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Late bloomers and lightly recruited players can still develop into all-SEC caliber players, and they make a two- or three-year look back even more interesting.
Here is a look at the 2015 All-SEC first team by The Associated Press, and where the members were ranked as recruits, according to 247Sports.
OFFENSE
| Pos | Player | School | Stars | Pos. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | Laquon Treadwell | Mississippi | ***** | #3 |
| WR | Pharoh Cooper | South Carolina | *** | #21 ATH |
| OL | Cam Robinson | Alabama | ***** | #1 |
| OL | Vadal Alexander | LSU | **** | #9 |
| OL | John Theus | Georgia | ***** | #3 |
| OL | Sebastian Tretola | Arkansas | *** | #3 |
| C | Ryan Kelly | Alabama | **** | #3 |
| TE | Hunter Henry | Arkansas | **** | #4 |
| QB | Dak Prescott | Mississippi State | *** | #20 |
| RB | Derrick Henry | Alabama | ***** | #1 ATH |
| RB | Leonard Fournette | LSU | ***** | #1 |
| PK | Daniel Carson | Auburn | *** | #1 |
| AP/WR | Christian Kirk | Texas A&M | ***** | #4 |
DEFENSE
Takeaways:
| Pos | Player | School | Stars | Pos. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | Myles Garrett | Texas A&M | ***** | #1 |
| DL | Jon Bullard | Florida | ***** | #1 |
| DL | Jonathan Allen | Alabama | ***** | #3 |
| DL | A’Shawn Robinson | Alabama | ***** | #2 |
| LB | Reggie Ragland | Alabama | **** | #1 |
| LB | Kentrell Brothers | Missouri | *** | #52 |
| LB | Zach Cunningham | Vanderbilt | **** | #18 |
| CB | Vernon Hargreaves III | Florida | ***** | #1 |
| CB | Jalen Tabor | Florida | ***** | #4 |
| S | Eddie Jackson | Alabama | *** | #14 ATH |
| S | Dominick Sanders | Georgia | *** | #68 |
| P | Drew Kaser | Texas A&M | ** | #2 |
TAKEAWAYS
There are 12 five-star recruits on this list, including four from Alabama.
It shows the true athleticism of Pharoh Cooper, Derrick Henry and Eddie Jackson that they’re not only able to settle on a position, but play among the best in the SEC.
While the front line of the All-SEC first team defense has to be among the best in recent years, it’s interesting that several of the linebackers and safeties were not as highly rated as their fellow honorees.
It’s widely known that Dak Prescott was not highly rated by the recruiting services. But who would’ve guessed there are three other players ranked lower at their positions?
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
