Which SEC schools have recruited the best wide receivers the last decade?
By Ethan Levine
Published:
We spend so much time each winter evaluating recruiting classes as a whole, but the fact of the matter is certain schools recruit better at certain positions than others. With that in mind, Saturday Down South has taken a look at which schools have attracted the most talent at certain positions throughout the last 10 years.
Let’s begin by looking at one of the flashiest positions on the field, a position that has brought a ton of speed to the SEC since 2005:
WIDE RECEIVERS
3. Alabama (15 4- or 5-star signees: Cameron Sims, Derek Kief, Robert Foster, Chris Black, Amari Cooper, Marvin Shinn, Bradley Sylve, Danny Woodson, DeAndrew White, Kelwone Malone, Kendall Kelly, Michael Bowman, Kenny Bell, Julio Jones, Brandon Gibson) — Alabama has been among the most successful schools on the recruiting trail during the Nick Saban era, and it has attracted a number of touted wideout prospects to come play for the Tide. Jones, a 2008 signee, was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2010 and a top 10 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Cooper was this year’s Beletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top wideout, and he, too, is expected to be a top 10 pick in the draft. Others, like Malone, Bowman and Bell, did not pan out as expected.
Noteworthy totals in Tuscaloosa
- Jones: 179 rec., 2,653 yards, 15 TDs
- Cooper: 228 rec. 3,463 yards, 31 TDs
2. LSU (16 4- or 5-star signees: Malachi Dupre, Trey Quinn, Tony Upchurch, Avery Peterson, John Diarse, Rickey Jefferson, Quantavius Leslie, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Kadron Boone, James Wright, Rueben Randle, Terrance Tolliver, DeAngelo Benton, Demetrius Byrd, Ricky Dixon) — Les Miles has had no trouble collecting premier athletes during his decade at LSU, and although the Tigers ranked last in the SEC in passing offense in 2014 they routinely attract some of the best wide receiver prospects in the nation. No school has signed more 5-star wideouts than the four the Tigers have inked in the last decade, and a number of those stars, like Randle, Beckham Jr. (the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year) and Landry have gone on to star in the pros.
Noteworthy totals in Baton Rouge
- Beckham Jr.: 141 rec., 2,305 yards, 12 TDs
- Landry: 137 rec., 1,809 yards, 15 TDs
- Randle: 97 rec. 1,634 yards, 13 TDs
1. Florida (18 4- or 5-star signees: J.C. Jackson, Demarcus Robinson, Ahmad Fulwood, Alvin Bailey, Ja’Juan Story, Javares McRoy, Chris Dunkley, Adrian Coxson, Solomon Patton, Quinton Dunbar, Andre Debose, Carl Moore, T.J. Lawrence, Omarius Hines, Deonte Thompson, Percy Harvin, Justin Williams, David Nelson) — Florida has signed the most 4- or 5-star wideouts of any school in the SEC since 2005, many of which came during Urban Meyer’s years in Gainesville through 2009. Harvin remains one of the most versatile and dangerous weapons in recent SEC history, and Nelson has gone on to have a productive NFL career as well. Others did not pan out, and since Meyer’s departure the Gators have struggled to consistently attract premier receivers.
Noteworthy totals in Gainesville
- Harvin: 133 rec., 1,929 yards, 13 TDs; 194 rushes, 1,852 yards, 19 TDs
- Nelson: 46 rec., 630 yards, 7 TDs
- Patton: 52 rec., 635 yards, 6 TDs
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
