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Take Two: Who had the surprise SEC signing class?

Occasionally, our SEC writers will give their takes on a burning question facing the league. We'll both have strong opinions, but not necessarily the same view. We'll let you decide which writer is right.

With national signing day officially in the books and all the superfluous awards given out, we decided to take a look at the classes not everyone is talking about.

Today's Take Two topic: Which SEC recruiting class are we sleeping on a little too much?

Edward Aschoff: Though I don't think you can honestly evaluate a recruiting class until a few years down the road, when I look at the paper and I think of the needs certain teams need, I'm going to go with South Carolina. For his first class as the Gamecocks' new head coach, Will Muschamp did a pretty good job in certain areas of need.

Muschamp got his quarterback of the future -- and maybe even the present -- in Brandon McIlwain, who he absolutely had to sign. If offensive coordinator Kurt Roper can fully wrap his hands around him, watch out. Now, that would mean Muschamp has to step away from the offense, but I think he's learned in that department.

McIlwain will have ESPN 300 receiver Bryan Edwards to throw to whenever he sees the field, because Edwards should be in line for immediate playing time. South Carolina's current receiving corps is relatively bare, so Muschamp went out and signed five guys. Some of them might need a little more developmental time, but even if a couple work out that would be a major win for this team. Also, keep an eye on running back Rico Dowdle. Some think the three-star prospect has a lot of big-play potential. Junior college offensive tackle Akeem Cooperwood should see immediate playing time, too.

Defensively, Muschamp probably would have liked to get more defensive backs, but No. 1-rated junior college cornerback JaMarcus King should play immediately, and Muschamp absolutely stocked up with seven defensive linemen. Keep an eye on ESPN 300 members Keir Thomas and Stephon Taylor, who could be a dynamic duo up front.

Alex Scarborough: I was surprised by how a few classes turned out, especially Auburn's success considering all the turmoil there last season, but the most undervalued class, to me, belongs to Arkansas. And it's not just this year, Bret Bielema has quietly built a very solid roster since coming to town late in 2012.

With this current class, though, the best thing I saw was how Bielema addressed a major need on the defensive line. I felt like there was too much benefit of the doubt given to the defensive line at this time last year, with Darius Philon and Trey Flowers moving on, and we saw how much the Razorbacks wound up struggling in their absence. But with two of their four highest-rated signees coming at the position, including No. 11 overall prospect McTelvin Agim, they are now in position to build for the future as well as the here and now.

Beyond that, I think Arkansas got a potential workhorse running back in Devwah Whaley, and I can see four-star T.J. Hammonds being a major weapon for offensive coordinator Dan Enos in the future, whether at receiver or out of the backfield.

But the most intriguing signee of all is quarterback Cole Kelley. First, you think about the depth Bielema already has in his quarterback room, including Austin Allen, Rafe Peavey, Ty Storey and Ricky Town. That's a heck of a group as it is. Now you throw in Kelley, who I believe has major upside despite already being considered the 16th-best pocket passer in his class. He's remarkably tall (6-foot-7), and if you watch his film, you see that he has a cannon for an arm. His footwork needs help, but his instincts are promising and could be developed further by Enos, who did masterful work with Brandon Allen, who was left for dead before emerging as one of the best quarterbacks in the conference as a senior last season.

Though I'm still somewhat concerned that Bielema hasn't signed a cornerback in his past two classes, the overall outlook appears strong. As long as Arkansas keeps assembling talent at key positions like defensive line and quarterback, it will be a team to reckon with in the West for years to come.