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The SEC’s 2015 recruiting class has been finalized, and the conference’s signees are poised to infuse even more talent into an already talent-loaded league.
Star players entering the SEC is nothing new. In fact, it’s become so routine that this year’s signees remind us of some current SEC stars when they initially signed with their respective programs.
Here are five comparisons we simply couldn’t ignore from this year’s recruiting haul:
1. Missouri DT Terry Beckner (reminds us of Ole Miss DT Robert Nkemdiche): Beckner has the athleticism and raw skill to play defensive end if he had to, especially if Missouri transitions to a 3-4 look in 2015, and this draws comparisons to Ole Miss defensive end turned defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. Both could serve as productive ends despite their size, but both are just too darn powerful to not plug into the interior of the defensive line.
2. Alabama QB Blake Barnett (reminds us of a less turnover-prone Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace): Despite his poor decision-making skills and propensity to throw costly interceptions, Wallace could make most every throw on the field, and although he wasn’t a runner by trade he possessed great escapability to extend plays or salvage yards when receivers were blanketed. Barnett has many of the same traits, including a strong arm and great mobility. If he can limit turnovers better than Wallace, he could turn out to be the player for Alabama that many hoped Wallace would be for Ole Miss.
3. Auburn DE Byron Cowart (reminds us of Missouri DE Shane Ray): Ray and Cowart have similar builds (Cowart is 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds while Ray is 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds), and both can rush the passer in a variety of ways, drawing a number of similarities between the two. Both players can speed rush off the edge, and both have a nice arsenal of moves to beat bulkier offensive tackles 1-on-1. Ray was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and Cowart could earn the honor himself before his collegiate career comes to an end.
4. Texas A&M WR Christian Kirk (reminds us of South Carolina WR Pharoh Cooper): Both Kirk and Cooper come up just short of 6-feet tall and close to 200 pounds, and their skill sets are as similar as their builds. The two wideouts possess nice speed, great acceleration and an ability to change directions on a dime, which allows them to make plays in a number of ways when they get the ball in their hands. Add in the fact that both players can return kickoffs and punts and you’ve got an easy comparison to be made.
5. Florida OT Martez Ivey (reminds us of Alabama OT Cam Robinson): Like Robinson last year at Alabama, Ivey should be able to start right away along Florida’s offensive line, which lost a majority of its starters to graduation or the NFL after Will Muschamp was fired as head coach. Both Ivey and Robinson possess great footwork for their size, which should allow Ivey’s skill set to translate to the SEC as well as Robinson’s did last fall. They’re not exactly carbon copies of one another (both are 6-foot-6 yet Robinson is about 45 pounds heavier), but they play the position the same way and should achieve similar success at the college level.
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.
