Kevin Sumlin calls the SEC a ‘line of scrimmage league’ and it’s the primary reason the conference won seven consecutive national championships during the BCS era.
At the point of attack, the SEC usually has the upper hand on both sides of the football and that starts with roster building through recruiting.
Looking back at 247Sports’ overall player rankings since the end of the 2012 cycle, we wanted to give our readers statistical proof that titles were won in February, reflected through the league’s dominance at positions in the trenches — and at running back — on National Signing Day.
The results are quite satisfying.
Recruiting trends
The SEC has signed 55 percent (55 out of 100) of the nation’s Top 25 players (based on 247Sports’ overall rankings) since 2012, including 31 on defense. Broken down by position, the league has a noticeable grip on premiere talent along the defensive line, welcoming 17 out of 31 possible Top 25-ranked players at the defensive tackle, strong-side and weak-side end positions.
At cornerback, six out of a possible nine top-rated players signed with SEC schools including the league’s nationally-notable 2013 tandem of LSU’s Tre’Davious White and Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves — both have a chance to be selected in the first round of next year’s NFL draft.
Offensively, four of the nation’s top six most versatile standouts (athletes) chose the SEC over that span. Seven (out of 11) premiere running backs ranked within the Top 25 nationally joined the conference as well, highlighted by five-star standouts Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette and Nick Chubb.
Furthermore, the nation’s best player has signed with an SEC program three consecutive years — Trent Thompson, Georgia (2015); Myles Garrett, Texas A&M (2014); Robert Nkemdiche, Ole Miss (2013). Make that four out of five seasons if you include the Gamecocks’ Jadeveon Clowney, a future No. 1 pick, in 2011.
Quarterback is one position where the SEC struggled convincing the nation’s elite to sign, an average 2-for-6 showing since 2012. That changes in 2016 if Top 25 passers Jacob Eason, Feleipe Franks and Shea Patterson all stick to their current commitments to Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss, respectively.
Editor’s note: We’ve included our raw data from 247Sports’ annual Top 25 player rankings to substantiate these stats.
2015 class
DT: 4 for 6 (Highlighted by Trent Thompson, top player overall; Kahlil McKenzie)
SDE: 3 for 3 (Highlighted by Byron Cowart; CeCe Jefferson)
OT: 2 for 2 (Highlighted by Martez Ivey)
ATH: 1 for 1
WR: 1 for 2
CB: 1 for 3
QB: 1 for 3
WDE: 0 for 1
S: 0 for 1
OLB: 0 for 3
*The SEC signed 13 of the nation’s 25 best players in the 2015 class including eight on defense.
2014 class
WDE: 2 for 2 (Highlighted by Myles Garrett, top player overall)
QB: 1 for 1
ILB: 1 for 1
SDE: 1 for 1
OT: 1 for 1 (Highlighted by Cam Robinson)
OG: 1 for 1
CB: 3 for 4
DT: 2 for 3
OLB: 2 for 3
WR: 1 for 2
RB: 2 for 4 (Highlighted by Leonard Fournette; Nick Chubb)
S: 0 for 1
ATH: 0 for 1
*The SEC signed 17 of the nation’s 25 best players in the 2014 class including 11 on defense.
2013 class
SDE: 2 for 2 (Highlighted by Robert Nkemdiche, top player overall; Chris Jones)
ATH: 2 for 2
CB: 2 for 2 (Highlighted by Vernon Hargreaves; Tre’Davious White)
TE: 1 for 1
ILB: 1 for 1
RB: 2 for 3
WDE: 1 for 1
WR: 1 for 2
S: 1 for 2
OT: 1 for 2 (Highlighted by Laremy Tunsil)
DT: 1 for 3
OLB: 1 for 3
QB: 0 for 1
*The SEC signed 16 of the nation’s 25 best players in the 2013 class including nine on defense.
2012 class
RB: 3 for 4 (Highlighted by T.J. Yeldon, Keith Marshall and Trey Williams)
OLB: 1 for 1
S: 1 for 2 (Highlighted by Landon Collins)
OT: 1 for 2
ATH: 1 for 2
WR: 1 for 3
WDE: 1 for 4 (Highlighted by Dante Fowler)
CB: 0 for 1
QB: 0 for 1
SDE: 0 for 1
DT: 0 for 4
*The SEC signed only nine of the nation’s 25 best players in the 2012 class, a bit of an anamoly compared to dominance on defense in recent years. Alabama still managed to finish No. 1 overall with 19 newcomers rated four-stars or better.
