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An Early Look at the SEC - Part 2

Brock Murphy |Mar 08,2008

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An Early Look at the SEC - Part 2

Florida: Last year’s team was remarkably young. In 2007, Florida’s seniors started fewer games than sophomores and true freshman accounted for 14% of the total number of starts. Not a single senior was to be found among the linebackers. Of course, last year’s youth is this year’s experience though the nation’s #3 signing class assures that at least a couple more true freshman could find themselves sprinkled into 2008’s starting lineups. On offense, the Gators’, Tim Tebow, won the Heisman last year as a sophomore. You might have heard of him. He’s pretty good so the quarterback position is clearly filled. Yet, there are offensive losses, including receiver Andre Caldwell and linemen Drew Miller (center) and Carlton Medder (tackle). Tebow was Florida’s leading rusher (and he set an SEC record for rushing touchdowns [23]). Percy Harvin and Kestahn Moore accounted for 1344 yards and 12 scores of their own but they may struggle to see the field as often this year since USC-transfer, Emmanuel Moody is now ready for takeoff. A key matter for the Gators to settle this offseason is determining what responsibility shall fall to which of the many newly-designated chiefs on the coaching staff. A recent “realignment” includes several “assistant head coaches” and “co-coordinators.” For example, former Iowa State head coach, Dan McCarney, is a defensive line specialist who joined the staff this winter and has already been “Assistant Head Coach Defense/Defensive Line,” which begs the question of how his duties fit with “Defensive Coordinator, Associate Head Coach/Linebackers,” Charlie Strong, and “Assistant Defensive Coordinator/Safeties,” Chuck Heater. One thing if for sure, the defensive staff will desperately try to improve the pass defense, which finished an abysmal 98^th, nationally, in 2007 (258 yards per game). Safety Tony Joiner and tackle Clint McMillan are the only seniors missing from last year’s model but the Gator’s top-two signees fit neatly into those fresh holes. Buford, Georgia’s Omar Hunter (#2 defensive tackle per Rivals.com) will be among the candidates to fill McMillan’s spot on the line while the nation’s top “athlete” in 2007, Will Hill (6-3, 203; 4.4-40), has the tools to make a very effective safety.

Kentucky: So much senior talent last year… Quarterback Andre Woodson, tailback Rafael Little, receivers Steve Johnson and Keenan Burton and tight-end Jacob Tamme made the 2007 offense tick (the latter-three accounted for 28 receiving scores and over 2400 receiving yards). They are all gone. Curtis Pulley (6-4, 200) and Mike Harltine (6-6, 201) are the most “experienced” of the candidates to take over Woodson’s spot under center – Pulley threw fourteen passes in 2006 while Hartline tossed six passes last season. Offensive coordinator Joker Phillips is an underrated rising star and is very aware that his unit’s strength next season will be its running game. Notwithstanding Little’s loss, the ground game is well-stocked. Derrick Locke and Tony Dixon combined for 932 yards and nine scores last season (including 109 yards and a score in Kentucky’s triple-overtime win over LSU). They are competent and experienced and will be supported by a very talented duo at fullback (John Conner and Maurice Grinter) who have already gotten the attention of pro scouts. Dicky Lyons Jr. is a very skillful receiver but it will be interesting to see if he can be productive without the presence of Burton and Johnson, who were definite distractions for defenses last year. Demario Ford caught seven passes last season, making him the second most experienced receiver behind Lyons. Kyrus Lanxter may emerge as another receiving threat but, frankly, the door is wide open for one of the several recently-signed recruits to find their way onto the field next year. Aaron Boyd was ranked the top player out of Kentucky by Rivals.com (#40 receiver) and will make a nice big target for whoever starts against Louisville on August 30^th. Linebacker Wesley Woodyard was a tackling machine and will be missed. However, the return of Micah Johnson and Braxton Kelly will help heal the wound while the return of linemen Corey Peters and Jeremy Jarmon will help the Wildcats control the line of scrimmage next season. Scouts are already high on cornerback Trevard Lindley.

LSU: One of the reasons the Tigers were so good last year was the sheer number of seniors in their starting lineup. Among the graduated seniors were: the nation’s top defensive-lineman, Glen Dorsey; three of their defensive backs (Chevis Jackson, Jonathan Zenon and Craig Steltz); linebackers Ali Highsmith and Luke Sanders; tailback Jacob Hester; quarterback Matt Flynn; tackle Carnell Stewart; and receiver Early Doucet. As with Kentucky, last year’s wisdom leads to this year’s inexperience. The quarterback situation should have been more stable but long-time back-up, Ryan Perrilloux, has been suspended indefinitely. Harvard-transfer Andrew Hatch, who has never taken a collegiate snap, could start the spring as the team’s starting signal-caller and he would likely be backed-up by redshirt-freshman, Jarrett Lee. Fortunately, for Tiger fans, the team’s incredible depth at tailback, combined with the loss of only one starting lineman, means that the stage is set for the running game to be productive which will buy time for the new quarterback to find his rhythm with veteran receivers like Brandon Lafell and Dominique Byrd as well as with newcomers like Deangelo Benton (Rivals.com’s #3-ranked receiver) and Chris Tolliver (Rivals.com’s 11-ranked receiver). Defensively, the line and backfield will not be dominant like in 2007 but LSU signed several highly-regarded defensive backs, including the nation’s top corner (according to Rivals.com), Patrick Johnson, so the material will be there to rebuild. Up front, Tyson Jackson and Marlon Favorite outstanding and will use their experience and leadership to motivate their linemates to attack 2008 with the shared intent of showing the nation that the line can dominate even without Dorsey. LSU opens the season with three straight home games against teams they are supposed to beat (including Troy and North Texas) but the nation will certainly tune into the opener to see if the Mountaineers of Appalachian State can upset LSU like they upset Michigan to start off the chaotic 2007 season. Following the opening three home games, LSU throws itself immediately into the fire with a road game at Auburn. Road games to Florida and then South Carolina are followed by a home-tilt against Georgia. Outstanding talent is peppered throughout the defending national-champ’s roster but, without the leadership they possessed in 2007, it seems unlikely that the Tigers can make it through next year’s schedule with enough wins to defend their title.

Ole Miss: Texas-transfer Jevan Sneed is finally eligible and, conveniently, quarterback is one of the few offensive holes for Ole Miss to fill heading into 2008. Rebel fans are hesitant to anoint Sneed their savior because the last player given such early praise, Brent Schaeffer, never delivered. Still, Sneed is a definite student of the game and his presence since Day One of new head coach Houston Nutt’s regime puts him in a very different position than Schaeffer, who popped onto campus days before fall camp began in his first season. New offensive coordinator, Kent Austin, just received the 2007 Canadian Football League’s Coach of the Year award for the work he put in while the head coach of last year’s Saskatchewan Roughriders’ squad. It will be interesting to watch him morph his scheme to accommodate a 100-yard field and collegiate players. The most glaring offensive loss for Austin to address was due to the graduation of tailback BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Cordera Eason (6-2, 235) and UCLA-transfer Jeremy McGee (5-10, 185) will try to create a “thunder and lightning” attack from the backfield in 2008 but they may end up taking a backseat come fall to the team’s super-signee Enrique Davis (5-11, 220). Tyrone Nix, a former Southern Miss player, left Steve Spurrier’s South Carolina bunch to take over the Rebel defense. He was less-than-impressed with his new players’ attitudes and work ethic upon his arrival but admits that the situation has improved. Nix will have to replace defensive line starters Brandon Jenkins (noseguard) and Viciente DeLoach (end) as well as right-cornerback Nate Bank. DeLoach’s hole may be plugged by JUCO-transfer Emmanuel Stephens but Stephens is undersized (225 pounds) which justifies questions as to whether he can make it through an entire SEC season. As for Banks, rising-junior Cassius Vaughn had three times as many tackles and brings outstanding size (6-2, 210) to the position.