How did the 2011 class pan out? SDS takes a look as we continue our daily dissection of position groups from that recruiting season. Since linebackers are broken into two categories (inside, outside), we’ll take the Top 5 inside linebackers and Top 5 outside and combine the lists into one:

Revisiting 2011 recruiting

Note: Recruiting rankings are in reference to 247sports’ industry composite from 2011. 

SEC Spin

Most of the SEC’s impact linebackers from this class were ranked outside of the Top 10 including a pair of Georgia Bulldogs — Amarlo Herrera and Ramik Wilson — along with Ole Miss pass rusher Serderius Bryant. C.J. Johnson, another incoming Rebel, was a four-star.

The league’s highest-rated player at the position was Alabama’s Trey DePriest out of Springfield, Ohio, a can’t miss five and one of the Crimson Tide’s crowned jewels in an elite class. After re-ranking the Top 10 based on collegiate output, the SEC owns with seven featured players.

Biggest Bust

Curtis Grant, the nation’s top-ranked inside linebacker in the 2011 class, never lived up to the hype at Ohio State despite securing a starting job during his junior campaign in 2013 after losing it three games into the previous season. He’ll leave the Buckeyes with 121 tackles over his final two years, but Grant was never the impact, all-conference player Ohio State thought they were signing in a nationwide top-heavy defensive class that included player of the year Jadeveon Clowney.

Most Impressive Overachievers

Four-star A.J. Johnson was listed as a weakside defensive end-linebacker hybrid as a prep senior in Gainesville, Ga., but went on to master the primary tackler position at Tennessee, leaving the program in 2014 with a record-setting 207 assisted tackles and 425 career total (second only to Andy Spiva’s 547).

Johnson was a two-time All-SEC linebacker, starting 44 games in his career as the SEC East’s leading tackler during that span before being suspended from all team activities in November for his role in an alleged sexual assault.

Mizzou’s Kentrell Brothers has vastly outplayed his three-star rating during his time with the Tigers. After starting 13 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Brothers moved to the weakside spot last season and finished second in the SEC in total tackles. He posted a career-high 14 stops against Alabama in the league title game.

Luckily for Gary Pinkel’s defensive staff, Mizzou has the rising senior one more season.

Re-Grading the Top 10

2011 No. 1: Karlos Williams, Florida State (OLB), five-star
New No. 1: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State (OLB), four-star

An early exit and first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers following a brilliant three-year career at Ohio State, Shazier was everything the Buckeyes coaching staff saw in the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. native and more in their 2011 haul. Shazier started all 26 games over his final two years, accumulating 259 total tackles and 11 sacks during that span. He was a multi-time all-conference player and was named a first-team All-American as well as a Butkus, Bednarik and Lott finalist as a junior in 2013.

2011 No. 2: Tony Steward, Clemson (OLB), five-star
New No. 2: A.J. Johnson, Tennessee (ILB), four-star

A tackling machine with some of the best instincts at the position the SEC has ever seen, A.J. Johnson led the Volunteers in tackles each of his final three seasons and managed 30.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage as a four-year starter.

2011 No. 3: Stephone Anthony, Clemson (OLB), five-star
New No. 3: Karlos Williams, Florida State (OLB), five-star

Williams’ career at Florida State includes a national championship during a 2013 campaign during which he changed positions to running back and starred for the unbeaten Seminoles. He made plays on defense and special teams during his first two seasons before Jimbo Fisher decided to utilize his athleticism elsewhere. Considered a Doak Walker and All-America candidate entering his final season, Williams handled second-team carries behind fabulous freshman Dalvin Cook. His 2015 draft stock has plummeted as a result, but the five-star still proved to be a very productive player during his tenure in Tallahassee.

2011 No. 4: Curtis Grant, Ohio State (ILB), five-star
New No. 4: Stephone Anthony, Clemson (OLB), five-star

Arguably the top-rated linebacker in this year’s draft class, Anthony was a two-time All-SEC performer during three seasons as a starter at Clemson and led Brent Venables’ defense in tackles each of the last two years. Anthony accumulated 330 career total tackles (34 in the backfield), nine sacks and several pass-breakups in Death Valley. He was a finalist for the Butkus award as a senior last season.

2011 No. 5: Steve Edmond, Texas (ILB), five-star
New No. 5: Amarlo Herrera, Georgia (ILB), four-star

Herrera finishes a stellar four-year stint with over 300 career tackles. He earned a starting job early during his sophomore season and never relinquished his opportunity to shine.

2011 No. 6: Trey DePriest, Alabama (ILB), five-star
New No. 6: Trey DePriest, Alabama (ILB), five-star

2011 No. 7: Lawrence Thomas, Michigan St. (ILB), four-star
New No. 7: C.J. Johnson, Ole Miss, (ILB), four-star

2011 No. 8: Travis Hughes, North Carolina (OLB), four-star
New No. 8: Steve Edmond, Texas (ILB), five-star

2011 No. 9: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State (OLB), four-star
New No. 9: Ramik Wilson, Georgia (ILB), three-star

2011 No. 10: James Vaughters, Stanford (OLB), four-star
New No. 10: Kentrell Brothers, Mizzou (OLB), three-star