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| Monday, May 13 For the first time in years, top teams look vulnerable By Brad Edwards Special to ESPN.com |
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If there is ever a year in which the stage is set for a new team to grab the SEC football title, this would probably be the one. Defending champion LSU had significant losses on both sides of the ball, and runner-up Tennessee replaces its entire defensive line. Florida no longer has Steve Spurrier calling the plays, and Alabama might not even be eligible for the championship. It could be an interesting season -- if another school is up to the challenge.
Defensive coordinator John Thompson took the same job at Florida, so Dave Wommack was elevated from secondary coach to coordinator. His position-specific duty remains with the defensive backs. The defensive scheme will be similar to the last few years, but there will probably be more blitzing this season after the Razorbacks finished with only 17 sacks in 2001. A veteran secondary also helps give them the flexibility to be more aggressive. Battling it out Zak Clark started 10 games last year but transferred to Central Arkansas after the season. Now, it's a three-man race for the starting job. Spring practice was moved back because Matt Jones was playing basketball, so all three quarterbacks got a chance to show their stuff in front of the coaches. Tarvaris Jackson and Ryan Sorahan both returned to action after taking medical redshirts last season -- the same injuries that opened the door for Jones to get most of his experience. Jackson was the best passer in the spring, but Jones will be tough to beat because of his versatility. Eye catcher: WR Carlos Ousley Ousley transferred from Wake Forest, where he enrolled but did not even stick around for a football season. He was a standout in spring drills this year, catching 10 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns during scrimmages. He is one of the faster players on the team and gives Arkansas a big-play threat at receiver. He will probably go into the season as a reserve but should see plenty of action. Budding star: LB Tony Bua The undersized Bua (5-11, 207) had 42 tackles as a freshman, and then turned things up a notch for his sophomore season. He started all but one game and made 109 tackles, including nine for loss, to earn second-team All-SEC honors. His best asset is his speed, and he should be even better under a more aggressive gameplan this season.  Auburn Tigers2001 overall record: 7-5 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 6 Defense: 8 Specialists: 1 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Carnell Williams* (614 yds) Passing: Daniel Cobb* (1,165 yds) Receiving: Tim Carter (570 yds) Tackles: Dontarrious Thomas* (122) Sacks: Reggie Torbor* (2.5) Interceptions: Karlos Dansby* (5) What's new In the offseason, Auburn brought in new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Bob Petrino came from the Jacksonville Jaguars (QB coach), and Gene Chizik moved from the defensive coordinator's role at UCF. The offense should now feature more of a power running game, using two backs and often two tight ends. The tight end also seems to have become a bigger part of the passing game. Defensively, the Tigers will still run a 4-3 base with maybe a little more blitzing than last year. Other than the terminology, things basically look the same there. Battling it out The Tigers never found consistent play at quarterback last year, and the search still continues between the same two candidates. Jason Campbell started eight games last year, while Daniel Cobb started four but played in eight. Cobb threw for slightly more yardage and led the upset of Florida, but it's fair to say they both had their ups and downs. Campbell had better stats in the first two scrimmages this spring, but Cobb was the MVP of the spring game. They are listed together on the depth chart coming out of the spring. Eye catcher: TE Cooper Wallace There are more opportunities for tight ends to make plays in the new offense, and Wallace (6-3, 252) gives the Tigers another good option at the position. The redshirt freshman looked good in the spring as both a blocker and receiver, catching 17 passes for 234 yards and a touchdown in spring scrimmages. He doesn't have the experience of Lorenzo Diamond and Robert Johnson but should definitely factor into the rotation this fall. Budding star: LB Dontarrious Thomas Thomas (6-4, 223) produced one of the more amazing defensive feats of last season, when he recorded twice as many tackles (122) as anyone else on his team. He was a second-team All-SEC pick at outside linebacker, and this spring, he was given the Pat Dye Leadership Award for his efforts in practice. Thomas is a very intelligent player with good speed and instincts and should be even more effective this year while surrounded by experienced teammates.  Florida Gators2001 overall record: 10-2 Conference record: 6-2 Returning starters Offense: 5 Defense: 5 Specialists: 1 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Earnest Graham* (650 yds) Passing: Rex Grossman* (3,896 yds) Receiving: Jabar Gaffney (1,191 yds) Tackles: Andra Davis (107) Sacks: Alex Brown (10.5) Interceptions: 4 players tied with 2 each
For the first time since the 1980s, the head ball coach in Gainesville will not be Steve Spurrier. Ron Zook certainly won't try to fix something that isn't broken, but he has provided some subtle changes thus far. Whereas Spurrier was mostly involved with the offense, Zook is more hands-on in all areas of practice. Workouts have been spirited with wide open competition at almost every position. Ed Zaunbrecher came from Marshall as the new offensive coordinator and has a scheme that is more multiple in formations with a little more balance than the Gators have shown in recent years. Battling it out The offense will primarily utilize a one-back set, which allows for three starting positions at receiver. Orange Bowl MVP Taylor Jacobs has one of them, but he is the only returning wideout with significant experience. The top four candidates for the other two spots -- Kelvin Kight, Carlos Perez, Matt Jackson and O.J. Small -- have just 34 career receptions between them. Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell had 132 between them in the 2001 season alone. The Gators have talent but must overcome inexperience. Eye catcher: DT Tron LaFavor LaFavor (6-2, 288) started 10 games last year but got very little notoriety from playing on the line with Alex Brown, Ian Scott and Kennard Ellis. For the season, he was credited with 42 tackles and 11 "big plays." LaFavor wreaked havoc in the spring and made his case for more snaps this fall. Now that Brown and Ellis are gone, he must elevate his game to keep the level of production from dropping on the defensive line. Budding star: DB Keiwan Ratliff Ratliff played a lot in nickel packages last season and started two games, including the Orange Bowl. For the year, he had 17 tackles and two interceptions. He also showed some versatility as a return man on both punts and kickoffs. Ratliff enjoyed an impressive spring on defense and earned the starting job at one corner. He even played both ways a little in the spring game, seeing brief time at receiver. The Gators need another playmaker like Lito Sheppard, and Ratliff could be the guy.  Georgia Bulldogs2001 overall record: 8-4 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 5 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Verron Haynes (691 yds) Passing: David Greene* (2,789 yds) Receiving: Fred Gibson* (772 yds) Tackles: Tony Gilbert* (99) Sacks: Charles Grant (6) Interceptions: Jermaine Phillips (3) What's new The Bulldogs open this season by renewing their rivalry with Clemson after a layoff of several years. It used to be one of the bigger games on the schedule for both teams but became difficult to continue after the SEC and ACC both added an eighth conference game in 1992. The schools are only 60 miles apart but have met just twice in the last 10 years. The series began in 1897, and Georgia has a 39-17-4 advantage. Battling it out David Greene was last year's SEC Freshman of the Year but received some strong competition for his job in spring practice. Redshirt freshman D.J. Shockley has great athleticism and showed the ability to make big plays at quarterback, even in difficult situations. Greene should be the starter when the Bulldogs take the field against Clemson, but he needs to keep improving. Head coach Mark Richt wants to find a way to use both players and get the ball in Shockley's hands a few times each game. Eye catcher: DB Decory Bryant Bryant started the final three games of last season at cornerback when Tim Wansley was injured and gained valuable experience in the process. He made eight tackles versus Ole Miss and intercepted a pass against Houston. Bryant is a big hitter and was Georgia's best defensive back during the spring. His development is critical to helping the Bulldogs offset heavy losses in the secondary. Budding star: WR Fred Gibson Gibson started very little as a true freshman last year but had a huge impact. He set school records with four consecutive 100-yard receiving games and 201 receiving yards versus Kentucky. He finished the season with six catches for 109 yards in the Music City Bowl. Gibson also averaged almost 27 yards per kickoff return (third in SEC) and even played on the basketball team during the winter. He could become one of the top receivers in the country this year if he continues to improve.  Kentucky Wildcats2001 overall record: 2-9 Conference record: 1-7 Returning starters Offense: 6 Defense: 4 Specialists: 1 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Artose Pinner* (441 yds) Passing: Jared Lorenzen* (2,179 yds) Receiving: Derek Abney* (741 yds) Tackles: Chris Gayton (93) Sacks: Dennis Johnson (12) Interceptions: David Johnson* (2) What's new Kentucky has also appealed some recently-issued NCAA sanctions that were in excess of the penalties suggested by the university. The primary challenge is to bowl probation, and the hope is for an answer prior to the start of the season. The Wildcats will already be down to approximately 70 scholarship players this year because of self-imposed scholarship sanctions and attrition. Battling it out The best competition is at defensive tackle, where three guys have fought through injuries to battle for two spots. Dewayne Robertson started last year and made 10 tackles in the season opener, but he was slowed by ankle and knee sprains the rest of the season. Jeremy Caudill missed the beginning of last year with a back injury and finished with only 11 tackles after starting as a freshman in 2000. Finally, All-SEC freshman Ellery Moore played in the first eight games of last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury. All were back for spring drills and will continue their contest in August. Eye catcher: DE Vincent Burns "Sweet Pea" Burns sat out last season after transferring from Northern Arizona but made a very favorable impression while on the scout team. He looked great in the first week of spring practice, but appendicitis put his pass-rushing show on the sideline for the remainder of the workouts. Amazingly, he has already shown enough to be listed as a starter at one defensive end spot. Though he still has minimal experience against I-A competition, coaches are optimistic about his upside. Budding star: RB Artose Pinner Pinner (5-11, 223) led the team in rushing last year while sharing duties with Chad Scott and Martez Johnson. Now that those two are gone, Pinner will have a chance to shine in the offense. He has good speed along with a build that makes it difficult for the first man to bring him down. He is also a good receiver out of the backfield, and head coach Guy Morriss hopes to get the ball in his hands at least 20 times per game.  LSU Tigers2001 overall record: 10-3 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 6 Defense: 6 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: LaBrandon Toefield* (992 yds) Passing: Rohan Davey (3,347 yds) Receiving: Josh Reed (1,740 yds) Tackles: Trev Faulk (119) Sacks: Jarvis Green (4) Interceptions: Damien James* (5)
After going 15-19 over the previous three seasons, the 2001 Tigers made it up to their fans by winning 10 games, the SEC Championship and the Sugar Bowl. Now that they've reached the top, they must figure out how to stay there. It will not be easy after considerable losses on both sides of the ball. Matt Mauck probably has the toughest job in trying to replace Rohan Davey at quarterback. Battling it out One starting cornerback spot is up for grabs between Randall Gay and Travis Daniels. Both played in nickel situations last year but now have a chance to start because of Damien James' move back to safety. Daniels was supposed to redshirt last season, but those plans were scrapped after Gay was injured in the SEC Championship Game. He later broke up a pass in endzone, helping the Tigers win the title. Gay also made big plays last season, including an interception, a forced fumble and a recovered a fumble in the Sugar Bowl. Whichever player does not win the starting job this fall will likely return to the nickel role. Eye catcher: WR Shyrone Carey Carey (5-7, 180) was ineligible as a freshman last season but has been a dynamic performer on the practice field. In the spring, he showed more of the great quickness that makes him dangerous in the open field. He had three catches for 46 yards in the spring game. The Tigers will try to get ball in his hands both as a receiver and a kick returner this season. Budding star: DB Damien James As mentioned above, James made the switch from cornerback to his natural position of safety this spring. He has a nose for the ball -- regardless of position -- and led the SEC in interceptions last year. James will be the leader of a secondary that really needs to step up after heavy losses on the defensive front seven.  Mississippi Rebels2001 overall record: 7-4 Conference record: 4-4 Returning starters Offense: 7 Defense: 7 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Joe Gunn (870 yds) Passing: Eli Manning* (2,948 yds) Receiving: Chris Collins* (692 yds) Tackles: Eddie Strong* (105) Sacks: L.P. Spence* (5) Interceptions: Syniker Taylor (3) What's new Chuck Driesbach was an assistant coach at Ole Miss in 1989, when he left to take a job as defensive coordinator at Cornell. He has been a coordinator ever since and just returned to Oxford in that role. He has installed a 4-2-5 defense, so even though the Rebels have all three starters back at linebacker, only two will be able to play at a time. The team has good depth there and at defensive back, so expect a lot of rotation during games. Battling it out Joe Gunn got most of the carries last year, so there is limited experience among the candidates at tailback. Robert Williams has seen most of that action, playing in 29 games with a career mark of 5.4 yards per carry. The others are Tremaine Turner, who redshirted last season as a junior; Ronald McClendon, a highly-touted recruit with great speed from Butler County Community College; and redshirt freshman Vashon Pearson. Nobody distinguished himself in the spring, so the battle will continue, and Ole Miss is certain to have great depth at the position. Eye catcher: DB Chris Knight Knight was a JuCo transfer last year and played in nine games, but he saw little action behind Syniker Taylor and made only three tackles. He stepped out of that shadow in the spring, however, and drew a lot of attention in practices and scrimmages. He was eventually named the most improved player on the defense for spring drills and is listed as a starter at one cornerback spot. Budding star: TE Doug Zeigler Zeigler (6-4, 254) came to Ole Miss as a quarterback but was moved to tight end after his redshirt season. He has 537 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his career, and four of those touchdowns came last season. His 2001 season ended prematurely, however, with a broken arm against Georgia. Zeigler is Eli Manning's roommate in addition to being one of his favorite targets. If the receivers can stretch the field better this year, he should have his biggest season yet.  Mississippi State Bulldogs2001 overall record: 3-8 Conference record: 2-6 Returning starters Offense: 8 Defense: 7 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Dicenzo Miller (676 yds) Passing: Kevin Fant* (1,352 yds) Receiving: Justin Jenkins* (661 yds) Tackles: Mario Haggan* (95) Sacks: Mario Haggan* and Conner Stephens (4 each) Interceptions: Korey Banks* (4) What's new Jackie Sherrill added two new assistants to his staff in the offseason and, in the process, increased the level of coaching experience in more than just the traditional measure. Rockey Felker and Curley Hallman now join Sherrill, Sparky Woods and Joe Lee Dunn to give Mississippi State five football staff members who have been a head coach in the SEC. Felker preceeded Sherrill at MSU, Hallman was formerly at LSU, Woods was at South Carolina and Dunn was an interim head coach at Ole Miss. Battling it out John Michael Marlin handled the kicking chores as a freshman last year but made just 8-of-16 field goals and 20-of-23 PATs. Enter Brent Smith: a walk-on from Northwest Mississippi Community College. Smith has a stronger leg than Marlin but really drew attention by making consecutive field goal attempts of 47, 52 and 57 yards in the final spring scrimmage. He will challenge Marlin for the starting job in August unless 2002 signee Keith Andrews makes an amazing first impression. Eye catcher: DB Michael Gholar Gholar was all-state in both football and basketball in high school, but came to State on a basketball scholarship and started as a senior small forward on this year's SEC Tournament Championship. After the season (and his basketball career) ended, he came out for football -- one day before the first spring scrimmage. Though he hadn't played football in almost 5 years, Gholar (6-5, 200) participated in that scrimmage and made five tackles. He is now backing up Josh Morgan at free safety and could see playing time on defense as he continues to improve. He will certainly have a place on special teams. Budding star: WR Justin Jenkins Jenkins (6-1, 206) struggled with pass-catching early last year but turned things around and looked like a star player by the end of the season. Over the final five games, he caught 27 passes for 441 yards with five touchdowns, including more than 100 yards in each of the last two games. If he can continue to make plays in that manner, Jenkins could be an All-SEC performer this season.  South Carolina Gamecocks2001 overall record: 9-3 Conference record: 5-3 Returning starters Offense: 5 Defense: 4 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Derek Watson (591 yds) Passing: Phil Petty (1,699 yds) Receiving: Brian Scott (647 yds) Tackles: Rashad Faison* (99) Sacks: John Stamper (3) Interceptions: Andre Goodman (3) What's new The Gamecocks will have a new look at quarterback, as the efficient Phil Petty is replaced by the exciting Corey Jenkins. Jenkins was effective in spot duty behind Petty last year and showed flashes of his ability. He is a former first-round draft choice of the Red Sox as an outfielder and has the arm to prove it. He can also make big plays with his legs but must develop the discipline to accept a negative play in some situations. Battling it out There's a three-man battle at center, and the coaches are calling it even coming out of spring practice. C.J. Frye has some starting experience at guard, but he backed up at center last year along with John Strickland. They are also competing with redshirt freshman Na'shan Goddard, who has all the physical tools but lacks the experience of Frye and Strickland. Eye catcher: WR James Adkisson Adkisson (6-5, 215) came in from a junior college in 2000 and started four games, but he lacked consistency of performance. He finished that season with 227 yards on 17 catches. There were high expectations for him last season, but he ended up redshirting with a back injury. He seemed back to full speed this spring and once again showed the big-play ability the fans have been waiting to see. With an inexperienced group of receivers, the Gamecocks need Adkisson to be productive this season. Budding star: DE George Gause As a true freshman last season, Gause (6-5, 258) made 24 tackles in nine regular-season games and then added 10 more in the Outback Bowl when he took the place of injured Kalimba Edwards. He was voted to the All-SEC freshman team and thereby raised the bar of expectations for himself this season. His performance in the spring indicates that he has accepted that challenge. Gause is physically in the mold of John Abraham and could turn out to be that good with more experience.  Tennessee Volunteers2001 overall record: 11-2 Conference record: 7-1 Returning starters Offense: 5 Defense: 5 Specialists: 2 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Travis Stephens (1,464 yds) Passing: Casey Clausen* (2,969 yds) Receiving: Kelley Washington* (1,010 yds) Tackles: Eddie Moore* (83) Sacks: Will Overstreet (5) Interceptions: Rashad Baker* (4)
All four starters are gone from the defensive line, but the top six guys competing for those spots are all seniors and four of them have previous starting experience. Omari Hand and Constantin Ritzmann look like the probable ends, but Aubrayo Franklin, Edward Kendrick, Rashad Moore and Demetrin Veal are all battling for the tackle spots. The senior maturity of this group is important because the unit has only two games together before Florida comes to town on Sept. 21. Battling it out The Vols lost Travis Stephens, who ran for a school-record 1,464 yards last season, but a talented group of underclassmen are waiting for a chance to shine. Cedric Houston, Jabari Davis and Derrick Tinsley all backed up Stephens as freshmen last year, and all have tremendous talent. Fullback Troy Fleming also has good running skills and could be used as a featured back, as well. Houston and Davis are listed together on the first team after the spring and should compete for the starting spot in August. Eye catcher: LB Kevin Burnett Burnett (6-3, 232) has played in 23 games at Tennessee and started twice last year at outside linebacker. He made 52 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 2001, including three sacks. He has continued to improve with each year in the program, and his spring performance indicates that he is still getting better. He will have more opportunities to prove himself this season as the starter on the weak side. Budding star: QB Casey Clausen Many fans were worried about Clausen's development after a very slow start last year, but everything fell into place in the second half of the season. He was overshadowed in the conference by Rex Grossman and Rohan Davey and was even overlooked on his own offense by Stephens and the receivers. But the numbers tell the story of Clausen's success. He has the exact same completion percentage as Peyton Manning had through two seasons -- but with more yards and more TD passes.  Vanderbilt Commodores2001 overall record: 2-9 Conference record: 0-8 Returning starters Offense: 7 Defense: 7 Specialists: 0 2001 statistical leaders (* - returners) Rushing: Lew Thomas (675) Passing: Greg Zolman (2,512) Receiving: Dan Stricker* (1,079) Tackles: Antuian Bradford (116) Sacks: Hunter Hillenmeyer* and Chuck Losey* (2.5 each) Interceptions: Jerrol Jackson (3) What's new What isn't new? Head coach Bobby Johnson came from I-AA power Furman and has basically torn everything apart in order to start over from scratch. He has installed a new discipline and work ethic in the program, as well as a new offense (I-formation), defense (4-3) and strength and conditioning emphasis. The Commodores will even be sporting new uniforms this season. All that remains is a new level of confidence, which can only come from winning games. Battling it out Johnson is excited about his options at quarterback and believes that both are good prospects. Junior Benji Walker and redshirt freshman Jay Cutler are big and mobile with strong arms, but neither is experienced. Walker saw very little action as backup to Greg Zolman and had only six pass attempts last season. The competition is very tight and will not be decided until August. Eye catcher: DE Jovan Haye Haye (6-3, 252) is a physically-gifted redshirt freshman whom the Commodores are hoping will develop into a force on defense. He has struggled through some nagging injuries but has been dominant in practices when healthy. At this point, he just needs game experience to get better, and that will come this fall. Haye exits spring drills as a projected starter. Budding star: WR Dan Stricker Stricker (6-3, 200) has truly made the most of his abilities to become one of the top receivers in the SEC. He has great hands, deceptive speed and always seems to find a way to get open. Over the last two seasons, he has more than 2,000 receiving yards. Stricker just had surgery for a dislocated shoulder suffered during spring drills, but he is expected to be back at full speed for the fall. He was elected captain for the second year in a row, and goes into his senior season needing 63 catches, 705 yards and six TD to become Vanderbilt's all-time leader in each of those receiving categories. Brad Edwards researches college football for ESPN and is a contributor to ESPN.com throughout the year.
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