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A new season means fresh faces in the SEC. Freshman faces, to be exact. Each year a new crop of freshmen — be them of the true or redshirted variety — rise to prominence in the conference.
Here’s a look at several freshmen that could be household names in the SEC by the conclusion of the 2016 campaign.
ILB LEO LEWIS, MISSISSIPPI STATE
Leo Lewis never lacked a physical nature to his game, dating back to the first time he ever strapped on a helmet as an 11-year-old. However, Lewis decided he needed a redshirt year in Starkville to acclimate to the speed of the collegiate level. A deep Mississippi State linebacker corps also helped spur that decision.
That’s bad news for opposing offensive lines who must contend with the 6-foot-2, 240-pound four-star talent who was the No. 1 overall inside linebacker in the 2015 recruiting class. With the early departure of Beniquez Brown to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, the Bulldogs have an opening alongside Richie Brown on the inside that’s asking for the powerful Lewis to step right into. He teammate Brown seems to concur.
“He’s very physical. That’s probably his biggest thing,” Brown said via the Clarion Ledger. “He’s really good with his hands. He’s good at stuff from the run. He’s not afraid of contact.”
LB RICHARD MCBRYDE, AUBURN
The new era of linebackers is about to begin at Auburn. Graduating out are Kris Frost, Justin Garrett and Cassanova McKinzy — along with their combined 595 career tackles — leaving a vacancy for redshirt freshman Richard McBryde to see the field often. The four-star redshirt freshman sat out last year due mostly to the Tigers’ depth at the position. McBryde is versatile, smart and can fit into the secondary as well. Gus Malzahn and new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele utilized the 6-foot-1, 227-pound Troy, Ala., native at both the WILL and MIKE positions this spring. The starting jobs likely belong to junior Tré Williams and Illinois transfer T.J. Neal, but McBryde should earn a shot to spell either with a strong showing this summer.
CB KENDALL SHEFFIELD, ALABAMA
Nick Saban is renowned for quickly reloading his Alabama roster, especially after a mass exodus of talent from Tuscaloosa, which is where we find the Crimson Tide entering the summer. Despite the high turnover, Alabama’s secondary retains most of its key components with the likes of Marlon Humphrey and Minkah Fitzpatrick returning in 2016 to man the cornerback positions. However, Kendall Sheffield has the potential to help the Tide immediately by spelling either Fitzpatrick or Humphrey. A five-star prospect, Sheffield was regarded as the No. 20 overall player in the Class of 2015 and the third-best player to come out of the state of Texas that year. The redshirt freshman adds blistering speed to the secondary and athleticism that comes from being a two-time, 110-meter hurdle champ at Fort Bend Marshall (Texas) High School.
“He’s going to be a lockdown corner when it’s all said and done,” former Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland said of Sheffield via AL.com.
DE MCTELVIN “SOSA” AGIM/DE JAMARIO BELL, ARKANSAS
Arkansas figures to be stacked along its defensive front with Tevin Beanum, Deatrich Wise Jr. and JaMichael Winston bringing pressure from the end slots. However, backing them up are two freshmen that could very well make an impact on the Hogs defense before the season is through. Five-star true freshman McTelvin “Sosa” Agim arrives in Fayetteville as the Razorbacks’ biggest recruit in recent memory, certainly in the Bret Bielema era. Agim enrolled early for pre-bowl workouts and turned heads almost immediately.
Jamario Bell also figures to get his share of opportunities to terrorize a ball-carrier or two. That is, if he stays on defense. Bell was a four-star recruit and regarded as the No. 4 overall player hailing from the state of Arkansas (No. 13 strongside defensive end nationally) in 2015. After redshirting last season, Bell brings his 6-foot-5, 261-pound frame to a dual role, also seeing action at tight end this spring. In fact, it was Bell hauling in a 28-yard touchdown from Ricky Town on the final drive of the annual Red and White scrimmage.
DT DERRICK BROWN/DE MARLON DAVIDSON, AUBURN
Auburn could boast a pair of 2016’s most impactful true freshmen in defensive tackle Derrick Brown and strongside defensive end Marlon Davidson.
Brown was the No. 9 overall recruit in the nation, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and the fourth-best defensive tackle. The five-star talent from Buford, Ga., and No. 1 player in the state chose the Tigers over the hometown Bulldogs and could make an immediate contribution at a stocky 6-foot-4, 317 pounds.
However, it was Davidson who made a strong case to see the field as a true freshman despite Byron Cowart, the nation’s No. 3 overall recruit in 2015, already at the SDE position.
With Gus Malzahn inking a contract extension that will keep him in Auburn through the 2020 season, the Tigers head coach could be looking at a solid defensive front for the next four years.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
