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The SEC lost a lot of talent to the 2016 NFL Draft, but plenty of star power remains.
That group includes this year’s potential Heisman-favorite Leonard Fournette, who leads a list of big names among the SEC’s active career leaders.
The rising LSU junior is the conference’s active leader for rushing yards and touchdowns. Fournette’s 32 career rushing scores are close to double that of Georgia’s Nick Chubb and Sony Michel (combined 34 touchdowns) — two players who are arguably next in line behind Fournette on the SEC’s running back hierarchy.
The Heisman hopeful enters his junior year with 2,987 career yards, precisely 800 more than the SEC’s next closet running back in Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd. It’s Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb, however, that edges Fournette when it comes to career carries, eclipsing Fournette with 489 touches to 487.
Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly needed just one year to become the conference’s active touchdown leader with 31 scoring strikes, but it’s Josh Dobbs of Tennessee, who tops out in just about every other category.
Texas A&M’s Josh Reynolds saw his touchdown totals slip from 13 in 2014 to 5 last season, but he still is the SEC’s active leader with 18 career scoring grabs.
Here’s a look at the SEC’s active statistical leaders entering the 2016 season.
OFFENSE
Passing attempts: Josh Dobbs, Tennessee, 642 attempts
Completions: Dobbs, 389 completions
Passing yards: Dobbs, 4,192 yards
Passing touchdowns: Chad Kelly, Ole Miss, 31 touchdowns
Interceptions: Trevor Knight, Texas A&M, 19 interceptions
Receptions: Fred Ross, Mississippi State, 127 receptions
Receiving yards: Josh Reynolds, Texas A&M, 1,749 yards
Receiving touchdowns: Reynolds, 18 touchdowns
Rushing attempts: Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt, 489 attempts
Rushing yards: Leonard Fournette, LSU, 2,987 yards
Rushing touchdowns: Fournette, 32
DEFENSE
Tackles: Skai Moore, South Carolina, 260.0 tackles
Tackles for loss: Myles Garrett, Texas A&M, 33.5 TFL
Sacks: Garrett, 24.0 sacks
Interceptions: Moore, 11 interceptions
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kick return touchdowns: Evan Berry, Tennessee, 3 touchdowns
Punt return touchdowns: Isaiah McKenzie, Georgia, 4 touchdowns
Field goal attempts: Elliott Fry, South Carolina, 71 attempts
Field goals made: Fry, 53 made
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
