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The top-rated recruit for every SEC West program since 2000
By JC Shurburtt
Published:
The modern era of recruiting rankings can be traced back to the turn of the century (2000) and when you dig into them, there have been fascinating mixed results with many of the highest-rated prospects in specific classes.
According to 247Sports Composite rankings, which uses an algorithm to determine a recruiting industry-consensus on top prospects factoring in data equally from all major recruiting media outlets, the following are the highest-rated prospects to sign with each program in the SEC West since the 2000 class.
RELATED: Top-rated recruit for every SEC East program since 2000
As is the case with most historical look backs at rankings and ratings (and really with any sort of football evaluation — including high NFL draft picks), the results vary quite a bit.
Alabama
Top recruit: Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha (Class of 2011, 0.9993 247Sports Composite rating, No. 2 overall)
Post-high school career: Some analysts during the 2011 recruiting cycle felt that Kouandjio was a better prospect than Jadeveon Clowney. Kounadjio was a very good, even elite, offensive tackle at Alabama (he was All-SEC his junior season), but ended up getting picked 43 spots after Clowney in the 2014 draft by the Buffalo Bills. This last season, his second in the league, he played in 12 games and started two. Obviously there are more well-known Crimson Tide recruits that have done bigger things, but as a prospect, nearly everyone in the recruiting industry pegged him as special.
Arkansas
Top recruit: Mitch Mustain, QB, Springdale (Ark.) (Class of 2006, 0.9961 247Sports Composite rating, No. 7 overall)
Post-high school career: Mustain had all of the tools coming out of high school. He was the top-ranked signal caller in a loaded 2006 quarterback class that included Matt Stafford, Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Josh Freeman among others. He started as a true freshman with his high school coach, current Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn, as the Razorbacks’ offensive coordinator. Then, Malzahn left, Mustain transferred to USC and he never played there. Mustain is still out there hoping for a pro career. His mother, who played a starring role in the story of his recruitment, is still bitter toward Malzahn and former Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt. Go figure.
Auburn
Top recruit: Byron Cowart, DE, Seffner (Fla.) Armwood (Class of 2015, 0.9987 247Sports Composite rating, No. 3 overall)
Post-high school career: Cowart contributed this season for the Tigers, but truth be told this was a transition year for him. It happens. Cowart was physically ready to handle Power 5-level football, but needed a year to adjust to the game. Chances are, he’s going to reach his potential under the guidance of veteran Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner and that his best days of college football are indeed in front of him. Personally, the take here was that Cowart was more of a top 15-20 type of prospect than a top 1-5 type as the recruiting industry had him ranked, but that still means expectations are high as it relates to his talent level.
LSU
Top recruit: Leonard Fournette, RB, New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine (Class of 2014, 0.9996 247Sports Composite rating, No. 1 overall)
Post-high school career: Fournette rushed for 1,000 yards his freshman season, but there was a legitimate debate taking place when comparing his debut performance with other members of the loaded 2014 running back class (Nick Chubb, Royce Freeman and others were in that cycle). This past season, his sophomore year, he put the debate to rest. Fournette was the Heisman Trophy frontrunner for most of the season until a 31-yard performance against a dominant Alabama defensive front derailed those hopes. That being said, he still was one of (if not the) best individual running back talent in college football and it’s anticipated he will have a monster 2016 campaign in Baton Rouge.
Mississippi State
Top recruit: Deljuan Robinson, DE, Hernando (Miss.) (Class of 2003, 0.9934 247Sports Composite rating, No. 16 overall)
Post-high school career: Robinson was solid during his career with the Bulldogs, growing into a defensive tackle, and subsequently had a career with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent from 2007-10. Obviously, there have been players who have achieved more during their college career and also at the next level in Starkville, but Robinson wasn’t exactly bust city. He was solid.
Ole Miss
Top recruit: Robert Nkemdiche, DE/DT, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson (Class of 2013, 1.000 247Sports Composite rating, No. 1 overall)
Post-high school career: Nkemdiche had a stellar career with the Rebels, sliding into the interior, which is his long-term NFL position, after his freshman season where he became dominant. Despite the way his Ole Miss career came to an end (he fell out of a hotel window in Atlanta and got suspended for the Rebels Sugar Bowl game), he’s still expected to be a very high pick in the NFL draft. He has all the tools to have an outstanding career at the next level. Nkemdiche also was a blockbuster member of the 2013 Ole Miss class, a top 10 effort that included No. 1 offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and No. 1 wide receiver Laquon Treadwell as well as Nkemdiche, the No. 1 overall. That was the class that many will point to as a major launching point for Hugh Freeze and his program.
Texas A&M
Top recruit: Myles Garrett, DE, Arlington (Texas) Martin (Class of 2014, 0.9992 247Sports Composite rating, No. 2 overall)
Post-high school career: Garrett is still in the midst of a spectacular career in College Station. He broke Jadeveon Clowney’s freshman SEC sack record in 2014 and continues to be among the best defensive ends from a pass rushing standpoint in the college game and will be an extremely high pick in the NFL draft when his time comes. Some felt that Garrett was the top prospect in the 2014 class over Fournette in terms of NFL draft status because he plays a more rare position.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
