A decade ago, if you wanted to know who won the college football offseason, you simply visited your favorite recruiting website in mid-February and examined which programs signed the best recruiting classes.
Now, it’s not so simple. Signing classes tell only a portion of the offseason story. Winning the transfer portal matters. So does staff retention and reassembly.
Which teams did it best this offseason? Here’s my ranking of the top five offseason winners from the SEC:
Brian Kelly’s staff overhaul deserves praise. He plundered Missouri’s defensive coordinator Blake Baker and Texas’ defensive line coach Bo Davis to spearhead an overhaul after LSU’s defense kept the Tigers from contending for the College Football Playoff despite having a Heisman Trophy winner at quarterback. Baker and Davis were instrumental in Missouri and Texas having top-25 defenses last season.
Kelly also signed the nation’s No. 7 recruiting class, and although he didn’t go for quantity in the transfer portal, he acquired some important quality. Wide receivers Zavion Thomas (Mississippi State) and CJ Daniels (Liberty) plus safety Jardin Gilbert (Texas A&M), all profile as starters.
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4. Texas A&M
A coaching change is a recipe for a roster exodus, and the Aggies were no exception after firing Jimbo Fisher in November. But, the Aggies emerged from the roster carousel better than most would. New coach Mike Elko maintained a top-20 recruiting class, then supplemented it with the No. 2 transfer class. That included some instant-impact intraconference additions like linebacker Scooby Williams of Florida.
Texas A&M didn’t emerge unscathed. Notable losses included wide receiver Evan Stewart (Oregon) and defensive linemen Walter Nolen (Ole Miss) and Fadil Diggs (Syracuse).
Still,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/5-sec-football-coaches-won-110514273.html
Author : The Clarion Ledger
Publish date : 2024-02-13 11:05:14
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