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Sack attack: A prediction and a long shot for each SEC East team’s leader in 2016
By Joe Cox
Published:
In the annual battles for SEC supremacy, the difference between winning and losing often comes down to a couple crucial passing plays. Accordingly, on defense, much depends on getting heat on the opposing quarterback, by forcing quick throws, poor decisions, or sacking the passer. Here’s each SEC East team’s most likely candidate to lead the team in sacks in 2016 — and a surprise pick as well.
Florida
Jim McElwain’s Gators totaled 40 sacks in 2015, which was second in the conference to Alabama, and was the most by a Gators team since 1999. Sack leaders Jonathan Bullard and Alex McCalister are gone, but the cupboard is hardly bare. Four Gators return with 3.5 sacks each, but perhaps the most likely sack leader for 2016 is sophomore defensive end Cece Jefferson.
At 6-1, 275 pounds, Jefferson is a load to handle, but had enough speak to be named to the All-SEC freshman team. If it’s not Jefferson, All-America candidate linebacker Jarrad Davis could be the leader in bringing heat on opposing QBs for Florida. A surprise would be senior defensive end Bryan Cox Jr., who will benefit from lining up opposite Jefferson.
Georgia
The Bulldogs had 21 sacks, their fewest sacks since 2000. New boss Kirby Smart will doubtlessly dial up some ways to get more heat on opposing quarterbacks, although Georgia loses its top two returning sack leaders. The Bulldogs’ top returning pass rusher is junior linebacker Davin Bellamy, who had 3.0 sacks in 2015. But the odds-on favorite to key the pass rush in 2016 is junior linebacker Lorenzo Carter Jr., who had 4.5 as a freshman in 2014.
Look for Smart to put Carter in a Tim Williams-like role.
A surprise candidate is fellow linebacker D’Andre Walker, a sophomore who had just nine tackles in 2015, but managed four sacks in Georgia’s spring game. Smart will certainly find some pass-rush production from his young linebackers.
Kentucky
The Wildcats were dead last in the SEC with just 17 sacks last season, and Mark Stoops will look to improve that number dramatically in 2016. What’s worse for UK than the lack of production is that more than half of those sacks came from players who won’t be on the 2016 roster.
So who will step up? Sophomore defensive end Denzil Ware was a terror in the spring game with four sacks.
A long shot? Junior defensive end Matt Elam has earned a spot on the all-airport team with his 6-7, 360-pound frame, but has yet to do a ton on the field. Elam is honestly better as a run stopper, but given his size, he could show the skills that caused Alabama to try to steal him away from Kentucky in the 2014 recruiting class.
Missouri
After two consecutive 40-plus sack seasons, Missouri fell into the middle of the conference in 2015 with 28 sacks. New coach Barry Odom will aim to get his pass rush back on track in 2016 to try to get the Tigers back into a bowl.
The most obvious starting place is junior defensive end Charles Harris, who tied for the team lead with seven sacks in 2015. Opposite defensive end Walter Brady (below) also had seven and figures to be in the mix again.
A sleeper is senior defensive tackle Harold Brantley, who had five sacks in 2014, but missed last season. Particularly with solid edge rushers on the outside, Brantley could bring a lot of heat up the middle on opposing quarterbacks.
South Carolina
Carolina’s 20 sacks in 2015 were dreadful, and marked the second straight season that the Gamecocks were snake-bitten against the pass. Will Muschamp will look to change things, but unfortunately lost all-SEC linebacker Skai Moore in the spring to injury.
Senior linebacker Darius English had 4.5 sacks last season, but missed spring practice with an injury. English may still lead the Gamecock pass rush, as he is too talented to keep off the field if even somewhat healthy.
A surprise would be sophomore linebacker Boosie Whitlow, who had just one sack in 2015, but had two in the 2016 spring game.
Tennessee
The Volunteers totaled 30 sacks in 2015, good for a tie for fifth in the SEC. This was down a notch from 35 sacks in 2014, but up substantially from 2011-13, when UT managed just 16, 17, and 18 sacks per season, respectively.
UT returns virtually all of its pass-rushers and the odds-on favorite to lead the team in sacks is junior defensive end Derek Barnett.
The 6-3, 257-pounder had 10.0 sacks in 2014 and 10.0 more in 2015. He is approaching Reggie White’s school sack record (32.0), and should be superb in 2016.
Should Barnett have an injury or slump, senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who had six sacks in 2015, might be the team leader. But a long shot is senior defensive end Corey Vereen.
Vereen had 3.5 sacks in 2015, and lining up opposite Barnett will likely give him some easy lanes to quarterbacks. If UT can replicate Barnett’s past performance off one end and have similar production from Vereen, opposing QBs will be in for a long season.
Vanderbilt
Vandy had 26 sacks in 2015, in the lower half of the SEC, but closer to the James Franklin years than the meager 18 sacks posted in 2014. Many of the 2015 playmakers return in 2016, and the defense will undoubtedly be led by All-American candidate and junior linebacker Zach Cunningham.
Cunningham had 103 tackles in 2015, and his 4.5 sacks will likely improve in 2016.
A possible surprise candidate is junior nose guard Nifae Lealao, who was a highly touted freshman, but hadn’t seen the field much in two seasons. Lealao had two sacks in Vandy’s spring game, and his 6-5, 317-pound frame and pass rush skills will make a nice complement to Vandy’s talented linebacker corps.
Joe Cox is a columnist for Saturday Down South. He has also written or assisted in writing five books, and his most recent, Almost Perfect (a study of baseball pitchers’ near-miss attempts at perfect games), is available on Amazon or at many local bookstores.
