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Recently, I asked you guys to stop obsessing about your team’s quarterback situation for just long enough to take a look at the non-QB position group that was most critical to each team’s success in 2015.
If you don’t mind humoring me again, let’s set the quarterbacks aside one more time.
This time, let’s take a look at each team’s non-QB player that is most critical to the success of each team.
Remember, this doesn’t necessarily mean the player chosen is the BEST non-QB player, it just means he play a position or role that will be very important to his team this fall. For some teams, that might mean a guy filling an area of potential weakness, while on others it may be a guy that is most important to keeping a positional strength.
Alabama: Cyrus Jones, DB
Most any team in the country would take the output of Alabama’s 2014 defense. But since we hold the Crimson Tide to a different standard than most, it is fair to criticize a defensive backfield that finished 11th in the league against the pass (226 yards per game). Jones was a bright-spot, successfully making the transition from wide receiver into a solid cornerback. Continued development from Jones this season could go a long way in bringing the Alabama secondary back among the league’s elite performers.
Arkansas: Brooks Ellis, LB
The Razorbacks became one of the nation’s top defenses under first-year coordinator Robb Smith in 2014. The most notable performance out of that group was from LB Martrell Spaight, who logged a league-best 128 tackles from the weak side. Smith has decided to move Ellis (72 tackles as a sophomore) to the weak-side spot from middle linebacker in hopes of replacing Spaight. The success of that move may go a long way in determining the Razorbacks’ ability to maintain their defensive effectiveness.
Auburn: Jovon Robinson, RB
The SEC’s leading rusher has come from the Gus Malzahn offensive scheme in each of the last two seasons (Tre Mason in 2013 and Cameron Artis-Payne in 2014). If the Tigers are planning on making it three in a row, they will likely need a strong season from Robinson, who is a former Auburn commitment out of high school that has returned after a stop at Georgia Military College. His combination of size and speed have folks on The Plains confident that there will not be a drop off in the running game.
Florida: Kelvin Taylor, RB
The Gators need plenty of help on the offensive line, so much so that it was impossible to ask one player to shoulder the burden for this piece. Instead, we’ll look to the guy who may do a good bit of running behind that line. After a couple of hot-and-cold seasons under Will Muschamp, it is time for Fred’s son to take it up a notch if the Florida offense is going to make significant strides early in the Jim McElwain era.
Georgia: Malcolm Mitchell, WR
Malcolm Mitchell’s decision to return for a final college season after injuries derailed the previous two was big news for the Bulldogs. He will serve as a leader at a position that is breaking in new players, and should be a go-to target for whoever wins the Georgia quarterback competition. If you expected to see Nick Chubb’s name here, consider the strong alternatives that Georgia has at running back to supplant him if he happens to fall off track this season.
Kentucky: Jason Hatcher, LB
Replacing a first-round draft pick at a program like Kentucky is not an easy task, but it is Jason Hatcher’s job this year. Hatcher will step into the hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end role vacated by Bud Dupree. A seamless transition at this spot is important for a Kentucky defense that is looking to improve upon a 2014 performance that ranked 13th in the league in points allowed (31.3) and 11th in yardage allowed (406.9).
LSU: Leonard Fournette, RB
Fournette has the ability to be a true difference-maker for an all-around talented LSU squad. But if opposing defenses are able to stack the box to defend the run because of another year of inefficiency in the LSU passing attack, it could prove to be a challenging season for Fournette. His ability to adapt to that potential situation and produce in spite of it could be the difference in a pretty good season and a very special season for the Tigers.
Mississippi State: De’Runnya Wilson, WR
If QB Dak Prescott is going to have the Heisman caliber season necessary to push the Bulldogs toward another run at an SEC West title, he’s going to need a right-hand man. Wilson (680 receiving yards, nine touchdowns in 2014) showed he had the ability to be Prescott’s go-to receiver last season. The Bulldogs are counting on him to put some off-the-field distractions from the off-season behind him and develop into an elite No. 1 option this season.
Missouri: Evan Boehm, OL
The two-time defending SEC East champions return their starting quarterback (Maty Mauk), a 1,000-yard rusher (Russell Hansbrough) and a fairly seasoned defense from a year ago. Though the unit struggle a bit early in 2014, one of the unsung heroes of the Tigers’ success has been the offensive line. Senior center Evan Boehm is the heart and soul of the experienced unit, making 40 consecutive starts over the last three years.
Ole Miss: Laremy Tunsil, OL
Injuries an ineffectiveness plagued the Ole Miss offensive line in 2014. But the one thing the Rebels could count on was the productivity of LT Laremy Tunsil. Now in his junior (and likely final) season at Ole Miss, he will be counted on to be the glue of an offensive line that should prominently feature four seniors with starting experience. If Tunsil’s group is able to provide consistent protection for a new signal caller, the Rebels could be in for a very promising season.
South Carolina: Pharoh Cooper, WR
The weight of the Gamecocks offense is on Pharoh Cooper’s shoulders this season. The SEC’s leading returning receiver (1,136 yards in 2014) will have a new quarterback and very little in the way of help on the receiver corp. Only one other Gamecocks receiver (Shamier Jeffery) has caught a pass for South Carolina. Cooper may be the most critical non-QB to one team’s offensive production in the entire conference.
Tennessee: Jashon Robertson, OL
People want to talk about all the playmakers that Tennessee has on offense, but the success of the Vols in 2015 likely will depend on improvement from the guys up front. The offensive line allowed a SEC-worst 43 sacks last season. But in a year full of struggles on the line, the Vols did find a bright spot in the freshman All-SEC performance of RG Jashon Robertson. A solid sophomore campaign on the interior playing with seniors C Mack Crowder and LG Marcus Jackson could push the Vols to the next level offensively.
Texas A&M: Myles Garrett, DL
Garrett set a SEC freshman record with 11.5 sacks last season. It was one of the few highlights for an Aggies defense that ranked last in the league with 450.8 yards allowed per game. Texas A&M is hopeful that things are on their way to getting better under new defensive coordinator John Chavis. But Chavis or not, the Aggies defense needed a star and focal point to build around. Garrett fulfills those needs and then some.
Vanderbilt: C.J. Duncan, WR
The Commodores were starved for playmakers on the outside in their first season without SEC record-setting WR Jordan Matthews. C.J. Duncan was the closest thing Vanderbilt had to a big-play threat in 2014, though most of his damage was done against out-of-conference opponents that didn’t quite size up to a typical SEC defense. New offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig has explored using Duncan at running back in addition to his role on the outside to try to get the ball in his hands more often.
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
