Remembering Class of 2012: Recruiting booms, busts in SEC East
Every recruiting cycle produces studs and duds. Here are the Class of 2012 booms and busts in the SEC East.
FLORIDA
Boom: Dante Fowler, DE – Fowler flipped to the Gators from FSU on signing day in 2012 and spent the next three years terrorizing opposing offenses from the “Buck” position in Will Muschamp’s designed defenses. Fowler had over 120 tackles, 33.5 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks in three seasons. He was a freshman All-American and first-team All-SEC performer as a junior. Fowler was drafted third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Bust: Kent Taylor, TE – Entered the program as top “flex” tight end in the nation by Rivals.com but lasted just two seasons at Florida playing in six games (all as a freshman) and recorded one catch. Taylor transferred to Kansas and fared a little better this season with 15 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown. Apparently he is trying or tried to transfer to USF as a graduate transfer but nothing has been confirmed.
GEORGIA
Boom: Todd Gurley, RB – Although Keith Marshall was the higher-rated running back in the class, Gurley proved to be the star and became the program’s second true freshman to rush for over a 1,000 yards (joining Herschel Walker). He had over 3,000 yards in three seasons as a Bulldog and was a two-time All-SEC performer. Gurley was drafted 10th overall by the St. Louis Rams in 2015 and was the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season.
Bust: Jonathan Taylor, DT – When Taylor was on the field he showed signs of being quite productive but the problems came off the field. A domestic violence charge got him kicked out of Georgia but he resurfaced after a stint in junior college and committed to Alabama before being kicked out of that program with ANOTHER domestic violence charge. He’s currently playing out the rest of his career at Southeastern Louisiana.
KENTUCKY
Boom: Patrick Towles, QB – Slim pickings here as Kentucky’s class ranked last in the SEC and 50th overall, but Towles did throw for over 5,000 yards with 24 touchdowns and 24 interceptions before transferring. Towles, the lone four-star in the class, also had 11 rushing touchdowns. Towles will play for Boston College in 2016 as a graduate transfer.
Bust: Thomas Chapman, DT – The second-highest rated player in the Wildcats 2012 class lasted one season and was part of the roster purge that coach Mark Stoops executed after taking the job. Chapman is at Murray State.
MISSOURI
Boom: Evan Boehm, OC – Boehm was one of top recruits in a class that included WR Dorial Green-Beckham, but no one could have expected 52 straight starts from the Missouri ironman. Boehm did a year at guard and three years at center, leading two SEC East championship teams before being selected in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
Bust: Maty Mauk, QB – Mauk was thought to be the program’s next great QB and early on he appeared to be on the right path. He was SEC Freshman of week three times in 2013 and followed it up with a breakout 2014 season with 2,648 yards and 25 touchdown passes. But Mauk had legal issues in 2013 and was suspended for much of the 2015 season, losing his job to Drew Lock. After a video surfaced of Mauk snorting a white substance he was dismissed from Missouri. Mauk is now at Eastern Kentucky.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Boom: Mike Davis, RB – Davis stepped in after Marcus Lattimore suffered another major injury and rushed for 1,183 yards and 11 touchdowns in a sophomore and 982 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior. Davis was also one of the better running backs in the conference at pass catching as he had 70 catches for 755 yards. Davis was second team All-SEC in 2013 and was drafted in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Bust: Kwinton Smith, WR – A former four-star prospect, Smith couldn’t crack the depth chart in his first two years with the program and then-coach Steve Spurrier even mentioned Smith as someone who “might not make it” after he was academically ineligible for the 2014 Capital One Bowl. Smith decided to transfer shortly after and decided to play baseball.
TENNESSEE
Boom: LaDarrell McNeil, S – The four-star prospect made 41 starts over four seasons and was a nice story when it looked like his football career would end because of neck ailments but he returned to the field early in the 2015 season. McNeil was on the freshman All-SEC team and had 219 tackles and five interceptions in his career.
Bust: Omari Phillips, DL – Seventeen of the 40 players Derek Dooley recruited in 2011 and 2012 left after two years or less. That’s astonishing. Phillips was a late addition in 2012 after he was denied entry at Florida. He played one game and left the team while being suspended for a violation of team rules.
VANDERBILT
Boom – Stephen Weatherly, DE – Weatherly started the majority of his games in 2014 and 2015 and became the first Commodore drafted since 2014 when he was selected in the seventh round by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2016 NFL Draft. Weatherly had 10.5 sacks and 25 tackles for loss during his three seasons at Vanderbilt.
Bust: Brian Kimbrow, RB – The only four-star recruit in Vanderbilt’s class rushed for 755 yards in his only two seasons with the Commodores. He was suspended in 2014 for detrimental conduct and did not play for Vanderbilt again. He announced a graduate transfer to Middle Tennessee State for the 2016 season but left that program in May.