With much of the 2012 recruiting class either in the NFL or done with their eligibility, it’s a fair time to look back at the class and see who panned out and who flamed out.
ALABAMA
Boom: Amari Cooper, WR – Take your pick here as Landon Collins and Reggie Ragland are also very good choices, but Cooper stepped in the program and ascended to the No. 1 receiver spot quickly. He caught touchdown passes in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia and the BCS National Championship Game against Notre Dame to cap off his amazing freshman year. Cooper was selected fourth overall in the 2015 NFL Draft and had a 1,000-yard season for the Oakland Raiders as a rookie. He’s not even 22 yet.
Bust: Eddie Williams, CB – Williams, a five-star prospect, was supposed to be the next great defensive back for Nick Saban and Kirby Smart to develop into a superstar. However, Williams’ career never got off the ground thanks to a plethora of legal issues from robbery charges to being linked to an improper teacher-student relationship at his former high school.
ARKANSAS
Boom: Jonathan Williams, RB – Even though he was involved in a timeshare situation with Alex Collins, Williams had over 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in sophomore and junior seasons combined. A foot injury kept him off the field as a senior, but he was drafted in the fifth round by the Buffalo Bills and has performed well despite dealing with a lot of heartbreak in his personal life.
Bust: Demetrius Dean, TE – The former four-star prospect played in five games as a freshman and left the program soon after.
AUBURN
Boom: Ricardo Louis, WR – Although the Tigers almost lost Louis when he temporarily flipped to Florida State late in the process, Louis had several bright moments as a Tiger although he made some interesting comments about his development after being drafted in the fourth round by the Cleveland Browns. Regardless of those comments, no Auburn fan will ever forget Louis’ best day.
https://youtu.be/XkpDz8YyVD8
Bust: Zeke Pike, QB – As a recruit, Pike was one of those prospects that seemed to walk to the beat of his own drum. Unfortunately, his time at Auburn didn’t last long and he transferred to Louisville and switched positions to tight end. He transferred from Louisville after legal problems and ended up at Murray State before being dismissed from that program following an arrest. Pike’s problems have continued, and his football career has ended.
LSU
Boom: Jeremy Hill, RB – After taking a redshirt year, Hill rushed for 2,156 yards and 28 touchdowns in two seasons with the Tigers. He was a First-Team All-SEC performer in 2013. Hill had some legal troubles at LSU and made an effort to explain himself to NFL teams before the 2014 draft. He was selected in the second round by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Bust: Avery Peterson, WR – The younger brother of Patrick Peterson struggled to make it on campus and didn’t make much of an impact on the field once he did. He transferred to Cincinnati after a couple of seasons.
MISSISSIPPI STATE
Boom: Will Redmond, ATH – He had 99 tackles and 5 interceptions in 27 starts at corner and nickelback. Redmond was expected to be one of the first cornerbacks taken in the 2016 NFL Draft, but his senior season was cut short with a torn ACL and concerns over his injury dropped him to the third round, where he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers.
Bust: Quay Evans, DT – Evans, one of the top prospects in the Bulldogs’ class, couldn’t stay out of the police blotter and eventually transferred to West Georgia but continued to have legal trouble that forced him back to Starkville. His most recent update was a story of him being arrested last year.
OLE MISS
Boom – Trae Elston, DB – Just a three-star prospectm Elston surpassed all expectations as a four-year starter who recorded over 250 tackles in his career. He was named a Second-Team All-American by the AP and was an All-SEC performer, according to the conference’s coaches. Elston was not invited to the NFL Combine and went undrafted despite running a 4.46 at Ole Miss’ Pro Day. Elston signed a free agent deal with the New Orleans Saints, and a betting man would likely bet on his success at the next level.
Bust: I’Tavius Mathers, RB – Mathers, a former four-star prospect, actually led Ole Miss with 563 yards rushing in 2013 but had slightly over 1,000 yards in three seasons and never made much of an impact. He transferred to Middle Tennessee State and will play out his redshirt senior season there.
TEXAS A&M
Boom: Germain Ifedi, OL – Continuing a great stretch of offensive linemen in the program, Ifedi was a three-year starter and a Freshman All-American by the Sporting News. He played both tackle positions during his time at Texas A&M and was drafted 31st overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks.
Bust: Thomas Johnson, WR – A promising recruit that left the program after one season. Unfortunately, tragedy followed.
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
