In the fourth football season after the 2013 recruiting class, we get a strong sample size of which programs improved their status and which individuals exceeded expectations and, on the other side of the spectrum, underperformed.
Many of 2013’s best recruits have already bolted the SEC for the NFL. For those who remained, some celebrated Senior Day last week; others will Saturday.
We graded the SEC teams and highlight the key players who exceeded their star ratings and fell short of them.
ALABAMA: A+
With names like Reuben Foster, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Allen, O.J. Howard, and A’Shawn Robinson, it doesn’t get any better than that. Alabama had the nation’s top recruiting class in 2013, according to 247sports.
Exceeded stars: Three-star Eddie Jackson blossomed into one of the top DBs in the country before a suffering a season-ending injury (fractured leg).
Fell short: Four-star Alvin Kamara never played at Alabama, although he has shined at times with Tennessee.
ARKANSAS: B
Ninth in the SEC and 23rd nationally, the Razorbacks hauled in standouts Alex Collins, Hunter Henry, Denver Kirkland and Austin Allen.
Exceeded stars: Three-star Dan Skipper worked his way into one of the best offensive linemen in college football. At 6-10 and 331 pounds, Skipper certainly is one of the more imposing figures on the gridiron.
Fell short: Three-star offensive lineman Reeve Koehler just never panned out at Arkansas. The 6-3, 320 guard from Hawaii dislocated his kneecap, hampering his development as a contributor to the program.
AUBURN: A
Ranked sixth in the SEC and 10th in the nation, Auburn’s recruiting class was filled with mostly overachieving 3-stars. The group complimented 5-stars Montravius Adams and Carl Lawson.
Exceeded stars: As mentioned, 3-stars carried the day for Auburn. Among the group is QB Nick Marshall, RBs Peyton Barber and Camero Artis-Payne, and K Daniel Carlson.
Fell short: Four-star DE Elijah Daniel appeared in 27 games for the Tigers before being dismissed from the team following his arrest on theft and burglary charges.
FLORIDA: A
The Gators ranked second in the SEC and third in the country, well-deserved ratings given stars Vernon Hargreaves III, Kelvin Taylor and Demarcus Robinson highlighted the class.
Exceeded stars: Three-star LB Jarrad Davis has fought through injuries this season to lead the team in tackles with 56 in his senior season. He was second on the team with 98 tackles last season.
Fell short: Four-star LB Matt Rolin played in just three games before giving up football after an ACL injury.
GEORGIA: A
Seventh in the SEC and 12th in the country, the Bulldogs boasted a class led by NFL Chicago Bears LB Leonard Floyd.
Exceeded stars: Three-star DT Chris Mayes rose to become worthy of a look from the NFL Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent.
Fell short: Four-star WR Tramel Terry never panned out after suffering an ACL injury. He has transferred and is listed as a RB at Jacksonville State. Brice Ramsey was the No. 6-rated pro-style quarterback but has been passed over repeatedly on the depth chart.
KENTUCKY: C
Ranked only 13th in the SEC, the Wildcats were still 34th in the nation in recruiting for the 2013 season, pumped up by NFL Baltimore Ravens DE Za’Darius Smith.
Exceeded stars: Three-star WR Javess Blue worked up to a talent the NFL Green Bay Packers took notice of. He was waived by the team before this season and remains a free agent.
Fell short: Four-star DE Jason Hatcher, the top-rated player in the Cats’ class, never reached his potential in Lexington and transferred to West Georgia.
LSU: A
Ranked third in the SEC, the Tigers were sixth in the nation with a plethora of 4-star talent.
Exceeded stars: Three-star LB Duke Riley has improved enough to earn a starting spot in the Tigers’ linebacker corps.
Fell short: Four-star CB Jeryl Brazil was dismissed from the team after a third brush with law enforcement. He ultimately enrolled at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: B
Highlighted by standouts Chris Jones and Fred Ross, the Bulldogs came away with a better than average haul.
Exceeded stars: Three-star WR De’Runnya Wilson lifted himself to one of the nation’s top receivers. He was rated just the No. 180 receiver in the class. After an arrest, however, Wilson went undrafted and in October was signed to the NFL Chicago Bears’ practice squad.
Fell short: Three-star OL Jake Thomas was the fifth-highest ranked player in the Bulldogs’ 2013 class, but never made an impact and eventually ended his career after an injury.
MISSOURI: C
The lowest ranked recruiting class among all SEC teams, the Tigers were still 43rd in the nation with nearly an entire class of 3-star recruits.
Exceeded stars: Two-star DE Charles Harris has made dramatic improvements each season with the Tigers. Sixth on the team in tackles last season, Harris is second on the team with 58 stops. He’s tied for third in the SEC with 9.0 sacks.
Fell short: Four-star DT Josh Augusta was the highest-ranked recruit at Missouri in 2013. He hasn’t lived up to expectations, ranking just 18th on the team in tackles this season with 22. His best season was in 2015 when he finished 10th on the team in tackles with 27.
OLE MISS: A
This was the class that started the Rebels run to its highest levels since the 1960s. The trio of Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil and Laquon Treadwell were all top rated players nationally at their respective positions.
Exceeded stars: Three-star WR Evan Engram has steadily improved and leads the SEC in receiving yards. He is approaching 1,000 yards for the season and has scored eight touchdowns.
Fell short: Four-star OT Austin Golson played 12 games as a true freshman at Ole Miss before deciding to transfer closer to home at Auburn.
SOUTH CAROLINA: B
A Top 20 class nationally, South Carolina brought in a nice class of athletes in one of Steve Spurrier’s final classes.
Exceeded stars: Three-star athlete Pharoh Cooper defied the odds and became the second-leading receiver in the SEC last season, averaging 81.7 receiving yards per game, on his way to catching on with the NFL Los Angeles Rams. Skai Moore also was a 3-star recruit who blossomed into an All-SEC performer.
Fell short: Four-star DT Kelsey Griffin was the highest rated player in the Gamecocks’ class. But he has yet to live up to expectations. With a career-high 30 tackles this season, Griffin is still just 12th on the team in that department.
TENNESSEE: B
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs, a 4-star signee, leads this Vols class that ranked only 10th in the SEC but 24th in the nation.
Exceeded stars: Three-star CB Cameron Sutton has done it all for the Vols. Hitting the ground running upon arriving on campus, Sutton has played in 43 games, recorded 120 tackles, 13 for loss. He has seven interceptions and three fumble recoveries. In addition, he’s returned three punts for touchdowns.
Fell short: Four-star DE Jason Carr didn’t fit in with the Vols and has since transferred to Northeast Mississippi Community College.
TEXAS A&M: A
A top 10 recruiting class nationally, the Aggies brought in WR Ricky Seals-Jones and DE Daeshon Hall with this haul.
Exceeded stars: Three-star athlete Shaan Washington has steadily improved at linebacker and currently leads the Aggies this season with 82 tackles.
Fell short: Four-star DT Justin Manning was the second-highest rated player for Texas A&M in this class, next to Seals-Jones, but his career never took off. Injury forced him to give up football. Quarterback Kenny Hill was a 4-star recruit who quickly fell out of favor after a hot start.
VANDERBILT: B
Vandy’s class finished 12th in the SEC and was No. 26 nationally, headlined by Zach Cunningham, a 4-star prospect from Alabama who leads the SEC in tackles.
Exceeded stars: Three-star RB Ralph Webb was the second-lowest rated recruit at Vanderbilt in the class of 2013. He has rushed for 1,000 yards for a second consecutive season and is fifth in the SEC in rushing, averaging 96.18 yards per game. He needs 27 yards Saturday to become Vandy’s all-time leading rusher.
Fell short: Four-star DT Jay Woods was the second-highest ranked recruit at Vanderbilt behind Cunningham but never made much on an impact. He never reached the top 10 on the team in tackles, rising as high as 11th last season.
Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.
