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College Football

These 10 fabulous incoming freshmen can be immediate SEC difference makers

John Crist

By John Crist

Published:

While Christmas may be Friday, the best presents for SEC fans tend to come in February on National Signing Day.

That’s when each school officially lands its next class of freshmen — some recruits are early enrollees and autograph their paperwork in December, of course — providing immediate depth and also the potential for future superstars a year or two down the road. Like gifts under the tree, four- and five-star signees offer hope that the next year will be better than the last.

Naturally, it doesn’t always work out that way no matter how many blue-chip prospects make their way to campus, but the best plan to build a contender is to dominate the recruiting trail cycle after cycle.

Every now and then, a fresh face can come in and make an immediate impact — perhaps even be the difference between an anonymous bowl game and a shot at the College Football Playoff. For example, where would the up-and-down Alabama passing game be without the addition of Calvin Ridley, who went straight from high school to setting freshman receiving records at one of the true powerhouse programs in the country?

The best conference in America holds a commitment from 23 of the top 100 recruits nationally according to Rivals, but there are 10 in particular I’m really looking forward to seeing make the transition from Friday football to Saturday.

Gregory Little

A 6-foot-5, 318-pound offensive tackle from Allen (Texas) High School, Little is the No. 1 recruit in the country at his position, No. 1 in the state of Texas and No. 4 overall. He is committed to Ole Miss.

The Rebels hit the jackpot with another five-star offensive line recruit in 2013, as Laremy Tunsil proved to be as good as advertised and is already on his way to the NFL draft — the junior-eligible blocker is a lock for the top 10. Little is considered polished enough to start at the all-important left tackle spot from the moment he arrives, which is good news for an Ole Miss O-line that starts three seniors in addition to Tunsil.

Quarterback Chad Kelly hasn’t yet announced whether he’s returning to Oxford for his senior campaign, although another stacked recruiting class authored by coach Hugh Freeze is a string pitch to keep the signal caller in Oxford.

Jacob Eason

A 6-foot-5, 207-pound quarterback from Lake Stevens (Wash.) High School, Eason is the No. 1 recruit in the country at his position, No. 1 in the state of Washington and No. 6 overall. He has already signed with Georgia as an early enrollee.

The Bulldogs shouldn’t be starting a QB that transferred to Athens after failing to win the job at a meciocre ACC program like Virginia, but that’s exactly what ex-coach Mark Richt had to do this season with Greyson Lambert. Third-stringer Faton Bauta started one game in 2015 — looking totally out of his element in a 27-3 loss to Florida — and has decided to transfer, and No. 2 Brice Ramsey hasn’t done enough to deserve extended time.

Securing Eason’s commitment following Richt’s departure was the first victory for new coach Kirby Smart, and since the rocket-armed passer will be able to participate in spring practice, he could give Lambert a run for his money right away.

Marlon Davidson

A 6-foot-3, 279-pound defensive end from Greenville (Ala.) High School, Davidson is the No. 1 recruit in the country at his position, No. 2 in the state of Alabama and No. 9 overall. He is committed to Auburn.

Even with the presence of respected defensive coordinator Will Muschamp — he served one year before getting the top job at South Carolina — the Tigers had a miserable time stopping anybody: 11th in the conference against the run, 12th against the pass. Defensive end Byron Cowart was the nation’s top recruit in 2015 but didn’t record a single tackle for loss in Year 1, although the thought of him lining up opposite Davidson next season is tempting.

Auburn’s leading sack artist, Cassanova McKinzy, is a senior and did it from his linebacker position, so a defense that finished tied for last in the league with 17 sacks is desperate for more push in the trenches.

Jonah Williams

A 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive tackle from Folsom (Calif.) High School, Williams is the No. 2 recruit in the country at his position, No. 3 in the state of California and No. 19 overall. He is currently committed to Alabama.

So long as coach Nick Saban is in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide are going to play a fairly conservative brand of football offensively that revolves around the running game — Derrick Henry won the Heisman Trophy this season as a result. While Ryan Kelly is a trememdous center and deserving of all the accolades he received, the rest of the O-line hasn’t been as dominant as one might think given Henry’s numbers.

Williams could challenge for the starting job at right tackle pretty quickly since Dominick Jackson is a senior, although Williams is going to have to beef up his frame a bit before he’s truly ready for SEC competition.

DeKaylin Metcalf

A 6-foot-3, 211-pound wide receiver from Oxford (Miss.) High School, Williams is the No. 3 recruit in the country at his position, No. 1 in the state of Mississippi and No. 24 overall. He is currently committed to Ole Miss.

Another possible reason for the aforementioned Kelly thinking about the pros is the absence next season of Laquon Treadwell, his most dangerous weapon in the passing game and, like Tunsil, soon to be a high draft pick. Treadwell caught 72 passes in 2013 from former quarterback Bo Wallace right out of high school, so it’s reasonable to think Metcalf could exceed that figure with the more-talented Kelly at the controls.

The other starting receiver for the Rebels, Cody Core, is a senior and out of eligibiilty, meaning more opportunities for Metcalf right out of the gate.

Chauncey Gardner

A 5-foot-11, 190-pound cornerback from Cocoa (Fla.) High School, Williams is the No. 3 recruit in the country at his position, No. 8 in the state of Florida and No. 35 overall. He is committed to Florida.

While the Gators have had all kinds of trouble on offense this season, the other side of the ball — particularly the secondary, which is loaded with playmakers — picked up the slack week after week. Vernon Hargreaves III is one of several Gators on his way out of Gainesville a year early, as he has nothing left to prove at the collegiate level and might be the first corner drafted this spring.

Jalen Tabor was a monster this season playing in the shadow of Hargreaves and will be back in 2016 for his junior campaign, and Gardner could eventually be his new partner in crime across the field.

Feleipe Franks

A 6-foot-6, 203-pound quarterback from Crawfordville (Fla.) Wakulla High School, Franks is the No. 2 recruit in the country at his position, No. 6 in the state of Florida and No. 29 overall. He has already signed with Florida as an early enrollee.

It’s entirely possible that the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party next season is a battle of true freshmen at the game’s most important position, as Eason should be in the mix for the starting job at Georgia and Franks might be the answer for Florida. With Will Grier deciding to leave Gainesville, Franks likely only has to beat out incumbent Treon Harris — he has zero fan support at this point — and two-time transfer Luke Del Rio.

Franks flipped from LSU late in the recruiting process, perhaps due to the fact that he saw an easier road to the top of the depth chart with the Gators.

Saivion Smith

A 6-foot-1, 183-pound safety from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, Smith is the No. 1 recruit in the country at his position, No. 9 in the state of Florida and No. 38 overall. He is committed to LSU.

In the past five years alone, the Tigers have sent Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne, Eric Reed, Tyrann Mathieu and Jalen Collins to the NFL — all defensive backs drafted in the first three rounds. That’s the kind of direct path to Sunday paychecks elite prospects want to see, plus the Bayou Bengals are only eighth in the SEC this year defending the pass despite a down season conference-wide for QBs.

Smith is one of five LSU commitments ranked in the top 100, headlining a group that should include fellow safety Eric Monroe (No. 46), D-end Glen Logan (69), D-tackle Edwin Alexander (77) and linebacker Erick Fowler (79), so defensive reinforcements are on the way.

Landon Young

A 6-foot-7, 298-pound offensive tackle from Lexington (Ky.) Lafayette High School, Young is the No. 4 recruit in the country at his position, No. 1 in the state of Kentucky and No. 54 overall. He is currently committed to Kentucky.

The Wildcats have done a quality job on the recruiting trail within their own borders, as signing Young means securing the top prospect in the Bluegrass State three times in the last five cycles — he would join quarterbacks Patrick Towles and Drew Barker in 2012 and 2014, respectively. With Barker now taking over for the transferring Towles, who never lived up to his potential, better protection up front is a priority.

Left tackle Jordan Swindle is the only senior starter for an offensive line that was tied for 10th in the conference in sacks allowed (30), so Young is expected to contribute sooner rather than later.

Elijah Stove

A 6-foot, 174-pound wide receiver from Niceville (Fla.) High School, Stove is the No. 11 recruit in the country at his position, No. 13 in the state of Florida and No. 55 overall. He is committed to Auburn.

Coach Gus Malzahn’s frenetic offense wasn’t so high powered this season, as quarterback Jeremy Johnson disappointed, the running game only averaged 4.3 yards per carry — it was 5.5 last year, 6.3 the year before that — and the receiving corps dropped a stunning amount of passes. Once D’haquille Williams was suspended Oct. 6 for a violation of team rules, there was too much pressure on Ricardo Louis to catch every ball.

With Williams gone and both Louis and Melvin Ray out of eligibility, Stove would be a welcome addition to an aerial attack that’s on life support.

John Crist

John Crist is an award-winning contributor to Saturday Down South.

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