ESPN College Football

After a drama-filled, late signing day for ESPNU 150 athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral), the nation's No. 8 prospect finally made a decision.

He picked Notre Dame over Arizona, Arkansas and North Carolina, ending what had turned into quite the spectacle.

Now that Neal's recruitment is officially over, Arkansas' coaching staff can officially put the 2012 recruiting class to bed. And while Neal would have been a tremendous addition to the Razorbacks' class, it's not the end of the world that Arkansas didn't land him. In fact, missing out on both Neal and top receiver Dorial Green-Beckham won't set Bobby Petrino's team back.

Also, after the "show" that Neal put on with his recruitment, there are definitely questions about his mindset. We don't know every single detail concerning his recruitment, but from what I know about Petrino's offense, a me-first attitude doesn't work within a scheme that tries to spread the ball around as much as possible.

Arkansas lost three future NFL draft picks in Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright, but returns a handful of receiving targets in 2012. Two of those returning -- tight end Chris Gragg and receiver Cobi Hamilton -- ranked third and fourth, respectively, in receiving for the Hogs.

Hamilton, who will probably see his name near the top of the list of returning SEC receivers this fall, caught 34 passes for 542 yards and was second on the team with four touchdowns. Gragg, one of the top returning tight ends in the league, caught 41 passes for 518 yards and two scores.

That's a good foundation, but it doesn't end there for the Hogs. Arkansas' deep receiving corps hasn't accumulated a ton of stats, but that's because these players haven't had much of a chance with those vets in front of them. They've shown that to the coaches in practice, but haven't had the chance to do it for the public.

One of those players expected to make a big leap in 2012 is rising sophomore Marquel Wade. He only caught eight passes last fall, but the coaches are expecting big things from him in Year 2. Wade has big play ability, is shifty and the coaches think he resembles Adams in his movements and returning ability. He should receive a lot more attention from quarterback Tyler Wilson and opposing defenders. However, with his speed and elusiveness, he should be able to make a play or two next fall.

Juniors-to-be Javontee Herndon and Julian Horton, who combined for 17 catches in 2011, are also back and from what the coaches have seen in practice, they expect them to step right in this fall.

Also, keep an eye out on incoming juco transfer receiver Demetrius Wilson and freshman tight end Demetrius Dean. Wilson should certainly get a chance to compete early because coaches don't exactly bring in juco players to sit and watch. Dean (6-foot- 3, 240 pounds) could come in and line up opposite Gragg and has the ability to split out wide if needed.

Striking out with both Neal and DGB wasn't exactly part of Petrino's recruiting plan, but his teams have led the SEC in passing the past three years for a reason, so don't expect him to pout too much about losing these two.

All that waiting was apparently for nothing because there's more waiting to come for four fan bases -- and a large number of elementary school students, who were held out of class for an unspectacular spectacle that didn't really take place.

Tuesday morning, ESPNU 150 athlete Davonte Neal, who is rated as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2012, was supposed to finally sign his letter of intent to one of four schools -- Arizona, Arkansas, North Carolina or Notre Dame. Nearly three weeks after national signing day, four coaching staffs (im)patiently waited from afar as friends, family, media members and 600 school children waited inside Neal's old elementary school, Kyrene de la Esperanza, for his decision.

It -- and Neal -- never came. Neal was a no-show for his ceremony, extending what has already become a lengthy recruiting story.

Here's what the Arizona Daily Star said about the situation:

The issue, apparently, is a power struggle between Neal and his father, Luke. Luke Neal has been pro-Notre Dame in recent weeks, while Davonte has been leaning toward the UA.

Wildcats coach Rich Rodriguez made recruiting Neal a priority shortly after he was hired Nov. 21 as Mike Stoops' permanent replacement. Rodriguez hired Charlie Ragle, Neal's coach at Chaparral, as Arizona's new liaison to in-state high schools. The Wildcats then signed two Chaparral players, linebacker Cody Ippolito and defensive end Dylan Cozens, with hopes Neal would follow.

The chatter surrounding Neal is apparently focusing on two schools -- Notre Dame and Arizona. While I haven't spoken with him or anyone associated with him, I do know that when it comes to recruiting anything is possible. More time to think means more time to question and break down things. I'm not saying any of the other schools on his list, including Arkansas, will weigh into his decision, but you never know.

Maybe he takes one last look at that Arkansas letter or that North Carolina logo. Maybe that Arkansas offense looks more attractive after another look.

But no matter what goes through his mind, he and his family need to be clear about one thing: This is Davonte Neal's decision. He is the one who will be lacing up his cleats at the college level next year. He will bet he one heading off to college because of the decision he makes in the near future.

This is Neal's decision and his alone.

Finally, athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) is ready to sign with his future school.

The ESPNU 150 member — and No. 8 prospect in the country — will decided between Arizona, Arkansas, North Carolina and Notre Dame on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. ET at his old elementary school.

Richard Obert of The Arizona Republic has broken down the four finalists and decided that Neal will sign with Notre Dame.

Here's what he said about Neal and Arkansas:

This is like Notre Dame Light. The talent pool is deep. The Razorbacks are probably closer to a major bowl than Notre Dame. But there isn't the academic pressures and as much national exposure that there is at Notre Dame, which graduates almost all of its players. It would not be surprising if Neal picks Arkansas, based on its offense and a chance for him to be the key figure, much the way another No.3, Joe Adams, was in Fayetteville.

Conclusion: A good shot, but no.

And here's what he said about Notre Dame:

This was the only school in which Luke Neal accompanied his son. The tradition is second to none. The electric current felt walking into the stadium is something Neal probably wouldn't experience anywhere else. The Irish signed five-star quarterback Gunner Kiel, who is already enrolled. Neal could start the season returning kicks and probably figure in at receiver if not at cornerback. Neal is open to playing any position. He would be surrounded by top talent. Brian Kelly's offense is tailor-made for Neal. It's important to Luke that his son graduates, and Notre Dame's 97-percent graduation success rate is the best there is.

Conclusion: Front-runner.

Now that national signing day is out of the way, we're going to take another look at our SEC power rankings.

You won't see any change really, but we have more confidence in some teams now than we did before:

1. Alabama: The Crimson Tide hauled in the nation's No. 1 recruiting class last week and not only did Nick Saban sign a handful of top-rated players, but he met all of Alabama's major needs with the 2012 class. There are a few freshmen who could make early impacts in Tuscaloosa, including athlete Eddie Williams (Panama City, Fla./Arnold), and wide receivers Chris Black (Jacksonville, Fla./First Coast) and Amari Cooper (Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern).

2. LSU: The Tigers' class wasn't as highly rated as some recent ones, but Les Miles and his coaches brought in a solid group and there are a few defense players who might see some playing time early. Three starting linebackers need to be replaced and a few freshmen will get their chances. While LSU lost Torshiro Davis ((Shreveport, La./Woodlawn) flipped to Texas, the Tigers brought in ESPNU 150 linebackers Kwon Alexander (Oxford, Ala.) and Ronnie Feist (Edgard, La./West Saint John).

3. Georgia: The Bulldogs needed to get bigger up front and add a couple of playmaking linebackers. Georgia did just that with the handful of athletic defensive linemen signed and grabbed top outside linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons (Valdosta, Ga./Lowndes), who should thrive in Todd Grantham's 3-4. Georgia's offense could be even better this fall with Keith Marshall (Raleigh, N.C./Millbrook) helping Isaiah Crowell, and the wide receiver depth returning.

4. South Carolina: Talk about underrated. South Carolina didn't make much noise at all on national signing day, but the Gamecocks brought in a very balanced class and have a few players who should contribute early to a team that will yet again compete for the SEC East title. Two freshmen to keep an eye on in 2012 are wide receiver Shaq Roland (Lexington, S.C.) and safety Chaz Elder (College Park, Ga./Benjamin E. Banneker).

5. Arkansas: It seemed like the Razorbacks were headed for a very strong finish to its 2012 recruiting class, but watched as top receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (Springfield, Mo./Hillcrest) and four-star offensive tackle Jordan Diamond (Chicago, Ill./Simeon) committed elsewhere. However, Arkansas is still waiting on top athlete Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral) and signed some pretty talented wide receivers to add to that high-flying offense. Defensive depth was a need and Arkansas added six defensive linemen and snatched Tennessee linebacker commit Otha Peters (Covington, La./Covington) late.

6. Auburn: Before Auburn could complete its recruiting class, it had to find someone to run its offense. The Tigers lured Scot Loeffler away from Temple, getting a coach who knows a thing about teaching quarterbacks. Clint Moseley and Kiehl Frazier should be ecstatic. The loss of Michael Dyer hurts, but Auburn has a stable of running backs to work with and signed one of the best offensive line classes around. Also, athlete Ricardo Louis (Miami Beach, Fla/Miami Beach Senior) could be a real playmaker at wide receiver.

7. Florida: Will Muschamp wanted his team to get tougher and he took a step in the right direction by hitting the line of scrimmage hard in his first full recruiting class. He also got a big back in Matt Jones (Seffner, Fla./Armwood) and having D.J. Humphries (Charlotte, N.C./Mallard Creek) in early should really help the offensive line. Florida is also waiting for a potential receiving threat in Stefon Diggs (Olney, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel). Muschamp feels better about this team's attitude and expects a more resilient squad in 2012.

8. Missouri: These Tigers could come in and frustrate some of its new SEC East family with the depth it returns. No one is quite sure if top running back Henry Josey will return in 2012 after a major knee injury, but the Tigers added a very complete back in Morgan Steward (Kansas City, Mo./Staley), who could compete for playing time early. But Missouri took home the biggest national signing day prize when Green-Beckham picked Missouri. Mizzou lacked a big-play receiving threat until now.

9. Tennessee: There is a lot of talent returning in Knoxville and the Vols added some quality depth with its 2012 recruiting class. Tennessee took a hit when top inside linebacker Dalton Santos (Van, Texas) flipped to Texas and needed to add a big-time running back to help that offense, but grabbing junior college wide receiver Cordarrelle Paterson (Rock Hill, S.C./Hutchinson Community College) was big. He'll add to an already solid receiving tandem and could provide more leadership. Tyler Bray should have a fun offseason.

10. Texas A&M: The Aggies lose a lot heading into their first season as a part of the SEC Western Division, but helped the future by signing a top-25 class. Running back Trey Williams (Houston, Texas/Andy Dekaney) could provide an early spark for the offense with Cyrus Gray leaving. The receivers got some needed help with the signing of No. 3 receiver Thomas Johnson of Dallas, and outside linebacker Jordan Richmond (Denton, Texas/Billy Ryan) should see early playing time as well.

11. Vanderbilt: James Franklin's first full class at Vanderbilt was a total success. He showed that he won't just compete on the field with the SEC big boys but he'll recruit with them too. He beat out a few bigger schools for ESPNU 150 athlete Brian Kimbrow (Memphis, Tenn./East) and the Commodores added a lot of bigger bodies up front and at linebacker. Vandy's veterans shouldn't have an issue mingling with this solid recruiting class.

12. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs will head into the spring looking to jump start their offense. There is a lot of depth and three senior starters returning at wide receiver, but some oomph needs to return to this offense. It's officially Tyler Russell's time at QB and LaDarius Perkins and Nick Griffin could be a powerful one-two running back punch. Where Mississippi State really struck gold in recruiting was up front, where the Bulldogs added three top defensive linemen, including No. 13 tackle Quay Evans (Morton, Miss.).

13. Kentucky: The Wildcats need playmakers on offense and having running back Josh Clemons come back at full health this year, will go a long way. But Kentucky desperately needed to add more with its 2012 recruiting class. The Wildcats are hoping dual-threat quarterback Patrick Towles (Fort Thomas, Ky./Highlands) can help in that department. Kentucky won't get anywhere without developing the talent already on campus and that's most important at this point.

14. Ole Miss: Hugh Freeze had some defensive success in his first recruiting class as the Rebels' head coach. There is a good foundation with ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Issac Gross of Batesville, Miss., and ESPNU 150 defensive end Channing Ward of Aberdeen, Miss., and the secondary got a boost when safety Trae Elston (Oxford, Ala.) picked Ole Miss over LSU. Now, Freeze turns his attention to players a part of a two-win 2011 season. Generating discipline and finding leaders are key for a program glued to the bottom of the SEC.

The SEC's dominance in college football was seen once again with the conference's sixth straight national championship back in January, but it all begins with a solid foundation.

That means teams have to go out and get a decent group of players. Well, in a recent project between ESPN The Magazine and RecruitingNation that complied recruiting classes from the last five years (2007-11), the SEC showed its muscle ... again.

The mad scientists behind the project "re-tallied the scores after signing day and ranked the schools based on total number of ESPNU 150 recruits (there have been 900) hauled in over the past six years" and came up with the top 10 recruiting programs. Four of the 10 came from the SEC.

Florida took the No. 1 spot, getting 66 ESPNU signees since 2007. Forty-two of them came from the state of Florida. Alabama ranked fourth, grabbing 51 ESPNU 150 members. Alabama has done the most with its ESPNU talent, winning two national championships (2009, 2011) since 2007, while Florida has one (2008) and has a 15-11 record in the last two seasons.

Note: ESPNU 150 prospects ATH Davonte Neal (Scottsdale, Ariz.), ATH Stefon Diggs (Olney, Md.) and OT Jordan Diamond (Chicago, Ill.) remain unsigned as of the publication of this insider story.

Here's a look at the four SEC programs that made the top 10:

1. Florida (66 ESPNU 150 signees since 2007)

"Over the past six years, Florida has been without question the No. 1 destination for elite prospects. The Gators have grabbed 66 ESPNU 150 recruits from 13 different states, none more surprising than Pennsylvania, where they signed the state's top recruit in 2010 (DT Sharrif Floyd of Philadelphia) and the nation's No. 2 TE in 2012 (Colin Thompson of Warminster). This year also marked a first for UF, when Will Muschamp ventured into North Carolina for the Gators' top two commits, No. 1 OT D.J. Humphries (Charlotte) and No. 4 DE Jonathan Bullard (Shelby)."

4. Alabama (51)

"The Tide signed the most ESPNU 150 recruits in 2012 (13), but they actually didn't gain the most ground from Year 5 to Year 6 (check the Seminoles). Still, Nick Saban's domination of the Southeast (43 of his 51 signees came from seven SEC states) is unmatched. He's also managed to expand his reach into Maryland for the nation's No. 3 (2011 OT Cyrus Kouandjio of Hyattsville) and No. 20 (2012 ATH Cyrus Jones of Baltimore) prospects. Beating out Les Miles for 2012's No. 1 S Landon Collins (Geismar, La.) was just another day at the office."

T-7. Georgia (40)

"Mark Richt doesn't have to go outside the Peach State often, but North Carolina once again proved to be fertile recruiting ground for an out-of-state program. The nation's No. 2 RB Keith Marshall (Raleigh, N.C.) joined four Georgia natives and No. 5 OT John Theus (Jacksonville, Fla.) to help form the Bulldogs' second consecutive top-10 class. As for those two recruits from Missouri (QB Logan Gray and TE Aron White, teammates from Columbia), they never quite lived up to their billing."

T-7. LSU (40)

"The Tigers' three-year run of top-10 classes ended in 2012, though they were only down one ESPN 150 recruit from 2011 to 2012. Miles saved face by convincing No. 3 OLB Kwon Alexander (Oxford, Ala.) to leave behind Auburn and Alabama. But surprisingly, LSU was shut out of Texas for the first time in the six years we've kept score."