Ad Disclosure
As always, the SEC has done an excellent job of pursuing some of the highest-rated recruits in the country. But how does the conference stack up against the rest for 2016?
With National Signing Day about a month away, we decided to take a look at a conference-by-conference breakdown of how the 2016 class is shaping up.
FIVE-STAR COMMITMENTS
| Conference | Commitments |
|---|---|
| ACC | 3 |
| Big 12 | 1 |
| Big Ten | 2 |
| Pac-12 | 1 |
| SEC | 6 |
*The American Athletic Conference also has one.
Of the 25 five-star recruits in the 2016 class, 14 have committed, according to 247 Sports Composite. The SEC leads the ways with double the amount of five-stars as the next closest conference at this point. Georgia, LSU, Alabama and Auburn each have one and Ole Miss is fortunate enough to have two, including the highest-rated committed five-star, offensive tackle Gregory Little.
FOUR-STAR COMMITMENTS
| Conference | Commitments |
|---|---|
| ACC | 33 |
| Big 12 | 25 |
| Big Ten | 55 |
| Pac-12 | 49 |
| SEC | 82 |
The amount of four-stars that the SEC is able to bring in is really where the conference’s recruiting depth shows.
All 14 SEC teams have at least one four-star recruit. LSU leads the way with 11, including the two highest-rated, four-star prospects in the class — safety Eric Monroe and DT Edwin Alexander.
And with more than 80 four-stars still uncommitted and the SEC heavily in on the recruitments of many of them, the conference could add significantly to its total.
QUARTERBACKS
| Conference | Commitments |
|---|---|
| ACC | 14 |
| Big 12 | 8 |
| Big Ten | 13 |
| Pac-12 | 14 |
| SEC | 11 |
The SEC might not have the most QB commits, but it has some of the best. Three of the top six pro-style quarterbacks in the 2016 class are committed to the conference. No. 1 Jacob Eason will be heading to Georgia, while No. 2 Shea Patterson joins Ole Miss.
The No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the class, Feleipe Franks, was originally committed to LSU before flipping his decision to Florida.
RUNNING BACKS
| Conference | Commitments |
|---|---|
| ACC | 10 |
| Big 12 | 5 |
| Big Ten | 16 |
| Pac-12 | 16 |
| SEC | 12 |
The Big Ten and Pac-12 carry a slight edge over the SEC so far when it comes to recruiting 2016’s running backs.
Alabama and Georgia boast the two highest-rated RB recruits that will be joining the SEC — four-stars B.J. Emmons (Alabama) and Elijah Holyfield (Georgia).
RECEIVERS
| Conference | Commitments |
|---|---|
| ACC | 34 |
| Big 12 | 24 |
| Big Ten | 24 |
| Pac-12 | 35 |
| SEC | 26 |
Kyle Davis (Auburn) and DeKalyin Metcalf (Ole Miss) are both top 10 receivers in the 2016 class and will be playing in the SEC next year.
Every Power 5 conference has recruited plenty of wide receivers for the 2016 class, but pass-heavy conferences like the ACC and Pac-12 lead the way. Although the SEC has some talented wideouts headed its way, there’s no team in the conference that compares to Southern Cal, which has four wide receivers in its top five recruits.
Pat Donohue is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter @SportsDownPat.
