Every SEC team’s best in-state, out-of-state commitment for 2017

Alabama has set the pace in the SEC with six declared commitments out of the 247 Sports Composite top 50 recruits. Tennessee, Georgia and LSU each have in-state commitments from top 50 players. Using 247’s rankings, we take a look at each SEC team’s top incoming players. Commitments are not binding until Dec. 14 for JUCO transfers and Feb. 1 (national signing day) for others.

ALABAMA

Best in-state: Markail Benton (above), outside linebacker, 4-star, No. 2 in state, No. 90 nationally

Best out-of-state: Najee Harris, running back, 5-star, No. 1 in California, No. 1 nationally

Skinny: Harris is the top overall prospect in the country, and while he seems solid to Alabama, the California native also is in the middle of visits to Cal, Michigan, UCLA and possibly Ohio State and USC. Harris had 2,776 yards  and a 9.5 yards-per-carry average with 34 touchdowns and 12 100-yard games. He’s scheduled to  participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio on Jan. 7 and is one of six finalists for the U.S. Army Player of the Year award. Benton is dealing with knee and shoulder injuries and will miss the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game, but he plans to play in the Jan. 1 Under Armour All-America game in Orlando.

AUBURN

Best in-state: Tadarian Moultry, inside linebacker, 4-star, No. 4 in Alabama, No. 117 nationally

Best out-of-state: Calvin Ashley, offensive tackle, 5-star, No. 1 in D.C., No. 30 nationally

Skinny: These two lead the 10th-ranked class in the country that is fifth in the SEC. Moultry is only expected to officially visit Auburn, and will play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in January. Ashley was Auburn’s first commitment of the 2017 class. Originally from Orlando, the 6-foot-6, 310-pounder is attending St. John’s College High School in Washington D.C. He’s flirted with Maryland recently.

ARKANSAS

Best in-state: Montaric Brown, safety, 4-star, No. 2 in state, No. 190 nationally

Best out-of-state: Jeremy Patton, tight end, 4-star, No. 1  in Indiana, No. 10 JUCO nationally

Skinny: Brown recently committed to the Hogs to upgrade a class that is now ranked 10th in the SEC and 24th in the country. He had five interceptions and 122 tackles last season in high school. Patton, of Indianapolis, is 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, and played for Arizona Western College before his commitment. Patton helped that team finish runner-up for the National Junior College Athletic Association championship.

FLORIDA

Best in-state: Zachary Carter, defensive end, 4-star, No. 24 in state, No. 131 nationally

Best out-of-state: Elijah Blades, cornerback, 4-star, No. 17 in California, No. 161 nationally

Skinny: Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins’ departure for Temple is already having an impact, but Carter seems committed to Florida despite recent offers from Oregon and Alabama. Blades, meanwhile, is getting plenty of interest from USC to play in Pasadena, his hometown, in part because of his 6-foot-3 frame. He’s one of three cornerbacks the Gators already have in this class.

GEORGIA

Best in-state: Richard LeCounte III, safety, 5-star, No. 2 in state, No. 27 nationally

Best out-of-state: D’Andre Swift, running back, 4-star, No. 1 in Pennsylvania, No. 36 nationally

Skinny: LeCounte will be remembered as Kirby Smart’s first recruit and the first recruit for this class, which is ranked third in the country and second in the SEC. He’s set to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He had 100 tackles and 11 for a loss during the season. In a Pennsylvania 6A state title game, Swift had 140 yards on 26 carries. The all-purpose back has drawn attention recently from Penn State.

KENTUCKY

Best in-state: Walker Wood, quarterback, 3-star, No. 4 in state, No. 933 nationally

Best out-of-state: JaVonte Richardson, wide receiver, 4-star, No. 8 in Ohio, No. 227 nationally

Skinny: In what has been a winning priority for Mark Stoops and Co., Richardson hails from talent-rich Ohio, where many of the Wildcats recent recruits have come from. Wood, a dual threat QB, suffered a knee injury in a state championship loss. Despite surgery, he still plans to enroll in January. Wood is 6-foot and 189 pounds, and was recruited to UK as an “athlete,” but expects to compete at quarterback.

LSU

Best in-state: Tyler Shelvin, defensive tackle, 4-star, No. 1 in state, No. 39 nationally

Best out-of-state: JaCoby Stevens, safety, 5-star, No. 2 in Tennessee, No. 24 nationally

Skinny: Plenty of four and five stars in this class that’s ranked fifth in the country and third in the SEC. Stevens hails from Murfreesboro, Tenn. Shelvin, meanwhile, has the frame to be a legend as he tips the scales at 6-foot-2, 376 pounds. Stevens has committed to LSU twice, and stuck with the Tigers after Ed Orgeron was named head coach. He reportedly receives a call from Nick Saban weekly.

MISSOURI

Best in-state: Daron Davis, athlete, 3-star, No. 3 in state, No. 338 nationally

Best out-of-state: Jafar Armstrong, wide receiver, 3-star, No. 3 in Kansas, No. 487 nationally

Skinny: Davis, from Kansas City, was a running back and safety in high school but expects to play receiver in college. Armstrong chose the Tigers over several schools in the Midwest, and as a junior had more than 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns as his school won a second straight 4A state title. Armstrong recently won an award for being the top receiver in his area, and set a Kansas high school record with 45 career receiving touchdowns.

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Best in-state: Kylin Hill, running back, 4-star, No. 5 in state, No. 206 nationally

Best out-of-state: Keytaon Thompson, quarterback, 4-star, No. 9 in Louisiana, No. 238 nationally

Skinny: The Bulldogs have the ninth-best class so far in the SEC, and 21st in the country. Hill was the team’s first running back recruit for this class, and before he committed in May, he had 1,750 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. Thompson recently led his high school team to a 5A state title. He had 2,348 passing yards in 10 games, 29 touchdowns and only one interception, which was second best in the metro area. He also rushed for 879 yards and 14 TDs.

OLE MISS

Best in-state: D.D. Bowie, wide receiver, 4-star, No. 2 in state, No. 85 nationally

Best out-of-state: R.J. Sneed, wide receiver, 3-star, No. 59 in Texas, No. 429 nationally

Skinny: Bowie was an Alabama commit for more than four months before he flipped more than a year ago after he figured he committed too early. He was the first commitment for this class for the Rebels. Their other receiver commit in this class, Sneed, originally committed to TCU.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Best in-state: OrTre Smith, wide receiver, 4-star, No. 1 in state, No. 129 nationally

Best out-of-state: Jameyst Williams, cornerback, 4-star, No. 6 in Georgia, No. 54 nationally

Skinny: The 6-foot-4, 212-pound Smith committed to Will Muschamp at the start of the season, and as a junior, he had 84 catches for 1,364 yards and 18 touchdowns. Williams is one of the more versatile players in Georgia and the Under Armour All-American is taking other official visits.

TENNESSEE

Best in-state: Trey Smith, offensive tackle, 5-star, No. 3 in state, No. 26 nationally

Best out-of-state: Eric Crosby, defensive tackle, 4-star, No. 7 in Virginia, No. 228 nationally

Skinny: Smith is one of the best offensive linemen in this class. However, questions were raised when his sister worked for Butch Jones this summer. Smith was made a recruiting priority by Jones in 2014, but he didn’t commit until last week. Smith is 6-foot-5, 310 pounds. The Vols beat out closer-to-home Virginia Tech for Crosby, who also played fullback in high school. He reportedly made 26 college visits.

TEXAS A&M

Best in-state: Anthony Hines, inside linebacker, 4-star, No. 10 state, No. 77 nationally

Best out-of-state: Jhamon Ausbon, wide receiver, 4-star, No. 17 in Florida, No. 75 nationally
Skinny: In a blog for USA Today, Hines said defensive coordinator John Chavis and A&M’s business school helped convince him to commit to the Aggies over TCU and UCLA. Chavis has recruited Hines since the coach was at LSU and Hines was in the eighth grade. Speaking of LSU, Ausbon flipped from the Tigers last month following the firing of Les Miles.

VANDERBILT

Best in-state: N/A

Best out-of-state: Jacob Free, quarterback, 3-star, No. 30 Alabama, No. 582 nationally

Skinny: The Commodores have yet to land an in-state commitment, but have two commits from Georgia, three from Texas, and even three from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Free is a pro-style QB from Alabama and chose Vanderbilt over offers from Louisville, Marshall, Memphis, Temple and Western Kentucky. As a junior, he passed for 2,748 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season, and was awarded Class 1A all-state honors at Brantley High.

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.