The SEC lost a ton of talent to the NFL Draft, with ten players selected in the first round alone; and this will be the case next year as well. Though Cam Newton, A.J. Green, and Patrick Peterson are gone, you can expect to be hearing Mel Kiper and Todd McShay to rave about these guys around this time next year.
Backfield – South Carolina
With both Stephen Garcia and Marcus Lattimore returning, the Gamecocks have the most productive backfield in the SEC. With these two, Steve Spurrier’s squad brings back the SEC’s leading returning passer as well as its second-ranked rusher. Lattimore rushed for 1,164 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman in 2010, and bulked up to six feet, 230 pounds during the off-season. SEC defenders can only hope for a sophomore slump from this bruising back.
Receivers – Arkansas
Even after losing Ryan Mallett to the Patriots, the Hogs’ receiving corps is filled with veteran playmakers that will thrive in Bobby Petrino’s pass-happy system. Jarius Wright and Joe Adams combined for 190 yards and two touchdowns in their Sugar Bowl loss to Ohio State, a game they played without arguably their most talented threat, Greg Childs. This senior-laden group will make Tyler Wilson’s transition into the starting spot that much easier.
Tight ends – Georgia
The Bulldogs have always put quality tight ends in the NFL, Randy McMichael, Leonard Pope, and Ben Watson all played their college ball between the hedges. This year, Orson Charles, Aron White, and Arthur Lynch will carry the torch. White is a prototypical receiving tight end that will be a great option in the passing game for Aaron Murray, but Orson Charles may be the SEC’s best kept secret. Standing at 6’3 and 250 pounds, Charles is a hybrid-type tight end that will also see time at wide receiver this fall. Charles caught 27 passes for 504 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore.
Offensive line – Ole Miss
The Rebel Black Bears (still sounds weird reading that, huh?) might not have much to be excited about this season, but their offensive line should be serviceable. They return every starter on the offensive line, including the behemoth Bobby Massie, a 6’6 312 pound sophomore. This unit will hope to open some lanes for Enrique Davis, Brandon Bolden. Houston Nutt’s squad quietly rushed for the third-most yards in the SEC in 2010 and allowed the fewest sacks in the league despite being one of the youngest units in the league.
Defensive line – Georgia
Call me crazy, but I give the Dawgs the slight nod over Ronald Powell, Sharrif Floyd and the Florida Gators since they’re in their second year under Coach Todd Grantham. The defensive line has been coached by Rodney Garner since 1998, and this year, the unit may be the most stacked he’s had a chance to work with in a long time. Redshirt sophomore Kwame Geathers (6’5 350) drew rave reviews from coaches in the spring and impressed in the spring game. He’ll split time at nose tackle with junior college transfer Johnathan Jenkins (also 6’5 350), but Grantham hinted at the possibility of putting both nose tackles on the line at the same time in short-yardage or goal line situations. In addition to those beasts in the middle, DeAngelo Tyson and Abry Jones are all-SEC candidates at defensive ends. Tyson played out of position at nose last season; with the transfer of Jenkins and the improvement of Geathers, 2011 sets up for a breakout season from the Statesboro, GA native.
Linebackers – Alabama
To run the 3-4, Nick Saban needs a linebacking corps full of talent. This year is no different: Dont’a Hightower, Nico Johnson and Courtney Upshaw will make plays all season. Hightower was second on the team in tackles last year, with 69, including 3.5 for loss. As a sophomore, Johnson racked up 33 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and two passes defended. Upshaw landed a whopping 14.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and four forced fumbles last year.
Secondary – Alabama
Aside from a powerful front seven, the calling card of a Nick Saban defense is a playmaking secondary, and this year’s squad is full of ballhawks. Robert Lester, Demarcus Milliner, and Dre Kirkpatrick combined for 30 passes defended last year, so don’t expect many teams to have success throwing against the Crimson Tide. With the addition of quality depth like Dequan Menzie and John Fulton, the secondary looks to be an area of strength for ‘Bama for years to come. Considering the talent across the board in Tuscaloosa, don’t expect many teams to have success against Saban and the Tide, period.
Special teams – Georgia
The Bulldogs have the most talented special teams unit in the country, and that’s no stretch of the imagination. Aside from returning Lou Groza Award semifinalist Blair Walsh, who accounted for 106 points last season and holds a career long mark of 56 yards, the Dawgs’ unit is home to the 2009 Ray Guy Award winner and 2010 All-American punter Drew Butler, who holds a career average of about 49 yards per punt. This personnel group sounds deadly enough, but when you add UGA’s all-time return record holder Brandon Boykin, it gets downright scary. This unit will be the X-factor in an extremely important season for Mark Richt and the Bulldogs.
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