, who’s a JUCO transfer. However, seven of them are on the offensive side of the football. While it’s a better balance among the 16 players that signed Wednesday, the overwhelming sentiment for the Hogs is more reinforcements are needed on D. The secondary definitely got an upgrade, though. Cornerback Chevin Calloway and safety Montaric Brown were both 4-star prospects. Calloway is from the Dallas area, which is great because Texas has been a priority, although only two of 25 total signees are from the Lone Star State.

Final class ranking: No. 28

AUBURN

5-stars: 1
4-stars: 10
3-stars: 12

JUCO transfer Jarrett Stidham, who has already played some big-time quarterback at Baylor, got Malzahn’s haul for 2017 off on the right foot. Stidham is a pure passer, which Malzahn hasn’t had since returning to The Plains. Even if he’s the only 5-star signee in the class, offensive tackle Calvin Ashley is a prototype blind-side pass protector. More reinforcements along the O-line are on the way in the form of guard Nick Brahms and tackle Austin Troxell. Both were 4-star prospects. The front seven continues to reload with defensive end Markaviest Bryant and linebackers Kenney Britt and Tadarian Moultry, who were also 4-star kids.

Final class ranking: No. 9

FLORIDA

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 11
3-stars: 12

A week before signing day, the Gators were in big trouble with whom they had committed. Fortunately for McElwain, he got a flurry of pledges down the stretch and made quite a jump in the final standings. There are only five early enrollees, but tackle Kadeem Telfort and tight end Kemore Gamble – both 4-star signees – should help an offense that desperately needs it. Two 4-star receivers, James Robinson and Daquon Green, will also have every chance to see the field immediately. Quarterback continues to be a concern, though. Jake Allen was just a 3-star kid and the No. 35 QB prospect nationally.

Final class ranking: No. 10

GEORGIA

5-stars: 2
4-stars: 18
3-stars: 6

The Bulldogs signed two 5-star talents in this cycle. One, safety Richard LeCounte III, is from the Peach State. The other, offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson, is from New York. Not only is Smart’s message being heard close to home, but it’s reverberating in other parts of the country, too. Three more 4-star O-linemen – Andrew Thomas, Netori Johnson and D’Antne Demery – were needed desperately to make UGA beefier in the trenches. There were also three 4-star receivers in Jeremiah Holloman, Mark Webb and Trey Blount. Even though Jacob Eason was a 5-star stud for 2016, some recruiting gurus like 4-star quarterback prospect Jake Fromm even better.

Final class ranking: No. 3

KENTUCKY

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 4
3-stars: 20

The Wildcats have seven early enrollees, including quarterback Danny Clark, although all of them got a 3-star grade. This class for Mark Stoops was buoyed by a quartet of 4-star signees in receiver JaVonte Richardson, defensive end Joshua Paschal and athletes Lynn Bowden and Tyrell Ajian. Bowden was primarily a QB in high school, but he projects to be a dynamic offensive weapon both running and receiving. Ajian can help in the passing game and also has return skills. Bowden, Richardson and Ajian are all from talent-rich Ohio. Stoops, a native of the Buckeye State, is recruiting well back home.

Final class ranking: No. 29

LSU

5-stars: 1
4-stars: 15
3-stars: 8

Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

It all begins at the game’s most important position for the Tigers. If Orgeron can’t get things figured out at quarterback, then he’s just Les Miles without the ring. Two 4-star QBs were part of this class, Myles Brennan and Lowell Narcisse. While Brennan was the higher-rated prospect, Narcisse was an early enrollee and will have an extra spring under his belt by the time Brennan arrives. The lone 5-star added, safety JaCoby Stevens, should continue the pipeline of talent from Baton Rouge to the NFL in the secondary. Three more 4-star DBs – Grant Delphit, Todd Harris and Kary Vincent – were signed, too.

Final class ranking: No. 7

OLE MISS

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 3
3-stars: 19

Not too long ago, the Rebels were in danger of finishing outside the Top 50. Coach Hugh Freeze and Co. managed to rise up the final rankings a bit, but this class is still nothing like what they’ve attracted in recent years. The cloud of NCAA suspicion surrounding the program is clearly keeping a lot of elite talent away from Oxford. Nevertheless, Breon Dixon was a 4-star linebacker pulled out from under Smart’s nose in Georgia. D.D. Bowie, a 4-star receiver, decided to stay home in the Magnolia State. Defensive end Chester Graves was the No. 1 prospect in Missouri but spurned Mizzou.

Final class ranking: No. 30

MISSISSIPPI STATE

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 4
3-stars: 18

With an SEC-leading 13 early enrollees, the Bulldogs have more than half of their recruiting class in Starkville already and that much closer to contributing as freshmen. Chauncey Rivers, a 4-star JUCO transfer, is expected to be in the mix at defensive end from Day 1. Keytaon Thompson was a highly rated quarterback, although presumably he’ll have to sit and wait his turn behind Nick Fitzgerald. With Richie Brown out of eligibility, 4-star linebacker Willie Gay was a necessary addition. As was 4-star running back Kylin Hill, who might be able to take some of the considerable offensive load off of Fitzgerald’s shoulders.

Final class ranking: No. 24

MISSOURI

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 0
3-stars: 23

If Ole Miss isn’t the most disappointed team in the SEC with signing day in the rearview mirror, then it’s Mizzou. Not a single 4- or 5-star talent signed on the dotted line for the Tigers. Even worse, of the 12 prospects in the Show Me State rated 3-stars or better, coach Barry Odom only nabbed one of them: 3-star athlete Daron Davis. As mentioned above, Graves went to Mississippi. Marquis Hayes, a 4-star guard, is off to Oklahoma. Jaevon McQuitty, a 4-star receiver, enrolled early at Nebraska. At least Odom inked the No. 1 player in New Mexico, 3-star defensive end Nate Anderson.

Final class ranking: No. 50

SOUTH CAROLINA

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 6
3-stars: 19

Nobody has ever questioned Will Muschamp’s capacity to recruit. It’s his ability to coach that’s still up in the air. But after exceeding expectations on the field in 2016, the Gamecocks did the same on signing day in 2017. Of the five early enrollees, receiver OrTre Smith and defensive end MJ Webb were both 4-star acquisitions. The premier player in the class – No. 74 overall, as a matter of fact – is 4-star cornerback Jamyest Williams, who turned offers from the two national title game participants, Alabama and Clemson. Like Webb, two more 4-star signees are D-ends in Javon Kinlaw and Brad Johnson.

Final class ranking: No. 21

TENNESSEE

5-stars: 1
4-stars: 4
3-stars: 23

Credit: Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK

It’s possible that coach Butch Jones is running out of bricks in his effort to rebuild the program, as the Volunteers haven’t finished this low in the recruiting rankings since 2013. That being said, if 5-star offensive tackle Trey Smith is everything he’s projected to be, then the Vols are on their way to being a lot better up front. He was the No. 1 player in Tennessee. Three of the 4-star additions play defense: safety Maleik Gray, tackle Eric Crosby and linebacker Will Ignont. The one 4-star get on the offensive side of the ball, running back Ty Chandler, was also an in-state target.

Final class ranking: No. 17

TEXAS A&M

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 9
3-stars: 18

The Aggies have been top-heavy recently, boasting some transcendent talents but not enough depth to compete for a full season in the SEC. While this class may lack a 5-star stud, it has a nice balance of 3- and 4-star kids on both sides of the ball. Nothing would make coach Kevin Sumlin’s job easier than some stability at quarterback, and he may have found it in 4-star addition Kellen Mond. He’s from Texas but played his senior year at IMG Academy, which also produced Florida State’s Deondre Francois. One of Mond’s targets at IMG, 4-star receiver Jhamon Ausbon, followed him to College Station.

Final class ranking: No. 12

VANDERBILT

5-stars: 0
4-stars: 0
3-stars: 17

Bringing up the rear in the SEC as far as recruiting rankings go was Vandy. Needless to say, the academic standards in Nashville make it difficult for coach Derek Mason to hit home runs on signing day. He can accumulate enough singles and doubles to give more talented programs fits, though. Like Missouri, there wasn’t a 4- or 5-star prospect that pledged for the Commodores. Nevertheless, 3-star quarterback Jacob Free was touted enough to get an offer from Bobby Petrino at Louisville. He’s the top-rated player in this class, even if he could do no better than No. 612 nationally.

Final class ranking: No. 63

* All recruiting figures courtesy of the composite rankings at 247Sports

John Crist is the senior writer for Saturday Down South, a member of the FWAA and a voter for the Heisman Trophy. Send him an e-mail, like him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.