Breaking down latest in SEC recruiting after week of big commitments
The race to National Signing Day has begun. Sports Illustrated andScout.comhave partnered to provide complete coverage of college football recruiting. Follow along daily with conference-by-conference recruiting shows featuring analysis, breaking news, prospect breakdowns and much more all leading up to Signing Day on Feb. 3.
LSU keeping the best at home
On Thursday, four-star offensive tackle Willie Allen gave Les Miles and the LSU Tigers his verbal commitment. It was the start of a great 24 hours for the Tigers.
Allen is a 6'7", 300-pound offensive tackle out of River Ridge (La.) John Curtis Christian and he committed to LSU over Georgia and TCU among others. He could be a right tackle, or even a guard in college. He has long arms, a great frame to work with, and he was the first part of a great couple of days for LSU in recruiting.
Five-star DT Rashard Lawrence gives LSU top-ranked 2016 recruiting class
The second part was when five-star defensive tackle Rashard Lawrence committed to LSU on January 22. At his high school, Neville, Lawrence chose the Tigers over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Lawrence is the No. 1 prospect in Louisiana, so this was a big get on multiple levels for the Tigers. Lawrence is a force on the inside with great strength, good quickness, and he is one Ed Orgeron can build around in the coming years.
Bulldogs go out of state
Mississippi State added a couple of commitments last week and they came from Jamal Couch and Zach Farrar.
Couch is a versatile athlete out of Phenix City (Ala.) Central and the 6'5", 217-pound senior is a former Florida State commit. He could project on offense or defense with his size, athleticism, and skill set.
Farrar is a big-time wide receiver out of Southlake (Texas) Carroll and he has a lot to like for a prospect at his position. He moves very well for his size (6'3.5", 208 pounds), and he will immediately be a target down the field for the Bulldogs. The four-star chose Mississippi State over the likes of Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Washington.
Louisiana LB is a Hog
Former Tulane commitment Giovanni LaFrance is headed to the SEC to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
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The 6'1", 234-pound inside linebacker out of New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine was thought to be a lean to Utah before he was pursued by the Razorbacks. When he got on campus, he quickly knew that is where he wanted to be the next four years.
LaFrance has good size and strength on the inside. He finds the ball well and he attacks. He comes from a program that knows how to produce top football prospects.
Georgia gets big Florida OL
One thing has been made clear since Sam Pittman took over as offensive line coach at Georgia—he wants to be big up front.
Solomon Kindley gives him a big body to work with. The 6'5", 345-pound offensive guard out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines entered his official visit to Georgia without an offer, but got one during the trip, then committed before he left. He is a true road-grader who played tackle in high school but will move inside when he gets to Athens.
He is a three-star prospect.
Two for the Tigers
Missouri added a couple of offensive commitments and one of those was three-star quarterback Micah Wilson. Wilson is a 6'3", 200-pound signal caller out of Tulsa (Okla.) Lincoln Christian and he is the No. 1-ranked quarterback in his state. He was at one time committed to Boise State, but he is now set to play in the SEC. He is known for a big arm and the ability he has outside the pocket.
Damarea Crockett flipped his commitment from Boise State to Missouri on Saturday. The running back out of Little Rock (Ark.) Christian ran for over 1,600 yards and scored 29 touchdowns as a senior. He is close to 6-feet, just over 210 pounds, and he is a physical runner who fits the SEC style of play.
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Aggies snag in-state signal caller
Texas A&M Aggies lost a couple of quarterbacks to transfers late in 2015, but they added a talented on for 2016 in Nick Starkel last week.
It came down to the Aggies, North Texas and UCLA for the gunslinger out of Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian. Starkel is 6'3.5", 186 pounds and he is the the No. 27-ranked quarterback in the country.
He will have a shot for early playing time in College Station. He is smart in the pocket, he has a nice release, and he is known for his leadership.
Gamecocks grab Georgia TE
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Will Muschamp has been active in the state of Georgia since taking over at South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ latest commitment comes from a prospect out of the Peach State.
Robert Tucker could be used as a tight end or H-back in Columbia and he is all in with South Carolina. Tucker is 6'2.5", 234 pounds and he has great hands. He is a physical player out of Atlanta B.E.S.T. Academy. He could be a steal in this class for the Gamecocks. He is strong, he is versatile, and he could play many roles for the Gamecocks.
Vols dip into Georgia talent pool
The recruitment was a little strange for Scout 300 athlete Marquez Callaway.
It is known that Callaway's first love is basketball, but he knows his future is football. The Vols never backed off, so after taking an official visit to Tennessee, the 6'3", 170-pound athlete out of Warner Robins (Ga.) committed to Butch Jones.
Callaway is an excellent athlete with ball skills, body control, and so much potential. He is the No. 14-ranked athlete in the country on Scout.
A shake-up at the top
There has been some movement this week at the top in Scout's Team Rankings. There is a new No. 1 and it is LSU.
Florida had that spot for a little while, then it was Ohio State, and as the week ended, it was the Tigers.
Plenty of other SEC schools are in the top 10.
Florida—3
Alabama—8
Georgia—10
See the full SEC Team Rankings here.
