Looking back at the 2011 recruiting class
Four years of college can fly by, and it’s hard to believe the 2011 recruiting class is already at the end of its time as undergrads and collegiate football players. That class was filled with star recruits, many of whom turned into star players at the college level. Let’s take a look back to see how each school’s class panned out.
Note: National ranks from 247sports.com are in parentheses. Missouri and Texas A&M were left out, as they weren’t in the SEC in 2011.
Alabama (No. 1)
The Crimson Tide lost a lot of players to the draft a year early — Cyrus Kouandjio (five-star), Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (five-star), Vinnie Sunsieri (three-star) and others. Trey DePriest, a five-star recruit, established himself as a team leader at linebacker over his four years, while Christion Jones was Alabama’s top punt return guy for much of his career while providing some production at receiver. Ryan Kelly continues as the man in the middle of the line and has a year of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2012. D.J. Pettway left school after some legal issues, but returned this season to play a big role along the defensive line.
Arkansas (No. 21)
Trey Flowers and Rohan Gaines, both three-star recruits, blossomed throughout their careers in Fayetteville. Flowers was one of the best defensive linemen in the SEC this year, while Gaines flew around the field from his safety position. Arkansas gets another year out of quarterback Brandon Allen, who redshirted in 2011. There were plenty of misses that didn’t pan out, though, helping to explain some of Arkansas’ recent struggles.
Auburn (No. 5)
Unsurprisingly, Auburn lost some of the biggest names from this class to the draft a year early, although Greg Robinson, Robinson Therezie and Tre Mason played huge roles in last year’s SEC title and BCS championship appearance. Sammie Coates, a former three-star recruit, struggled with injury in his senior year but overall had a productive career, while four-star Quan Bray was a solid receiving and returning option. Kiehl Frazier, a five-star quarterback recruit, never panned out and left Auburn after last season. Guys like Kris Frost, C.J. Uzomah and Jermaine Whitehead provided solid production into their senior years.
Florida (No. 19)
Jeff Driskel, the top QB in the country in 2011, stands as a big disappointment from this class, one of the reasons Will Muschamp’s offenses never took off. He also drove out Jacoby Brissett, who couldn’t beat Driskel out for the job. Three-stars Tevin Westbrook and Clay Burton bounced around to different positions than they were recruited for, while several four- and five-star recruits didn’t work out. Jabari Gorman was a senior leader in the secondary, providing hard hitting at safety.
Georgia (No. 6)
Four-stars Malcolm Mitchell, Justin Scott-Wesley and Amarlo Herrera all had varying levels of success throughout their career, with linebacker Herrera earning all-SEC honors this season while the two receivers dealt with some injuries. Isaiah Crowell, a five-star recruit, ended up leaving for the NFL a year early. Nick Marshall, recruited as a four-star cornerback, left Georgia after some off-field issues and ended up starring as Auburn’s quarterback after a stint in junior college.
Kentucky (No. 37)
Bud Dupree stands as Kentucky’s jewel from 2011, developing from three-star prospect to all-SEC performer and an NFL draft prospect. Josh Forrest and Demarco Robinson both provided inconsistent production throughout their careers, while Darrian Miller lived up to his four-star billing as a three-year starter atthe offensive tackle.
LSU (No. 8)
All three five-star recruits from this class were studs; Anthony Johnson and Jarvis Landry both left for the NFL after their junior year, while La’el Collins was the SEC’s best left tackle this season after forgoing early entry last year. LSU lost several other members of this class to the draft a year early: Odell Beckham Jr., Trai Turner and Zach Mettenberger, while Stephen Rivers transferred out before this season. Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee were both vital parts of the running game, Jermauria Rasco and Quentin Thomas held down starting spots on the defensive line this year and Jalen Collins was one of the top defensive backs in a loaded secondary.
Mississippi State (No. 34)
Dak Prescott, Josh Robinson and Benardrick McKinney, all three-star recruits (all of whom redshirted), were among the best players at their positions in the SEC this year, with McKinney a sure bet to leave for the NFL after this season, while Prescott is up for several national awards. Preston Smith is coach Dan Mullen’s greatest find in this class, as he went from two-star recruit to one of the most versatile and impactful defensive ends in the SEC this year.
Ole Miss (No. 20)
Senquez Golson and Cody Prewitt, two three-star recruits, both developed into some of the very best defensive backs in the conference, both earning all-SEC honors this year. Prewitt was an all-America selection last year while Golson has a chance to be one this season. Serderius Bryant was a consistently solid contributor, and Denzel Nkemdiche was a starter at linebacker as well before suffering a season-ending injury. Donte Moncrief, one of the top players in Mississippi from this class, left a year early for the draft.
South Carolina (No. 17)
Everyone knows Jadeveon Clowney, but South Carolina pulled a few other long-term contributors from this class. Brandon Shell (four-star) and Mike Matulis (three-star) were both starters on the offensive line, Brison Williams was the best defensive back on the 2014 Gamecocks, Gerald Dixon Jr. started along the defensive line and Damiere Byrd put together a solid senior season. Kelcy Quarles, a second-team all-Amerian last year, left early and went undrafted, but caught on with the Indianapolis Colts.
Tennessee (No. 14)
Tennessee got solid production out of this class, with A.J. Johnson dominating in the middle of the defense until his suspension for sexual assault this season, while Curt Maggitt was an excellent player at defensive end. Justin Worley played solidly in his time at quarterback before going down with an injury this year, while Justin Coleman led the team in interceptions as a senior. Cameron Clear, one of the most touted prospects in this class, was dismissed after the 2011 season for some off-field legal issues.
Vanderbilt (No. 52)
Steven Scheu, who has a year of eligibility left, turned out to be one of the better tight ends in the SEC, leading the Commodores in receiving this year after stepping into a starting role last season as a redshirt sophomore, but the Commodores didn’t have much else in the way of production this year from the 2011 class.