Recruiting
2009 ... Sun Belt
Ranking the Sun Belt classes
Click on
each team for the fill class list
and top players
Arkansas State
| Florida Atlantic
| FIU |
Middle
Tennessee
North Texas
| Troy
| UL Lafayette
| UL
Monroe
| Western
Kentucky
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CFN Recruiting 2009
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2008
CFN Sun Belt recruiting rankings
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2007
CFN Sun Belt Recruiting Rankings
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2006
CFN Sun Belt Recruiting Rankings
1. Western Kentucky
CFN’s 2008 Conference
Recruiting Rank: NR
The class is heavy on ...
Bulk. There’s a little of something
for every spot with no one spot
getting the complete and total
focus. The team was awful last
season with a tough mix of seniors
and unproven young players, and this
class is built to be a foundation
for the next several years. The
skill position players are the stars
of the show with QB Courtney
Dalcourt, RB Keshawn Simpson, and WR
Jamarielle Brown all going to be
fixtures by 2012.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... QB Courtney
Dalcourt
The player you might care about
this year ... PK Monte Merrick
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
With the move up to full-time FBS
status, the program needed to make a
statement and a bit of a splash this
recruiting season. It did both. This
was a huge class with several
players good enough to compete for
jobs right away, but the idea with
this haul was to build the
foundation for the future. It’s a
surprisingly strong class that
should be the foundation for next
several years.
2. Troy
CFN’s 2008 Conference
Recruiting Rank: 2
The class is heavy on ...
Ready made defensive linemen. The
Trojans had the Sun Belt’s best
offensive line last year by far, but
three starters are gone. While
there’s depth and potential with the
returning players, this class made
sure the front five is loaded with
four JUCO transfers, led by tackle
Tyler Graves. The defensive side got
some fantastic tackle prospects with
JUCO transfer Riley Flowers good
enough to play just about anywhere.
The player who'll someday be a
really big deal ... WR Anthony
Williams
The player you might care about
this year ... DT Riley Flowers
What it all means to the real
world of college football ...
Last year’s class was about building
for down the road, and this year’s
class is about being better right
now. With the tremendous JUCO
transfers coming in, and with a good
nucleus already in place, there’s no
reason to think the defending Sun
Belt champions will slip even with
several key starters needing to be
replaced.
3.
ULM CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank:
3
The class is heavy on ... Wide receivers. This is a huge class
with the major emphasis on the offense, and most specifically, the
receivers. With seven prospects coming in over various shapes and sizes.
JUCO transfer Cordario Calvin will be expected to play right away, but
Tristan Warren might be the best of the lot, and Otis Peterson and
Tavarese Maye will battle it out for who’ll be the fastest.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Kolton
Browning
The player you might care about this year ... DE Quantez Hunter
What it all means to the real world of college football ... ULM
has always hung around the top of the Sun Belt but hasn’t been able to
get over the hump. The last two classes have been excellent with the
defensive line the strength last year and the offense getting addressed
this season. If the 2008 class was supposed to be the one that finally
changed things around, combined with this class, 2010 should be
fantastic.
4. FIU CFN’s 2008
Conference Recruiting Rank: 5
The class is heavy on ... Defensive back. This was a decent class
all the way around, but the major focus was on stopping the pass with
some good defensive ends in Joshua Forney and Thatcher Starling, and
several defensive backs with decent speed, and surprisingly, a lot of
size. Terrance Taylor was a nice pickup at safety while Wayne Times is a
good-looking corner prospect.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... C/OG Rupert
Bryan
The player you might care about this year ... DE Thatcher
Starling
What it all means to the real world of college football ... The
last two classes have been pointed toward the defensive side after
loading up on skill players in 2007. The program made an about face
halfway through the season and started to play better once Paul McCall,
who’s back, took over the reins at quarterback, and now the hope is for
the last two classes to beef up the D enough to be more of a player in
the Sun Belt title chase.
5. Middle
Tennessee CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting
Rank: 4
The class is heavy on ... Skill players. There’s a sprinkling of
new recruits here and there, but the stars are at the skills with QB
Jamal Ramsey one of the league’s best prospects and running backs David
Jones and William Pratcher each good enough to change around the woeful
running game. The receivers have size and speed, but they’re extremely
unpolished.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... CB Kenneth
Gilstrap
The player you might care about this year ... RB David Jones
What it all means to the real world of college football ... After
going after the defense for the last few years, now it’s all about the
offense and restocking the shelves. This is a strong class that should
provide excellent depth for 2010 and 2011. The returning team is young,
loaded with experience, and good enough to win the Sun Belt. This year’s
class has a few players that could find their way into the lineup here
and there, but it’s unlikely that anyone will make a huge impact right
away. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
6. Florida
Atlantic CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting
Rank: 7
The class is heavy on ... Cornerback. By far the best prospects
of this year’s class are in the secondary where De’Andre Richardson and
Keith Reaser are two really fast, really good corners who should be
fixtures in the FAU defensive backfield for years. Winfred Strickland
and Treon Howard aren’t as fast or as good, but they should provide
decent depth down the road.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... CB De’Andre
Richardson
The player you might care about this year ... DE Corey Henry
What it all means to the real world of college football ...
Here’s the problem. FAU needs to own Miami when it comes to the
prospects not strong enough to go to the big Florida schools, and it’s
not. FIU swooped in and took several players in the “State of Miami,” as
head coach Howard Schnellenberger would call it, and had a better
recruiting class. How much longer will Schnellenberger be running the
program? Compared to FIU and its young head coach, Mario Cristobal, the
coaching future in Boca Raton is a bit of an issue.
7. Arkansas State
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: 6
The class is heavy on ... Receivers. QB Phillip Butterfield is
the star of the show here, and he’ll have plenty of targets to work with
including Carlos McCants, a smallish, quick receiver who should be a
number one target at some point. JUCO transfer Lucious Henderson is for
right now. The defense was almost completely ignored.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... QB Phillip
Butterfield
The player you might care about this year ... OG Sifa Etu
What it all means to the real world of college football ... ASU
always seems to find ways to find the right players to not only fit what
Steve Roberts wants to do, but can develop to fill the gaps. This class
might not be anything too special, especially considering the defense
didn’t get much of any help, but the firepower will be there for down
the road. Interestingly enough, last year’s class mostly focused on wide
receivers, just like this year. There are athletes for both sides of the
ball depending on what the staff wants to play around with.
8. North Texas
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: 1
The class is heavy on ... Receivers. If you’re going to run the
offense head coach Todd Dodge wants to run, you need targets. The Mean
Green passing game got an influx of receivers with two JUCO transfers
for right now in Jamaal Jackson and Mike Outlaw, while freshman Daniel
Mayberry might be the most talented of the lot.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... LB Daniel
Prior
The player you might care about this year ... OT Jeremy Bean
What it all means to the real world of college football ... Last
year the coaching staff crushed it out of the park with a fantastic
class, so there weren’t a lot of openings to fill for the future.
However, considering how bad the defense has been, this class wasn’t all
that attentive to the needs on an immediate basis. The secondary was
addressed last year, but the front seven didn’t get a whole bunch of
instant help outside of LB Tony Charles and DT Shavod Atkinsin.
9. UL Lafayette
CFN’s 2008 Conference Recruiting Rank: 8
The class is heavy on ... Defensive line. The receiving corps is
also a strength, but the stars are on the defensive front with two JUCO
transfers, Tyrell Gaddies for the middle and Jordan Topp for inside or
out. Two of the team’s best recruits are for the future with Brandon
McCray a top tackle and Justin Anderson an interesting tweener who could
end up at linebacker or in a hybrid role.
The player who'll someday be a really big deal ... OG Daniel
Lamelle
The player you might care about this year ... DT Tyrell Gaddies
What it all means to the real world of college football ... If
last year was about bringing in the quarterbacks, this year was about
getting the defense in line for the future. However, compared to the
rest of the league, this is a relatively mediocre overall haul that
looks even lighter considering last year focused on quantity over
quality. However, the 2006 and 2007 classes were excellent and are just
starting to shine through.