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Man can’t live off of five-star blue-chip prospects alone. Every team has to land a couple of sleepers on their respective recruiting classes, and the teams that continuously get their sleeper recruits to pan out are the ones that stay at the top.
Here is a look at the guys we think can be recruiting gems in the 2016 class.
Florida — Jachai Polite, DL, Daytona Beach, Fla. (3 stars)
The Gators have had an incredible string of productive linemen come through the program in the past several years. Polite, at 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, can play inside or outside and may be a little underrated. He should develop into a consistent presence on the front four like Joey Ivie and Bryan Cox Jr. have.
Georgia — Chris Barnes, OT, Leesburg, Ga. (3 stars)
Barnes is the perfect size (6-foot-5, 270 pounds) to be a offensive lineman who can fit at four positions. Scheme versatility might be the most important asset an offensive lineman can have. Barnes probably projects as a right tackle but he can also play the guard positions.
Kentucky — A.J. Rose, ATH/RB, Cleveland, Ohio (3 stars)
Rose, 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, is a sleeper prospect out of Ohio who has gotten a lot of traction from Big Ten schools over the past month or so. He’s a big back with some toughness and speed and if Kentucky can keep him it would be a major boost to the Wildcats’ power running game.
Missouri — Trey Baldwin, OLB, Houston (3 stars)
The Tigers need more depth at linebacker and this 6-foot-2, 225-pound Texas prospect has the athleticism and physical play to provide it. Baldwin should be able to jump right in on special teams and provide a presence if he can’t break into the linebacker rotation right away.
South Carolina — JaCorey Morris, ILB, Grove Hill, Ala. (3 stars)
I thought Morris was one of the best five linebackers coming out of Alabama when I looked at him during the summer evaluation period. He’s a big kid (6-3, 220) and in Will Muschamp’s 3-4 scheme it’s important for the inside linebackers to be long and rangy enough for short coverage and to provide a physical presence against the run.
Tennessee — Brandon Johnson, WR, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (3 stars)
Johnson might not make a huge impact in 2016, but as he begins to put the raw talent together the 6-foot-3, 180-pound pass catcher from Fort Lauderdale should become a major part of the Tennessee downfield passing game over the next few years. Brandon’s father, Charles Johnson, was a former All-Star catcher who helped the Marlins win the 1997 World Series.
Vanderbilt — Braden Kopp, OT, Houston (3 stars)
Kopp might be a tough one for Vanderbilt to hold on to — he has an official visit to Florida planned for next month. But if the 6-foot-6, 280-pound prospect from Houston sticks with the Commodores he’ll be a major part of the efforts to continue their focus on power running.
Corey Long is a freelance writer for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow Corey on Twitter @CoreyLong.
