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 —Â 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.
