OutkicktheCoverage's 2012 SEC Recruiting Class Rankings

Today, we debut OKTC's recruiting big board for the class of 2012. We'll update this list -- and eventually add a national component -- but for now we're assessing where each SEC school stands in the first week in August relative to its peers in the toughest recruiting conference in the nation.

Let's insert the requisite buyer beware language since a ton can change between now and the February signing date, but football recruiting is becoming more and more of a look-ahead business. With the scholarship limits now at 25 per team, many schools are locking down their commits earlier than ever before. Rather than rely on on any one site to rank classes, OKTC has analyzed the relative rankings and come up with what we think is a better, fairer, and more accurate measure for analyzing recruits and recruiting classses.

OKTC listed teams below based on current number of commits, our analysis for the player ratings, and a up/down "stock" analysis of where each team may be heading. This projection was based on number of commits already on board, big names left as legit prospects, etc. So for example, if a team already has 18 commits and will only take 20-21, it's hard for them to improve their standing too much. On the other hand if a team like Ole Miss only has eight players committed, they're more likely to hold steady at worse or improve their stock. A team like Auburn has probably maxed out on its potential and will likely hold steady at best, because its quality is already so high it will be almost impossible for it to improve star ratings. In Vanderbilt's case, they've already peaked and it will be very difficult for the next 5-10 commitments to match the quality of what they already have. So while perception is that they're on a roll, in reality their stock will probably head south in the next couple of months as they regress to their mean.

For this ranking, OKTC tallied everything strictly based on quality to date, not quantity. Some sites will take into account number of commits vs quality, but we think that's a bogus approach because a team who has 20 mediocre players shouldn't be analyzed mid-season as being as successful as a team with ten above average prospects. The second team has far more potential than the first but may wait until later to take commitments.

Without further ado, here is our rankings:

OKTC SEC Mid-class Recruiting Rankings

1. Auburn

13 commits - 3.9 OKTC average prospect rating 

Future 2012 stock - Neutral
 

2. Florida

15 commits. 3.8 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Rising
 

3. Alabama

14 commits. 3.6 avg rating 

Future 2012 stock - Rising
 

4. LSU

18 commits. 3.5 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Neutral
 

5. South Carolina

18 commits 3.4 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Rising
 

6. Georgia

12 commits 3 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Rising
 

7. Vanderbilt

15 commits 2.9 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Neutral
 

8. Arkansas

14 commits 2.6 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Neutral
 

9. Ole Miss

8 commits - 2.6 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Rising


10. Tennessee

12 commits - 2.5 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Neutral


11. Miss. State

15 commits - 2.4 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Neutral
 

12. Kentucky

16 commits - 2.0 avg rating

Future 2012 stock - Rising

 

Written by
Clay Travis is the founder of the fastest growing national multimedia platform, OutKick, that produces and distributes engaging content across sports and pop culture to millions of fans across the country. OutKick was created by Travis in 2011 and sold to the Fox Corporation in 2021. One of the most electrifying and outspoken personalities in the industry, Travis hosts OutKick The Show where he provides his unfiltered opinion on the most compelling headlines throughout sports, culture, and politics. He also makes regular appearances on FOX News Media as a contributor providing analysis on a variety of subjects ranging from sports news to the cultural landscape. Throughout the college football season, Travis is on Big Noon Kickoff for Fox Sports breaking down the game and the latest storylines. Additionally, Travis serves as a co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a three-hour conservative radio talk program syndicated across Premiere Networks radio stations nationwide. Previously, he launched OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio that included interviews and listener interactions and was on Fox Sports Bet for four years. Additionally, Travis started an iHeartRadio Original Podcast called Wins & Losses that featured in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports. Travis is a graduate of George Washington University as well as Vanderbilt Law School. Based in Nashville, he is the author of Dixieland Delight, On Rocky Top, and Republicans Buy Sneakers Too.