Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Here's an updated list of Vanderbilt's SEC-caliber players

We recently listed the 21 Vandy players with offers from SEC schools. Somebody suggested we also include players with offers from non-SEC schools with Top 25 recruiting classes. When you add the schools with a Top 25 class over the past four years, the list of "legitimate" players grows to 35, with 29 of those players signing after the Music City Bowl victory. (That includes eight players from the upcoming 2011 class who have not yet signed and may not all come to Nashville.)

In other words, Coach Franklin has a far better talent base to build on than Bobby Johnson had, which means Franklin can likely get the Commodores to a bowl earlier in his tenure than Johnson did.

You need good players to start with, and you certainly want the players that successful programs want, but that doesn't automatically mean success. For example, Casey Hayward's best offer was from Troy, and Chris Marve's best offer was from Memphis. Both of those guys will be playing on Sunday.

Conversely, Taylor Loftley and DeAndre Jones are starting their fourth season and have seen scant playing time to date. From the 2009 class, Thad McHaney had offers from Oklahoma and Auburn and is still listed as third team defensive end, while Brady Brown had an offer from Nebraska and didn't see a snap last year.

You've got to earn it, even at Vandy. Anyway, here's the complete list:

2007
• Kyle Fischer, R-SR, OL, Kentucky

2008
• Tristan Strong, R-JR, LB, Auburn
• Taylor Loftley, R-JR, DL, South Carolina
• Sean Richardson, SR, S, Miss State
• DeAndre Jones, R-JR, LB, Kentucky, Stanford
• John Cole, WR, R-JR, Stanford

2009
• Thad McHaney, R-SO, DE, Auburn
• Wes Johnson, R-SO, OL, Auburn
• Warren Norman, JR, RB, Tennessee, Stanford, Georgia Tech
• Mason Johnston, R-SO, TE, Arkansas
• Eddie Foster, JR, DB, Ole Miss
• Wesley Tate, R-SO, RB, Georgia Tech, Stanford
• Trey Wilson, JR, DB, Stanford
• Brady Brown, R-SO, WR, Nebraska
• Charlie Goro, R-SO, QB, Illinois

2010
• Kyle Woestmann, R-FR, DE, Georgia, South Carolina, Clemson
• Vince Taylor, R-FR, DL, Tennessee, Miss State
• Thomas Ryan, R-FR, DL, Tennessee
• James Kittredge, SO, DL, South Carolina
• Logan Stewart, SO, OL, South Carolina
• Kenny Ladler, SO, S, South Carolina
• Jonathan Krause, SO, WR, Ole Miss, Stanford
• Jared Morse, SO, DL, Arkansas, Florida State
• Steven Clarke, SO, DB, Miami
• Andre Simmons, SO, S, West Virginia, Boston College, Illinois
• Chris Boyd, R-FR, WR, Illinois
• Andre Hal, SO, DB, Nebraska

2011
• Derrick King, FR, ATH, Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas
• Mitchell Hester, FR, RB, Arkansas
• James Lewis, FR, OL, Kentucky
• Courtney Bynes, FR, WR, Illinois
• J.J. Keels, FR, RB, West Virginia
• Keith Heitzman, FR, DE, Illinois
• Jake Bernstein, FR, OL, Illinois
• Damien Fleming, FR, QB, West Virginia

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Zack Stacey?

DIMON KENDRICK-HOLMES said...

Zac had one other offer, from UAB. Of course, that doesn't mean he's not an SEC caliber player.

Anonymous said...

I think Chris Boyd was also offered by Georgia Tech and Indiana a few weeks before signing day even though he was already committed to Vandy ? What about Zack Stacey ?

DIMON KENDRICK-HOLMES said...

Yeah, I think Boyd did have a last-minute offer from Georgia Tech. Four years from now, he'll be glad he stuck with his decision unless he really wanted to spend his college career blocking for the triple option.

Anonymous said...

didn't Stacey beat out Norman?

Anonymous said...

Taylor Loftley had several offers,besides SC, had one from Stanford as well.

Anonymous said...

there once was a day when three 3-stars committed to vandy in one weekend and we could read a shiz ton about it in the blogosphere. C'mon Dimon! Your 2 cents are requested.