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The cornerback recruiting story in the Southeastern Conference for the 2016 cycle very much is yet to be written.
Five of the top seven prospects at that critical position (per 247Sports Composite rankings) currently are uncommitted. Of those five, four reside within the SEC’s geographic footprint.
So even though this ranking will very likely change between now and signing day, here are the top five current cornerback commits for SEC programs.
1. Saivion Smith, LSU
One thing that very likely will not change is that Smith is the top cornerback prospect heading to the SEC. The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout continues a recent tradition of the Tigers dipping into the Sunshine State and landing an elite corner. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Smith has all of the tools — size, feet and speed — to be outstanding at the next level.
2. Charles Oliver, Texas A&M
The 6-foot-1.5, 182-pound Oliver is a U.S. Army All-American from Fairfield, Texas, who could have an instant impact for the Aggies in the secondary. Given his height and athleticism- along with his versatility (he plays all over the field in high school and those guys tend to be players earlier when they get to college) — he’s got a particularly high ceiling.
3. Chauncey Gardner, Florida
Gardner, from Cocoa, Fla., has good size at 6-foot, 194 pounds and could very well end up making a transition to safety. Right now, though, he’s a cornerback and the Under Armour All-American could step in next season and contribute for the Gators.
4. Marquill Osborne, Tennessee
Osborne, from Hough High in Cornelius, N.C., (Charlotte area) is a smooth cornerback with excellent change-of-direction ability and athletic upside. His game is similar to that of current Vols cornerback Cameron Sutton and he may be the similar type of slightly overlooked prospect that ends up making an earlier impact than expected.
5. Andraez Williams, LSU
Williams, a 6-foot-2, 170-pounder from Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist is an explosive athlete with great length and speed. In addition to Smith in this class and others LSU has recruited in recent cycles, Williams gives the Bayou Bengals yet another prospect in the secondary with excellent upside.
Recruiting writer for Saturday Down South
