1. Southeastern Conference
Impact recruits: Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky), Tre Mann (Florida), Anthony Edwards (Georiga), Trendon Watford (LSU), Josiah Jordan-James (Tennessee), Isaac Okoro (Auburn)
There are 14 SEC programs. And I could make an argument that all of them accomplished what they realistically could do this offseason on the recruiting trail. Led by Kentucky and their 2nd-ranked overall 2019 class, the conference is filled with top-30 recruits who should have a huge impact not only this upcoming season but in the future as well. Maxey is an elite-level guard who should start for the Wildcats, with four other wings joining the program as well.
What Kentucky has is somewhat known and expected but it’s what Florida did that made waves. Besides landing grad transfer Kerry Blackshear, the Gators have a pair of five-star players of their own in Mann and Scottie Barnes. LSU and Tennessee also have five-star commits of their own, as each program aims to remain at the top of the SEC.
A team who wants to get to the top are Georgia Bulldogs, who landed the No. 2 overall player in the 2019 class in Edwards. He’s not the only quality freshmen joining the Bulldogs, as four top-100 recruits are also part of the top-10 class. Forward Christian Brown and point guard Sahvir Wheeler are players who should start and have a big year for the rebuilding program.
Even teams with new head coaches got off to great starts with their classes, including Buzz Williams at Texas A&M and Nate Oats and Alabama. Imagine what would happen once they get a full year to recruit players? With the exception of Arkansas (who has a head coach in Eric Musselman that prefers transfers anyways), there isn’t a team who had a “disappointing” recruiting class.
That can’t be said for the bottom teams in the other conferences who had their respective shortcomings. Kentucky will always be the king of SEC recruiting but to see programs such as Florida, Georgia and even Auburn (watch out for their 2020 class), it’ll only make the league stronger. That’s why the SEC is now getting 7+ bids on a regular basis. And based on the incoming talent, the conference will be having the same kind of success.