SEC signing day capsules

Alabama

Signees: 26

Georgia ties: The Crimson Tide landed five commits from the state, including North Gwinnett OL Austin Shepherd, Gainesville QB Blake Sims, Norcross DL Adrian Hubbard, Brookstone TE Brian Volger and Westside WR Ronnie Carswell.

Strategy: Fresh off a national championship, Alabama has the luxury of going after the best athletes at various positions. Head coach Nick Saban is looking to build depth, and he did that with this class. He signed four of Rivals’ five best players in Alabama.

Three to watch:

n DeMarcus Milliner, DB, 6-2, 180, Millbrook, Ala.

The Crimson Tide have openings at both corner spots with the graduation of Javier Arenas and early departure of Kareem Jackson. Milliner is talented enough to play immediately.

n Phillip Sims, QB, 6-2, 209, Chesapeake, Va.

Sims is arguably the top dual threat quarterback in the nation, and he’s already enrolled in school. He could be groomed as the replacement for Greg McElroy.

n C.J. Mosley, LB, 6-2, 212, Theodore, Ala.

Ranked only behind Milliner in Alabama by Rivals, Mosley is a guy who can come in and help immediately. Linebackers have gotten on the field early under Saban.

Grade: A. Alabama did just what it has every year under Saban — sign a top-notch class. Sixteen of the 26 signees were ranked four-star prospects or higher according to Rivals. The Crimson Tide missed on five-star safety Keenan Allen, but they still signed a top-five class.

Arkansas

Signees: 25

Georgia ties: Arkansas signed Julian Horton from Greater Atlanta Christian and safety Daunte Carr from Gainesville.

Strategy: Head coach Bobby Petrino looked for depth on the interior of the defensive line by signing four defensive tackles. Two, Calvin Barnett and Byran Jones, were four-star prospects according to Rivals.

Three to watch:

n Jacoby Walker, QB, 6-2, 210, Spring, Texas

The dual-threat quarterback could be a great fit in Petrino’s explosive offense. He passed for 2,352 yards and 25 touchdowns as a senior.

n Calvin Barnett, DT, 6-3, 330, Tulsa, Okla.

Rivals’ top player in Oklahoma surprised many by neglecting the two in-state Big 12 programs to head to Arkansas.

n Byran Jones, DT, 6-3, 297, Junction City, Ark.

Rivals’ second-rated player in Arkansas joined Barnett in a signing day decision. He picked the Razorbacks over Auburn and Louisiana Tech.

Grade: B-. Obviously, the grade would have went up in Arkansas could have stolen Michael Dyer from Auburn. But Petrino still landed a very strong class, one that keeps the Razorbacks in line with the rest of the SEC West.

Auburn

Signees: 32

Georgia ties: The Tigers landed eight players from Georgia, including Warner Robins’ Jeffrey Whitaker and the signing day surprise of Upson-Lee offensive lineman Tunde Fariyike.

Strategy: The Tigers had a class loaded with both quality and quantity. Shon Coleman and Cameron Newton are five-star recruits, according to Rivals. Auburn signed 12 players on the line of scrimmage, led by four four-star defensive linemen, according to Rivals.

Three to watch:

n Michael Dyer, RB, 5-8, 201, Little Rock, Ark.

The Tigers were in the mix for three of the top running backs in the country. They didn’t get them all, but Dyer is head coach Gene Chizik’s signature recruit.

n Shon Coleman, OL, 6-7, 285, Olive Branch, Miss.

Auburn held off Alabama, Ole Miss and Miami for the fast-rising prospect who shined with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

n Jeffrey Whitaker, DT, 6-3, 295, Warner Robins

The hulking tackle was one of the top uncommitted players in the country before ending his recruitment on Monday by picking the Tigers over UGA and Miami.

Grade: A. Chizik signed a really strong class for the second year that looks even better considering he landed former Westlake quarterback Cameron Newton from a junior college. Newton backed up Tim Tebow at Florida before moving on Blinn College.

Florida

Signees: 28

Georgia ties: The Gators signed three players from the state, including Jackson defensive end Neiron Ball, who is already enrolled in school. Joining him will be M.L. King running back Mack Brown and Westlake linebacker Michael Taylor.

Strategy: People are going to be talking about this class for a long time. The Gators nabbed 10 of ESPN’s top 150 players in the country. That list includes four of Rivals’ five-star prospects.

Three to watch:

n Ronald Powell, DL, 6-4, 230, Moreno Valley, Calif.

Powell is Rivals’ top player in the country and was the MVP of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He is nearly unblockable and could slide into Carlos Dunlap’s starting spot.

n Sharrif Floyd, DT, 6-3, 310, Philadelphia

The top-rated defensive tackle in the country according to Rivals picked the Gators in early January over North Carolina and Ohio State.

n Matt Elam, DB, 6-0, 205, West Palm Beach, Fla.

The Gators lost Elam to Florida State for a short period of time following the short uncertainty of head coach Urban Meyer’s future. But the top player in Florida stuck with the Gators.

Grade: A+. Guess the whole Meyer debacle didn’t hurt Florida in recruiting. The Gators might pulled off the best class in the nation, with outstanding playmakers at every position on the field. The only misses come at not landing an elite quarterback.

Kentucky

Signees: 26

Georgia ties: New head coach Joker Phillips landed six Georgia players headlined by running back Raymond Sanders.

Strategy: The Wildcats signed eight defensive linemen, including six players projected by Rivals to play defensive end. Sixteen of their signees are on the defensive side of the ball.

Three to watch:

n Alex Smith, TE, 6-5, 260, Cincinnati, Ohio

The Wildcats stole Smith away from North Carolina on the eve of National Signing Day. He has the right frame to play on the offensive line if needed.

n Tyler Brause, QB, 6-4, 220, Bucyrus, Ohio

The dual-threat Brause should be able to give the Wildcats a dangerous option under center. He compiled over 2,400 yards of offense and 31 touchdowns as a junior.

n Raymond Sanders, RB, 5-8, 175, Stone Mountain (Stephenson)

The Wildcats signed three players from Stephenson, but Sanders is the highlight of the group. His shiftiness and ability to catch the ball make him a dual-threat out of the backfield.

Grade: C. Phillips’ first class received a boost from the commitment of Smith on Tuesday. It’s not a sexy class, but the Wildcats filled needs on the defensive line.

LSU

Signees: 29

Georgia ties: The Tigers landed three players from Georgia including Tennessee decommit J.C. Copeland.

Strategy: LSU signed five players who are classified as athletes by Rivals, and that versatility for each will allow the coaching staff to plug them in where needed. Spencer Ware leads a group that includes four four-star or better players in Rivals’ rankings.

Three to watch:

n Spencer Ware, ATH, 5-11, 220, Cincinnati, Ohio

LSU didn’t get as many top level commits as it has recently, but Ware is the best of the bunch and could be a bruising running back.

n J.C. Copeland, DL, 6-2, 240, LaGrange (Troup)

Copeland doesn’t look like a dominant football player when you first see him. But he is an absolute monster on the field, and LSU benefits from the coaching change at Tennessee with Copeland’s signing.

n J.R. Ferguson, DE, 6-3, 272, Hargrave Military (Va.)

Outside of Ware, Ferguson is the Tigers’ top-ranked prospect. Rivals lists him as the 31st-best prospect nationally in a very deep defensive line class nationally.

Grade: A-. Head coach Les Miles has consistently filled strong recruiting classes in Baton Rouge. He didn’t get any Ruben Randles or Russell Shepherds, but it’s still a top 10-15 class.

Mississippi

Signees: 25

Georgia ties: Head coach Huston Nutt signed Clarence Jackson from North Clayton and Ringgold fullback Martez Eastland.

Strategy: Nutt went after three running backs in the class, but Eastland will probably end up at fullback. He signed three Rivals’ four-star recruits on the defensive line and filled holes the rest of the way.

Three to watch:

n Clarence Jackson, LB, 6-2, 218, College Park (North Clayton)

Jackson was a dominating running back at North Clayton, but he has the ability to be a devastating linebacker at the next level with his sideline-to-sideline speed.

n Carlos Thompson, DE, 6-5, 220, Hollandale, Miss.

The speedy pass rusher chose the Rebels over in-state rival Mississippi State just prior to signing day. He is ranked by Rivals as the fourth-best player in the state.

n Vincent Sanders, WR, 6-3, 182, Macon, Miss.

The second-ranked player in Mississippi, according to Rivals, picked the Rebels on signing day over Florida State, Mississippi State and West Virginia.

Grade: B-,. This was a trademark Nutt class, gaining depth across the board and sprinkling in a few high-profile recruits. The Rebels locked up the state borders, getting three of Rivals’ top six in-state players.

Mississippi State

Signees: 26

Georgia ties: None

Strategy: Head coach Dan Mullen signed five players listed as athletes, according to Rivals. As he continues to build an offense that resembled the one he presided over at Florida, Mullen keeps accumulating skill position standouts. Nineteen of his signees are from Mississippi.

Three to watch:

n Kaleb Eulls, DL, 6-4, 255, Pickens, Miss.

The massive Eulls played quarterback in high school, but he’s best known nationally for disarming a student who pulled a gun on a school bus.

n Damien Robinson, OL, 6-8, 330, Olive Branch, Miss.

This huge offensive lineman picked the Bulldogs over Arkansas and Oklahoma on Wednesday.

n Michael Carr, ATH, 6-1, 192, West Point, Miss.

Carr committed to Mississippi State in February of 2009, and he never wavered on that commitment despite getting interest from Mississippi and UCLA, among others.

Grade: B-. Mullen showed he can put together a strong class when giving a full year to recruit. He really worked hard on balanced the class across the board, grabbing highly regarded running backs, receivers, linemen and linebackers.

South Carolina

Signees: 23

Georgia ties: The Gamecocks grabbed six commitments from Georgia, including Northside defensive back Brison Williams and Flowery Branch quarterback Connor Shaw.

Strategy: The Gamecocks only landed seven commitments from in-state. They went to Georgia and Florida to nab most of the other two-thirds of the class.

Three to watch:

n Marcus Lattimore, 6-0, 210, Duncan, S.C.

The Gamecocks beat out Auburn for Rivals’ top running back in the country. He could be the difference-maker that Steve Spurrier needs to challenge for a SEC East championship.

n Connor Shaw, 6-2, 195, Flowery Branch

Shaw isn’t a highly rated quarterback prospect, but just ask Baldwin head coach Jesse Hicks about Shaw’s potential. Hicks said he is the best quarterback in the Southeast, and that can be a “star” at South Carolina.

n Victor Hampton, 5-11, 170, Darlington, S.C.

Hampton was selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after a very productive senior season. Rivals lists him as the 60th best player in the country.

Grade: C. Lattimore really saved a class that wasn’t as strong as others Spurrier has landed in Columbia. Lattimore is a genuine star at running back. Sharrod Golightly is a sleeper at safety and stealing him from Vanderbilt could pay dividends.

Tennessee

Signees: 25

Georgia ties: Tennessee signed six players from Georgia, including four who committed after the head coaching change.

Strategy: New head coach Derek Dooley did a great job getting some big-name commits, but he also got some players who were sleepers. Dontavis Sapp and Rajion Neal were two outstanding players who went unnoticed by many recruiting fans, but they became late and valuable additions to the recruiting class.

Three to watch:

n Da’Rick Rogers, WR, 6-3, 206, Calhoun

Stealing Rogers away from UGA is a huge coup for Dooley’s first recruiting class in Knoxville. Rogers is the best prospect in Georgia by far and could be one of those once-in-a-generation playmakers.

n Juwuan James, OL, 6-6, 293, Suwanee (North Gwinnett)

The one-time Alabama commitment picked Tennessee and Lane Kiffin, but stuck with the Vols when Kiffin bolted for USC.

n Tyler Bray, QB, 6-6, 187, Kingsburg, Calif.

Dooley brought in his own big-time quarterback to complete the signing class. Rivals lists Bray as the seventh best pro-style quarterback in the nation.

Grade: A. The class doesn’t have the big names of Florida, LSU, Auburn or Alabama, but the Vols get high marks for signing a potent class in the midst of a January coaching change. Not only did Dooley keep some key commits, he went on the offensive to land some big-time recruits.

Vanderbilt

Signees: 24

Georgia ties: The Commodores signed an SEC-best nine prospects from Georgia.

Strategy: Head coach Bobby Johnson knows how fertile the recruiting landscape is in Georgia, and he mined the state for some good sleeper prospects. Grant Ramsey, Jonathan Krause and Blake Gowder could all be standouts.

Three to watch:

n Rajaan Bennett, RB, 5-11, 210, Powder Springs (McEachern)

Bennett was a Class AAAAA all-state player at McEachern, and helped the school to a memorable season. He could contribute immediately.

n Blake Growder, ATH, 6-2, 215, Blairsville (Union County)

It remains to be seen where Gowder winds up on the field. He could be a dominating blocker at fullback, a standout at tight end/receiver or an athletic linebacker.

n Kyle Woestmann, DL, 6-3, 265, Marietta (Walton)

Woestmann stood out at the GACA North-South All Star Game in December. The senior was nearly unblockable and made his way into the South’s backfield at will.

Grade: C+. Johnson got a steal when Bennett stuck with the Commodores over Tennessee. Receiver Chris Boyd stuck with Vanderbilt despite a late offer from Georgia Tech. It was a good class for Johnson.