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Defensive Recruit from each team I'm excited to watch next year
Posted on 8/29/16 at 5:40 pm
Posted on 8/29/16 at 5:40 pm
I've done this for the offensive side of the ball , so keeping with tradition I figured I would do the same thing for defense. Obviously feel free to input who you're excited to watch over the next few years from your team, or any other.
Here were my picks from last year:
SEC West
SEC East
SEC West
Alabama - Ben Davis, LB
Once again, Alabama has so much talent on the defensive side of the ball, that they're not going to need to rely on Freshmen. But I do think they will use Ben Davis and Mack Wilson every now and then. It must be a nice luxury to have 5-stars 3rd on the depth chart. Davis has the ability to be the next Reggie Ragland or Reuben Foster flying across the field and finding the gaps that one of the best front 4s in the nation creates on a pretty constant basis. Davis has great size, athleticism, and vision on defense and even though he didn't end up at UGA, I'm glad he's in the West where the only chance UGA has to face him is in the SEC Championship.
Arkansas - McTelvin Agim, DE
Agim is Arkansas' first 5-star recruit since 2009, and has the opportunity to make a huge impact in his first season in Fayetteville. Agim has lightning fast speed at the defensive end position and had a constant motor when chasing skill position players who had already reached the second level of the defense. I was also incredibly impressed with his discipline when covering the zone read. He stays incredibly patient and forces the QB to make a tougher decision. The only weakness I saw, was his run defense, but gaining 20 pounds since arriving in January and arriving early on campus has been a big help for Agim. I look forward to seeing him chase QBs around the field over the next 3+ years.
Auburn - Marlon Davison, DE
Davidson was part of a very impressive defensive line haul for the Tigers in the 2016 recruiting class that included guys like Derrick Brown who should also make a big impact this fall. But I'm most excited to watch Davidson because he has a great chance to start, especially considering Byron Cowart's less than impressive career so far (yes, I know he's a So. but still). Davidson shows great speed off the edge, but IMO his best quality is his hands. He's similar to JJ Watt with his ability to use his hands so well at such a large size, and if taught correctly (inb4LSUfans) I expect him to deflect a few balls that lead to picks, and even maybe have one or two himself. Auburn has a very talented defensive line, and starting on the opposite side of Carl Lawson (a la Daeshon Hall & Curt Maggitt) could allow Davidson to have a massive Freshman season.
LSU - Devin White, LB
LSU was able to bring in six Top 75 recruits on the defensive side of the ball last year, but the guy who I'm most excited to watch next year is Devin White. White was a running back and linebacker coming into school, but Miles believed he would be best suited for the defensive side of the ball. White is a punishing linebacker with great strength, and great pursuit into the backfield. His past as a running back helps him with playmaking ability on the defensive side of the ball, and he is a strong runner with the ball in his hands. LSU's defensive back haul was very impressive, but the talent that's already there will make it tougher for guys like Kristian Fulton and Saivion Smith to make an impact this season. But definitely be on the lookout for those guys as well.
Mississippi State - Jeffery Simmons, DE
Simmons' off the field issues are obviously a very important and worrisome thing, but it does appear that he's going to play and he definitely has the ability to make an impact on the field in year one. The most impressive part of Simmons' game to me is the use of his hands. I am very impressed by the way he engages lineman, and is able to use his hands to get past them to reach the ballcarrier. He also gets his hands up to deflect passes very well, and his large frame helps with that as well. I'm hopeful that Mullen has had a positive influence on Simmons and that he has no more run ins with the law, and make a great impact on the community around him as well as the football field.
Ole Miss - Deontay Anderson, S
Anderson is just one of the latest in a relatively long line of great recruits that Ole Miss has been able to pull from Texas under Freeze. Anderson flies across the field with great speed which is a great aid in run support. His 6-foot frame is also going to be a huge asset against some of the bigger receivers that he'll be going up against in the SEC. Spending more time in the weight room is going to help Anderson become a much stronger defender, and will certainly allow him to see the field more often. Anderson, and Myles Hartsfield are two guys that will be huge additions to a Rebel secondary that has produced stars in the last few seasons.
Texas A&M - Tyrel Dodson, LB
Although I don't necessarily believe Dodson will contribute early in the season outside of special teams, I think by the end of the year the Aggies will have a guy they see a lot of hope in for the future at the inside linebacker position. Dodson has incredible lateral quickness, which allows him to cover a ton of the field. Dodson actually reminds me a lot of Devin White from LSU, with great athletic ability, as well as some experience on the offensive side of the ball. Just like White, Dodson has the ability to use his speed to get into the backfield and once he gets there, he's going to lay the wood.
Here were my picks from last year:
SEC West
SEC East
SEC West
Alabama - Ben Davis, LB
Once again, Alabama has so much talent on the defensive side of the ball, that they're not going to need to rely on Freshmen. But I do think they will use Ben Davis and Mack Wilson every now and then. It must be a nice luxury to have 5-stars 3rd on the depth chart. Davis has the ability to be the next Reggie Ragland or Reuben Foster flying across the field and finding the gaps that one of the best front 4s in the nation creates on a pretty constant basis. Davis has great size, athleticism, and vision on defense and even though he didn't end up at UGA, I'm glad he's in the West where the only chance UGA has to face him is in the SEC Championship.
Arkansas - McTelvin Agim, DE
Agim is Arkansas' first 5-star recruit since 2009, and has the opportunity to make a huge impact in his first season in Fayetteville. Agim has lightning fast speed at the defensive end position and had a constant motor when chasing skill position players who had already reached the second level of the defense. I was also incredibly impressed with his discipline when covering the zone read. He stays incredibly patient and forces the QB to make a tougher decision. The only weakness I saw, was his run defense, but gaining 20 pounds since arriving in January and arriving early on campus has been a big help for Agim. I look forward to seeing him chase QBs around the field over the next 3+ years.
Auburn - Marlon Davison, DE
Davidson was part of a very impressive defensive line haul for the Tigers in the 2016 recruiting class that included guys like Derrick Brown who should also make a big impact this fall. But I'm most excited to watch Davidson because he has a great chance to start, especially considering Byron Cowart's less than impressive career so far (yes, I know he's a So. but still). Davidson shows great speed off the edge, but IMO his best quality is his hands. He's similar to JJ Watt with his ability to use his hands so well at such a large size, and if taught correctly (inb4LSUfans) I expect him to deflect a few balls that lead to picks, and even maybe have one or two himself. Auburn has a very talented defensive line, and starting on the opposite side of Carl Lawson (a la Daeshon Hall & Curt Maggitt) could allow Davidson to have a massive Freshman season.
LSU - Devin White, LB
LSU was able to bring in six Top 75 recruits on the defensive side of the ball last year, but the guy who I'm most excited to watch next year is Devin White. White was a running back and linebacker coming into school, but Miles believed he would be best suited for the defensive side of the ball. White is a punishing linebacker with great strength, and great pursuit into the backfield. His past as a running back helps him with playmaking ability on the defensive side of the ball, and he is a strong runner with the ball in his hands. LSU's defensive back haul was very impressive, but the talent that's already there will make it tougher for guys like Kristian Fulton and Saivion Smith to make an impact this season. But definitely be on the lookout for those guys as well.
Mississippi State - Jeffery Simmons, DE
Simmons' off the field issues are obviously a very important and worrisome thing, but it does appear that he's going to play and he definitely has the ability to make an impact on the field in year one. The most impressive part of Simmons' game to me is the use of his hands. I am very impressed by the way he engages lineman, and is able to use his hands to get past them to reach the ballcarrier. He also gets his hands up to deflect passes very well, and his large frame helps with that as well. I'm hopeful that Mullen has had a positive influence on Simmons and that he has no more run ins with the law, and make a great impact on the community around him as well as the football field.
Ole Miss - Deontay Anderson, S
Anderson is just one of the latest in a relatively long line of great recruits that Ole Miss has been able to pull from Texas under Freeze. Anderson flies across the field with great speed which is a great aid in run support. His 6-foot frame is also going to be a huge asset against some of the bigger receivers that he'll be going up against in the SEC. Spending more time in the weight room is going to help Anderson become a much stronger defender, and will certainly allow him to see the field more often. Anderson, and Myles Hartsfield are two guys that will be huge additions to a Rebel secondary that has produced stars in the last few seasons.
Texas A&M - Tyrel Dodson, LB
Although I don't necessarily believe Dodson will contribute early in the season outside of special teams, I think by the end of the year the Aggies will have a guy they see a lot of hope in for the future at the inside linebacker position. Dodson has incredible lateral quickness, which allows him to cover a ton of the field. Dodson actually reminds me a lot of Devin White from LSU, with great athletic ability, as well as some experience on the offensive side of the ball. Just like White, Dodson has the ability to use his speed to get into the backfield and once he gets there, he's going to lay the wood.
This post was edited on 8/29/16 at 5:46 pm
3
Posted on 8/29/16 at 5:41 pm to Dawgsontop34
SEC East
Florida - Chauncey Gardner, CB
Gardner is a guy with a ton of speed and confidence who has not shied away from saying that he is going to be one of the next ones in the line of the school he believes is DBU. Gardner is definitely going to have to adjust quickly though, because he played a lot of safety and outside linebacker in high school, and is going to be making the transition to corner for some games. It has been reported that he will play some safety as well, and learning from guys like Marcus Maye and Teez Tabor is going to help him become a better player at the collegiate game more quickly.
Georgia - Michail Carter, DT
Carter is just one of many young members of the UGA defensive line that is expected to contribute this season. Of the 9 members of UGA defensive line on the 3-deep, 8 of them are Sophomores or Freshmen, and 4 of them are True Freshmen. The one who I am most excited to watch from the group is Michail Carter. Carter has shown great explosiveness through the interior of the line, and surprising speed for someone who weighs around 300 lbs. Julian Rochester is another guy who I'm excited to see develop, because if he can avoid being stood up at the line, he's going to be a monster.
Kentucky - Kash Daniel, LB
Daniel has a very unique skill set as a linebacker, otherwise known as the QB of the defense, in that he also played Quarterback in high school. Daniel moves very well laterally, and wraps up when he hits the ball carrier, which prevents unnecessary additional yardage. Stoops has said he expects Daniel to be one of the few Freshmen to contribute this year, which was backed up by the most recent two-deep where Daniel has been listed as a potential starter. UK's run defense has really struggled the last two seasons and they could use someone like Daniel to contribute right away.
Missouri - Cale Garrett, LB
According to 247, Garrett was the lowest rated recruit that Mizzou brought in during the 2016 recruiting class. But in Mizzou-style, they appear to be getting more out of a player who wasn't recruited highly at all. Garrett's only other D1 offers were Bowling Green, Navy, and Kansas. Garrett could use some work in covering receivers, but he is a monster in run defense. He is a downhill linebacker that has great speed in a straight line and getting to Columbia as an early enrollee was essential in his early success. It will be interesting to see if the more highly recruited players can contest with Garrett as time goes on, or if he will be an important part of Barry Odom's defense.
South Carolina - Jamarcus King, CB
King is one of the most physical cornerbacks I've seen in a while, and someone who isn't going to let receivers get off the line easily. The Gamecocks defensive backs last year were horrendous, letting Grayson Lambert set NCAA records on them, because they would be matched up 10 yards back on the opposing receiver leaving every inside slant wide open. Will Muschamp may not have the best head coaching record in the world, but I don't think anyone can argue that he doesn't have a great defensive mind. I see him using the #1 Juco corner very effectively over the next couple seasons.
Tennessee - Jonathan Kongbo, DE
Kongbo was the #1 rated Juco recruit in the Nation last year, and is going to be just one more pass rushing threat the Vols have this season. Kongbo still has a steep learning curve as far as the D1 level goes considering he has not even played 5 years of organized football in his life, but Shoop (UT's new DC) has used players with a massive frame (Carl Nassib) very well before. From what I've seen, Kongbo has very good discipline on read options, but the most impressive move I've noticed is his swim move that allows him to get inside a tackle because they're so afraid of him beating them to the outside. I'm hopeful that I don't see a ton of that effective move this season, especially on October 1st.
Vanderbilt - Joejuan Williams, CB
The old saying where if you can't catch the ball, play defense, kind of applies to JoeJuan Williams. He has great cover skills, and very good size, but dropped multiple interception opportunities throughout his high school career. If he can take care of those chances, he has a great chance to play for a Derek Mason defense that continues to improve each year. Vanderbilt's LB core is one of the best in the SEC, and they hope their one 4 star recruit can make their secondary equally as efficient.
Florida - Chauncey Gardner, CB
Gardner is a guy with a ton of speed and confidence who has not shied away from saying that he is going to be one of the next ones in the line of the school he believes is DBU. Gardner is definitely going to have to adjust quickly though, because he played a lot of safety and outside linebacker in high school, and is going to be making the transition to corner for some games. It has been reported that he will play some safety as well, and learning from guys like Marcus Maye and Teez Tabor is going to help him become a better player at the collegiate game more quickly.
Georgia - Michail Carter, DT
Carter is just one of many young members of the UGA defensive line that is expected to contribute this season. Of the 9 members of UGA defensive line on the 3-deep, 8 of them are Sophomores or Freshmen, and 4 of them are True Freshmen. The one who I am most excited to watch from the group is Michail Carter. Carter has shown great explosiveness through the interior of the line, and surprising speed for someone who weighs around 300 lbs. Julian Rochester is another guy who I'm excited to see develop, because if he can avoid being stood up at the line, he's going to be a monster.
Kentucky - Kash Daniel, LB
Daniel has a very unique skill set as a linebacker, otherwise known as the QB of the defense, in that he also played Quarterback in high school. Daniel moves very well laterally, and wraps up when he hits the ball carrier, which prevents unnecessary additional yardage. Stoops has said he expects Daniel to be one of the few Freshmen to contribute this year, which was backed up by the most recent two-deep where Daniel has been listed as a potential starter. UK's run defense has really struggled the last two seasons and they could use someone like Daniel to contribute right away.
Missouri - Cale Garrett, LB
According to 247, Garrett was the lowest rated recruit that Mizzou brought in during the 2016 recruiting class. But in Mizzou-style, they appear to be getting more out of a player who wasn't recruited highly at all. Garrett's only other D1 offers were Bowling Green, Navy, and Kansas. Garrett could use some work in covering receivers, but he is a monster in run defense. He is a downhill linebacker that has great speed in a straight line and getting to Columbia as an early enrollee was essential in his early success. It will be interesting to see if the more highly recruited players can contest with Garrett as time goes on, or if he will be an important part of Barry Odom's defense.
South Carolina - Jamarcus King, CB
King is one of the most physical cornerbacks I've seen in a while, and someone who isn't going to let receivers get off the line easily. The Gamecocks defensive backs last year were horrendous, letting Grayson Lambert set NCAA records on them, because they would be matched up 10 yards back on the opposing receiver leaving every inside slant wide open. Will Muschamp may not have the best head coaching record in the world, but I don't think anyone can argue that he doesn't have a great defensive mind. I see him using the #1 Juco corner very effectively over the next couple seasons.
Tennessee - Jonathan Kongbo, DE
Kongbo was the #1 rated Juco recruit in the Nation last year, and is going to be just one more pass rushing threat the Vols have this season. Kongbo still has a steep learning curve as far as the D1 level goes considering he has not even played 5 years of organized football in his life, but Shoop (UT's new DC) has used players with a massive frame (Carl Nassib) very well before. From what I've seen, Kongbo has very good discipline on read options, but the most impressive move I've noticed is his swim move that allows him to get inside a tackle because they're so afraid of him beating them to the outside. I'm hopeful that I don't see a ton of that effective move this season, especially on October 1st.
Vanderbilt - Joejuan Williams, CB
The old saying where if you can't catch the ball, play defense, kind of applies to JoeJuan Williams. He has great cover skills, and very good size, but dropped multiple interception opportunities throughout his high school career. If he can take care of those chances, he has a great chance to play for a Derek Mason defense that continues to improve each year. Vanderbilt's LB core is one of the best in the SEC, and they hope their one 4 star recruit can make their secondary equally as efficient.
Posted on 8/29/16 at 5:49 pm to Dawgsontop34
Nice write-up as always DOT34 
Posted on 8/29/16 at 6:15 pm to Dawgsontop34
quote:
Agim is Arkansas' first 5-star recruit since 2009
False
Posted on 8/29/16 at 6:16 pm to Dawgsontop34
quote:
Arkansas - McTelvin Agim, DE
Agim is Arkansas' first 5-star recruit since 2009, and has the opportunity to make a huge impact in his first season in Fayetteville. Agim has lightning fast speed at the defensive end position and had a constant motor when chasing skill position players who had already reached the second level of the defense. I was also incredibly impressed with his discipline when covering the zone read. He stays incredibly patient and forces the QB to make a tougher decision. The only weakness I saw, was his run defense, but gaining 20 pounds since arriving in January and arriving early on campus has been a big help for Agim. I look forward to seeing him chase QBs around the field over the next 3+ years.
He has been moved to DT according to the depth chart just put out. Nice job
LINK
This post was edited on 8/29/16 at 6:17 pm
Posted on 8/29/16 at 7:08 pm to Hawgeye
quote:
Agim is Arkansas' first 5-star recruit since 2009
quote:
False
Find me a 5-star recruit on 247 more recently than 2009 if I'm wrong.
Posted on 8/29/16 at 7:20 pm to Dawgsontop34
I'm pretty sure Arkansas had a 5* corner recently
Posted on 8/29/16 at 9:06 pm to Howyouluhdat
No, the last 5 star corner we had was Darius Winston who never made much of an impact.
Posted on 8/29/16 at 9:17 pm to Dawgsontop34
Im looking forward to seeing Derrick Brown more than Davidson. That's a big ole baw mane
Posted on 8/30/16 at 8:12 am to Dawgsontop34
Alex Collins was a 5 star according to 247 and the #1 ranked RB in the nation according to 247's own ranking.
LINK
LINK
This post was edited on 8/30/16 at 8:14 am
Posted on 8/30/16 at 8:14 am to Hawgeye
quote:
Alex Collins was a 5 star according to 247 and the #1 ranked RB in the nation according to 247's own ranking.
This shows 247 having him as a 4-star composite.
Alex Collins 247 recruiting summary
Posted on 8/30/16 at 8:16 am to madmaxvol
And it also shows 247 having him as a 5 star and a 99 grade, as shown in my link above.
Posted on 8/30/16 at 9:19 am to Hawgeye
I was using the 247 composite, which I believe is the most accurate of the recruiting rankings.
It's just funny to me when someone picks the ranking that suits their players best so they can say they got a 5-star recruit, even if they were only a 5-star on 1 of the main recruiting websites.
Eta: Collins was obviously a great player, and I'm not saying he wasn't deserving of that high of a ranking. Just that the most commonly used ranking doesn't have him that way.
It's just funny to me when someone picks the ranking that suits their players best so they can say they got a 5-star recruit, even if they were only a 5-star on 1 of the main recruiting websites.
Eta: Collins was obviously a great player, and I'm not saying he wasn't deserving of that high of a ranking. Just that the most commonly used ranking doesn't have him that way.
This post was edited on 8/30/16 at 9:22 am
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