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Each SEC team’s best defensive lineman in 2016

Glenn Sattell

By Glenn Sattell

Published:

Defense still wins championships in the SEC and defensive linemen are a must-have in putting together the best defense.

With that in mind, we look at one player from each program that might be the difference-maker:

Alabama: Jonathan Allen – Overshadowed by A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed last season, Allen will have the spotlight all to himself in 2016. Second in the SEC with 12 sacks last year, Allen could have opted for the NFL draft but decided to return for his senior season. He’ll be the leader in another talented group.

Arkansas: Deatrich Wise, Jr. – The team leader in sacks (8.0) and tackles for loss (10.5), Wise once again returns to lead the Razorbacks’ defensive front. Solid fundamentally, long and rangy the 6-5, 272-pound Wise is quick off the edge and will play a key role in improving the Razorbacks’ defense from a year ago.

Auburn: Carl Lawson – Returning to Auburn for his senior season, Lawson looks to regain the form that earned All-SEC honors as a freshman. After missing the entire 2014 season with a knee injury, Lawson was sidelined for five games last season with a hip injury. A healthy Lawson could help Auburn return to its former status all well, as SEC title contenders.

Florida: Bryan Cox, Jr. – A vital member of one of the SEC’s top defenses, Cox was overshadowed by Jonathan Bullard and Alex McCalister last season. But with those two gone, Cox steps into a leadership role. Fourth on the team in tackles (45) among returning players, the 6-3, 268-pounder should find himself at the forefront of another solid defense at Florida.

Georgia: Trent Thompson – The Bulldogs lost a lot along the line from a defense that ranked third in the SEC a year ago. But one rising star remains. Thompson enjoyed an outstanding freshman season in 2015. His 25 tackles, over 12 games, are the most among Georgia’s returning defensive linemen. A former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2015 class as ranked by 247sports.com, Thompson will use his 6-4, 307-pound frame to plug up the interior under new head coach Kirby Smart.

Kentucky: Denzil Ware – As a redshirt freshman in 2015, Ware began to change the perception of Wildcats defense. Not known for an ability to get to the passer, the Wildcats were in desperate need for a standout on the edge. Kentucky was last in the SEC in sacks last season with 17.0. Ware, a hybrid linebacker/edge rusher showed signs of an ability to provide some help in that department, collecting 5.5 tackles for loss including one sack.

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With a total of 39 tackles, Ware began to assert himself as a force and looks to play an even more prominent role this season.

LSU: Lewis Neal – Because of his agility and quickness of the edge, Neal is the choice here for the Tigers. It could very well have been freshman sensation Arden Key, also an excellent pass rusher, or Davon Godchaux, whose ability to plug the middle allows for the likes of Neal and Key to rush from the edge.

But Neal leads LSU’s returning defensive lineman in tackles (48) and tackles for loss (9.5). He led the Tigers last season in sacks (8.0) and was a key reason they ranked among the best against the run.

Mississippi State: A.J. Jefferson – The team leader in tackles for loss (13.5), Jefferson was second on the Bulldogs in sacks (5.0) a year ago and is ready to have a breakout season in 2016. Big and physical (6-3, 277 pounds) Jefferson is deceptively quick off the edge. He’ll be a leader among some veteran but relatively unproven linemen in the Bulldogs’ 3-4 scheme under new DC Peter Sirmon.

Ole Miss: Marquis Haynes – Robert Nkemdiche garnered the most attention last season. That won’t be the case in 2016. Hayes will be the guy for Ole Miss on the defensive line. As a sophomore last season, Haynes led the Rebels and was fourth in the SEC in tackles for loss (16.5).

At 6-3 and 220 pounds he is still undersized but that hasn’t kept him out of opposing backfields.

Missouri: Charles Harris – He didn’t have the name recognition as teammate Kentrell Brothers, but in his sophomore season Harris was second in the SEC with 18.5 tackles for loss. Only Texas A&M sensation Myles Garrett (19.5) had more. Harris also tied for the team lead with 7.0 sacks, equaling the number posted by freshman lineman Walter Brady. This is the year Harris steps to the forefront to lead the Tigers’ defensive line.

South Carolina: Marquavius Lewis – The junior college transfer is the Gamecocks’ only returning player who started every game in 2015. His numbers weren’t off the chart (45 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks) but Lewis is expected to make a splash in his final season. At 6-3, 264 pounds, he possesses the physical tools to be the big-time pass rusher the Gamecocks need.

Tennessee: Derek Barnett – Among the elite pash rushers in the SEC, Barnett led the Vols and tied for fourth place in the conference with 10 sacks as a sophomore last season. It was his second consecutive year with 10 sacks.

He recorded 69 tackles total in 2015, slightly down from the 72 he had as a freshman. He will team up with Kahlil McKenzie to be among the driving forces along the defensive line in the SEC.

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Texas A&M: Myles Garrett – What more needs to be said. The name alone conjures up images of flattened quarterbacks and nervous offensive linemen. He’s a stud.

The SEC leader in tackles for loss (19.5) and sacks (12.5) as a sophomore, Garrett also tied for the conference lead with five forced fumbles. And as scary as it sounds for opposing linemen, he sounds more motivated than ever to learn from defensive guru John Chavis.

Vanderbilt: Adam Butler – The veteran of the Commodores’ defensive line, Butler has played in 12 games for three consecutive seasons. Butler has made a successful transition from high school as an offensive line. At 6-5, 300 pounds he is an imposing figure and a key to their run defense.

He has accumulated 78 tackles, including 20.5 for loss and 5.5 sacks in three seasons.

Glenn Sattell

Glenn Sattell is an award-winning freelance writer for Saturday Down South.

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