ESPN College Football

College Football Live's panel of experts discusses the upcoming season for the Crimson Tide.

As part of the "College Football Live" 100 Days 'Til Kickoff countdown, we'll take a look at the top 10 players in the SEC heading into the 2012 season.

Keep in mind that these are the guys we project to be the 10 best college football players this coming season in the SEC and not necessarily the 10 best NFL draft prospects. There's a difference.

What's more, a lot can (and will) change between now and November.

So let the second-guessing begin.

1. Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia: In his first season of action in the SEC after transferring from Southern Cal, Jones didn’t need much of a refresher course. He quickly emerged as the most dynamic big-play defender in the SEC and is one of those players who can take over a game. Just ask Florida. Much more than just a pass-rusher, Jones led the league with 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks.

2. Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas: Wilson had shown in flashes what he was capable of while filling in for Ryan Mallett in 2010 but put an All-SEC season together last year in his first season as a starter. He passed for 3,638 yards and only threw six interceptions in 438 passing attempts. He’ll be even better his second time through the league.

3. Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU: The "Honey Badger” nickname caught on nationally last season, and Mathieu latched on to seemingly every football that came his way. Even though he’s not a great cover cornerback, he makes up for it with his penchant for coming up with turnovers. A Heisman Trophy finalist last season, Mathieu forced six fumbles and recovered five. He’s also one of the most dangerous punt returners in the league.

4. Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina: If not for the knee injury that cut Lattimore’s season short a year ago, he’d probably be at the top of this list. He’s one of the most complete running backs in college football and can carry a team on his shoulders. He catches the ball well out of the backfield, can grind out the tough yards and has big-play ability. All indications are that Lattimore is on course to be all the way back, which is bad news for opposing defenses.

5. Sam Montgomery, DE, LSU: It’s almost unfair to be as talented as LSU will be across the defensive front this coming season. Montgomery will be the leader of that group. He can rush the passer and play the run and is versatile enough to beat offensive linemen with his power and his speed. Montgomery finished last season with nine sacks.

6. Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU: LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis raised a few eyebrows prior to last season when he vowed that Mingo would be the premier pass-rusher in the SEC before he was done. Mingo responded with 15 tackles for loss last season, including eight sacks. He’s an absolute blur coming off the edge and has the kind of burst that gives offensive linemen nightmares.

7. Barrett Jones, C, Alabama: Jones won the Outland Trophy last season as a left tackle on the Crimson Tide’s national championship team. He started at guard the previous two seasons. A two-time All-American, Jones will move to center for his senior season. If he pulls this off, he’ll go down as one of the most versatile offensive linemen in SEC history.

8. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina: Simply living up to the hype last season was a coup for Clowney, who was one of the most heralded freshmen to come into the league in a long time. He finished with eight sacks and forced five fumbles and wasn’t even a full-time starter. Physically, he’s as good as it gets and, with a year of experience under his belt, is destined for a huge sophomore season.

9. Aaron Murray, QB, Georgia: There were some who zeroed in on his 14 interceptions last season, but Murray also tossed a school-record 35 touchdown passes. And in his first two seasons, Murray has thrown 59 touchdown passes. He’s a great leader, tough as nails and capable of extending a play with his running ability. Look for Murray to cut down on his mistakes in 2012 and have his most consistent season yet.

10. Knile Davis, RB, Arkansas: The only reason Davis slipped this far was because of his injury-riddled past. But to his credit, he just keeps coming back. He missed all of last season with a fractured ankle but insists he’s running as fast as ever and could have played toward the end of last season. Davis led all SEC running backs with 1,322 rushing yards in 2010 and was the catalyst for that Arkansas offense. If he’s all the way back, look out.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- In his first season as Alabama’s starting right guard in 2009, Barrett Jones helped the Crimson Tide finish 14-0 and win a BCS national championship.

After moving to left tackle last season, Jones was named an All-American and won the Outland Trophy as college football’s top lineman. He also helped the Crimson Tide win their second BCS national title in three seasons, defeating LSU 21-0 in the Jan. 9 BCS National Championship Game.

Now Jones, a senior from Germantown, Tenn., is moving to center, where he’ll replace the departed William Vlachos, a three-year starter, who was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the country’s top center last season.

“I think you’ve got to think about how can we make our team the best,” Jones said. “Our philosophy around here has always been to play the best five. I think in order to do that this year, I’m going to have to play center. That’s fine with me.”

The Crimson Tide will bring back four of five starters on the offensive line in 2012. With Jones moving to center, highly regarded sophomore Cyrus Kouandjio takes over at left tackle, where he’ll protect quarterback AJ McCarron’s blind side. Kouandjio, from Hyattsville, Md., suffered a torn ACL in his knee eight games into his freshman season in 2011.

Each of Alabama’s projected five starting offensive linemen weighs more than 300 pounds. McCarron bought them dinner before two scrimmages this spring, dropping about $200 at a wings restaurant and about $300 at a Japanese steak house.

“I’ll take them out as long as they protect me, but good Lord,” McCarron said.

Even though Jones is Alabama’s most decorated tackle, he was the most logical candidate to change positions. Guards Anthony Steen and Chance Warmack are back, along with right tackle D.J. Fluker.

“This is really my first year to have the reigns,” Jones said. “It’s a really big adjustment. Not being off the ball is probably the biggest adjustment for you. The guy is just right there, probably not 2 inches from your hands, especially when you’re playing our 3-4 [defense]. It’s a big adjustment, but it’s gone well and I think I’m progressing well. Hopefully, I’ll have a big year.”

McCarron said the transition hasn’t been perfect during spring practice, but Jones is growing into his new position.

“I ride Barrett harder than anybody,” McCarron said. “He’s learning. He’s never done it before. He gets mad sometimes if things aren’t perfect, but there are going to be some speed bumps along the way. He’s gotten a lot better since we started. Knowing him, he’s going to continue to get better. I’m not worried about him at all.”

Jones, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, has never played center before. Playing three different positions in college only figures to help his stock in the NFL draft.

“I think as far as the next level, it will only help me in terms of versatility and being able to play multiple positions,” Jones said. “You think about what’s best for the team and not just for one player.”

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama has won two of the past three BCS national championships, but Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said his team’s offense has yet to become the kind of attack he wants it to be.

Last season, when the Crimson Tide went 12-1 and defeated LSU 21-0 in the Jan. 9 Allstate BCS National Championship Game in New Orleans, it ranked 69th nationally in passing (215.1 yards per game) and 31st in total offense (429.6 yards).

“We’ve never been quite the style of offense I’ve wanted to be here,” Saban said. “We’ve always had such good backs, and our offensive line has been pretty good. It’s hard not to feed those guys the ball. When I was at LSU, we were a lot more explosive with our quarterbacks and wide receivers. We need to continue to develop that balance.”

Last season, Crimson Tide tailback Trent Richardson led the SEC and ranked No. 5 nationally in rushing with 129.1 yards per game. In 2009, when Alabama went 14-0 and defeated Texas 37-21 in the BCS National Championship Game, Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram ran for 1,658 yards with 17 touchdowns.

“I think we’ll never forget who we are,” Alabama center Barrett Jones said. “We can always run the football. I’m not saying we won’t open things up, but I don’t think we’ll ever forget our identity. Our identity is we don’t care how many people you put in the box, we’re always going to run the football.”

Alabama might be more equipped to open up its offense heading into the 2012 season. Quarterback AJ McCarron is entering his second season as a starter, after completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,634 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions.

McCarron threw the ball down the field more effectively against LSU in the BCS title game, completing 23 of 34 passes for 234 yards. He has an even better command of the Tide’s offense now.

“It was about midway through last year when I could really say something to the guys and really tell them what I wanted to happen,” McCarron said. “Now it doesn’t matter if it’s a run play or pass play. Receivers will come to me and say, ‘Who do I need to block?’ Even before the ball is snapped, I’ll point it out. Guys will come to you and ask for advice. It’s something that’s really cool. I’m just trying to get the best out of everybody around me.”

Jones, who is moving from left tackle to center this coming season, said he’s noticed a difference in his quarterback during spring practice.

“Toward the end of the year, I think he really started to develop the confidence you need to play quarterback in the SEC,” Jones said. “He’s really started to take a lot more responsibility for the offense, and is making a lot more calls and is more comfortable with our scheme and what we’re trying to do. He’s doing a lot more of it on his own this year.”

Even though Richardson left Alabama for the NFL draft after his junior season, McCarron might have better weapons around him. The Crimson Tide signed arguably the best crop of incoming freshman receivers, including Chris Black of Jacksonville, Fla., and Amari Cooper of Miami, who enrolled at Alabama in January. Sophomore Christion Jones of Adamsville, Ala., has been one of the Tide’s most explosive receivers during spring practice, and another highly regarded freshman, Eddie Williams of Panama City, Fla., joins the team this summer.

“They’re really good,” McCarron said. “I know we’re going to have some growing pains to start out with. The system’s not easy to learn, but in the short amount of time they’ve been here, they’ve done a good job so far. Amari and Chris Black, and the new guys coming in are different types of guys, but they’ve done a good job of learning and listening to the older receivers. They know the way and how it’s done, which is going to help them in the process.”

The Tide also lost offensive coordinator Jim McElwain, who was named Colorado State’s new coach. Saban hired Washington offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier to replace him.

“He’s younger,” McCarron said. “Being younger, he kind of relates to you a little bit more outside of football. Nuss just brings a lot of energy to practice, and he’s hyped up. I think it’s because he drinks like nine cups of coffee a day. He definitely has a lot of energy, and it helps practice go a lot smoother. He definitely has some different ideas, which have been cool to learn.”

McCarron said the Tide will keep much of its offense in place, but Nussmeier has added a few wrinkles.

“I think we’re going to be in the gun a little more,” McCarron said. “Nussmeier likes going four or five wide, and even spreading out the running back and putting him out there. We’ve been doing a lot of that.”

The postseason top 25 countdown is done and it's time for us to discuss our reasons for how we sorted our list and why we left some players off.

Anytime you do this sort of thing you always second-guess yourself. There are always players you wish you had put higher, slid down lower, left off or put on the list. The only thing that's for sure is that you'll never be perfect and you'll never please everyone, but that's the way it goes.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson was the obvious choice to be first on our list. He was named the nation's top running back and was a unanimous first team All-American and All-SEC member. He accounted for more than 36 percent of Alabama's offense last year and became just the third player in SEC history to rush for 20 or more touchdowns.

Richardson is a track star built like a tank.

While Richardson was spot on, there was another player who we felt should have been higher. At second glance, Chris and I felt that Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones was too low. He ended up sixth, but we now feel like we should have had him above both Melvin Ingram and Courtney Upshaw.

When you finish the year with an SEC-best 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks after a a year away from the field you deserve to be higher.

Our bad.

We took some heat from the College GameDay crew during the season for having only one LSU player — cornerback Morris Claiborne — on our preseason list. (We didn't even have Tyrann Mathieu on the preseason list! We sure look boneheaded now.) Well, we certainly deserved that and had four Tigers on the postseason list, including No. 2 (Claiborne) and No. 3 (Mathieu). Defensive end Sam Montgomery and guard Will Blackwell just missed the cut, too.

We've also received word from some readers that we missed on Tennessee wide receiver Da'Rick Rogers, who was passed by LSU's Rueben Randle and South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery.

When we created this list we took into consideration stats and total impact on a team — good and bad. Yes, Rogers led the SEC in receiving, but his impact wasn't as positive as the others. Randle was LSU's top receiving target all season, was a true leader and finished the year third in the SEC in receiving. Jeffery was South Carolina's only real dependable receiver all season and of his eight touchdowns, five came in conference games. Jeffery also spent the first eight games on a team that didn't have much of a passing game and was still sixth in the league in receiving.

Also, Jeffery had a monster outing in South Carolina's bowl win, while when Tennessee needed a win over Kentucky to become bowl eligible, Rogers caught just two passes in the loss and was openly complaining and being divisive on the sideline.

Rogers had a solid season, but more was taken into consideration than just his play.

Five players — Richardson, Upshaw, Dont'a Hightower, Barrett Jones and Mark Barron — from our preseason top 10 remained there in our postseason countdown, so that made us look good.

We missed on two South Carolina players in the preseason in Devin Taylor (No. 6) and Stephon Gilmore (No. 12) and didn't see Ingram (postseason No. 5) coming. But we did have 14 of 25 from our preseason list back on our postseason list. It probably would have been more if not for injuries to South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, Arkansas running back Knile Davis and defensive end Jake Bequette, or the dismissal of former Tennessee safety Janzen Jackson.

Here's a breakdown of the list by team, position, side of the field, year and division:

TEAM

• Alabama (7)
• Georgia (5)
• LSU (4)
• Arkansas (3)
• South Carolina (2)
• Auburn (1)
• Kentucky (1)
• Mississippi State (1)
• Vanderbilt (1)

POSITION

• DB (7)
• LB (4)
• WR/TE (4)
• DL (3)
• QB (2)
• RB (2)
• OL (3)

SIDE OF THE FIELD

• Defense (14)
• Offense (11)

YEAR

• Senior (11)
• Junior (9)
• Sophomore (5)

DIVISION

• West (16)
• East (9)

Check in tomorrow to see players who just missed the cut for the postseason top 25.

Even in the fiercely competitive SEC, it’s good to spread a little love.

OK, maybe just once a year. And that one day is today … Valentine’s Day.

So just as we did a year ago, we’re going to set aside all the bitter rivalries, feuds and finger-pointing for a day and hand out some very deserving Valentine’s Day cards.

Sit back and enjoy.

Dear …

Alabama coach Nick Saban,

Your football program is without peer right now, and I mean anywhere in college football. A lot of people were shocked when they heard that Alabama was paying you $32 million over eight years – a financial package that has since been sweetened. I’d say it’s been money well spent when you look at the Crimson Tide’s trophy case over the last few years. Everybody wonders what your secret is. Here’s one: Great football players who are also high-character kids in the mold of Trent Richardson, Barrett Jones, William Vlachos, Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw.

Former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt,

Hated to see you go out like that. But regardless of what anybody says, average coaches don’t make it 14 years in this league at two different places. The same goes for your defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix. Both of you are better coaches than the last two seasons would suggest. There’s an entire body of work out there that says so.

South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore,

Can’t wait to see you back on the field, and here’s hoping you’re as good as new. Your sense of team, combined with your incredible work ethic and awesome athletic ability, make you the kind of player coaches and fans dream about.

Arkansas running back Knile Davis,

Probably should have sent you and Marcus the same card. We’re all keeping our fingers crossed that you’re healthy again. Your unbreakable will to keep coming back from so many injuries is an inspiration to all of us, and we're eager to see the version of you run the ball again that we saw in 2010 when you led all SEC running backs in rushing.

LSU coach Les Miles,

I’m not one of those who writes off what you and your team did for the first 13 games this past season simply because of that one forgettable night in New Orleans. It was a remarkable run against a killer schedule. But do everybody on the Bayou a favor and trash that offensive game plan from the BCS national championship game.

Tennessee quarterback Tyler Bray,

Your arm strength and ability to make all of the throws is unquestioned. You’re equally fearless in the pocket. But now it’s time to become a true quarterback and raise the level of play of all the guys around you. The great quarterbacks take it upon themselves to lead their entire team, and they do so as much off the field as they do on the field.

Arkansas receiver/punt returner Joe Adams,

Do you really have eyes in the back of your head? We’re still dying to know how you broke all of those tackles (somewhere around eight) on that 60-yard punt return for a touchdown against Tennessee? It’s as good a punt return as I’ve ever seen.

Vanderbilt defensive end Tim Fugger,

There are a lot of underrated players in this league, but you were right there at or near the top this season. You were invaluable to that Vanderbilt defense with your 13.5 tackles for loss, including eight sacks, and three forced fumbles. It wasn’t just your numbers that set you apart, but the way you played the game with precision, passion and grit on every snap.

Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan,

We’re not supposed to have favorites in our business. But how can you not pull for a guy like Trevathan? Kentucky coach Joker Phillips used to joke that he found Trevathan up under a rock down in Florida during the recruiting process. Well, Trevathan turned out to be a rock, racking up nearly 300 total tackles during his last two seasons and playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played no matter what the scoreboard said. We'll miss you, Danny.

Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham,

The entire Bulldog Nation thanks you for bringing a mental toughness to that defense (and to the program) that was lacking at times in past seasons. Your defense was the backbone in Georgia’s turnaround and 10-game winning streak this season, and even though your fire might have burned a little too brightly a couple of times, it’s exactly what the Bulldogs needed.

Former Auburn running back Michael Dyer,

Not even the great Bo Jackson rushed for 1,000 yards each of his first two seasons on the Plains. It was a joy to watch you play. Just wished it didn’t end on such a sour note.

Former Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain,

Congrats on the new gig at Colorado State. You were destined to be a head coach, and I’ll make sure everybody remembers that they did play a little offense at Alabama this past season, too. In fact, your Tide offense was the only one in the SEC to average more than 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing per game. That’s saying something when you consider the level of defense played in the SEC.

Florida coach Will Muschamp,

You made some tough decisions in Year 1, notably sending star cornerback Janoris Jenkins packing following his second drug arrest. You’ve also got your coaching staff more to your liking, and your players understand unequivocally now what you expect from them. The 2012 version of the Gators will more closely reflect you as a football coach, and I’d be surprised if the results weren’t markedly better.

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen,

I really like the way you’ve helped yourself with junior college talent. I also like the way your 2012 schedule looks through the middle of October. With five home games and two very winnable road dates, a 6-1 or even 7-0 start is very possible. I’m not trying to jinx you, Dan, but maybe Year No. 4 in Starkville is going to be that magical season everyone was predicting this past year. The bottom line is that you’ve led the Bulldogs to back-to-back winning seasons, and the last time that happened was 10 years ago.

Everyone wants the five-stars. No recruiting collection would be complete without them.

But as we've seen over the years, not all of them really pan out, leaving fans and coaches pouting along the way. However, when one of those five-stars busts, there's always an unheralded recruit that finds a way to steal the scene.

Today, we'll look at some of the best signing class steals from the past few years. We'll use ESPN's player rankings and since the ESPN rankings go back to 2006, we'll only go back that far.

These are players who might not have been so highly recruited coming out of high school, but were stars at the college level. We could have gone on for days with this list, but it had to be shortened.

Here they are:

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  Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesNick Fairley was unheralded but broke out during in 2010 and was the nation's best lineman that season.
  Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas: He was unranked in the 2007 class and was actually a tight end prospect. He received a grade of 40, but finished his Arkansas career as a top pass rusher, with 24 career sacks, 31 tackles for loss and forced eight fumbles.
• Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State: He was a junior college transfer who wasn't highly sought after at all. But it didn't take Ballard long to make a name for himself as he quickly became a star for the Bulldogs in his two seasons, rushing for 2,157 yards and 28 touchdowns.
• Ahmad Black, S, Florida: He came out of high school as the No. 49 safety and wasn't ranked in his region. He started off as a cornerback for Florida, but moved to safety and became quite the player. Black finished his career with 244 tackles and 13 interceptions. He also returned three interceptions for touchdowns.
• Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia: He was rated the No. 41 corner and No. 267 in his region in 2008. At Georgia, he was a dangerous return man, ranking second all-time in the SEC in kickoff return yards (2,593) and is the only player in SEC history with three 100-yard plays of any kind. He was also a tremendous corner, recording nine interceptions, 18 pass breakups and 152 tackles. He was a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2011.
• Randall Cobb, WR, Kentucky: Cobb was ranked as the No. 86 athlete back in 2008 and was overlooked by just about everyone. He played just about everywhere in college and finished his Kentucky career with 1,661 receiving yards, 1,313 rushing yards, 689 passing yards and 1,700 return yards. He also had 42 total touchdowns.
• Nick Fairley, DT, Auburn: The JUCO transfer signed with Auburn in 2007, but didn't qualify and finally made it to the Plains in 2009. He wasn't a highly rated JUCO prospect and was actually the No. 32-rated OT in 2007. He was an absolute star in 2010, setting the Auburn single-season record with 24.0 tackles for loss and had 11.5 sacks. He also earned the Lombardi Award for the nation's best lineman.
• Jerry Franklin, LB, Arkansas: He was a relative nobody coming out of high school as an unranked wide receiver. All he did in his four years was lead the Razorbacks in tackles each year and finished second all-time at Arkansas with 376 total tackles in his career.
• Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt: He was unranked and received a grade of 40 as a safety prospect in 2008. He turned into one of the SEC's best cover corners with the Commodores and left Vanderbilt tied for first in school history with 15 interceptions.
• Brandon James, RB/KR, Florida: He was ranked as the 111th running back back in 2006 and ranked 345th in his region. James made his mark as a return man, as he finished his Florida career with four SEC and 11 Florida records for kickoff and punt returns. He is still the SEC career leader in return yards (4,089) and had five touchdowns on returns.
• Barrett Jones, OL, Alabama: He was ranked as the No. 28 offensive tackle back in 2008, but enters his senior year with the Crimson Tide as arguably the nation's best offensive lineman. His versatility really showed in 2011 when he played just about every position on Alabama's offensive line and won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top interior lineman.
• Tyrann Matheiu, CB, LSU: He was the No. 36 cornerback in 2010 and was unranked in his region with a grade of 77. LSU was his only major offer, but he's been one of the most exciting -- and dangerous -- players to watch on defense and in the return game the last two seasons. He was a Heisman finalist in 2011, led LSU in tackles (71), has forced 11 fumbles in two seasons and has 10 career takeaways.
• Dexter McCluster, RB, Ole Miss: He was ranked the No. 71 running back back in 2006 and was No. 189 in his region. McCluster became an all-purpose star in the SEC during his four years, totaling 1,703 receiving yards, 1,955 rushing yards and 23 offensive touchdowns.
• Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina: He was ranked the No. 99 defensive end back in 2006 and was No. 387 in his region, but he had quite the career at South Carolina, leaving with the all-time record in tackles for loss (54.5) and sacks (29). He finished his career with 255 tackles as well.
• Danny Trevathan, LB, Kentucky: He was an unranked linebacker with a grade of 40 coming out of high school in 2008. He became one of the league's top linebackers in his final two seasons, leading the SEC in tackles both seasons. He finished his career with 372 tackles.
• Prentiss Waggner, DB, Tennessee: He was the No. 50 corner in 2008 and was 305th in his region. Waggner has really been one of Tennessee's best defenders the past two seasons, playing both safety and corner. He has defended 11 passes, recording seven interceptions. He can be a shutdown corner and a ball-hawking safety.
• Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas: He came out of high school as the No. 44 wide receiver in 2008 and was ranked 115th in his region. His 2011 season, in which he led the SEC in receiving, gave him the single-season records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He is also the Arkansas leader in career catches (168) and receiving yards (2,934).

One of the things I like to do every year leading up to national signing day is go back and look at where the players who made All-SEC that season ranked as high school recruits.

Occasionally, it’s stunning how few of the All-SEC players were hot-shot recruits. For instance, of the 11 defensive players who earned first-team, All-SEC honors in 2010 by the Associated Press, only two were ESPNU 150 recruits (ranked among the top 150 players nationally).

It’s a reminder that recruiting rankings are anything but foolproof.

However, the recruiting folks at ESPN batted a much higher percentage with the players on the 2011 All-SEC team.

Using the coaches’ selections this time, 10 of the 22 position players on offense and defense were ESPNU 150 selections coming out of high school.

In fact, both of the running backs -- Trent Richardson and Michael Dyer -- were rated as the No. 1 running back prospects in the country the years they graduated high school.

LSU’s Rueben Randle was the No. 1-rated receiver in 2009, while Arkansas receiver/return specialist Joe Adams was the No. 2-rated athlete in 2008.

So the evaluations by the ESPN recruiting team on the top skill players from this past season in the SEC were dead-on when they were coming out of high school.

It’s a little trickier with the guys up front.

Of the 10 offensive/defensive linemen named to the 2011 All-SEC team by the coaches, counting the tight end, only three were ESPNU 150 selections coming out of high school – Alabama center William Vlachos, Auburn defensive end Corey Lemonier and LSU defensive end Sam Montgomery.

LSU offensive tackle Alex Hurst and Arkansas defensive end Jake Bequette weren’t ranked nationally or regionally as high school prospects.

Using ESPN’s recruiting rankings and the 2011 coaches’ All-SEC team, here’s a look back:

OFFENSE

• QB: Tyler Wilson, Arkansas – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2008. Ranked as the No. 8 quarterback in the class and the No. 82 prospect overall. A grade of 82. Ranked one spot below Andrew Luck that year among quarterbacks. Terrelle Pryor was No. 1. Wilson was the top-rated quarterback to sign with an SEC school in 2008. No. 2 on the list was Jordan Jefferson, and No. 3 was Star Jackson.
• RB: Trent Richardson, Alabama – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2009. The No. 1 running back in the class and the No. 6 prospect overall. A grade of 91. Only two players were rated higher than Richardson that signed with SEC schools in 2009 – No. 3 Russell Shepard to LSU and No. 4 Dre Kirkpatrick to Alabama.
• RB: Michael Dyer, Auburn – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2010. The No. 1 running back in the class and the No. 5 prospect overall. A grade of 87. The No. 1 player that year was Ronald Powell, and No. 3 was Dominique Easley, both defensive linemen who went to Florida.
[+] Enlarge
Nelson Chenault/US PresswireJarius Wright wasn't as highly touted coming out of high school as several other wide receiver prospects who ended up at SEC schools.
• WR: Jarius Wright, Arkansas – Ranked as the No. 44 receiver nationally in 2008 and the No. 115 prospect in the Southeast. A grade of 79. Twelve receivers who signed with SEC schools were rated ahead of Wright, including Julio Jones and A.J. Green. Some of the others rated ahead of Wright included Rod Wilks, Aaron Boyd, T.J. Lawrence, Chris Tolliver, Destin Hood and Frankie Hammond Jr.
• WR: Rueben Randle, LSU – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2009. The No. 1 receiver in the class and the No. 10 overall prospect overall. A grade of 86. Six players that year rated in from of him signed with SEC schools – Russell Shepard, Dre Kirkpatrick, Trent Richardson, Craig Loston, Bryce Brown and Jelani Jenkins.
• TE: Orson Charles, Georgia – Ranked as the No. 15 tight end prospect nationally, the No. 150 prospect in the Southeast and the No. 59 prospect in the state of Florida in 2009. A grade of 79. Arthur Lynch, who also signed with Georgia, was rated ahead of Charles that year at tight end. The top-rated tight end to sign with an SEC school that year was Zaccheus Mason, who went to Ole Miss.
• AP: Joe Adams, Arkansas – An ESPNU 150 selection in 2008. The No. 2 athlete in the class and the No. 41 prospect overall. A grade of 83. The player ranked No. 1 nationally that year as an athlete was Burton Scott, who went to Alabama and later transferred to South Alabama. For what it’s worth, No. 86 on that list was Randall Cobb.
• OL: Barrett Jones, Alabama – Ranked as the No. 28 offensive tackle nationally and the No. 157 prospect in the Southeast in 2008. A grade of 78. The No. 1 offensive tackle that year nationally was Jones’ Alabama teammate, Tyler Love. Another teammate, John Michael Boswell, was also rated ahead of Jones at No. 19.
• OL: Will Blackwell, LSU – Ranked as the No. 15 defensive tackle nationally in the 2007 class and unranked regionally or overall. A grade of 79. The top-rated defensive tackle that year to sign with an SEC school was D.J. Stafford, who went to Kentucky and was No. 2 nationally. John Brown was No. 3 and went to Florida. For what it’s worth, Josh Chapman was the No. 74 defensive tackle, and 18 tackles that year who signed with SEC schools were rated ahead of Chapman.
• OL: Cordy Glenn, Georgia – Ranked as the No. 74 offensive tackle nationally in 2008 and the No. 390 prospect in the Southeast. A grade of 74. Ten offensive tackles who signed with SEC schools that year were rated ahead of Glenn.
• OL: Alex Hurst, LSU – Unranked regionally or nationally with a grade of 40 coming out of Bartlett, Tenn., in 2008. Hurst was able to attract Les Miles’ attention at an LSU football camp.
• C: William Vlachos, Alabama – An ESPNU 150 selection. Ranked as the No. 3 offensive guard nationally and the No. 80 prospect overall in 2007. A grade of 80. The No. 1 offensive guard that year was James Wilson, who went to Florida.

(Read full post)

We're taking one last look at the SEC's postseason by putting together our All-SEC bowl team:

OFFENSE

QB: Connor Shaw, South Carolina: Shaw didn't seem to feel the pressure of a bowl game, completing 11 of 17 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 42 yards and another score in the Gamecocks' win against Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. He even gave South Carolina the momentum going into the second half with a touchdown on a Hail Mary to end the first half.

RB: Vick Ballard, Mississippi State: Ballard ended his career with the Bulldogs with one of his best performances, as he rushed for 180 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries in Mississippi State's win against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl. His touchdowns went for 72 and 60 yards.

RB: Onterio McCalebb, Auburn: As the Tigers' lead back in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, McCalebb had a game-high 109 rushing yards, including a long of 60. He also recorded a three-yard touchdown run and caught two passes for 53 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown in Auburn's win against Virginia.

WR: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina: Jeffery's day would have been even better if he hadn't been ejected. However, he still caught four passes for a game-high 148 yards and snagged Shaw's Hail Mary touchdown pass at the end of the first half. He also had a 78-yard reception.

WR: Tavarres King, Georgia: King tried his best to get Georgia a victory in the Outback Bowl against Michigan State. He was Aaron Murray's best friend, catching six passes for a career-high 205 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown pass that at one point stood as the longest play in Outback Bowl history.

TE: Brad Smelley, Alabama: The Crimson Tide got its passing game going with Smelley in Monday's Allstate BCS National Championship win against LSU. He was AJ McCarron's safety net when plays broke down, and the young quarterback also used Smelley on rollouts. Smelley finished the game with seven catches for 39 yards.

OL: Barrett Jones, Alabama: Behind one of the most versatile linemen in the entire country, Alabama's line held back LSU's defensive front for most of Monday night's game. Alabama ran for 150 yards against LSU's vaunted defense. He also kept McCarron safe, as the youngster was sacked only twice while throwing for 234 yards.

OL: Alvin Bailey, Arkansas: He just keeps looking better and better for the Razorbacks. In Arkansas' AT&T Cotton Bowl victory against Kansas State, he helped Arkansas churn out 129 rushing yards on 4.3 yards per carry and helped give quarterback Tyler Wilson enough time to pass for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

OL: Kyle Nunn, South Carolina: The Gamecocks' offensive line gave up four sacks to Nebraska, but Shaw was still able to throw for 230 yards and two touchdowns. With Nunn's help, the Gamecocks also rushed for 121 yards against the Cornhuskers.

OL: Gabe Jackson, Mississippi State: Ballard's outstanding performance for the Bulldogs wouldn't have been possible if not for some solid line play. Jackson had one of his best outings, as he helped Mississippi State rush for 253 yards and pass for another 129. Mississippi State gave up just one sack to Wake Forest.

C: William Vlachos, Alabama: Vlachos had his hands full with the interior of LSU's defensive line, but he more than held his own. He battled all night with LSU's Michael Brockers and allowed him to assist on just one tackle for loss. He provided a ton of protection in the passing game and helped Alabama rush for 150 yards on LSU's defense.

DEFENSE

DE: Jake Bequette, Arkansas: Bequette said before Arkansas' bowl game that the Hogs' defense needed to make a statement. Bequette certainly made a few in his final game with the Razorbacks, registering two sacks, forcing a fumble and totaling three tackles.

DE: Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina: The freshman put a nice bow on his first season with the Gamecocks. He put a ton of pressure on Nebraska's backfield with two sacks for a loss of 13 yards and finished the game with four tackles.

DT: Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State: Cox wanted to make a lasting impression in his final game with the Bulldogs, and he certainly did by disrupting Wake Forest's offensive line in the Music City Bowl. He finished the game with seven tackles, including two for loss and a sack, and blocked his fifth career kick, which is a Mississippi State record.

DT: Michael Brockers, LSU: Brockers had a tough time with Vlachos in the middle, but that didn't stop him from making plays. He did a tremendous job of clogging holes in the middle for the Tigers and finished the game with seven tackles, assisting on one for loss, and blocked a field goal attempt.

LB: Courtney Upshaw, Alabama: It came as no surprise that Upshaw was named the Defensive Most Valuable Player in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game. He was nearly unblockable for LSU on Monday night. He put immense pressure on LSU's backfield and finished the game with six tackles, including a sack.

LB: Archibald Barnes, Vanderbilt: Barnes was a true rover for Vanderbilt against Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl. He had a game-high 10 tackles, assisting on one for a loss, and blocked a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter that gave Vandy some life late.

LB: Alec Ogletree, Georgia: Georgia might not have come up with the win in the Outback Bowl, but it wasn't because of how Ogletree played. He was all over the field for the Bulldogs, grabbing a game-high 13 tackles, including two for loss, breaking up two passes and getting a sack.

CB: Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt: Yet again, Hayward was tremendous in coverage for the Commodores. He grabbed two interceptions and broke up another pass. He was also second on the team with eight tackles, including one for loss. Cincinnati threw for just 80 yards against the Commodores.

CB: Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina: Gilmore ended his South Carolina career on a high note. He recorded five tackles, including one for loss, and an interception. He also returned a blocked extra point for South Carolina's first points of the game. Nebraska threw for just 116 yards on the Gamecocks' secondary.

S: Mark Barron, Alabama: Barron recorded just two tackles, including a sack, but he was outstanding in coverage. He roamed the back part of the field for the Crimson Tide and didn't allow LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson to stretch the field at all because of his positioning. Jefferson threw for just 53 yards on Alabama.

S: Matt Elam, Florida: Elam was Florida's most consistent player during the regular season, and he was all over the field for the Gators in the Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl against Ohio State. He finished the game with six tackles, two for loss and a sack.

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK: Jeremy Shelley, Alabama: Talk about redeeming the position that spoiled Alabama's first game against LSU. Shelley hit five of his seven field goal attempts against the Tigers and even rebounded to hit four of his final five after having his second attempt blocked in the second quarter.

P: Dylan Breeding, Arkansas: He punted four times for an average of 46.8 yards per kick. He had a long of 63 yards and dropped two inside the 20-yard line against Kansas State.

RS: Joe Adams, Arkansas: Surprise, surprise, Adams made another special teams unit look silly. Against Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl, Adams got things started for the Hogs with a nifty 51-yard punt return for a touchdown. His return sparked a 16-point second quarter for the Hogs.

AP: Brandon Boykin, Georgia: Boykin found a way to put points on the board three different ways in the Outback Bowl. He forced a safety when he stuffed Michigan State's Keshawn Martin on the Spartans' first offensive play, returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown and caught a 13-yard touchdown late. His punt return was the longest play in Outback Bowl history.

1. Alabama offensive tackle Barrett Jones, on Trent Richardson's 34-yard touchdown down the left sideline -- Jones’ side of the field -- after 116 minutes of football against LSU this season: “We finally finished that drive. That was probably the most fun touchdown I’ve ever scored. Two games of frustration of not finding the end zone, just to seal the deal, that was a great feeling.”

2. Alabama won the first shutout in BCS bowl history and the Crimson Tide’s first bowl shutout since the 1963 Orange Bowl, a 17-0 victory over Oklahoma with President John F. Kennedy in attendance. That game was best known for All-American linebacker Lee Roy Jordan, who made 31 tackles in his final college game. This one will be known for Alabama allowing LSU only 92 total yards. The Tigers didn’t cross midfield until midway through the fourth quarter. The Alabama defensive tradition continues.

3. The BCS commissioners meet Tuesday in New Orleans to begin discussions of how to change the postseason. A plus-one will be discussed; a larger format is unlikely. The commissioners, many of whom have served on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee, are wary of the pitfalls (In a four-team seeded format this year, No. 4 Stanford would have made it; No. 5 Oregon, the Pac-12 champ that beat Stanford by three touchdowns, would not). Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said Monday, “How can it work in all the other sports but it can’t work in college football?”

NEW ORLEANS -- The only drama in what remains of the 2011 college football season won’t be saved for just Monday night’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game.

If Alabama should beat LSU, particularly in a close game, then the vote in the final Associated Press poll in the hours following the game could get really interesting.

Can you say split national championship?

Nobody has really wanted to talk about the possibility this past week in New Orleans, and that includes both sides.

“The only thing on our minds is this game,” LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson said. “This is the BCS championship game. It’s not about what we’ve done this season or anything that’s happened in the past. This is the game that counts.”

One by one, the Alabama players have also shrugged off the possibility that they might have to share the national championship if they win on Monday night.

The only time that has happened in the BCS era, ironically, was in 2003, when LSU beat Oklahoma in New Orleans to win the BCS national championship and USC was voted No. 1 in The Associated Press poll after beating Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

“All we can do is play this game,” Alabama running back Trent Richardson said. “They’re going to remember who wins this ballgame, nothing else. It’s just like a lot of people saying we didn’t deserve to be in the game. Well, we are, and we plan on proving to everybody that they got it right by putting us here.”

The winner Monday night is automatically crowned the BCS national champion, but the AP poll is no longer part of the BCS equation.

And already, a sampling of AP voters have said they would seriously consider keeping LSU No. 1 even if the Tigers lose to the Crimson Tide in a close game.

Oklahoma State (12-1) is also sitting there and would warrant some consideration, especially if it’s a sloppy game and Alabama barely squeaks by. The Cowboys were just 18 points behind the Crimson Tide in the final AP regular-season poll.

LSU’s overall body of work is what’s so impressive, and the thinking among some AP voters is that the Tigers would be as deserving as anybody at 13-1 when you consider that they’ve already beaten eight nationally ranked teams, including three top-5 teams, and took down Alabama the first time in Tuscaloosa.

If Alabama were to win handily on Monday night, the talk of a split national title would die down considerably.

Either way, the Crimson Tide’s Outland Trophy winner, offensive tackle Barrett Jones, said nobody on the team has spent any time worrying about having to share the championship with anybody.

“Whoever wins the national championship game is the national champion,” Jones said. “I understand how a lot of people are saying that they’ve already beaten us once, and they have.

“But this is the game for the national championship. They know that, and we know that. No matter what side you’re on, this is the game you wanted to be in when the season began.”

The LSU players didn’t even want to broach the subject of what happens if they come up short on Monday night.

Rather, their focus is on making history. They could become the first unbeaten national champion since the advent of the AP Top 25 poll in 1937 to beat four top-5 teams on their way to the title.

“We want to be remembered as the best team ever,” LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne said. “When you mention LSU, we want people to remember this team.”

NEW ORLEANS -- The push for a playoff in college football hasn’t engulfed Alabama’s team.

In fact, several of the Crimson Tide’s players said Friday they were lukewarm, at best, to the idea of a playoff.

“I’m not sure we should be playing any more games than we already are,” Alabama running back Trent Richardson said. “That’s just more chance for injuries, and nobody’s for that. So I’d say that I’m really not for a playoff. I’m good with the way we’re doing it right now.”

Alabama offensive tackle Barrett Jones said fans probably spend more time picking apart the system than the players.

“I think it’s kind of a misconception that all of the players hate the BCS, and it’s hard to hate the BCS when you’re in the SEC, because it’s been so good to us,” Jones said. “Certainly, we feel like if we win our conference, then we’ll have a chance to play for the title.”

If anything, Jones said he would be in favor of a plus-one format, which was pitched by SEC commissioner Mike Slive in 2008, but didn't receive enough support. Slive said earlier this week that he expects there to be "meaningful discussions" in the coming weeks about changes in the BCS, including going to a four-team playoff.

NEW ORLEANS -- When you’re the quarterback at the University of Alabama, it’s hard to go unnoticed.

Adults know you. Kids know you. And you’re more than likely going to have a random baby named after you.

But somehow, AJ McCarron managed to stay relatively low key during his first season as the Crimson Tide’s starter.

Until his media appearance Thursday inside the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center, McCarron had done a pretty good job of distancing himself from journalists with help from coach Nick Saban.

Shockingly, the player who usually is more recognizable than the governor of Alabama went through most of 2011 away from the public eye.

“When you don’t get to talk to the media all year long, it’s not that [hard to avoid the limelight],” McCarron said.

But as he faced a throng of media members for his mini news conference, he certainly acted like the man in charge of Alabama’s offense. He spoke with confidence and sure looked like the Tide’s quarterback.

While McCarron hasn’t had to feel a ton of media scrutiny this season, his play has been criticized here and there. He will enter Monday’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game against No. 1 LSU with 2,400 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’ll also enter it with a lot of questions.

Is he ready for another big game on the big stage?

Can he fix the mistakes he made the last time?

Can he live up to the high school hype that followed him to Tuscaloosa?

McCarron thinks he can ... and he thinks he will.

You see, McCarron is a perfectionist. Mistakes really eat at him. Not immediately, but with time to sit and fester in his brain, errors can drive McCarron crazy. Dinner with him after a game can be almost unbearable because of his thirst for immediate improvement.

For most of his football life, McCarron has flourished each time he’s taken the field. As a three-year starter in high school, McCarron threw for 6,066 yards, 66 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

With those numbers, it comes as no surprise that the little mistakes that have arisen this season frustrate him so much.

“When little things like that happen, I try to do my best to make sure they don’t happen again,” McCarron said.

That’s why the LSU game still haunts him. There were a handful of throws -- his interception in particular -- he wishes he had back. His poise was off, his throws were wild and his confidence wasn’t as high.

In the losing effort back on Nov. 5, McCarron threw for 199 yards and an interception on 16-of-28 passing. It has some wondering whether he can stand another game against LSU’s talented secondary.

“I don’t really pay attention to that,” he said. “I go out and play my game. I’m basically letting my play do the talking.”

To his teammates, his play has said a lot.

Senior center William Vlachos has marveled at McCarron's ability to show composure in environments at Florida, Penn State and Auburn. He also has been impressed with McCarron’s leadership skills, which emerged instantly after Greg McElroy left and before he was named starter.

“He’s very poised and he’s never wavered,” Vlachos said. “I’ve really been impressed with that. I kind of expected him to get a little bit rattled, being the quarterback at Alabama in those situations for the first times, but he really hasn’t had a problem with that.”

He also hasn’t had much of a problem expressing himself with some emotion on the field. If you watched carefully during the first part of the season, McCarron spent time showing just how much he thought of big plays with some trash talk, goofy celebrations and chest bumps.

“He’s kind of fearless,” junior offensive lineman Barrett Jones said. “He just doesn’t back down from big situations. For a young, first-year quarterback, that’s something that you are really impressed with as an offensive lineman. You can see that in his eyes.”

But after the QB taunted a Florida defensive lineman in early October, Saban told McCarron to tone down his emotions -- a move that proved costly a month later.

On Nov. 5, McCarron had no emotional edge. He wasn’t himself, and he didn’t play like it.

Almost immediately after, Saban told him to rev up that emotion, and here the two are -- days away from competing for a national championship.

McCarron said his antics -- which sometimes can be just random arm flailing, as Jones pointed out -- aren’t just for him. McCarron believes they energize his teammates, and Alabama will need plenty of that against LSU on Monday.

“I gotta play with emotion,” he said.

“That’s how I’ve always played the game. I try to get the best out of every guy around me. I feel like when you do that, when you play the game with emotion, it just gets guys’ energy level to the highest.”

There are many rules to live by in the game of football. But none might be more important than keeping the ball in the hands of your own players.

That rule becomes magnified come bowl season and it is absolutely critical in the national championship game.

SEC teams have held a 14-7 advantage in turnovers during their current five-game win streak in BCS title games. It only makes sense that with two SEC teams battling for national supremacy, winning that turnover battle will mean even more during Monday’s Allstate BCS National Championship Game between No. 1 LSU (13-0, 8-0) and No. 2 Alabama (11-1, 7-1).

“This is the biggest game that we’re all going to play in our lives, so we have to do everything to come out mistake-free,” LSU wide receiver Rueben Randle said.

Both teams were superb when it came to turnovers during the regular season. The Tigers dominated the turnover battle, leading the SEC with a turnover margin of plus-22, while Alabama was second only to LSU with 12 turnovers.

The Tigers have handed the ball over just eight times this season, with four coming on the road or at neutral sites. Alabama has just two turnovers away from home.

But two of Alabama’s 12 turnovers came against the Bayou Bengals during its heartbreaking 9-6 overtime loss back in November. Both were interceptions, and both had major impacts on the outcome.

“We’re looking to keep the ball in our own hands (this time),” Alabama offensive lineman Barrett Jones said.

Costly turnovers like the ones Alabama suffered against LSU are more devastating this time of year.

Alabama should already know that. Against Texas in the 2009 title game, the Longhorns turned the ball over five times in Alabama’s 37-21 win. Four of those were Garrett Gilbert interceptions and one was a Gilbert fumble. Gilbert’s first pick came in the second quarter, with the Longhorns driving deep in Alabama territory, while the second one was taken for a touchdown by Alabama’s Marcell Dareus to make it 24-6 late in the second quarter.

Gilbert’s third was the killer, as he was picked by Javier Arenas on Texas’ last chance to get back in the game.

A year earlier, Oklahoma threw away its chances at a national championship win over Florida with two Sam Bradford interceptions. One came inside the Gators’ 10-yard line right before the half, while the second totally changed the game when Florida safety Ahmad Black snatched Bradford’s throw away from a receiver at Florida’s 24-yard line with the Sooners driving in the fourth quarter.

Florida scored on the ensuing drive to put the game away with a 10-point lead.

With the defenses Alabama and LSU have, keeping the ball out of their hands will be a top priority for both offenses.

But it certainly won’t be easy for Alabama. LSU is a takeaway machine. The Tigers have recorded 30 thus far. It’s as if LSU’s defense feeds off turnovers in order to survive.

We saw how three turnovers crushed Georgia’s spirit in the SEC championship and how the game really got away from Arkansas with its three turnovers in Baton Rouge, La.

“We set out to operate in beating an opponent in the turnover margin. Period,” LSU coach Les Miles said. “We snap it offensively, we want to return it to the huddle, we want to bring it back. Defensively, we work hard. We’re looking at strips, we’re looking at picks and the opportunity to get the ball back for our team.”

Monday will be about forcing the other team to make more mistakes. It can come with more pressure put on Alabama’s young quarterback in A.J. McCarron. It can come with Alabama forcing LSU’s up-and-down passer in Jordan Jefferson to make silly plays.

And it can always come when players try to do too much.

The bottom line is that turnovers usually determine any football game, and chances are they absolutely will determine who walks out of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Monday with that coveted crystal trophy in hand.

“It can be huge because they’re a great team,” Alabama center William Vlachos said.

“This defense is one of the most exceptional defenses that I’ve ever played against. We can’t turn the ball over if we want to win.”

Alabama received some good news Friday when top offensive lineman Barrett Jones announced that he will return to school to play for the Crimson Tide next season.

The Outland Trophy winner started 10 games at left tackle for Alabama, but proved to be one of the most versatile lineman around when he moved all over the line during the season. Before the season, Barrett made his home at right guard, but played everywhere but there this year.

Jones graduated with a 4.0 average and a degree in accounting and is enrolled in graduate school.

With Jones returning, Alabama will bring back four very experienced offensive linemen from this season. That's certainly a very good thing for this team, considering junior running back Trent Richardson is likely heading to the NFL as a top draft pick.