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College Football

Ranking the Top 10 players in the SEC entering Week 4

Neil Blackmon

By Neil Blackmon

Published:

“There will be days when it doesn’t feel like God is on your side,” growled Bear Bryant to his Alabama team at a fall camp in the 1960s. “On those days, we grind because the work we’ve done here teaches us how to grind.”

Last week was a grind-it-out Saturday in the SEC.

Georgia and Kentucky played a rock fight for the ages in Lexington. That wasn’t a poorly played football game. It was a battle of teams that executed at a high level defensively. In the end, Georgia made a handful more plays and Kentucky’s head coach made one mind-boggling decision.

LSU grinded out a win in Columbia. Did they get a little help from their friends in the stripes? Anyone not wearing purple and gold will readily admit they did, but you take advantage of the luck you are given, and the Tigers did. A 17-point rally in that environment, against that good a defensive line? That’s the type of win that supercharges winning streaks. We’ll see if Brian Kelly’s program is finally ready for that.

Another program on the rise is Missouri. The Tigers grinded too, rallying from an 11-point deficit against a salty Boston College squad to improve to 3-0. Brady Cook playing like the quarterback Eli Drinkwitz needs him to be was the biggest story, but it was nice to see Luther Burden III play like an All-American for the first time this season, too.

To grind, you better have ball players.

Missouri’s offensive line is the best in the SEC, at least if you subscribe to the PFF rating system. They have looked effective running the ball of late, buoyed by transfer Nate Noel, who had 121 yards as an unsung hero in Saturday’s win over No. 24 Boston College.

We all know Georgia has ball players, but it’s time to start asking whether this defense is 2021 good. That was a generational group, or so we thought. But through 12 quarters, Georgia has not allowed a touchdown, and safety Malaki Starks and edge Jalon Walker look like 2 of the top defenders in America.

Starks and Walker make their way onto “The List” this week, which sees plenty of turnover after a Week 3 that saw Vanderbilt lose at Georgia State, Georgia struggle offensively at Kroger Field, and Ole Miss and Tennessee continue to look like 2 of the nation’s best teams.

And yes, there’s a new number one– already the third change at the top spot this season.

Remember, if your favorite player didn’t make “The List” this week, it is because I hate your team, as many Ole Miss fans suggested last week.

Last week’s list is here. As always, we go honorable mentions first, with the 2 per school limit.

Alabama: Jalen Milroe, QB; LB Deontae Lawson. Arkansas: Taylen Green, QB; Josh Braun, OL. Auburn: Jarquez Hunter, RB; Jalen McLeod, LB. Florida: Jake Slaughter, C. Georgia: Carson Beck, QB; Raylen Wilson, LB. Kentucky: DT, Deone Walker; D’Eryk Jackson, LB. LSU: Bradyn Swinson, DE; Kyren Lacy, WR. Mississippi State: Isaac Smith, S. Missouri: Chuck Hicks, LB; Luther Burden III, WR. Oklahoma: Gracen Halton, DL ; R Mason Thomas, DL. Ole Miss: Princely Umanmielen, Edge; Jared Ivey, DE. South Carolina: Dylan Stewart, Edge; Raheim Sanders, RB. Tennessee: Andrej Karic, OL; Cooper Mays, OL. Texas: Quinn Ewers, QB; Andrew Mukuba, DB. Texas A&M: Trey Zuhn III, OT; Shemar Stewart, DL. Vanderbilt: Diego Pavia, QB; Steve Hubbard, G.

10. Malaki Starks, S (Georgia)

Starks led Georgia’s defense with 8 tackles in their 13-12 win at Kentucky. Starks has allowed just 4 receptions in 1-on-1 targets through 3 games, allowing just 39 yards passing against in coverage situations. He also has an interception while serving as the captain on the field for a defense that ranks 8th nationally in total defense, 5th in SP+ defensive efficiency and 4th nationally in scoring defense.

9. Tre Harris, WR (Ole Miss)

A frequent visitor to these rankings over the past 2 seasons, Harris returns after catching 10 passes on 12 targets for 94 yards in the Rebels 40-6 win over Wake Forest. On the season, Ole Miss has outscored opponents 168-9 and Harris has 27 catches for 403 yards. He leads the SEC in both categories and his reception total is more than double the total of any other Ole Miss pass catcher. Wake Forest was the first opponent Ole Miss has played with a pulse, but there’s no question this is a special player in a special offense.

8. Keon Sabb, DB (Alabama)

Sabb was brilliant in Alabama’s 42-10 rout of Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. The Michigan transfer made 6 tackles, including 1 for loss, providing outstanding run support as the Crimson Tide limited Wisconsin’s power run game to just 3.5 yards per attempt. Sabb also added 2 pass breakups in coverage, where he has allowed just 8 yards per target on the season with 3 pass breakups and 2 interceptions. Sabb anchors a Crimson Tide pass defense that ranks 9th nationally in yards allowed and 7th in success rate.

7. Nick Emmanwori, S (South Carolina)

Emmanwori’s star turn continued Saturday despite a 36-33 loss to LSU. The junior safety collected a team-high 9 tackles and made his 2nd interception of the season. While a phantom penalty negated another interception, which Emmanwori returned 100 yards for a touchdown, the junior still grades out as the SEC’s best safety through 3 games, per PFF. He’s the undisputed leader of the SEC’s most improved defense and his 21 tackles rank 5th in the SEC.

6. Ja’Quinden Jackson, RB (Arkansas)

Jackson averaged nearly 10 yards a carry (15 rushes, 147 yards) in Arkansas’ 10-point win over UAB. He added a touchdown and this dazzling run, which added to his SEC high 10 missed tackles forced on the young campaign.

For the season, Jackson leads the SEC with 397 yards rushing and ranks 2nd with 6 touchdowns.

5. Jaxson Dart, QB (Ole Miss)

Dart has eviscerated overmatched foes through the first 3 weeks, averaging a staggering 13.3 yards per attempt with 8 touchdowns. Dart has only thrown 15 — yes, 15 — incompletions, leading the nation with a 84% completion percentage. While he did throw an interception against the Demon Deacons, he leads an offense that ranks No. 1 in SP+ efficiency and success rate and No. 2 nationally in scoring offense. The competition will get tougher, of course, but Dart’s start warrants the Heisman buzz he’s getting in Oxford.

4. Ryan Williams, WR (Alabama)

The freshman sensation just keeps making big plays.

At Wisconsin, his perfect double move route put the Crimson Tide up for good in the first quarter, setting the tone for a blowout victory.

https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1834997928915530215

Williams has 4 touchdowns through 3 games and his 28.5 yards per reception easily leads the SEC among players averaging 2 or more receptions per game.

3. Jalon Walker, Edge (Georgia)

The Dawgs have paraded out elite defender after elite defender in the Kirby Smart era, from Roquan Smith to 2021 “List” champion Nakobe Dean to Jordan Davis to Christopher Smith, among others. Walker’s early-season production would make any of those players proud. Asked to hold the edge more than rush the passer against Kentucky, Walker did his job well, helping the Dawgs limit Kentucky’s power run game to just 3.8 yards per attempt. When he did rush the passer, Walker was a menace. He racked up 8 pressures on 18 pass-rushes. That is a nearly 50% return — Will Anderson-like — and it included 3 quarterback hits, and he also notched a pair of tackles resulting in a defensive stop. This is the best player on a magnificent defense.

2. Connor Tollison, C (Missouri)

Tollison grades out as the nation’s best center, per PFF, and posted an outstanding grade of 91 in Missouri’s 27-21 win over ranked Boston College. With Tollison under center, the Tigers continue to show marvelous balance, posting a success rate over 50% on both runs and passes in the win over BC. On the season, Missouri ranks 18th in total offense and 10th in SP+ offensive efficiency and their offensive line grades out as the best in the SEC.

1. Dylan Sampson, RB (Tennessee)

Sampson becomes the second Volunteer to top The List (Hendon Hooker) after terrorizing Kent State for 4 touchdowns on just 13 carries in Tennessee’s 71-0 victory. Despite playing just one half twice this season, Sampson ranks No. 2 in the SEC in rushing yards (357) and leads the SEC in touchdowns (9) through the season’s first 3 weeks.

But it’s the ways he’s becoming a better pass blocker (Tennessee’s best back in this area, per PFF) and made Tennessee’s offense more multiple that have him at the top of this list. Always a talented runner, Sampson is now a blocker and a threat as a pass catcher. He has become a complete football player — and he might just be the best running back in the country.

Neil Blackmon

Neil Blackmon covers Florida football and the SEC for SaturdayDownSouth.com. An attorney, he is also a member of the Football and Basketball Writers Associations of America. He also coaches basketball.

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