College coaches abhor them. Football fans clamor for them. Recruiting rankings are here to stay.

Each February, recruiting rankings from media outlets pile up before the fax machine has cooled.

Most coaches agree that three years is enough time to make a fair assessment of a class and its relation to other schools. Therefore, it's time to rank the 2001 SEC football classes and see how they hold up to past rankings.

1. LSU: It's no surprise the Tigers shared the national title last year when reviewing their 2001 class. Nick Saban's first recruiting class laid a championship foundation with star players like wide receiver Michael Clayton; defensive end Marquise Hill; tight end Marcus Spears, who was switched to defensive end; and offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and Ben Wilkerson.

Saban's 27-player class produced 11 players who started at least one game. Saban depended on his home state, signing 12 players from Louisiana.

Saban already has lost Clayton and Hill to the NFL. Sixteen players from the class are still on the roster.

This class was ranked first in the SEC and second nationally by SuperPrep magazine in 2001. The rankings were well deserved.

2. Arkansas: The Razorbacks won't reap the rewards of the 2001 signing class this season. Offensive lineman Shawn Andrews and defensive back Ahmad Carroll's departure to the NFL will assure a drop in talent.

The most productive returning player is quarterback Matt Jones. Coach Houston Nutt signed 21 players from nine different states, including seven from Arkansas and four from Texas. Nutt's 2001 class ranked third three years ago. It was slightly underrated.

3. Georgia: The Bulldogs signed 25 players in 2001. Eleven have started at least one game. Wideout Fred Gibson and defensive end David Pollack give this class star power.

Quarterback D.J. Shockley hasn't started but deserves honorable mention for his contributions. Eighteen players in the 2001 class, including Shockley, hail from Georgia. The class was ranked fourth in the SEC in 2001.

4. Auburn: The Tigers' 2001 class is made up of many mid-level contributors and one bona fide star. Tailback Carnell Williams, who originally committed to Tennessee, was worth all of Tommy Tuberville's recruiting attention.

Williams has broken school records for touchdowns in a game and touchdowns in a season. Williams' production has only been slowed by injury.

Cornerback Carlos Rogers has been a quiet force in the secondary. He started 10 games his freshman year and 30 in his career.

5. Tennessee: The Vols' 2001 class hasn't lived up to its billing. UT was ranked second in the SEC by SuperPrep after signing day.

Its most productive players have been linebacker Kevin Simon and tailback Cedric Houston. However, defections have hurt its ranking. Tailback Keldrick Williams and wide receivers Michael Collins and Montrell Jones were a few of the many players that excited fans only to have short UT careers.

The Vols appear to have several talented players from 2001 poised to contribute in 2004. Fullback Cory Anderson, linebacker Jason Mitchell, and tight end Justin Reed could be on the verge of breakout seasons.

Three of the most productive players were junior college players — defensive back Julian Battle and defensive linemen Aubrayo Franklin and Demetrin Veal — who are no longer with the team.

6. Ole Miss: The Rebels didn't have to travel far to sign players for the 2001 class. Twenty-one of the 23 players came from either Mississippi or Alabama. The other two came from Georgia.

Wide receiver Mike Espy, cornerback Travis Johnson, and safety Eric Oliver have combined to start 64 games. The Rebels hope they have their quarterback of the future in Micheal Spurlock. He faces the daunting task of replacing Eli Manning.

7. Florida: Former coach Steve Spurrier didn't do Ron Zook any favors with the Gators' 2001 class. Even in talent-rich Florida, Spurrier managed only two players — linemen Jonathan Colon and Mike Degory — who have started over 12 games.

Spurrier's final class was thought to be average in 2001. It was ranked seventh by SuperPrep. It may be worse than that after this season.

8. Vanderbilt: The Commodores' 2001 class has produced 14 players who have started at least one game.

Vanderbilt's entire team is not as talented as Alabama, but this class seems to be. Coach Bobby Johnson's dedication to playing young players has made this a productive class.

Quarterback Jay Cutler and linebacker Jovan Haye highlight the 25-member class.

9. Alabama: The Tide was slightly worse than its 2001 SuperPrep ranking of ninth. Former Alabama coach Dennis Franchione took the job in December 2000. Assembling the 2001 class was not easy.

Safety Charlie Peprah and linebacker Freddie Roach highlight the class. Like his predecessors, Franchione relied on in-state prospects. Thirteen of the 20 prospects came from within Alabama's borders.

10. South Carolina: The Gamecocks class, which was originally ranked fifth by SuperPrep, has been very disappointing.

There are no All-SEC players from the class and eight of 18 don't show up on the 2004 roster. Junior college transfer Corey Jenkins is gone, leaving defensive end George Gause as the most noteworthy player.

11. Kentucky: The Wildcats have no star power. Twelve of 22 prospects in Kentucky's 2001 class have either not started a game or are no longer with the team. Only one, defensive back Mike Williams, has started more than 12 games.

12. Mississippi State: It's easy to see why Sylvester Croom is the coach at Mississippi State instead of Jackie Sherrill, who relied heavily on junior college recruits.

Out of 10 junior college prospects Sherrill signed in 2001, only two started more than 11 games for the Bulldogs.

Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He may be reached at hookerd@knews.com.