SEC football down this year?

With Temperance Bedford's loss to Grosse Pointe South in last Friday's Division 1 regional final, the Southeastern Conference is officially out of the state high school football playoffs. It wasn't a banner year for the traditionally strong SEC team-wise or player-wise. As opposed to last year when the SEC had multiple Division I college football recruits, including U-M signees receivers Jeremy Jackson (Ann Arbor Huron) and Ricardo Miller (Ann Arbor Pioneer) and MSU commits running back Nick Hill (Chelsea) and quarterback Joe Boisture (Saline), this season's crop of players turned out to be much thinner. This year, the SEC will be hard-pressed to have more than one or two D-I college prospects sign letters-of-intent in February. The future looks bright, however, as numerous underclassmen appear to have Division I potential. Bedford has two of the top juniors in tackle Hunter Hurt (6-foot-4, 270 pounds) and kicker Brendan Renius (6-0, 170), while Monroe has guard Jake Notario (6-4, 295), Pioneer has tailback/defensive back Drake Johnson (6-1, 195) and Ypsilanti has tailback Austin Sanders (6-0, 185). Other junior prospects include Adrian quarterback Sebastian Johnson (6-3, 185) and Lincoln receiver Kendall Thompson (5-9, 170), along with sophomore standout halfback Berkley Edwards (5-9, 165) of Chelsea. All of these players should definitely get Division I looks. Next season is shaping up to be something special in the SEC.