News Article: Ranking the SEC classes

[JessN]

Ranking the SEC classes
By Jess Nicholas
TideFans.com Editor-in-Chief
Feb. 5, 2011

Here's a look at the signing classes of all 12 SEC schools:

1. Alabama

For the full story, click here: http://www.tidefans.com/forums/tidefans-com-articles/129655-ranking-sec-classes.html

 

[First Sergeant]

Great write up Jess!!! I am hopeful for CK today but he is the one that has to make the decision and live with it, I wish him the best either way.

regardless, the old saying is "need to worry about the ones you got, not the ones you lost"

God Speed brother!!

 

[RKel32]

I noticed you had ranking scenarios for CK's ultimate decision. Any similar scenarios for JC?

 

[skipster63]

good job Jess and thanks !

 

[OreBama]

Always great, Jess. I would be thrilled to snag Clowney or CK, but either way we'll be fine.

On another note, I noticed a Shaq and Shaquille among the recruit's names and find that hilarious.

 

[Crimson Surfer]

Thanks Jess,

That is a very good read as usual, with some very good analysis, about a very good Alabama signing class.

I just want to add that that I am very proud of how TideFans.com handled and conducted themselves on NSD. Especially under the shocking Cyrus Kouandjio circumstances. Thanks to all who participated and made a long day very successful and fun to participate in.

 

[JessN]

I noticed you had ranking scenarios for CK's ultimate decision. Any similar scenarios for JC?

Here's how I think it goes down...

1. If Alabama signs neither player, and CK goes to Iowa and Clowney goes to South Carolina, no change anywhere.
2. If Alabama signs neither player, and CK goes to Iowa and Clowney goes to Clemson, Clemson could leap all the way up to second and displace Alabama. I would have to go back and look at it more closely at that point.
3. If Alabama signs neither player, and CK goes to Auburn and Clowney goes to Clemson, Alabama could drop all the way to fourth overall.
4. If Alabama signs either player, regardless of where the other one goes, Alabama probably jumps Florida State.

If Auburn signs Kouandjio, the only way Alabama stays above Auburn is if Alabama signs Clowney.

 

[USC3521]

Tanner McEvoy is slow? By the way he is slated to play QB here, a project nevertheless but he is NOT slow. Go look at this tape. Incredible potential there. I agree with Jerell Adams being very underrated and you should've mentioned Shamier Jeffery as well in that category. He's going to be big time.

 

[JessN]

Tanner McEvoy is slow? By the way he is slated to play QB here, a project nevertheless but he is NOT slow. Go look at this tape. Incredible potential there. I agree with Jerell Adams being very underrated and you should've mentioned Shamier Jeffery as well in that category. He's going to be big time.

Where did I say Tanner McEvoy was "slow?" I didn't. I said something else but I'm going to let you go back and read it. Don't put words in my mouth.

 

[Perrett4Bama]

Here's how I think it goes down...

1. If Alabama signs neither player, and CK goes to Iowa and Clowney goes to South Carolina, no change anywhere.
2. If Alabama signs neither player, and CK goes to Iowa and Clowney goes to Clemson, Clemson could leap all
the way up to second and displace Alabama. I would have to go back and look at it more closely at that point.
3. If Alabama signs neither player, and CK goes to Auburn and Clowney goes to Clemson, Alabama could drop all the way to fourth overall.
4. If Alabama signs either player, regardless of where the other one goes, Alabama probably jumps Florida State.

If Auburn signs Kouandjio, the only way Alabama stays above Auburn is if Alabama signs Clowney.

Thanks for this info, I have been wondering....

 

[USCBAMA]

Where did I say Tanner McEvoy was "slow?" I didn't. I said something else but I'm going to let you go back and read it. Don't put words in my mouth.

The article said he, "has great size but not great speed." And for the WR position in the SEC I believe your statement is 100% accurate (4.7 40). USC3521 is correct in that Spurrier has recruited this kid for qb and seems really upbeat on the kids potiential as an SEC qb, so at qb 4.7 not so bad. I think that was part of the lure to USC from NJ for McEvoy as many others were recruiting him for TE or WR. I do think Shamier Jeffery is the wild card in this class. He shows a 4.6 40, but when you watch game film of him he has "game speed". The coaches feel he can be a special player.

Overall your analysis of USC was spot on... Spurrier and company put a lot of their eggs in getting Clowney. If he signs elsewhere this can't be considred an overly successful class considering the on-field success this past season.

 

[USC3521]

The article said he, "has great size but not great speed." And for the WR position in the SEC I believe your statement is 100% accurate (4.7 40). USC3521 is correct in that Spurrier has recruited this kid for qb and seems really upbeat on the kids potiential as an SEC qb, so at qb 4.7 not so bad. I think that was part of the lure to USC from NJ for McEvoy as many others were recruiting him for TE or WR. I do think Shamier Jeffery is the wild card in this class. He shows a 4.6 40, but when you watch game film of him he has "game speed". The coaches feel he can be a special player.

Overall your analysis of USC was spot on... Spurrier and company put a lot of their eggs in getting Clowney. If he signs elsewhere this can't be considred an overly successful class considering the on-field success this past season.

He should've known that he is coming here to play QB. He's got great speed for a QB.

 

[JessN]

He should've known that he is coming here to play QB. He's got great speed for a QB.

Now you're hedging. You said I called him "slow" and I did not. Now you want to qualify it by talking about "...as a QB". Great speed is great speed no matter what position we're talking about, and he doesn't have it. A QB with "great speed" is someone like Michigan's Denard Robinson. McAvoy is an athlete playing QB.

He's got goodspeed, and I rate it about a 50/50 shot he gets to actually use that speed at QB. I think it's much more likely, given the depth chart that already exists at that position and who else SC brought in, that he gets his shot at QB and then gets moved around, likely to WR or a hybrid position a la Florida's Trey Burton.

p.s.: Article has been updated with Cyrus Kouandjio information.

 

[USC3521]

Now you're hedging. You said I called him "slow" and I did not. Now you want to qualify it by talking about "...as a QB". Great speed is great speed no matter what position we're talking about, and he doesn't have it. A QB with "great speed" is someone like Michigan's Denard Robinson. McAvoy is an athlete playing QB.

He's got goodspeed, and I rate it about a 50/50 shot he gets to actually use that speed at QB. I think it's much more likely, given the depth chart that already exists at that position and who else SC brought in, that he gets his shot at QB and then gets moved around, likely to WR or a hybrid position a la Florida's Trey Burton.

p.s.: Article has been updated with Cyrus Kouandjio information.

I'll admit, I originally misread your comment about him not having great speed. But having said that, he is here to play QB and at 6'6" he can fly. Most QBs are not that fast. I don't understand even bringing up the comment about his speed when he's much faster than the average QB. Please clear that up.

 

[JessN]

I'll admit, I originally misread your comment about him not having great speed. But having said that, he is here to play QB and at 6'6" he can fly. Most QBs are not that fast. I don't understand even bringing up the comment about his speed when he's much faster than the average QB. Please clear that up.

There isn't an issue so long as there's not an argument about "good" versus "great" in terms of his overall speed. Given that we're in agreement that it's "good," the only other issue is whether he'll stay at QB or not, which is a separate discussion altogether.

I don't believe he'll stay there long-term. For him to do that would require Spurrier to make a fairly fundamental change in the way he runs the position. Spurrier has historically preferred a QB who was a distributor first and an athlete second. He would prefer a Danny Wuerffel over a Michael Vick, for instance (speaking solely on the college level; forget what Vick has done in the pros).

If he's bringing McAvoy in with the intent on having him stay at QB, then he is essentially trying to run the Fun 'N' Gun with Matt Jones as the triggerman. I'm not sure what Spurrier wants to do on offense is compatible with such a strategy. And in the past, when Spurrier gets fidgety about the relationship of his QB to the offense, the first option is to bench him and go to Plan B.

As such, I think the chances of McAvoy staying at QB are already slim. A 30-year body of work is stacked against him.