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There are some notable dynamic duos in life. Peanut butter and jelly, wine and cheese and chicken and waffles are some culinary combinations that come to mind.
Some combos even come close to matching Batman and Robin. When it comes to college football, the SEC has its own prolific pairs.
Let’s take a look at 10 of the conference’s best dynamic duos for the upcoming season.
10. Auburn’s kicking-punting duo: Daniel Carlson and Kevin Phillips
Carlson is the best kicker in the SEC. Last season, he missed only four of his 27 field goal attempts, connected on a 56-yarder and 49 of his 69 kickoffs were touchbacks.
Only seven of Phillips’ 55 punts were returned last year. He’s also a valuable weapon in Gus Malzahn’s trick-play arsenal. Phillips ran and threw for first downs on fake punts in 2015.
South Carolina kicker Elliott Fry and punter Sean Kelly also warrant consideration in this category.
9. Tennessee’s return duo: Evan Berry and Cam Sutton
The Volunteers’ special teams stars are not only the best in the SEC – they’re the best in the country. Berry averaged an FBS-best 38.3 yards on 21 kick returns and tied for second in the nation with 3 TDs.
Berry’s average was nearly five full yards better than that of second-place finisher Rashaad Penny of San Diego State. Sutton led the FBS by averaging 18.7 yards on his 25 punt returns and finished tied for second nationally with two scores.
8. Texas AM’s tackling duo: DB Armani Watts and LB Shaan Washington
Watts (126 tackles) and Washington (81) combined to make 207 stops last year. However, with Washington behind Otaro Alaka on the depth chart, it remains to be seen if he can top that total this season.
Keep an eye on Arkansas’ Brooks Ellis and Dre Greenlaw in 2016. The returning linebackers combined to make 197 tackles a year ago.
7. LSU’s linebacking duo: Kendell Beckwith and Arden Key
The Tigers are happy Beckwith decided to stick around for his senior season. He has made 161 tackles over the last two years, including 17.5 for a loss.
As a true freshman last year, Key had 5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and 9 QB hurries. It will be interesting to see how Key performs in new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s defense.
Alabama’s Reuben Foster and Tim Williams come in a close second in this category.
6. Texas A&M’s defensive end duo: Myles Garrett and Daeshon Hall
The Aggies’ tandem of Garrett (SEC-leading 12.5 sacks last season) and Daeshon Hall (7) make up the top pair of bookends in the SEC. Coordinator John Chavis will be counting on the pair to make A&M’s defense even better than it was in 2015.
5. Florida’s cornerback-safety duo: Jalen Tabor and Marcus Maye
Tabor, who is entering his junior season, has totaled 5 interceptions and 22 pass breakups over his first two years with the Gators. Playing alongside eventual NFL first-round pick Vernon Hargreaves in 2015, Tabor might’ve been Florida’s best cornerback last season.
Maye, a fifth-year senior, had 82 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups last season. He also forced 5 fumbles, tied for the most in the SEC with Texas A&M’s Garrett.
Because this category is really competitive, a couple of other SEC pairs deserve honorable mention. Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick and Eddie Jackson represent one of them, and LSU’s Tre’Davious White and Jamal Adams make up the other.
4. Ole Miss’ QB-wide receiver duo: Chad Kelly and Quincy Adeboyejo
Kelly, the Rebels’ senior QB, will be trying to become the first SEC signal-caller to pass for 4,000 yards in two seasons. He’ll have plenty of options this year, but Adeboyejo is the most proven one.
Alabama’s Calvin Ridley is arguably the SEC’s top returning receiver. All he needs now is a starting quarterback.
3. Texas A&M’s wide receiver duo: Christian Kirk and Josh Reynolds
No doubt these two guys are a major reason why Trevor Knight decided to transfer from Oklahoma. Kirk was A&M’s most productive wideout as a freshman last year, making 80 catches for 1,009 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Reynolds had 5 TDs, but he also finished with 51 catches for 907 yards in 2015. He was fourth in the SEC with an average of 17.8 yards per catch.
2. Georgia’s running back duo: Nick Chubb and Sony Michel
If both players are healthy – and that’s still a big if – the Bulldogs’ backfield duo will be among the best in the FBS. Before suffering a season-ending knee injury, Chubb rushed for 747 yards and 7 touchdowns.
When Michel took over, Georgia’s running game didn’t suffer as he ran for 1,161 yards and 8 TDs. The Bulldogs are hoping that Michel can recover well enough to build on his four 100-yard rushing games from a year ago.
1. Alabama’s coaching duo: Lane Kiffin and Nick Saban
What can you say about the Crimson Tide’s popular but polarizing pair? Two straight years, Bama has gone into the season without a clear-cut starter at quarterback and still managed to reach the College Football Playoff both times, capping 2015 by beating Clemson for the national championship.
Alabama finds itself in a similar situation regarding its first-string QB entering its season opener against USC. But you get the sense that Kiffin and Saban will once again make the right decision this year.
Stan Chrapowicki is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, Alabama and Auburn.
