ESPN College Football

Our recruiting folks at ESPN have gone back and re-visited the 2008 signing class and assessed how the marquee prospects in that class fared in college.

It’s one of my favorite exercises, because it’s a reminder that recruiting is anything but an exact science, and that evaluating recruiting classes and prospects on signing day is a dicey proposition.

Everybody is trying to recruit great players, but what matters is what you do with those players once you get them on your campus.

Of the 25 top prospects in the 2008 class, seven signed with SEC schools.

No. 2 on that list was Julio Jones. No. 5 was A.J. Green, and No. 8 was Patrick Peterson.

I’d say the analysts got those three right. They were all great players who earned numerous awards and accolades, and all three were taken among the top six picks in last year’s NFL draft.

But for every Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Patrick Peterson, there’s a Will Hill, Dee Finley, Chancey Aghayere and Burton Scott.

All four were ranked among the top 25 prospects in the nation by ESPN in 2008, but for varying reasons, they never flourished in college.

Hill, a safety who signed with Florida out of West Orange, N.J., was the No. 3 overall prospect in 2008. He had a promising freshman season, but struggled with consistency his next two seasons. He declared early for the NFL draft and wasn’t selected, and wound up playing in the Arena Football League.

Finley, another safety who signed with Florida out of Auburn, Ala., was No. 10. He was sidetracked by injuries and off-the-field issues during his career and announced that he was transferring to North Alabama.

Aghayere, a defensive end who signed with LSU out of Garland, Texas, was No. 14. He’s a rising senior, but has played mostly in a reserve role for the Tigers. He didn’t make any starts this season and finished with three total tackles.

Scott, an athlete who signed with Alabama out of Prichard, Ala., was No. 19. He moved from running back to cornerback after arriving at Alabama, but wound up transferring and played at South Alabama this past season.

Florida signed an SEC-high six players in 2008 that were ranked among the top 55 prospects nationally. The Gators signed 10 players who were ESPNU 150 prospects.

It’s a haul that looked terrific at the time, but four seasons later, the Gators lost six football games and didn’t beat anybody in 2011 (in the FBS ranks) that finished with a winning record.

There’s also the flip side.

Alabama’s 2008 class was ranked No. 3 by ESPN, and it’s a class that was the driving force behind the Crimson Tide’s dizzying run the past few years, which includes two national championships.

So, again, there are always hits and misses in recruiting, and those players who miss sometimes do so for reasons that go well beyond football ability. What’s more, classes that look like a million dollars on signing day don’t always look so good three and four years later.

Just something to remember with national signing day approaching.

Here’s a look at the remaining ESPNU 150 prospects in 2008 who signed with SEC schools:

• No. 30: DE Courtney Upshaw (Alabama)
• No. 31: CB Janoris Jenkins (Florida)
• No. 33: OT Tyler Love (Alabama)
• No. 35: RB Richard Samuel (Georgia)
• No. 37: DT Omar Hunter (Florida)
• No. 41: ATH Joe Adams (Arkansas)
• No. 43: DE William Green (Florida)
• No. 45: DT DeAngelo Tyson (Georgia)
• No. 50: RB Carlton Thomson (Georgia)
• No. 51: WR Chris Tolliver (LSU)
• No. 54: CB Charles Whitlock (South Carolina)
• No. 55: ATH Jeff Demps (Florida)
• No. 70: S Karnell Hatcher (LSU)
• No. 76: RB De’Anthony Curtis (Arkansas)
• No. 80: OLB Lerentee McCray (Florida)
• No. 81: QB Tyler Wilson (Arkansas)
• No. 87: WR Rod Wilks (Tennessee)
• No. 93: ATH Charles Mitchell (Mississippi State)
• No. 99: OLB Jerrell Harris (Alabama)
• No. 108: RB Mark Ingram (Alabama)
• No. 121: OT Matt Patchan (Florida)
• No. 131: DE Toby Jackson (Georgia)
• No. 132: OG A.J. Harmon (Georgia)
• No. 133: ILB Brendan Beal (Florida)
• No. 136: CB Neiko Thorpe (Auburn)
• No. 140: C Ben Jones (Georgia)
• No. 142: CB Jeremy Brown (Florida)
• No. 144: ATH Chris Jackson (Alabama)
• No. 146: WR Tavarres King (Georgia)
• No. 147: RB Eric Smith (Auburn)

Junior cornerback Morris Claiborne is a key part of an LSU defense that’s one of four defenses nationally ranked in the top 10 in rushing, pass efficiency, scoring and total defense.

The other three are Alabama, Michigan State and UCF.

Claiborne is tied for the team lead with two interceptions and also broke open the West Virginia game this season with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

We caught up with Claiborne this week for our Friday Q&A:

Is your defense playing faster and more instinctively than at any point since you’ve been at LSU?

Morris Claiborne: I feel like we’re moving around and getting to the ball faster than we ever have. This is one of the better defenses I’ve been on. Not taking anything away from the defense we had last year, because we had a lot of studs on that defense, but there’s just something about this defense. We have a lot of young guys who want to work hard and want to do everything right and want to win. This is a hungry defense, and we’re just going out and getting it.

How big a factor is it that a lot of the guys have been in John Chavis’ system now for three years?

MC: It’s a big factor. You don’t have to do too much thinking. You know where you’re supposed to be, and you’re able to play free and fly around.

What sticks out to you about Chavis, and what kind of defensive coordinator has he been?

MC: He doesn’t take any mess from anybody, players or anybody. It’s his way or no way, but he has enough faith in us to let us go out and play our game. We have a lot of athletes on this defense who can do certain things, and he’s good about getting us in position to make plays.

What’s it been like following in the footsteps of a great player like Patrick Peterson?

MC: It means a lot. Pat taught me a lot when he was here. He still sends me text messages when he watches the games and tells me what he feels like I need to get better at or do more of. It was amazing playing with him. I learned so much from him, and then to step into his role this year has made it even more special. He set quite a standard, but I feel like I’ve been doing a pretty good job on the corner.

Given that you’ve already played four Top 25 teams, including three on the road, how tested is this LSU team right now?

MC: We love playing against good competition, and we love it even more when we go to somebody else’s place and get it done. Something about good competition just raises our game, but we compete against each other every day in practice. We push each other, and that’s made us better. We want to be the best and want to put in the work that it takes to be the best.

Everybody’s talking about the Alabama-LSU matchup even though it’s still three weeks away. How hard is it for you guys not to look ahead?

MC: In this league, you have to focus on the opponent coming up for that week. You can’t take any looks ahead if you want to keep winning. You really do have to take it one practice and one week at a time. That’s the only thing we can do if we really want that (Alabama) game to mean something.

Have you had a chance to watch Alabama play this season, and what were your thoughts?

MC: A lot of us watched them when they played Florida. They’re very physical, and you can tell that they’re going to get their playmakers the ball. They do a good job, and I can see why they’re ranked so high.

Everywhere you look on defense, you guys have tremendous speed. Is speed what makes this defense go?

MC: Speed and toughness. You gotta have them both to play defense. I feel like we have it. We’re loaded with it. I feel like we can take a person out and put another person in, and we won’t lose a beat. That’s just this defense. We take pride in having speed and being tough.

What was your reaction to Florida’s Trey Burton saying he thought Alabama’s defense was “hands down” better than yours and a lot more physical with tougher guys?

MS: What people don’t understand is that we love that kind of thing and feed off that kind of stuff, when people say we’re not this or not that. The whole team does.

How was it that you guys were able to navigate your way through the whole situation with Jordan Jefferson and his legal matters and seemingly not let it affect you at all on the field?

MS: We didn’t pay a whole lot of attention to what was going on. Coach Miles and the coaches weren’t going to let us break down, and we weren’t going to allow ourselves to do that. We knew what we had to do, which was go out and win ballgames. There was nothing we could do about it. The only thing we could do was play football and hopefully pray to God that we were going to get Jordan back. Now that he’s back, it’s all behind us.

You gave up more than 500 yards in total offense to West Virginia in your 47-21 win over the Mountaineers. How much of an eye-opener was that for the defense?

MC: We came together as a defense after that and just said that we had to buckle down and be sure that we were working hard each and every day. They gave us some fits, but we managed to hold on. We might have needed that game, really, because it shows what can happen if you’re not at the top of your game every time you go out there.

Is this team mature enough to handle the No. 1 ranking and the target that comes with it?

MC: Without a doubt, I think we are. We know where we’re at right now, and we knew a couple of months ago where we wanted to be. We wanted to be in this position and worked so hard to be in this position, and we know what we have to do to keep this position.

Tyrann Mathieu has a graceful recklessness about him.

LSU’s sophomore cornerback plays like a daredevil, yet is extremely nimble when tracking down both players and the pigskin.

The fleet-footed ball hawk has been one of the most exciting players to watch this season because of his insatiable ability to float around the ball. He leads the Tigers in tackles with 30, has three tackles for loss, four pass breakups, one interception, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

His strip and recovery against West Virginia last week moved him into first all-time at LSU with seven forced fumbles -- and he’s only 17 games into his career. Six of those forces and four of his five recoveries have come against top-20 opponents.

“Tyrann is a guy who has a knack for making big plays. He has great anticipation,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We like to put him in a position where his natural interpretation of play allows him to be exceptional.”

Mathieu’s aggressive, almost wild style is something he’s had since high school. He wanted to prove that while he wasn’t the biggest player, he could be the toughest, most physical one.

With his history as a wide receiver, Mathieu has also perfected his catching skills, making quarterbacks weary to throw near the pugnacious nickel corner.

But it’s hard to throw away from him when he hones in on the ball like a heat-seeking missile.

“I always want the ball in my hands,” Mathieu said. “I just attach to it for some reason. I give Coach [John] Chavis and [defensive backs] Coach [John] Cooper a lot of [credit] too. They put me in the perfect position to keep me around the ball and make some big-time plays this year.”

With how electrifying Mathieu has been, you’d think he was a can’t-miss high school prospect. However, Mathieu was rated as a three-star prospect by ESPN recruiting services and LSU was his only major offer. His next biggest were from Southern Miss and SMU.

Respect didn’t flow and Mathieu thinks recruiting scouts overlooked him, but it only provided motivation.

Junior corner Morris Claiborne saw the chip Mathieu hauled in on his shoulder the summer before his freshman year. He also saw how special Mathieu could be.

The frosh flew around 7-on-7s, working with the vets instead of his classmates, making play after play. Claiborne recalled that Mathieu had three interceptions during the first workout and the starters left wide-eyed and stunned.

Claiborne said Mathieu played with a rare confidence seen in young corners. He was brawny, athletic and incredibly disruptive.

Today, Claiborne still sees that frenetic freshman, but he also sees maturity that has made him, and will continue to make him, a more dangerous defender.

“He can be as special as he wants to be,” Claiborne said. “I don’t think he’s reached his peak yet. He can go for more. Every week in and week out, you see him make different plays and you’re like, ‘Man, how did he do that?’ You see it, but you see it in practice and you see that he practices exactly how he plays.”

Mathieu admits he’s a little too physical in practice and has to be slowed by coaches. He’s overzealous when going for strips and he’s not afraid to hurl teammates to the turf.

“I try to practice like I plays so when game time comes, I just want to turn the light on,” he said. “It’s really about me being in the right spot at practice, getting interceptions at practice and picking up every fumble. Hopefully, those plays translate to Saturdays.”

Mathieu has garnered comparisons to former LSU great Patrick Peterson -- last year’s Jim Thorpe Award winner -- but he doesn’t pay attention to them. He’d rather remember what Peterson taught him than outplay him.

The most important advice Peterson gave his apprentice was that corners usually have three or four chances a game to make a significant play and he must capitalize each time.

So far, he’s done that.

As for if he’ll be a better player than Peterson, Claiborne said it’s hard to say because they’re so different. Peterson wasn’t this physical and Mathieu doesn’t have as much finesse. Both are great, Claiborne said, but in different ways.

What Claiborne does know is that there isn’t much of a defense against Mathieu. Offenses take the field knowing he’ll be the main antagonist.

“When Tyrann is anywhere on the field, there’s a chance that if you throw the ball to his side, you run the ball to his side, there’s a chance that he’s going to come up with that ball,” Claiborne said.

As a beat writer covering Tennessee's football program from 1997-2006, I saw some of John Chavis' best defenses with the Vols up close.

They were fast, aggressive, loaded with talent, and Chavis knew how to get guys in position to make plays.

His 1998 defense, led by future Pro Bowl linebacker Al Wilson, was the backbone of Tennessee's national championship team. It's a defense that saw nine of its starters go on to play in the NFL.

I realize we're only three games into the 2011 season, but there's no question in my mind that Chavis is coaching another national championship-caliber defense at LSU.

Man, those guys are nasty. Even I'm still hurting after watching them rack up 15 tackles for loss in their 19-6 win against Mississippi State on Thursday night.

From a depth standpoint, this LSU defense is superior to Chavis' 1998 national championship defense at Tennessee, in particular the secondary. The Tigers' starters are all former cornerbacks, and they tackle as well as they cover. Try keeping track of nickel back Tyrann Mathieu, who roams and seemingly comes from everywhere to make plays.

I'm not sure the Tigers have a leader and a playmaker in the mold of an Al Wilson, although senior linebacker Ryan Baker is definitely a tone-setter for this group, but LSU's defensive front is suffocating with interior guys who collapse the pocket and outside pass-rushers who are relentless off the edge.

LSU was dominant defensively in the first half Thursday. But when the second half rolled around, the Tigers absolutely turned the lights out on a Mississippi State offense that was averaging 588 yards in total offense and had scored 11 touchdowns coming into the game.

With a little more than five minutes remaining in the game, the Bulldogs had just 6 yards of total offense in the second half.

Chavis' defenses have always been built on speed and pressure, and it's obvious with this being his third season at LSU that the players are completely on board now with his system. They make very few mistakes, and this group is playing faster and more instinctively than either of Chavis' first two defenses at LSU.

Keep in mind that LSU was pretty stout on defense a season ago, finishing 11th nationally in scoring defense.

Here's the other thing: How many teams could lose three players the caliber of Patrick Peterson, Kelvin Sheppard and Drake Nevis and not miss a beat? Peterson was the fifth overall player selected in the NFL draft, and Sheppard led the Tigers in tackles last season and was their unquestioned leader.

All that does is further underscore how much talent is on this LSU defense, and much of it is concentrated in the freshman and sophomore classes.

Anybody who knows Chavis knows how closely he plays it to the vest. He's not a big talker, period, to the media and is never going to say anything that sets his defense up for a fall.

But it was obvious in talking with him this offseason that he felt like he had something special brewing this season and had a special mix of talent to work with in his 17th season in the SEC as a defensive coordinator.

How special?

We'll just have to wait and see, but something tells me the good folks on the Bayou are going to love the ride.

Every team needs a solid cover corner and our next member of our preseason top 25 could be one of the most athletic ones around:

No. 15: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

2010 numbers: He started 12 games last season and was a second-team All-SEC selection. Claiborne led LSU and ranked fourth in the SEC with 11 passes defended. He also finished the season with a team-high five interceptions, which ranked third in the league, and he became the first LSU player since LaRon Landry in 2006 to post back-to-back games with an interception when he picked off a pass against Florida and McNeese State. Claiborne also had 37 tackles, including one for loss.

Most recent ranking: Not ranked in the 2010 postseason countdown.

Making the case for Claiborne: He'll start the season in Patrick Peterson's spot, after starting opposite him in 2010, and he should more than hold his own this fall. Claiborne, who stands 6 feet, 180 pounds, is very rangy and extremely athletic. He also has tremendous cover skills and is expected to be a true shutdown corner in the league this year. Like Peterson, Claiborne has the ability to take an entire side of the field away, meaning opposing quarterbacks will try their hardest not to throw near him this fall. He has what it takes to become a Thorpe Award candidate this season.

No. 16: Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas

No. 17: Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky

No. 18: Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia

No. 19: Jerry Franklin, LB, Arkansas

No. 20: Malik Jackson, DT, Tennessee

No. 21: Orson Charles, TE, Georgia

No. 22: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

No. 23: Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt

No. 24: Jaye Howard, DT, Florida

No. 25: Janzen Jackson, S, Tennessee

LSU’s staff watched as 104 players reported to campus Wednesday before the Tigers took to the practice field Thursday morning.

The first practice is all about acclimating the youngsters, and LSU has quite a few to work with, as more than half of the team is comprised of freshmen and sophomores.

“We are going to make sure that the young players get an introduction to our style of football and give them a chance to get up to speed before we put on the pads in a few days,” coach Les Miles said Wednesday. “The first two days are going to involve a lot of teaching and we will go very slow with them. We’ll pick up the pace once we get to our shells.”

But don’t mistake youth for a lack of talent because the Tigers have a bunch of that as well.

Senior linebacker Ryan Baker saw it this spring and he’s seen it during summer workouts. As the new leader of the defense, Baker took it upon himself to make sure the young ones got used to some of the riggers associated with the high school-to-college transition.

So far, he’s been impressed.

“The young guys are coming on,” Baker said.

And they’ll need to. There are still some holes that need to be filled on LSU’s defense. Gone are destruction artists Drake Nevis at defensive tackle, Patrick Peterson at cornerback and Kelvin Sheppard at middle linebacker.

Sophomore Tyrann Mathieu has stepped in at corner opposite Morris Claibore, and LSU’s line should get a lot of work out of the talented redshirt freshman Ego Ferguson and early enrollee Anthony Johnson in the middle.

Johnson, in particular, has drawn a lot of attention.

“To see a young guy that advanced is crazy,” Baker said. “When I first got here I knew my body wasn’t ready and I didn’t understand the game. He’s ready to be a college football player.”

But questions still remain at the middle linebacker spot. As Baker puts it, the man in the middle is basically the director of the defense and it will be tough to replace someone like Sheppard. The first-team All-SEC performer was third in the league with 116 tackles last season and had double-digit tackle numbers six times.

Karnell Hatcher moved down from safety and got some work in at middle linebacker along with Kevin Minter this spring.

Baker said each impressed him this spring when they were both on the field, but finding that one player to hold down the middle is priority number one.

“It’s crucial. He’s the field general of the defense,” Baker said. “The whole defense goes through the middle linebacker, so as long as we have consistent linebacker play, we’ll be OK.”

With the talent and athleticism LSU possesses, the Tigers should be OK. And the players aren’t looking at 2011 as a rebuilding year. No, the Tigers expect big things -- championship things.

To Baker, last season was merely a stepping-stone for LSU. The Tigers are looking to build off of that and make a serious run for a January trip to New Orleans.

“We feel like we have expectations now,” he said. “Last year, we had a down year. We were 11-2, but it didn’t feel like we were 11-2. We want national championships here and we want to build on that.”

LSU acknowledged its involvement with Houston-based talent scout Willie Lyles in a news release Thursday.

Yes, the same Lyles who has been surrounded in recruiting/scouting controversy with the Oregon Ducks, whose staff paid him $25,000 for his scouting services.

According to the release, LSU paid Lyles, the director of Complete Scouting Services, $6,000 and acquired 32 DVDs of California and Kansas junior college prospects from the 2010-11 recruiting year. The DVDs also contained footage of a 2010-11 Texas high school prospect and a 2007-08 Kansas junior college prospect that LSU didn’t request.

LSU also received typewritten material that consisted of 91 pages of “roster-type information from junior colleges in California and Kansas.”

The written material consisted mostly of information on prospects that had “finished junior college in 2009-10 and had already enrolled in a four-year college by the time LSU received the materials.” LSU’s staff didn’t try to gather the 2010-11 information because the staff felt the video footage was sufficient enough for evaluation purposes.

LSU has submitted all of these materials to the NCAA, the release read.

LSU maintains that it has cooperated with the NCAA regarding questions about Lyles’ scouting service and has supplied materials to and answered questions from an NCAA official. Several members of the LSU’s coaching staff who participated in the questioning met with the NCAA official on campus last week.

This isn’t the first time LSU has been linked to Lyles.

Earlier this year, former Texas A&M cornerbacks coach Van Malone told ESPN that in 2007 Lyles told him after former LSU standout corner Patrick Peterson visited A&M's campus that A&M had to "beat" $80,000 if it wanted to sign Peterson.

Malone told Lyles that wasn’t happening and informed Peterson of Lyles' intentions. Peterson later released a statement denying any sort of relationship with Lyles.

"I have never had any type of relationship with Willie Lyles and he had no influence on my decision to attend LSU, or any other school for that matter. He had no involvement with my recruiting process and I resent the fact that my name has come up in these allegations. I chose LSU because it's a great school with a great football program. I never received nor was I offered anything to go to LSU and anyone saying otherwise is being dishonest."

Here is the complete news release from LSU regarding its involvement with Lyles:

LSU has cooperated with the NCAA regarding questions about a college scouting service by supplying materials and answering questions posed by an NCAA official to several members of the LSU football coaching staff last week. The football coaches who participated in the questioning met with the NCAA official on the LSU campus.

Also, LSU has chosen to identify the contents of materials supplied to the university’s football coaching staff in 2010 by Complete Scouting Services and its director Will Lyles. LSU is issuing this statement in order to provide factual information about the materials provided by the service to LSU. These materials have been supplied to the NCAA by LSU.

The LSU football coaching staff specifically requested information pertaining to junior college prospects in California and Kansas for evaluation purposes.

The material LSU received from Complete Scouting Services consisted of two types: (1) DVDs containing game footage or highlights on prospects, and (2) typewritten pages containing basic data on prospects.

The DVDs provided by Complete Scouting Services contain footage of 32 California and Kansas junior college prospects from the 2010-11 recruiting year. The prospects were eligible to sign national letters of intent in February 2011. The DVDs also contain footage of one 2010-11 Texas high school prospect and one 2007-08 Kansas junior college prospect, material which LSU had not requested.

The typewritten material consists of 91 pages of roster-type information from junior colleges in California and Kansas. The material consists almost entirely of information pertaining to prospects that had finished junior college in 2009-10 and had already enrolled in a four-year college by the time LSU received the materials. The LSU coaching staff did not attempt to collect the correct 2010-11 typewritten data from the service because it determined the video footage was sufficient for its evaluation purposes.

LSU issued a check in the amount of $6,000 on December 21, 2010 to pay for these services from Complete Scouting Services.

LSU will make no further comment at this time regarding these matters.

ESPN colleague Bruce Feldman took a stroll down Memory Lane Wednesday when he re-ranked the top 10 players in the 2008 recruiting class. The SEC had five members inside Feldman's top 10.

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck took the top spot after being ranked No. 61 overall by ESPN and the seventh-best quarterback prospect back in 2008. With what he did in his last two years, I don't think many will argue with Feldman there.

LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson was the highest of the SEC players, coming in at No. 2 after ranking eighth when he came out of high school.

Peterson took away half of the field when he lined up at corner and was a dynamic kick returner. He might end up playing safety in the NFL, but he'll be a game changer on defense for years to come.

Here's Feldman's take:

A real freak athlete, the 6-1, 220-pound corner was the nation's No. 8 recruit and he more than lived up to that hype. Peterson won a starting job by the end of his freshman season in 2008, was all-SEC and made some All-America teams as a sophomore. He then won the Jim Thorpe and Chuck Bednarik awards and SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2010. The Cardinals drafted him fifth overall in April.

Next was Alabama running back Mark Ingram, who was third, moving all the way up from 109th.

The Heisman trophy winner was a total work horse in Tuscaloosa and his numbers would have been even better last season if he hadn't have suffered a knee injury before the year.

Here's Feldman's take:

It's fascinating to go through the collection of backs that ESPN had ranked higher in '08: Jermie Calhoun, Darrell Scott, Jamie Harper, Ryan Williams, Richard Samuel; Andre Ellington; Aundre Dean; Carlton Thomas; De'Anthony Curtis and Jonas Gray. A few transferred (Scott and Dean). A few now play other positions (Samuel and Curtis) and if you take out Williams, who had an outstanding 2009 season, you have a group that combined has run for around the same amount of yards and TDs -- 3,300 yards and 42 touchdowns -- as Ingram did in his three seasons in Tuscaloosa, in addition to winning the Tide's first Heisman Trophy. Not bad for the 12th ranked back or 109th overall recruit.

"That wasn't a great running back class," Luginbill said. "With Ingram, his style of play and the school he chose with the scheme they play couldn't have been more of a fit. It was a perfect marriage."

Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green kept the SEC streak alive, coming in at No. 4, which is one spot higher than his 2008 ranking.

What more can be said about Green? He never shied away from double teams and made awkward catches look easy. Despite missing the first four games of the season in 2010, he led the Bulldogs in catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.

Here's Feldman's take;

The lanky South Carolina native had three QBs in three seasons at Georgia and he excelled with each of them, despite some nagging injuries and a four-game NCAA suspension in 2010. Green was equally adept at making the spectacular catch and the routine go-to play for the Dawgs. The Bengals just drafted him fourth overall.

Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus ranked sixth after being ranked the No. 39 defensive tackle prospect coming out of high school in 2008.

Dareus arrived on the mainstream college football scene when he had that nasty interception returned for a touchdown in the national championship. He was drafted No. 3 overall in this year's NFL draft and some thought he could have easily gone No. 1.

Here's Feldman's take:

The Crimson Tide had the No. 3 recruiting class, according to ESPN (behind Miami and Clemson), but Dareus wasn't a major reason for the lofty status. He was only touted as the No. 39 defensive tackle prospect in the country. Even die-hard college football fans probably hadn't heard of him until the BCS title game against Texas, when he knocked Colt McCoy out of the game and proceeded to dominate the Longhorns en route to winning MVP honors. Dareus was one of the few proven players on the 2010 Tide D, but when he was on the field he was a big impact guy. In his career, he finished with 20 tackles for loss and 11 sacks before leaving as the No. 3 pick in the 2011 NFL draft.

Finally, Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones came in at No. 9 on Feldman's list, which is seven spots lower than where he was coming out of high school.

Jones was a freakish athlete during his three seasons with the Tide and while some questioned his on-field work ethic at times, he was easily Alabama's best receiver in each year he was in Tuscaloosa. His work ethic certainly wasn't challenged when he went through the NFL combine with a broken foot this year.

Here's Feldman's take:

A big, strong wideout with every bit as much athleticism as Green, Jones was ranked a tad higher than Green, coming in at No. 2 overall in 2008. Jones became the first true freshman receiver to ever start the opener for the Crimson Tide. In 2009, he helped Bama to a national title. Last season, he had his best year, catching 78 passes for 1,133 yards. At the NFL combine he put on quite the display, notching the longest broad jump and the third-fastest 40-yard dash time among the receiver group and did so despite having a broken bone in his foot. The Falcons traded the kitchen sink to get him at No. 6 in the draft.

From afar, it would be easy to look at who all LSU lost on defense from last season and think the Tigers might be scrambling to fill a few holes in 2011.

Think again.

Gone are the likes of Patrick Peterson, Kelvin Sheppard, Drake Nevis and Pep Levingston, but there’s not a team in the SEC, maybe even in the country, that will have more promising young defensive talent on its roster than LSU.

And to qualify what I mean by young talent, I’m talking about players who will be sophomores or freshmen next season.

There are 10 of those guys who will play prominent roles for the Tigers on defense in 2011, and just about all of them have star potential.

In a few cases, they’ve already played like stars.

Defensive end Sam Montgomery returns for his sophomore season after collecting six tackles for loss a year ago as a starter in five games. He tore up his knee in the fifth game and was lost for the season.

At the other end, LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis can’t wait to turn Barkevious Mingo loose. A third-year sophomore just like Montgomery, Mingo is a blur coming off the edge.

He has one of the great names in college football, and listening to Chavis, is also destined for greatness on the field.

Chavis said earlier this month that Mingo, before he’s done at LSU, would be “the premier pass-rusher in the SEC -- bar none.”

That’s strong talk coming from Chavis, who admittedly is ultra-conservative when it comes to building up his players publicly.

But, then, Chavis has as good a feel for this defense as any he’s coached at LSU.

That’s because he hand-picked most of these guys.

Chavis agreed to join the LSU staff in December 2008, and the Tigers immediately began recruiting to his style of defense.

Chavis, who's coached in the SEC for more than two decades, is always going to sacrifice size for speed, and there won’t be any lack of speed on the Tigers’ 2011 defense. Get ready to see a whole new array of blitz packages with defenders coming from every angle.

A big key to that will be LSU’s secondary, which features four talented sophomores who saw action a year ago - Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Reid, Tharold Simon and Craig Loston. Senior safety Brandon Taylor and junior cornerback Morris Claiborne also return. Claiborne will be one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC.

Chavis loves to play five and six defensive backs, and Mathieu is a perfect fit in Chavis’ scheme to play that nickel position where he roams and makes plays. As a freshman, Mathieu was the team’s fourth-leading tackler despite starting in just one game. He forced five fumbles, recovered three fumbles, intercepted two passes and had 8.5 tackles for loss.

Replacing Sheppard at middle linebacker will be the Tigers’ most daunting task on defense next season, especially when you consider everything Sheppard did for that defense. Sophomore Kevin Minter exited spring as the front-runner to step in for Sheppard.

The middle of the Tigers’ defensive line will also be dotted by younger players who were hard to miss this spring.

True freshman Anthony Johnson was the No. 1 tackle prospect in the country last year. He enrolled in school early, and at 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, quickly took on the “Freak” nickname. Physically, Chavis said Johnson looks like he’s been in a college program for three years.

Sophomore Michael Brockers (6-6, 300) returns after playing in all 13 games a year ago as a redshirt freshman.

Speaking of redshirt freshmen, Ego Ferguson figures to be one of those swing guys for the Tigers who can play inside at tackle and also slide outside and play some at end. The 6-3, 286-pound Ferguson had 26 quarterback sacks his final two seasons of high school.

Mel Kiper, ESPN's NFL draft analyst extraordinaire, has released his first Big Board for the 2012 draft, and South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery is the top SEC player at No. 4 on the list.

Kiper's Big Board is a ranking of the top 25 draft-eligible players in college football based on value, and he updates it periodically all the way up to the draft.

Jeffery is coming off a monster sophomore season and will almost certainly come out early. He set single-season records last season for the Gamecocks with 88 catches for 1,517 yards and is also tied for the school record with Sidney Rice with 11 100-yard receiving games. As Kiper points out, the 6-foot-4, 233-pound Jeffery is a matchup nightmare for defenses and is a lot faster than you think.

The SEC had a total of five players on Kiper's Big Board, and the second player might surprise a few people. Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was No. 9. The NFL scouts love Kirkpatrick's size and range, even though he was a bit inconsistent at times last season.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was No. 13, South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore No. 19 and Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw No. 25.

Before it's over, I wouldn't be surprised to see three more Alabama players on there -- cornerback DeQuan Menzie, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Mark Barron. In fact, Menzie could wind up being one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC and was the most consistent defensive back on Alabama's team this spring.

LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is another player who could easily show up on the Big Board at some point along with South Carolina defensive end Devin Taylor, Arkansas running back Knile Davis and Arkansas receiver Greg Childs.

The ACC led the way with eight players on the first Big Board for 2012. The Pac-12 had six players.

On Kiper's first Big Board a year ago, he had six SEC players. Five of them wound up being selected in the first round of the draft in April. Georgia receiver A.J. Green was No. 4 on that first Big Board last year. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett was No. 6 followed by Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus at No. 7, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson No. 10, Alabama running back Mark Ingram No. 11 and Alabama receiver Julio Jones No. 17.

Mallett was the only one of the group that didn't go in the first round. He slipped to the third round.

If you could only watch one SEC game next season, which one would it be?

In other words, as we posed in our SportsNation poll, which game in the league next season is the one you absolutely don't want to miss?

The fans have spoken, and the Alabama-LSU contest on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa easily took first prize. With more than 37,000 votes in, the Alabama-LSU game received 49 percent of the vote. A distant second was the annual Iron Bowl between Alabama and Auburn on Nov. 26, pulling in 20 percent of the vote.

Arkansas' visit to Alabama on Sept. 24 was third with 13 percent, meaning the Crimson Tide were involved in the top three "don't miss" games as voted on by the fans.

It's difficult to pick any other game but that Alabama-LSU affair for the top spot. Both teams will enter the season ranked in the top 5 nationally. Both figure to have outstanding defenses, and think back to some of the classics the two teams have treated us to over the past several seasons.

In each of the past four games, I can pick out one play in the fourth quarter or overtime that was probably the difference in the game. That's how close it's been.

Last season, it was LSU's Deangelo Peterson rambling 23 yards on a reverse on a fourth-and-1 play to set up Stevan Ridley's go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run in the Tigers' 24-21 win.

In 2009, it was Julio Jones' 73-yard catch and run for a touchdown to put Alabama ahead for good, although LSU fans might point to Patrick Peterson's interception on the sideline that was ruled (even with replay) a non-interception in Alabama's 24-15 win.

In 2008, take your pick in what was a 27-21 Alabama win in overtime. Rashad Johnson had three interceptions for the Tide, including one in overtime. But it was Jones' leaping 24-yard catch on the sideline that set up John Parker Wilson's 1-yard touchdown plunge to win it.

And in 2007, LSU survived 41-34 in Tuscaloosa in Nick Saban's first game against his old team. With the game tied, LSU freshman Chad Jones came free on a safety blitz and forced a Wilson fumble that was recovered by the Tigers at the Alabama 3, setting up Jacob Hester's winning touchdown.

Stay tuned for more drama in November.

Well, it wasn't even close. Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was the runaway winner in our poll on which SEC player will be the hardest to replace this upcoming season.

It's no shocker, really. Newton had one of the most productive seasons of any quarterback in college football history in 2010. He not only captured the Heisman Trophy but led Auburn to an undefeated season and a national championship.

He was the best player whenever he stepped on the field and was the heart of Auburn's team last year.

So, I would have gone with Newton as well.

At last count, Newton grabbed 65 percent of the vote with more than 21,500 people voting.

When you look at Auburn's quarterback situation now, there is a bit of concern. The Tigers worked sophomore Clint Moseley and freshman Barrett Trotter out this spring. Both suffered some growing pains, but steadily improved down the stretch. Auburn will welcome true freshman Kiehl Frazier into the mix this summer. Frazier could have the most athletic ability of all the quarterbacks, and coach Gene Chizik made it known this spring that he will play the best player this fall, regardless of experience.

In a distant second was Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green. Arguably the best receiver to enter this year's NFL draft, Green had 16 percent of the vote. As a junior, Green ended the season leading the Bulldogs in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, despite missing the first four games because of suspension.

Green's departure leaves the Bulldogs with a handful of unproven receivers. The next star in line seems to be Tavarres King. King assumed Green's flanker position this spring, and while he certainly wasn't Green, he cemented himself as Georgia's go-to receiver.

There is a lot of uncertainty behind King, but having a quarterback like Aaron Murray should keep the offense going.

Next was LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson. Peterson was one of the most exciting defensive players to watch, and he had the ability to take an entire side of the field away when he lined up. Peterson held 10 percent of the vote.

In single digits were Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett and Florida safety Ahmad Black. Mallett has the biggest arm to replace in the SEC. He led the conference in passing a year ago, but he'll have redshirt junior Tyler Wilson taking his place this season. Wilson will have a slew of targets to throw to with Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright out there, so replacing Mallett might not be too hard in Hog country.

As for Black, he finished his career first in the SEC and tied for sixth nationally among active players with 13 career interceptions. While small in stature, he came up big for the Gators on defense and was the emotional leader at Florida last season. Black's replacement, sophomore Matt Elam, might have more athleticism, but no one is sure if he'll have the intangibles Black possessed.

2010 overall record: 11-2

2010 conference record: 6-2

Returning starters

Offense: 8, defense: 7, kicker/punter: 0

Top returners

QB Jordan Jefferson, WR Rueben Randle, WR Russell Shepard, OT Alex Hurst, DE Sam Montgomery, LB Ryan Baker, CB Tyrann Mathieu, CB Morris Claiborne, S Brandon Taylor

Key losses

RB Stevan Ridley, WR Terrence Toliver, OT Joseph Barksdale, DT Drake Nevis, LB Kelvin Sheppard, CB Patrick Peterson, PK Josh Jasper

2010 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Ridley (1,147 yards)

Passing: Jefferson* (1,411 yards)

Receiving: Toliver (579 yards)

Tackles: Sheppard (116)

Sacks: Baker* (7)

Interceptions: Claiborne* (5)

Spring answers

1. Jefferson takes charge at quarterback. His spring game performance wasn’t the best, but senior Jefferson left little doubt during spring practice that he was the Tigers’ quarterback. Jefferson improved his footwork and also did a better job of getting rid of the ball after struggling to find any consistency throwing the ball last season. First-year offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Steve Kragthorpe was a huge help to Jefferson, who knew junior college newcomer Zach Mettenberger would be breathing down his neck.

2. Ware steps right in for Ridley. It was somewhat of a surprise that Ridley elected to turn pro after rushing for 1,147 yards last season, but Ware showed this spring that he’s plenty capable of being the Tigers’ next 1,000-yard rusher. He had 102 yards on 10 carries in the Cotton Bowl last season and possesses that shifty, explosive style that makes him a load to get on the ground. A quarterback in high school, he can also throw it and is one of those players you can do a lot of different things with on offense.

3. Depth to go around in the secondary. The Tigers are deep enough and talented enough in the secondary that defensive coordinator John Chavis moved Karnell Hatcher from safety to an outside linebacker spot. Hatcher started 11 games last season and was the team’s third leading tackler. Chavis has a history of turning safeties into hybrid linebackers. Plus, he’s brimming with young talent in the secondary in the form of Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Reid, Craig Loston and Tharold Simon.

Fall questions

1. Can Jefferson do it in the games? Jefferson has passed his first test by having the best spring he’s had since coming to LSU. But the real test is getting it done in games and generating the kind of passing game the Tigers have lacked the last couple of seasons. He should get a lot more help next season from junior receivers Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard, both of whom have everything it takes to be marquee playmakers in this league.

2. Who’s going to replace Kelvin Sheppard? Forget for a moment everything Sheppard did from a production standpoint from his middle linebacker position. He finished third in the league last season with 116 tackles. But he was also the rock of that defense, the quintessential leader and one of those guys who fixes mistakes before they happen. He won’t be easily replaced. Sophomore Kevin Minter ended the spring as the starter, but that competition will continue into the fall.

3. What about special teams? The Tigers were truly special on special teams last season. Place-kicker Jasper had great range and was as dependable as they come. He wasn’t too shabby on those fake field goals, either. Punter Derek Helton finished second in the league with a 45.7-yard average, and then there was Peterson leaving vapor trails in the return game. He took two punts back for touchdowns. All three are gone, which means there will be some big shoes to fill across the board in LSU’s kicking game.

The Tigers enter the 2011 season with some of the best defensive talent in the country:

Biggest reason for hope: Talented defense and The Hat

LSU's defense might be a bit young, but it could be the most athletic in the country. Cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu showed that they each have the ability to make big plays in the secondary now that Patrick Peterson is gone. Senior safety Brandon Taylor should be a force in the defensive backfield as well. Linebackers Ryan Baker and Stefoin Francois look like they'll be be even better this fall. On the defensive line, Sam Montgomery is coming back from injury at defensive end and if he's totally healthy, he'll be chore for opposing tackles to handle. Newcomer Anthony Johnson had a really solid spring at defensive tackle and should contribute this fall. But more than anything, Les Miles has Lady Luck on his side. Toss in some mighty tasty grass, and Miles is in hog Heaven (or Tiger Heaven). The way he defied logic to win games last season amazed everyone and I'm not sure his luck has run out.

Biggest reason for concern: Quarterback and middle linebacker

Jordan Jefferson might have directed the offense more smoothly and improved his passing mechanics, but we need to see how he does against players not wearing purple and gold. Jefferson was one of the worst statistical passers in the SEC a season ago, but somehow managed 11 wins. This season, a slip up by Jefferson will leave Miles contemplating benching his senior for transfer Zach Mettenberger, who is probably the best pure passing option the Tigers have. However, Mettenberger doesn't have the experience Jefferson does. The Tigers also have a gaping hole at middle linebacker now that Kelvin Sheppard is gone. Safety Karnell Hatcher and Kevin Minter, who was Sheppard's backup last year, got reps at middle linebacker this spring, but the spot has yet to be solidified, which has LSU's coaching staff a little worried heading into summer.

Now that the NFL draft is over, I thought it'd be fun to take a look at how last year's first-round predictions turned out.

Shortly after the 2010 NFL draft, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay predicted the SEC would have eight selections in the first round in his first 2011 mock draft . He ended up being pretty close as the SEC had 10 players go in the first round.

He also had Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck going first, which probably would have been the case if he had decided to enter the draft. Instead, he opted to stay in school and Auburn's Cam Newton was taken by the Carolina Panthers with the first pick.

McShay was close with his Marcell Dareus pick. He wrote that the Alabama defensive tackle would go second to the St. Louis Rams, but Dareus went third to the Buffalo Bills.

He also had Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet going 15th to the San Francisco 49ers and Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe landing with the Denver Broncos at No. 13. Mallett was taken by the New England Patriots in the third round, while Powe was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in sixth.

Making these predictions isn't easy, so it's pretty impressive that he was able to predict six of his eight players to go in the first round.

Here's what McShay predicted in 2010:

• No. 2, St. Louis Rams: Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 7, New England Patriots: Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green
• No. 13, Denver Broncos: Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe
• No. 15, San Francisco 49ers: Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett
• No. 19, New York Giants: Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 24, Cincinnati Bengals: Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones
• No. 27, Baltimore Ravens: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 31, Indianapolis Colts: Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey

And here's how the first round turned out:

• No. 1, Carolina Panthers: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton
• No. 3, Buffalo Bills: Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 4, Cincinnati Bengals: Georgia receiver A.J. Green
• No. 5, Arizona Cardinals: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 6, Atlanta Falcons: Alabama receiver Julio Jones
• No. 13, Detroit Lions: Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley
• No. 15, Miami Dolphins: Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey
• No. 25, Seattle Seahawks: Alabama offensive guard James Carpenter
• No. 28, New Orleans Saints: Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 32, Green Bay Packers: Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod