Who is the top-ranked recruit that each SEC school has signed in the last decade?

The SEC has been home to a plethora of talented recruits over the years. The Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas A&M Aggies, and LSU Tigers are just a few of the programs that have seen a lot of success on the recruiting trail.

Needless to say, a lot of the recruits that they have signed have turned out to be difference makers over the course of their college careers.

Roll Tide Wire takes a look at the top-ranked recruit that each SEC program has signed in the last decade by taking a look at 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

Alabama – Bryce Young, Quarterback

The Alabama Crimson Tide have signed multiple five-star quarterbacks over the years. Perhaps none of them were more coveted than former five-star Bryce Young. The native of Pasadena, California was ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2020 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. He was also ranked the No. 1 quarterback in the class as well. Overall, there was a lot of buzz surrounding Young.

That buzz amounted to a lot. In three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Young made quite the name for himself. He passed for over 8,000 yards and 80 touchdowns in two seasons as Alabama’s full-time starter. As a sophomore, Young won the Heisman Trophy. He became the first Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy. Young departed Alabama as one of the top quarterbacks in program history as well as college football history.

Arkansas – Bijhon Jackson, Defensive Tackle

The top-ranked recruit to sign with the Arkansas Razorbacks in the last decade is former four-star defensive lineman Bijhon Jackson. The Arkansas native was ranked as the No. 81 overall recruit in the country according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

Jackson played in a lot of games during his Razorbacks career. He saw action in 50 games. Jackson tallied 47 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. While his stats might not say much, his play did. He was a key interior defensive lineman for the Razorbacks in each of the four seasons that he spent in Fayetteville.

The Auburn Tigers coaching staff was eager to get five-star defensive end Byron Cowart on campus in 2015. Cowart, a Florida native, was ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit in the country according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

Cowart would spend three seasons on The Plains. In 26 games, Cowart recorded 15 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. After his junior season, Cowart transferred to the Maryland Terrapins. He played in 12 games and tallied 37 tackles, five tackles for loss, and three sacks. Ultimately, he did not live up to the hype at Auburn but created some value for himself in College Park.

Florida – Martez Ivey, Offensive Tackle

The Florida Gators football program has had some success when it comes to developing offensive lineman. One of the more college-ready offensive tackles that has signed with the Gators in the last decade is former five-star Martez Ivey. The native of Apopka, Florida was ranked as the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2015 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

In four seasons in Gainesville, Ivey made 44 starts for the Gators. He played both left guard and left tackle. Overall, he was one of the best offensive tackles that has suited up for the Gators.

The Georgia Bulldogs coaching staff made an all-out effort to land former five-star quarterback Justin Fields. They were able to do just that. Justin Fields committed to the Bulldogs over multiple other power-five programs. His career in Athens was short-lived, however. He spent one season with the Bulldogs. In 12 games, Fields passed for 328 yards and four touchdowns.

Following his freshman season, Fields entered the transfer portal and committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes. In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Fields made 22 starts. He passed for 5,373 yards and 63 touchdowns. He had an opportunity to create a lot of value for himself and took advantage of the opportunity in the Big Ten.

Kentucky – Kiyaunta Goodwin, Offensive Tackle

The Kentucky Wildcats coaching staff dipped into the state of Indiana to land the nation’s No. 6 offensive tackle according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. That was former four-star offensive tackle Kiyaunta Goodwin. Upon arriving on campus in Lexington, Goodwin played in 11 games for the Widlcats, primarily on special teams.

Following the season, Goodwin entered the transfer portal and committed to the Florida Gators. Given some extenuating circumstances, Goodwin took a departure from the Gators and has not made a return to college football that I am aware of.

The LSU Tigers have had a plethora of success over the years on the recruiting trail. The top-ranked recruit that the Tigers have signed in the last decade is former five-star running back and Louisiana native Leonard Fournette. Fournette was ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2014 recruiting class by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

In three seasons in Baton Rouge, Fournette rushed for almsot 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns. As a sophomore, Fournette finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was also named a First-Team All-SEC selection and Consensus All-American as a sophomore as well. Fournette had a very successful career with the Tigers to say the least.

Mississippi State – Charles Cross, Offensive Tackle

Coming out of high school, offensive tackle Charles Cross was highly sought after and rightfully so. The Mississippi native fielded almost 20 offers and was ranked as the No. 8 overall recruit in the country by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

Cross made 22 starts for the Bulldogs during his three seasons in Starkville. Following his redshirt sophomore season, Cross was named a First-Team All-American by ESPN and Sporting News. He was also named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week on two separate occasions. Overall, Cross panned out nicely for the Bulldogs and has gone on to become a starter in the NFL.

The Missouri Tigers football program had one of its best seasons in program history in 2023. One of the key reasons for that success stemmed from the production of former five-star wide receiver Luther Burden III. The native of St. Louis, Missouri reeled in 86 receptions for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore. In five consecutive games, Burden III had over 100 receiving games.

Burden III is the frontrunner to win the Biletnikoff Award in 2024. The award recognizes the top wide receiver in college football. I expect big things from Burden as he looks to increase his draft stock as a junior in Columbia.

The nation’s No. 2 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class was Caleb Williams. Coming out of high school, many recruiting experts viewed Williams as a generational talent. That was a fair assessment given the level of success that Williams had over the course of his college career.

Williams began his college career with the Oklahoma Sooners. In one season in Norman, Williams played in 11 games. He passed for almost 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns. Following his freshman campaign, Williams made the decision to transfer to the USC Trojans. In two seasons with the Trojans, Williams made 26 starts. He passed for 8,170 yards and 72 touchdowns. In addition, Williams won the Heisman Trophy in 2022.

The top-ranked recruit to sign with the Ole Miss Rebels in the last decade is former five-star offensive tackle Greg Little. The native of Allen, Texas was ranked as the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2016 recruiting class according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings.

Little spent three seasons in Oxford. He made 29 starts for the Rebels. He was a crucial part of an offensive line unit that protected for the top passing offense in the SEC. Little is one of the top offensive linemen to play for the Rebels in the history of the program.

One of the top recruits to ever come out of the Palmetto state is former five-star defensive lineman Jordan Burch. The native of Columbia, South Carolina was ranked as the No. 8 overall recruit in the country according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. He chose to sign with the South Carolina Gamecocks despite fielding multiple offers from other power-five schools.

Burch spent three seasons in Columbia. He recorded 105 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Following his junior season, Burch transferred to the Oregon Ducks. As a senior, Burch tallied 34 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks. He will spend his fifth and final season in Eugene.

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel has coached and developed some of the top quarterbacks in college football over the years. He has been instrumental in the development of former college quarterbacks Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton III, and McKenzie Milton. Now, he will look to do the same with former five-star quarterback recruit Nico Iamaleava.

Iamaleava is entering his second season in Knoxville. As a freshman, Iamaleava played in five games and made one start. He was named the Citrus Bowl MVP after leading the Volunteers to victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes. I expect Iamaleava to flourish in Heupel’s offense in 2024.

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is well known for developing some of the top quarterbacks in the country. In the past, he has been instrumental in the development of quarterbacks like Mark Sanchez, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mac Jones. In 2023, Sarkisian and the Longhorns were able to sign Arch Manning. He is the nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Mannings.

Manning is currently the Longhorns backup quarterback. He will sit behind starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for another season before having an opportunity to become the starter.

Texas A\u0026amp;M – Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle

Former Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher was able to sign five-star defensive lineman Walter Nolen as a part of the 2022 recruiting class. Nolen was regarded as the No. 2 overall recruit in the country by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. The Aggies faithful had high hopes for the Mississippi native. Many had hoped that he would have a similar production level to former Aggies defensive end Myles Garrett. During his time with the Aggies, Nolen recorded 66 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and five sacks.

Nolen spent the first two seasons of his college career in College Station before transferring to the Ole Miss Rebels to finish out his college career.

Vanderbilt – Nifae Lealao, Defensive End

The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is not well-known for bringing in high profile recruits. The highest-ranked recruit that the Commodores have signed in the last decade is former four-star defensive lineman Nifae Lealao. The California native was ranked as the No. 100 overall recruit in the country in 2014 by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. He spent four seasons in Nashville. Lealao recorded 71 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.

This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Who is the top-ranked recruit that each SEC school has signed in the last decade?