Home invaders: Which out-of-state teams recruited every SEC state the best?
By Keith Farner
Published:
There are 34 recruits in the 2019 class rated as 5-stars, and in an increasingly national sport, college football recruiters span the country looking to lure as many as they can to their campus.
That strategy worked for 21 players, who have committed to play at an out-of-state school. Some of them are in a bordering, often rival, state, while others are truly a plane ride away. Antonio Alfano of New Jersey, for example, has committed to Alabama, while Garrett Wilson of Texas has made a pledge with Ohio State.
This is a strong class overall, as the 34 5-star recruits are the most since there were 37 in 2015, according to the 247 Sports Composite rankings. Last year there were 29, in 2017 there were 33, and in 2016 there were 26.
The top talent remains largely in the South, as SEC states were home to 23 of those players, making the recruiting battles especially hot and heavy across the conference footprint.
How did SEC teams do building a recruiting wall around their state to keep in-state talent close to home?
Here is a breakdown by each state represented in the SEC:
Alabama
Top 20 players who left: 9
Which SEC school got most? Florida, two.
Skinny: While Georgia got the top-ranked player (Clay Webb), Alabama and Auburn controlled the rest of the top 10. But it was Nos. 11-20 that got interesting. Six of those 10 players went outside the state. If Crimson Tide fans had reason for alarm, this is the second straight season the state’s No. 1 player has left for an out-of-state school (last year was WR Justyn Ross to Clemson). Three of the top four players in the state of Alabama chose Georgia or Auburn.
Arkansas
Top 20 players who left: 10
Which SEC school got most? Ole Miss, two.
Skinny: Much was made after the Chad Morris hire at Arkansas of the fact that the new coach would need to recruit Texas increasingly well. But the Razorbacks couldn’t afford to neglect their home base. To that end, Arkansas landed commitments from three of the top five players in the state, and five of the top 10. Oklahoma and Ole Miss were the biggest out-of-state challengers.
Florida
Top 20 players who left: 10
Which SEC school got most? Alabama/Georgia, two each.
Skinny: To show the sheer depth of talent in Florida, there are nine out-of-state schools that have either landed a commitment from the Sunshine State or have a high-percentage chance to do so. Square that with the number of in-state schools vying for the talent, and it’s one of the most hotly contested areas in the country. The state also boasts five 5-star recruits, which is about what it has averaged the last three years.
Georgia
Top 20 players who left: 17
Which SEC school got most? Tennessee, three.
Skinny: This is another state where there’s an overflow of talent, as 11 out-of-state schools have commitments or are heavily favored to land prospects in the state. Because of that competition, Georgia has landed just three of the top 20. It’s a strong class talent-wise, as the top four players from Georgia are ranked among the nation’s top 20 players.
Kentucky
Top 20 players who left: 9
Which SEC school got most? Alabama, one.
Skinny: The Bluegrass State does not have a 5-star player in this class, but it’s still being raided by schools from well across the country. Stanford, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Purdue have picked up commitments from the top four players. Certainly the turmoil and coaching job at Louisville played a factor in this class. The Wildcats, though, have secured five of the top 20. Overall, nine of the top 20 players are set to leave the state to play college football.
Louisiana
Top 20 players who left: 8
Which SEC school got most? Six tied with one.
Skinny: This state is sneaky strong with four 5-star prospects, and recruiters know it, but the home-state Tigers have more than held their own. While eight out-of-state schools have commits from players in the top 20, LSU is in good shape with eight of the top 10. With two players still deciding, only Clemson has a lock to land one of those in the top 10.
Mississippi
Top 20 players who left: 9
Which SEC school got most? Alabama/Auburn with two each.
Skinny: Alabama, Auburn and Georgia have consistently plucked players from the Magnolia State, and they made it tough for Ole Miss and Mississippi State to keep five of the top 10 players home. The overall talent of the class holds up as the top five were all ranked in the top 100 nationally.
Missouri
Top 20 players who left: 13
Which SEC school got most? No other SEC school holds a commit.
Skinny: A glimpse at this class calls into question Missouri’s membership in the SEC. The top players from Missouri are more likely to play for a Big Ten or Big 12 program than for an out-of-state SEC school. Illinois, for example, has three commitments, and Ohio State and Texas each have one. This is also another state without a 5-star recruit.
South Carolina
Top 20 players who left: 11
Which SEC school got most? Auburn/Kentucky with one each.
Skinny: ACC schools feasted on the Palmetto State during this recruiting cycle, with that conference landing eight players even outside of Clemson’s one recruit among the top 20. The talent, though, drops off dramatically, as South Carolina boasts one 5-star recruit and just two 4-stars, with the balance of the top 20 rated as 3-stars.
Tennessee
Top 20 players who left: 16
Which SEC school got most? Georgia, three.
Skinny: Jeremy Pruitt has his work cut out for him as eight of the state’s top 10 players have elected to play outside the Volunteer State. While this is another state without a 5-star prospect, schools from as far away as Oregon and Oklahoma have swooped in to pick up a commitment from a top 10 player in the state. Only one of the top players is even ranked in the top 128 nationally.
Texas
Top 20 players who left: 11
Which SEC school got most? Alabama/Georgia/LSU with one each.
Skinny: With four 5-star prospects, and 10 players in the top 60 nationally, this is another example of Texas being well-stocked. While more than half the players left, Texas A&M did a remarkable job in landing seven of the top 20, especially in comparison to Texas, which has just one commitment from that group.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
