Ad Disclosure
We know all the names when a team makes a playoff run or has a big season. We see the quarterback and wide receivers make the highlight reels, or see running backs fight it out for a Heisman Trophy.
But SEC football is so much more than that.
It happens far too often in football, especially in the SEC, where great performers can often get overlooked. Here are a few who flew under the radar in 2015:
Fahn Cooper, Ole Miss OT
When Laremy Tunsil’s NCAA suspension could have have derailed Ole Miss’ season, it was Fahn Cooper who came to the rescue. Cooper slid over to left tackle with Tunsil out and when he returned, Cooper switched back over to right tackle and played great all year at both positions.
He was especially good at left tackle when the Rebels hung 43 points on that great Alabama defense back in September, the biggest upset of the SEC season. He also earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors a few weeks later. He was a cornerstone in helping Ole Miss be the No. 1 offense in the SEC. He’s been impressing NFL scout this week as well, having a good week of practice at the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Cooper has started every game for the past two years for Ole Miss, 17 at right tackle, and nine at left tackle. His versatility is going to be missed. “We had Fahn at left tackle and three redshirt freshmen starting in the offensive line when we beat Alabama,” Ole Miss line coach Matt Luke said. “That says something about Fahn right there.”
Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt
Because it was Vanderbilt and its 4-8 season didn’t merit much national attention, Ralph Webb flew under the radar outside of Nashville all season, and that’s too bad. His teammates loved him – Vandy senior offensive lineman Jake Bernstein said he’d rather have Webb than Nick Chubb in the set-up for the Vandy/Georgia game – and Webb didn’t disappoint.
He finished the season with 1,152 yards rushing on 277 carries, a big workload. He only had four games over 100 yards, but he had two others at 99 and a third at 90. His biggest game was his last, a 149-yard effort against Tennessee. He had 155 earlier in a nonconference game against Middle Tennessee.
Big things are expected in 2016 of the 5-foot-10 junior-to-be from Gainesville, Fla. With freshman QB Kyle Shurmer getting a bit of experience this year, there’s hope that the Vandy offense can be more than just Webb going forward.
Jalen Tabor, Florida
All everyone wanted to take about when it came to the Florida defense was do-everything cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III. But as teams avoided attacking Hargreaves all season, it was Tabor who stepped up and turned into a star.
Tabor had four interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, 14 passes broken up and 40 total tackles in 2015, turning into a lock-down corner in his own right. He should have a monster year in 2016. Tabor is confident bordering on cocky, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing with a cover corner.
“If I do my assignment at a high level and the ball comes my way, I like me over anybody in the country,” Tabor said earlier this year. “I feel like I’m the best, and I’ll be fine.” Tabor put his foot in his mouth this week with his “slavery” comments, but quickly apologized. No slave ever had his training table or free education or freedom of speech.
Kentrell Brothers, Missouri
There were a lot of storylines coming out of Mizzou this season. The sudden fall from back-to-back SEC East titles to winning only one SEC game; the near-boycott by the players over racial issues campus; coach Gary Pinkel’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent retirement.
But what got lost in the shuffle was the tremendous season by linebacker Kentrell Brothers. He led major college football with 152 tackles and hardly anyone outside of Columbia even saw much of it in their disappointing 5-7 season.
His year has him racing of the NFL draft boards. He’s gone from being considered undraftable – many question his speed, which has been timed in the 4.8 range – but he has a nose for the football and he’s proven he’s a football player on film. He’ll be interesting to watch during the draft process.
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist and author who is covering SEC football for Saturday Down South.
