ESPN College Football

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.

Auburn is closing signing day with a flurry and doing some serious damage in South Florida.

In a span of a few minutes on Wednesday, the Tigers got the news that a pair of ESPNU 150 players — offensive tackle Avery Young of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and receiver Ricardo Louis of Miami Beach — would be playing their college football on the Plains.

The 6-5, 292-pound Young is ranked by ESPN as the No. 8 offensive tackle in the country. He picked Auburn over Florida and Georgia.

The 6-2, 200-pound Louis is ranked by ESPN as the No. 5 athlete in the country. He had been committed to Auburn since the spring, but then briefly committed to Florida State after Gus Malzahn left for the Arkansas State head coaching job. So the Tigers were ecstatic to hold onto Louis.

Auburn needs playmakers at the receiver position, which makes the addition of Louis and JaQuay Williams all the more important for the Tigers.

National signing day is famous (or infamous) for all of its twists and turns.

It looks like some of the drama has already started.

Among the latest developments, while remembering that nothing counts until the papers are signed on Wednesday:

• Arkansas was able to turn linebacker Otha Peters of Covington, La., after Peters had been committed to Tennessee since August. Peters’ high school coach, Malter Scobel, told The New Orleans Times-Picayune that Peters was concerned about the coaching stability at Tennessee. It’s the second highly rated linebacker the Vols have lost in the past few days. Dalton Santos of Van, Texas switched from Tennessee to Texas last weekend.
• Alabama has taken the lead for ESPNU 150 defensive tackle Korren Kirven of Lynchburg, Va. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound Kirven is rated as the No. 8 tackle prospect in the country by ESPN, and it was thought a few days ago that his finalists were Tennessee and Virginia Tech.
• Missouri could be a big signing day winner if receiver Dorial Green-Beckham of Springfield, Mo., signs with the Tigers. It was thought to be down to Arkansas and Missouri, but the Tigers seem to have all the momentum after Green-Beckham visited there last weekend. He’s a five-star prospect rated by ESPN as the No. 1 receiver prospect in the country and the No. 3 overall prospect.
• Vanderbilt has lost a pair of cornerback commitments to Eastern Division rivals in the past few days. Chris Moody of McDonough, Ga., switched to South Carolina, and Sheldon Dawson of Memphis opted for Georgia.
• Five SEC schools -- Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and Tennessee -- are keeping their fingers crossed on top junior college receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
• Josh Harvey-Clemons, ranked by ESPN as the No. 1 outside linebacker in the country, is playing it extremely close to the vest. The Valdosta, Ga., product has Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Miami among his finalists.
• ESPNU 150 athlete Ricardo Louis of Miami has been committed to both Auburn and Florida State at different points. He’ll finalize everything on Wednesday.
• Florida is hoping to score with ESPNU 150 defensive linemen Darius Hamilton of Ramsey, N.J., and Leonard Williams of Daytona Beach, Fla. The Gators are also among the finalists for ESPNU 150 cornerback Tracy Howard.
• ESPNU 150 outside linebacker Kwon Alexander of Oxford, Ala., is apparently down to Auburn and LSU.
• Auburn is trying to hold onto four-star receiver Ja’Quay Williams of Tyrone, Ga., but Georgia is still pushing hard.
• ESPNU 150 offensive tackle Avery Young of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., will announce between Florida and Georgia on Wednesday.

ESPN's recruiting experts have made their predictions on where some of the country's top uncommitted prospects will land next Wednesday on signing day.

Several of those prospects are looking hard at SEC schools.

Here's a look at who may go where:

• Receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (N0. 3 in ESPNU 150): All seven experts predict Arkansas
• Athlete Stefon Diggs (No. 13 in ESPNU 150): Five of seven experts predict Florida
• Outside linebacker Josh Harvey-Clemons (No. 17 in ESPNU 150): Six of seven experts predict Georgia
• Cornerback Tracy Howard (No. 18 in ESPNU 150): Six of seven experts predict Florida
• Athlete Ricardo Louis (No. 21 in ESPNU 150): Six of seven experts predict Auburn
• Outside linebacker Kwon Alexander (No. 29 in ESPNU 150): Four of seven experts predict Alabama. The other three experts predict Auburn
• Receiver Thomas Johnson (No. 33 in ESPNU 150): Four of seven experts predict Texas A&M
• Defensive tackle Leonard Williams (No. 50 in ESPNU 150): Three of seven experts predict Auburn. Two experts predict Florida
• Offensive tackle Avery Young (No. 61 in ESPNU 150): Four of seven experts predict Georgia. The other three experts predict Florida
• Defensive end Darius Hamilton (No. 69 in ESPNU 150): Four of seven experts predict Florida
• Defensive tackle Korren Kirven (No. 100 in ESPNU 150): Three of seven experts predict Tennessee. Three experts predict Virginia Tech. One expert predicts Alabama
• Athlete Jeremy Liggins (No. 118 in ESPNU 150): Three of seven experts predict LSU. Three experts predict Ole Miss. One expert predicts Mississippi State

DESTIN, Fla. -- Auburn might be in a rebuilding year on The Plains, but that isn't pushing many top prospects away.

Since Saturday, the Tigers have grabbed three verbal commitments, with two being members of the ESPNU 150 Watch List. Auburn now has eight verbal commitments in its 2012 recruiting class.

Auburn got things started with the commitment from Parker, Colo., Chaparral offensive tackle Shane Callahan, who committed at Auburn's Big Cat recruiting weekend. The ESPNU 150 Watch List member stands 6-foot-5, 280 pounds and also had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Michigan, Utah and Washington.

Here's what Callahan told The Birmingham News about his commitment to Auburn: "I knew awhile back. I knew I should make the decision now. I'm ready. It's where I want to be.

"I'm excited to be a part of the family."

ESPN recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg also caught up with Callahan and Monday commit Darius Philon, who is a defensive tackle from Pichard, Ala.

Miami Beach, Fla., Senior athlete Ricardo Louis committed Tuesday. Louis is a member of the ESPNU 150 Watch List as well.

Here's what the 6-foot-1, 200-pound athlete, who had about 20 offers, told ESPN recruiting analyst Corey Long about his decision to pick the Tigers: "Auburn is just the right place for me, it's the type of atmosphere that I believe will bring the best out in me. Coach [Trooper] Taylor is like a family member to be honest and being around the rest of the recruits and seeing everything, I'm proud to call myself an Auburn Tiger."