ESPN College Football

Zac Stacy had the chance to play ultimate hero a little more than three months ago. We’re talking legend material as far as Vanderbilt football is concerned.

With the Commodores leading then No. 10 Arkansas 28-20 early in the fourth quarter and facing a second-and-goal at the Razorbacks’ 3-yard line, Vanderbilt’s running back, who three plays earlier had put Vanderbilt in scoring position with a 44-yard reception, took the safe handoff, lowered his head and charged toward the end zone.

However, just before Stacy could truly get going, his grip loosened. He was stripped of the ball and watched Arkansas linebacker Jerry Franklin chug 94 yards the other way for a touchdown.

Arkansas tied the game with a two-point conversation and eventually won on a 42-yard Zach Hocker field goal.

Vandy’s chance at a historic upset had slipped away in a matter of only a few plays.

Stacy could have easily caved and taken to major self-loathing, but he didn’t. As hard as it was, he managed to put that game behind him and focus on tasks ahead.

“That’s the mentality that I had,” Stacy said.

“If I could go back to that game, I would, because that could have been a ‘W’ in our book. But at that same time, you can’t [dwell] on that loss, on that mistake, you have to do what’s best for your team and get better for the next game.”

It worked for Stacy, as he rushed for 486 yards and eight touchdowns in Vandy’s final five games. He also had a tremendous 184-yard, three-touchdown performance in the Commodores’ win over Wake Forest to clinch a bowl berth for the first time since 2008.

Stacy’s impressive end-of-season run capped one of the best seasons for an SEC running back. A year removed from handling just 66 carries, Stacy finished the 2011 season No. 3 in the SEC in rushing with 1,193 yards and was second (behind only Trent Richardson) in touchdowns (14). He also averaged 5.7 yards per carry in league play.

Stacy, who will be a senior this fall, enjoyed quite the breakout year, but he says there wasn’t much he changed with his preseason preparation to get him going. The extra reps he received with former starter Warren Norman sidelined with a knee injury helped, but even before Norman went down, Stacy says he practiced and worked out as if he were the starter.

Once the coaches gained more trust in his abilities, Stacy was off and running (literally).

“It was just one of those things where you had to step up,” Stacy said.

“It really wasn’t anything I was doing specifically. Every guy each year gets faster, stronger and mentally ready for the season. It was one of those things when your name is called and you have to step up.”

With Stacy humming like a brand-new car, the Commodores found some explosion in their offense. And as defenses paid more attention to him the offense opened up.

Vanderbilt, which had been mired in offensive ineptitude before 2011, finished the year seventh in the SEC in total offense. Stacy was the catalyst, but he says it was a total team effort. As the season went on and players were getting more comfortable with new coach James Franklin and his offensive staff, Stacy said people started taking on more responsibility and everyone held each other accountable.

“It wasn’t exactly me clicking,” Stacy said, “it was just that the whole team began to click.”

Now, Vandy enters spring with unusually high expectations after a bowl year. People won’t take the Commodores lightly this time, but Stacy insists that neither he nor his teammates have to change their approach. There are silly mistakes that have to be eliminated, but that comes with better execution and discipline, which will no doubt be stressed during a tougher offseason in Nashville.

Change came last year for the Commodores, and Stacy said the next step is just building off of it.

“We’re not going to change. We’re just going to be who we are,” he said. “We’re going to be Vanderbilt football and execute in all phases of the game -- offense, special teams, defense -- and everything will fall in place.”

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).

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- There is a quiet storm brewing in Fayetteville.

Behind the scenes of the mega Alabama-LSU game Saturday, Arkansas was busy creeping closer into BCS consideration.

While defensive coordinators around the country watched in astonishment at what was transpiring in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Saturday, the Razorbacks were putting on an offensive show at “The Game” outside of “The Game.”

With swirling winds through Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Arkansas glided up and down the field with its high-powered passing game against a more than solid South Carolina defense on the way to a 44-28 win.

Even with all the talent the Gamecocks possessed on that side of the ball, the Razorbacks were far too much. They were faster and tougher on Homecoming, and the slow starts that plagued them in recent weeks had vanished, as the Razorbacks produced 435 yards of total offense.

Arkansas started fast, scoring first for the first time since the Troy game eight weeks ago, and finished strong, scoring the final 14 points.

“I thought we were the more physical team out on the field,” Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino said. “That’s what we kind of harped on all week long. We had to play physical, play fast, be aggressive. I really felt like we did that.

“Our defense did an excellent job in the first half of completely shutting them down. Offensively, we were able to answer whenever they scored.”

While watching Petrino talk about his team, you could hear the confidence in his voice and actually feel the joy he took from defeating the No. 9 team in the country.

He acted as if his team had just done something extraordinary. He admitted there were mistakes, but he talked about how his team battled and how it responded so well to each of those mistakes.

There were the two touchdown drops and the pick-six in the second quarter that could have sent this team reeling and thinking that the mistakes of old were back. But the Hogs didn’t fret.

After Tyler Wilson's errant pass to South Carolina defensive end Devin Taylor was taken 48 yards for a touchdown, he came right back on the first play of Arkansas’ next drive and heaved a 68-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright.

From there, the Hogs outscored South Carolina 27-14 and Wilson finished with 299 passing yards and two touchdowns.

“I felt like we were the faster team on the field. I really did,” Petrino said, confidence flowing. “The whole game, I didn’t think they could cover our receivers, we felt like we were running the ball well -- Dennis [Johnson] was hitting holes. We just needed to score more touchdowns. There could have easily been 60 points on the board.”

And they should have. Drops and miscues ruined early drives and while it ate at Petrino and Wilson, they pressed on and this team finally played that complete game Petrino was looking for.

This team showed that when it gets going, it’s hard to stop. There has been so much talk about LSU and Alabama -- and rightfully so -- but Arkansas proved that it can’t be counted out of the SEC and beyond.

LSU’s 9-6 overtime win over Alabama proved as much, making the showdown between the Tigers and Hogs potentially "The Next Game."

But that can wait. For now, the Hogs are just thrilled that all of their goals are still attainable.

“We’ve always felt like we were a legit team,” linebacker Jerry Franklin said. “The SEC West is tough and the SEC is a tough conference in general.

“We’re doing what we need to do to just take care of what we need to do.”

Wright added that it’s time for this team to be taken more seriously because it is as dangerous as its talent suggests.

“When we’re on our game, it’s hard to stop us,” he said.

As for Petrino, he knows what he has. The errors have shown more than the success at times, but he sees his 8-1 team and realizes that something special could still happen.

“I like our team. I like the way we compete,” he said. “I think you see a tremendous amount of competitive spirit from our players, great leadership from our seniors. We pulled out some tough ones on the road and it shows that we’re coming closer together as a family because we really stick together.

“You can’t say enough about having competitive spirit and finding ways to win games.”

Time to pass out a few helmet stickers as the countdown has now officially begun to next week’s SEC Super Bowl:

Georgia coach Mark Richt: A lot of teams would have unraveled after an 0-2 start to the season, especially when there were so many high expectations. But Richt’s leadership and quiet confidence have steered the Bulldogs back to the forefront of the Eastern Division race. All the negativity surrounding the program after that 0-2 start never made its way onto the team or inside the Bulldogs’ locker room, and that’s a credit to Richt and his entire staff.

Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia: Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said before the season that Jones would make a big impact on the Bulldogs’ defense, and the USC transfer has certainly delivered. The sophomore outside linebacker had four sacks in Georgia’s 24-20 win over Florida and also forced a fumble at the Gators’ 18-yard line in the third quarter that led to a game-tying touchdown. Jones’ final sack came on fourth down late in the game and all but finished the Gators.

Jerry Franklin, LB, Arkansas: His 94-yard fumble return for a touchdown turned the entire game around and spearheaded the Hogs’ come-from-behind 31-28 victory over Vanderbilt on the road. The Commodores had the ball at the Hogs’ 3-yard line and were about to take a two-touchdown lead early in the fourth quarter, but Franklin scooped up Zac Stacy’s fumble and raced 94 yards for a touchdown. The Hogs converted the two-point conversion and tied the game. Franklin also led Arkansas with 10 tackles, including 2.5 for loss.

Clint Moseley, QB, Auburn: It was rude welcome to the SEC as a starting quarterback last week for Moseley against LSU, but he came back with a vengeance in the Tigers’ 41-23 win over Ole Miss. Moseley threw the first four touchdown passes of his career, including a pair of scoring strikes to tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen. Moseley, who finished 12-of-15 for 160 yards and no interceptions, also connected with Emory Blake and Quindarius Carr on touchdown passes.

Ellis Johnson, South Carolina assistant head coach for the defense: OK, he’s got a long title, but his defense is carrying the Gamecocks right now. South Carolina beat Tennessee 14-3 on Saturday, the fifth consecutive game that the Gamecocks have held an opponent to 16 points or less. South Carolina held Tennessee to 186 total yards and intercepted two passes, one of those coming after the Vols had intercepted a pass and returned it to the Gamecocks’ 2-yard line. In three of their past five games, the Gamecocks have held opponents without a touchdown.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- One of the biggest wins of the game so far goes to Arkansas’ defense, which held Alabama to a field goal after the Crimson Tide had it first-and-goal from inside the 1 in the second quarter.

It’s the kind of stand everybody wondered if this Arkansas defense had in it.

Willy Robinson’s unit answered that question, at least early.

Surprisingly, Alabama’s Trent Richardson only got one touch down on the goal line, and that came on third down. He never had a chance as Arkansas linebackers Alonzo Highsmith and Jerry Franklin were on top of Richardson as soon as he got it.

Alabama tried a quarterback sneak on first down and gave it to Jalston Fowler on second down.

Richardson was motioning to the sideline for the coaches to call his number, but was swarmed under when he got the ball a few seconds later.

By popular demand, my SEC fearless predictions are back.

And this season, you’re not only going to get mine, but Edward Aschoff will also join the fray.

So that’s 20 predictions to live by in the SEC this season.

A few of mine last season were right on the money.

Among them: Randall Cobb scoring touchdowns four different ways, Vanderbilt scoring 20 points or more in an SEC game, Tennessee losing at least six games for the third time in six seasons and SEC commissioner Mike Slive averaging three more hours of sleep per night with Lane Kiffin no longer in the conference.

Turns out I was a little too conservative on Slive’s sleep habits. The commissioner tells me it was closer to four more hours of sleep with Kiffin on the West Coast.

OK, he didn’t really say that, but he did think it was funny.

And, yes, I did miss a few last season. For example, Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson didn’t each rush for 1,000 yards. In fact, neither one of them did. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett didn’t throw 40 touchdown passes. He was “held” to 32. Georgia didn’t win 10 games, either. Instead, the Bulldogs finished 6-7, the first losing season of the Mark Richt era.

We don’t rest on our laurels on the SEC blog (good or bad), so let’s delve deeper into what to expect this season.

Here are 10 predictions to live by in 2011:

1. The SEC will make it six in a row. I’m not going as far as to say it will be a fifth different team, but the SEC will extend its streak to six straight BCS national championships. For what it’s worth, no conference had won more than three in a row before the SEC went on its current tear.

2. Alabama senior linebacker Courtney Upshaw will lead the SEC in sacks. He was plagued by an ankle injury early last season, but lived in the opposing backfield the last two games. He had five of his seven sacks against Auburn and Michigan State. The 6-2, 265-pound senior will make a run at doubling that number this season.

3. South Carolina will win 10 games. Granted, some people out there may be shrugging their shoulders and saying, “Ten wins? That’s no big deal.” Well, it would be for the Gamecocks when you consider they’ve only won 10 or more games one time in school history. The key will be getting to 10 in the regular season.

4. Arkansas senior linebacker Jerry Franklin will lead the Hogs in tackles … again. If you’re counting, that would be four straight seasons, making him the first player in Arkansas history to accomplish that feat. Franklin has improved on his tackle total every year. He had 87 as a redshirt freshman, 94 as a sophomore and 100 last season as a junior.

5. Ohio State’s bowl drought against the SEC will continue. We all thought the Buckeyes’ futility against the SEC in bowl games had finally ended with their 31-26 win over Arkansas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. But Ohio State announced in July that it was vacating all of its wins from the 2010 season for playing ineligible players. So, officially, the Buckeyes are still 0-9 against the SEC in bowl games. Come January, probably in either the Capital One or Outback bowls, look for that drought to reach 10 in a row. At this rate, the SEC might have everybody off of probation before the Buckeyes ever beat an SEC team in a bowl game.

6. There will be more Colonel Reb sightings than Black Bear sightings in The Grove. I can’t speak for all the fine folks at Ole Miss, but this whole Black Bear business still seems odd. At the very least, I hear Ole Miss’ new on-field mascot, who’s nicknamed “Rebel” by the way, has learned the words to “Hotty Toddy.”

7. LSU sophomore running back Spencer Ware will rush for 1,200 yards. With all the talk about the suspensions of quarterback Jordan Jefferson and receiver Russell Shepard, don’t forget that the Tigers still have a slew of talented playmakers on offense. Right there at the top is Ware, who can also catch it and throw it. The Tigers will put his many talents to good use this season.

8. South Carolina’s super-duper combo of Marcus Lattimore and Alshon Jeffery will combine for more than 3,000 all-purpose yards for the second straight season. A year ago, Lattimore had 1,197 rushing yards and 412 receiving yards, while Jeffery racked up 1,517 receiving yards. Defenses will be keying on their every move this season, but they open up things for each other.

9. Vanderbilt will win as many games as they have the last two seasons combined. That means the Commodores will win at least four games in James Franklin’s first season as coach. They won two each of the last two seasons, winning just one SEC game along the way. Only five times in the last 16 seasons has Vanderbilt won more than three games.

10. Georgia will beat Florida. I went out on a limb last season and wrongly predicted the Bulldogs would win 10 games, so call me delusional for venturing down a similar path again this season. I’m not predicting 10 wins, but I am predicting that Georgia will finally take out some frustration against Florida and beat the Gators on Oct. 29 in Jacksonville. How big would a win over Florida be for Georgia? Since the 1990 season, Georgia has won a grand total of three times in a rivalry that hasn’t been much of one for the last two decades.

The Razorbacks are ready for some football.

Offseason 7-on-7 workouts are over and the Hogs officially got things started by naming their captains for the upcoming season.

On the eve of fall camp, the team voted on captains, and coach Bobby Petrino released the names of the six captains Thursday -- junior running back Knile Davis, junior quarterback Tyler Wilson, senior wide receiver Jarius Wright, senior defensive end Jake Bequette, senior linebacker Jerry Franklin and senior safety/linebacker Jerico Nelson.

You probably read through that list and didn't stop, but upon further review, when you see "Tyler Wilson," your eyebrows have to rise a little.

For starters, if you're an Arkansas fan, it must feel pretty good to know that the players have that much faith and confidence in the first-year starter. Everyone who knows a lick about the SEC has heard -- or seen -- Wilson's breakout performance when he replaced Ryan Mallett against Auburn last season and threw for 332 yards and four touchdowns. But there was still concern if he'd be able to sustain that type of play with all the pressure on him.

According to his teammates, he should.

"The thing about Tyler is he gets better every day," wide receiver Cobi Hamilton said Wednesday. "It's real funny to go out there and watch him because he gets better every day. You can tell by the vocal leadership and everything he does by his movements every day. I think he'll be all right and he'll have a great season.

"He's opened up a lot since Ryan left, and everybody sees that and everybody knows that he's going to the be the man this year. We're all behind Tyler, and we have his back."

The second thing you should take from this is that Petrino's not-so-well-kept secret is probably out -- that Wilson is Arkansas' starting quarterback.

Still, Petrino insists that Wilson is very much battling it out with sophomore Brandon Mitchell, but he sounds so close to handing the offense off to Wilson.

"Tyler has an opportunity to do a very, very good job for us," Petrino said. "He's been in the offense for four years now. He's done a good job when he's come in games. We all saw what he did in the Auburn game last year. But also the next week, when we had that marathon game with Ole Miss, the two lightning delays, Tyler came in and finished the game and converted some tough third downs and helped us win the ballgame. Been very impressed with the way he's prepared in the offseason, the leadership role that he's working to take over."

And Arkansas is looking to take over the SEC. The expectations are high for the Hogs and they expect to garner elite-level respect this season.

"I don't really want to say that anybody fears us, but I do think we are on the level with top-named schools now," Wright said. "When people see Arkansas they are going to game plan a lot and very smart against us."

Today we take a look at the SEC linebackers. The front sevens in this league are always good and 2011 shouldn't be any different.

Here's how the teams stacked up:

1. Alabama: There are a lot of strengths on this Alabama team, but the linebackers should be very fun to watch this fall. Courtney Upshaw and Dont’a Hightower are back to full speed and are considered top players at their positions. With them back, the Tide should have a much more aggressive pass rush. Nico Johnson and C.J. Mosley improved even more this spring and will get time in the middle when Hightower is outside at the "Jack" position. Mosely blossomed as a freshman and could be a star in the making. Jarrell Harris seems to finally be coming around and Chris Jordan gives them another body in the front seven.

2. Florida: This group struggled to stay consistent at times last fall, but the new coaching staff was pleased with the progress it made this spring. There is a lot talent out there and now there are two distinct leaders in Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic, who should occupy the middle when the Gators go to the 3-4. Both are tremendous athletes and should be a solid duo this fall. Florida also has former No. 1 high school prospect Ronald Powell playing that linebacker/defensive end hybrid spot called the Buck. He’ll stand up a lot this season and should elevate himself near the top of the SEC pass-rushing list. Cal transfer Chris Martin earned a ton of praise last year on the practice squad and will be a hybrid as well. Converted safety Dee Finley will play outside and there is some good, but young, depth in the wings.

3. Arkansas: This area of the team improved a lot during the season and this spring. It’s headlined by Jerry Franklin, who has led the Razorbacks in tackles the last three seasons. He has 271, including 21.5 for loss in his career. Strongside hybrid Jerico Nelson was second on the team in tackles and has the speed to get all over the field. Nelson will occasional drop back and play safety as well. This linebacker tandem will be one of the best out there this fall. The major plus for the Razorbacks is that there is finally some really good depth at the position. Bret Harris, Jarrett Lake and Terrell Williams came on strong on the outside this spring, while Ross Rasner was making strides until he was arrested and suspended indefinitely this spring.

4. Georgia: There is no shortage of athleticism in Georgia’s linebacker corps. Alec Ogletree moved down from safety and while he’s bulked up, he’s still got tremendous closing speed and will make a ton of plays at middle linebacker. Next to him is defensive leader Christian Robinson, who left spring as one of Georgia’s most consistent linebackers. On the outside, USC transfer Jarvis Jones will occupy the weak side and the coaches feel he might be more of a complete player than Justin Houston. On the other end, Cornelius Washington might not be getting a ton of publicity, but he’s no slouch and can run with the best of them.

5. LSU: Like most of the Tigers’ positions, this one might not have a ton of in-game experience, but the athleticism is too good not to praise. LSU lost leading tackler and monster in the middle Kelvin Sheppard, but there should be enough able bodies to make this unit one of the tops in the league this fall. Ryan Baker is now the leader out there and can keep up with some of the best offensive weapons out there. He’ll play on the weak side, while converted safety Karnell Hatcher moved down from safety and took reps at middle linebacker, but could find his home outside. Sophomore Kevin Minter spent his spring trying to fill Sheppard’s void and has made vast improvements. Senior Stefoin Francois provides veteran depth for the Tigers on the outside, while there are a few young, able bodies ready to contribute as well.

6. Kentucky: Things start with one of the nation’s best in Danny Trevathan. He led the SEC with 144 tackles a year ago and the word out of Lexington is that he’s looking to be even better this fall and wants to move around the field a lot more. Ronnie Sneed returns as the starter in the middle, after grabbing 61 tackles a year ago. He made some nice improvements this spring. Ridge Wilson will be another hybrid on the outside, and will occasionally lineup as a rush end for the Wildcats. The talented Winston Guy, who has played just about everywhere on Kentucky’s defense has finally settled into his home at linebacker and should play closer to the line of scrimmage and be a nickel linebacker.

7. South Carolina: The Gamecocks got an immediate upgrade to this position with the return of Shaq Wilson, after he missed last year with a hamstring injury. Wilson is known as the quarterback of the defense and led South Carolina in tackles in 2009. The player that could really make noise in this unit is DeVonte Holloman, who is moving from safety to the hybrid Spur position. He’ll drop back into coverage and rush from the outside to give the Gamecocks another weapon in the pass rush. Upperclassmen Reggie Bowens and Rodney Paulk will get some reps in the middle this fall, while Damario Jeffery and Quinn Smith will compete for time outside.

8. Tennessee: The Volunteers are still trying to find out what this group is made of. Junior Herman Lathers is back and he’s the most experienced player at the position. He had 75 tackles last season and will man the weak side for the Vols. Senior Daryl Vereen should get time at strong side, but he still has some developing to do. Senior Austin Johnson, a converted fullback, will get time in the middle with All-SEC freshman pick John Propst. The jury is still out on this unit and youngsters like A.J. Johnson, Curt Maggitt and Christian Harris will have to develop quickly.

9. Auburn: The Tigers are almost back to the drawing board at linebacker. Both Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens are gone, leaving Daren Bates as the lone returning starter. Bates is a converted safety, but settled nicely into the linebacker position well last fall. Inexperience looms after that as sophomore Jake Holland is a projected starter in the middle and junior Jonathan Evans will get time at weakside. Former junior college standout Eltoro Freeman, has the potential to be a menace, but has yet to truly step up for the Tigers. They’ll need that light bulb to go on this year.

10. Mississippi State: First thing’s first -- the Bulldogs must replace three starting linebackers this season. That won’t be easy or fun in Starkville. But help could be on the way in Clemson transfer Brandon Maye, who was a three-year starter with the Tigers. Coach Dan Mullen said he’s a player they expect to come in and take one of those openings at linebacker. Mississippi State still has senior leader Brandon Wilson, who players fed off of this spring. Chris Hughes and Cam Lawrence also made strides, but expect a lot of rotation from new defensive coordinator Chris Wilson.

11. Vanderbilt: Chris Marve is one of the top linebackers in the nation. He’s got great field instincts and matches his skill with the best of them. Just having him on the field makes this group better. But after him, the Commodores have a lot of questions. Vanderbilt must replace outside linebackers John Stokes and Nate Campbell, and though there are six candidates, they have just start among them. Coming out of spring, juniors Tristan Strong and Archibald Barnes and sophomore Chase Garnham are the leading candidates to see valuable playing time.

12. Ole Miss: Losing D.T. Shackelford was an enormous blow to the Rebels. Not only was he Ole Miss’ best defensive player but he was the emotional leader of the team. He was going to carry this team as far as he could go. Now, the Rebels have a wealth of inexperience to deal with. Things got even worse when sophomore linebacker Clarence Jackson was dismissed following his arrest for public drunkenness. The pressure is now on incoming freshman C.J. Johnson, who was the top prospect coming out of the state of Mississippi. He could jump right into Shackelford’s spot. Mike Marry and Ralph Wilson worked in Shackelford’s spot this spring and Joel Knight returns as a starter outside.

We thought ranking the running backs was hard -- then the linebackers came along.

It shouldn't come as much of a shock that we had trouble getting our rankings in order with all of the talent out there in the SEC, but it's pretty hard to go wrong with this list.

Here's what we came up with:

1. Dont'a Hightower, Alabama, Jr.: He was never truly 100 percent last season after that devastating knee injury in 2009. However, the pain is finally gone and Hightower is looking to really take off in 2011. When he’s healthy, he’s as exciting to watch as any linebacker out there. He'll start in the middle, but moves outside the "Jack" position and plays in different spots on passing downs. Even though he was hobbled last year, he was second on the team with 69 tackles.

2. Courtney Upshaw, Alabama, Sr.: Upshaw is back to full health after dealing with a nagging ankle injury in 2010. This spring, he was flying around practice and should be one of the top pass-rushers on the outside. He's another one of those Jacks who might start on the outside, but Upshaw will make plays all over the field this fall. He ended last season with some mighty playing momentum, registering five sacks in the final two games.

3. Jerry Franklin, Arkansas, Sr.: Franklin has been an absolute beast for the Razorbacks. He’s lead Arkansas in tackles the last three seasons, and there’s no reason for us not to think he won’t do it again. Franklin is also pretty quick on his feet and has a nose for the ball. He has five career interceptions and five forced fumbles.

4. Danny Trevathan, Kentucky, Sr.: Talk about being the hardest working man on the field. Trevathan led the SEC with 144 tackles a year ago and was third with 16 of them behind the line of scrimmage. He’s Kentucky’s most trusted defender and was the first Kentucky linebacker to ever earn any sort of All-America first-team honors.

5. Chris Marve, Vanderbilt, Sr.: Marve is arguably Vanderbilt’s best overall player. If not for a knee injury that cost him one game in 2011, Marve might have made it three straight years with 100 or more tackles. He played the entire last season in some sort of pain and was still able to cover a lot of ground over the middle of the field.

6. Ryan Baker, LSU, Sr.: One thing that makes Baker so imposing against offenses is his speed. He has tremendous closing speed and his play could be the key to the functionality of LSU’s young but very athletic defense. Kelvin Sheppard is gone, so the defense will be leaning on Baker for not only his play but his leadership skills. Baker had 87 tackles last year and led the team with seven sacks.

7. Jelani Jenkins, Florida, So.: Jenkins developed as last season went on, but he was inconsistent at times. He showed he’s got wheels and somehow found the ball a ton, finishing second on the team with 76 tackles. Jenkins really took to Dan Quinn’s multiple defense this spring and will be called on to be one of the voices on defense. He’ll line up outside in the 4-3 and will be inside when Florida is in the 3-4.

8. Ronald Powell, Florida, So.: Powell could have made this list as a defensive end, but with him playing the hybrid Buck and primarily playing linebacker last year, we stuck him here. After struggling through his first year, Powell was a changed man this spring and from all accounts finally looked like what the No. 1 high school prospect should look like. The defensive staff has complete trust in Powell and with his freakish athleticism and ability, he immediately becomes Florida’s top pass-rusher.

9. DeVonte Holloman, South Carolina, Jr.: Holloman made the switch form safety and will now be the Gamecocks’ hybrid linebacker known as the Spur. With defensive back speed and weighing 230 pounds, he should be just fine at his new position. The question is whether the staff will keep him there. The strong safety spot was never filled this spring, so Holloman could move back. As long as he’s here, he’s going to add a quality roving weapon to the Gamecocks' defense.

10. Jarvis Jones, Georgia, So.: He finally gets on the field after sitting out a year because of his transfer from USC. He’ll line up on the weak side, so he’s not exactly Justin Houston, but the coaches at Georgia think he might be a more complete player at linebacker. He can rush the passer and stop the run. Jones should have a big year in his new conference.

The SEC is perennially brimming with great defensive players.

And while Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley was a big surprise a year ago, you knew at the beginning of the season that Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson would both be strong candidates for SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

It's a little trickier looking ahead to the 2011 season.

Alabama has several candidates, including linebackers Dont'a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw and safety Mark Barron. Arkansas linebacker Jerry Franklin, Vanderbilt linebacker Chris Marve and Kentucky linebacker Danny Trevathan have all been extremely productive. The same goes for cornerbacks Morris Claiborne of LSU, Stephon Gilmore of South Carolina, Brandon Boykin of Georgia and Casey Hayward of Vanderbilt.

If you're looking for top pass-rushers, Arkansas' Jake Bequette, South Carolina's Devin Taylor and Tennessee's Malik Jackson all come to mind.

There are sure to be other premier defenders who emerge as well. In particular, keep an eye on some of that young talent on Florida's defensive line.

Tell us what you think and vote in our poll on who will be the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year in 2011. I'll go over the results next week in a post. And, yes, there are plenty of other deserving candidates than just the five listed. But we can only have five.

So vote away.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- One of the first speeches Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino shared with his team last season centered around holding the proverbial rope.

Everybody takes a shot at holding that rope -- the offense, defense and special teams.

When one unit is struggling, the other may have to hold it a little bit longer.

That’s just part of being a team.

Don’t be surprised in 2011 if Arkansas’ defense ends up holding that rope as much or more than the offense, which is more a reflection of how much the Hogs have progressed on defense than it is a warning of any slippage on offense.

“Everybody believes on defense now, and we have guys who’ve been in this system for a long time,” said senior Jerico Nelson, who doubles as a safety/linebacker for the Hogs.

“We got better on defense last year and stepped up in some games. But in the games we needed to step up in, we didn’t. We lost all three of those games -- Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State. We have to learn to start fast and continue to play fast, and that’s what we’ve done this spring.”

When Petrino first arrived at Arkansas, spring practice was one big fireworks show for his offense.

There were big plays all over the field, quick-strike touchdowns and not a lot of defense.

This spring has been different. The defense has won a lot more battles than it’s lost, which is the way it is at most championship-caliber programs in the spring -- particularly in the SEC.

“A lot of it is the maturity of the guys here and going through what we did together when we were younger,” said senior middle linebacker Jerry Franklin, who had a career-high 100 tackles last season and is bidding to become the first player in Arkansas history to lead the team in tackles for four straight seasons.

“We’re older now and have blended together into a good defense. But we don’t just want to be a good defense. We’re trying to become a top 10 or top 5 defense in the country. We have the guys to do it and the game plan to do it. We just have to go out and get it done.”

Defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, who took his share of heat those first two seasons, deserves a lot of credit for staying the course. He put his entire system in and didn’t deviate from that system even when the Hogs were giving up points in bunches.

That first season, they went one three-game stretch against Alabama, Texas and Florida and gave up a combined 139 points.

Even during the second season, the Hogs finished 89^th nationally in total defense and went eight straight games where they allowed a touchdown play of 60 yards or longer.

But last season, a lot of those defenders grew up, and Arkansas improved to 36^th nationally in total defense. Just about all of those guys are back, too.

“It’s gratifying to see them so confident with each other and playing faster,” Robinson said. “We stuck with our system. We didn’t try and change our system. It wasn’t like there was a discontinuance for them, so they were able to get better at what they were doing.”

Robinson went into this venture with his eyes wide open, too.

Soon after arriving from the St. Louis Rams, even his wife, Susan, could tell that the defensive personnel wasn’t anywhere close to what it needs to be to compete for championships in the SEC.

“Our first spring here, my wife, who had grown up in Pennsylvania and knew a lot about football, sat down there and said, ‘You guys look like a high school football team. That doesn’t look like a college team. I don’t know how you’re going to compete in the SEC because I’ve seen those people, too,’ ” Robinson recounted.

“We just had to work our rear ends off, and our strength staff has done a great job.”

The Hogs now look like an SEC championship-caliber defense in their front seven in terms of their size and depth in the defensive line and their athleticism and speed at linebacker.

That’s keeping in mind, too, that their two best defensive tackles, Byran Jones and DeQuinta Jones, were out this spring while recovering from injuries.

“You see in those championship teams that they all have good offenses, but what separates them is that every one of them has a great front seven,” said senior defensive end Jake Bequette, who led the team with seven sacks last season.

The Hogs also possess experience and skill in their secondary, although Robinson thinks they might be a cornerback or two short in terms of depth.

“Without a doubt, we feel like we can be playing for our conference championship in Atlanta,” Robinson said. “We feel that in all of our hearts. We’ve taken a step every year, and our kids are really driven to do that. We had so many freshmen playing for us our first year on defense. That was scary, but it helped us on down the line.

“Our offense has carried us for so long. We’re at a point now, though, where our defense should be able to hold the rope for a lot longer.”

Who in the SEC can claim the Linebacker U. moniker this season?

Here’s a rundown:

1. Alabama: How many teams lose a player the caliber of Rolando McClain in the middle and replace him with somebody just as talented? Dont’a Hightower made an amazing recovery from a serious knee injury and was going through contact in the spring. He’ll play in the middle of the Crimson Tide’s base defense and will rush the passer from the “jack” linebacker position on passing downs. Courtney Upshaw, Jerrell Harris, Chris Jordan and Nico Johnson are also back, and all four have star potential.

2. Georgia: With the Bulldogs going to a 3-4 scheme this season, that means junior pass-rushing specialist Justin Houston now falls into the linebacker category. Houston had 7.5 sacks last season from his end position. Sophomore Cornelius Washington also shifts from end to outside linebacker after collecting four sacks a year ago. The Bulldogs have moved senior starter Darryl Gamble from inside to outside linebacker, while senior Akeem Dent and junior Marcus Dowtin are also back. Dent and Dowtin were part-time starters last season.

3. Ole Miss: Two of the more underrated linebackers in the SEC are Ole Miss seniors Jonathan Cornell and Allen Walker. Cornell started all 13 games in the middle last season and was third on the team with 79 tackles, including eight for loss. Walker started 11 games last season at strongside linebacker. Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix also likes his younger talent, including D.T. Shackelford, Joel Kight and Mike Marry. Shackelford, in particular, could be poised for a breakout season. This is a productive and versatile group.

4. Auburn: The Tigers will line up with a pair of senior All-SEC candidates in Josh Bynes and Craig Stevens. They both finished among the top 10 tacklers in the league last season, combining for 199 total tackles. The only problem was that they had to play just about every meaningful snap. The Tigers hope to have more depth this season. They didn’t have any last season and are moving Daren Bates from safety to a hybrid outside linebacker position. Bates led all SEC freshmen a year ago with 70 tackles. He wasn’t able to go through spring, though, because he was recovering from shoulder surgery.

5. Florida: Brandon Spikes and Ryan Stamper were major cogs in the Gators’ linebacker corps a year ago and made a ton of plays. Life without them will be different, but not impossible. That’s what happens when you recruit talented players like Jelani Jenkins and Jon Bostic, both of whom had big springs. There’s also some experience returning. Senior A.J. Jones has 30 career starts and started the first 11 games a year ago at outside linebacker before injuring his knee. Senior Brandon Hicks has also been a part-time starter each of the past two seasons. There’s a lot of speed in this group.

6. South Carolina: The Gamecocks might have a little more depth than they had a year ago at linebacker, but what they don’t have is that proven playmaker on the outside. Eric Norwood filled that role as well as anybody the past two seasons, but now he’s gone. Junior Shaq Wilson was the team’s leading tackler last season, and he’s moving to one of the outside spots from middle linebacker. Senior Rodney Paulk returns in the middle after suffering through season-ending knee injuries each of the past two seasons. Senior Josh Dickerson is another guy who can move around and play different spots.

7. Tennessee: One of the most experienced positions on Tennessee’s team is at linebacker. The Vols had several players playing at a high level there last season only to be injured. They’re all back, including senior Nick Reveiz in the middle. Tennessee’s defense was never the same after he left the lineup with a knee injury. Senior LaMarcus Thompson is also back after battling through injuries a year ago, and the same goes for senior Savion Frazier. Sophomore linebacker Greg King is currently suspended, but he also showed promise last season as a freshman.

8. LSU: Senior Kelvin Sheppard returns as one of the top middle linebackers in the SEC. He’s a tackling machine who was fourth in the league in tackles a year ago with 110. He’s one of those defenders who’s a factor on every play. The key for the Tigers will be how quickly the players around him grow up now that veterans Jacob Cutrera, Harry Coleman and Perry Riley have all moved on. Sheppard thinks junior Ryan Baker is ready to shine at weakside linebacker after being a force on special teams the past two seasons. Junior Stefoin Francois is the top candidate to step in on the strong side after starting his career as a safety.

9. Vanderbilt: Linebacker has been one of the Commodores’ strong suits for several years now, and that shouldn’t change this season with junior Chris Marve manning the middle. A first-team preseason All-SEC selection, Marve has racked up more than 100 tackles in each of his first two seasons. Senior John Stokes, who’s already been accepted into Vanderbilt’s medical school, returns at one of the outside linebacker spots. The Commodores could use a healthy Tristan Strong, who tore his ACL last season as a redshirt freshman.

10. Mississippi State: Gone is hard-hitting Jamar Chaney, who came back from an injury last season and helped anchor the Bulldogs’ defense. Senior Chris White will move over to play in the middle after starting all 12 games and recording 75 tackles last season. Senior K.J. Wright returns as one of the best big-play defenders on the team after finishing with 6.5 tackles for loss and forcing two fumbles last season. After White and Wright, the Bulldogs will be counting on several younger players at linebacker.

11. Arkansas: The Hogs need to improve across the board on defense, and linebacker is no exception. Junior Jerry Franklin has started since he was a freshman and finished with 94 tackles last season. He’s capable of playing in the middle, but Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino wants to leave him at weakside linebacker and give him a chance to make more plays against both the run and pass. The Hogs still need to settle on a middle linebacker. Senior Jermaine Love and sophomore Terrell Williams were battling it out in the spring.

12. Kentucky: Junior Danny Trevathan returns at weakside linebacker. He’s the Wildcats’ leading returning tackler. But after Trevathan, there’s not much game experience at linebacker. Redshirt freshman Qua Huzzie made a big impression on the coaches last preseason before hurting his shoulder. Sophomore Ridge Wilson is another younger player who needs to come through for the Wildcats at linebacker.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The faster pace this spring is just one of the things that gives Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino reason to believe that his defense will be improved in 2010.

He’s seen his defense play with more consistency, more instinctively and react quicker on the practice field.

And let’s face it: The Arkansas defenders are playing against some pretty talented playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.

“We’ve definitely made improvement, particularly in playing the fundamentals of good defense -- tackling better, running full speed to the ball, getting off blocks,” Petrino said. “That’s really, to me, what spring is about on defense. We’re not doing as much where we’re scheming things. We just want to find out who can and who cannot play defense.”

There’s also been a lot of experimenting, moving some guys around and shuffling the depth chart.

One of the big changes this week was Rudell Crim going from cornerback to safety, which immediately gives the Hogs more speed in the secondary.

A year ago, Arkansas was brutal against the pass. The Hogs were last in the SEC and 99^th nationally. They gave up 22 touchdown passes, and many of those were big gainers.

In fact, the Hogs went eight straight games where they gave up a touchdown play of 60 yards or longer, and six of those were passes.

“We try not to focus on listening to the bad or the negative,” said junior cornerback Isaac Madison, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. “But the simple fact is that we were who we were last year. We can’t hide that, but we use that to turn it into positive energy and try to become better.”

That positive energy has been more apparent than ever this spring on the practice field.

“These spring practices have been the best spring practices I’ve been around since I’ve been here, and that’s including when we had D-Mac [Darren McFadden] and those guys,” senior defensive end Damario Ambrose said. “Everybody out here is focused. Everybody knows what our goal is, and that is to show everybody how good we really are.

“We want to make sure everybody knows, especially on defense, that we’re going to show up every single game with a purpose, and that’s to work hard and win games.”

The Hogs are still thin at linebacker and can’t afford for somebody like Jerry Franklin to get hurt.

But their numbers on the defensive line and secondary are better than they’ve been under Petrino. A pair of incoming freshmen, tackle Byran Jones of Junction City, Ark., and end Chris Smith of Mount Ulla, N.C., may also be able to help right away.

“We played good defense at times last year,” Petrino said. “We were good against Alabama for three quarters. But we need some good things to happen, because I still think there’s a confidence level there that needs to be reinforced. We need a dominant performance early in the year, or two or three, so we feel it and then build on that confidence.

“I know they know we’re better just because of the way we’ve battled out on the practice field and how physical our scrimmages have been.”

Added Ambrose: "Everybody knows about the high-ranking offense, but we want to come out and show people that we’re a force to be reckoned with, not just the offense.

"We want to score some touchdowns this year."

When a new coach takes over a college football program, typically the third season is when it’s fair to make the first real evaluation of where that program is headed.

This will be Bobby Petrino’s third season at Arkansas. It’s been a steady climb so far. The Hogs went from five wins to eight wins last season, including a win over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl.

Suffice it to say that Year No. 3 under Petrino brings with it some heavy-duty expectations. This will be his most talented team, his most experienced team, and the schedule turns a little bit in the Hogs’ favor.

Arkansas could start the season ranked in the top 20 of the preseason poll, something the Hogs haven’t done since 1999.

Junior quarterback Ryan Mallett returns as one of the most feared passers in the country, and the arsenal of playmakers surrounding him is as stocked as any Petrino has ever coached.

If the defense comes through, it could be a season to remember in Fayetteville.

Granted, that’s a big if when you look at the Hogs’ defensive numbers from the past two seasons, but Petrino is confident they will be improved on that side of the ball.

Petrino talked about his defense and a lot more in a recent Q&A I did with him heading into the spring. The Hogs open practice on March 30 and play their spring game on April 24:

Even though Mallett’s going to be sidelined this spring with the broken bone in his left foot, how important are these next three or four months for him if he’s going to become a truly great quarterback?

Bobby Petrino: The one thing you know he’ll do is work real hard at it. He just won’t get the 15 practices in, but should be good to go for all the summer work. He’ll certainly be in the classroom doing everything he needs to do to get ready and take that next step.

What gives you hope that your defense will be better next season and more consistent?

BP: We’ve recruited hard the last two years on defense and really tried to address issues in the secondary and the defensive front. So I think we’re going to be more talented and more physical on defense this year. We have to tackle better, and we have to stop the explosive plays. That’s what really hurt our defense a year ago. We would play good and play good and then give up a big play.

Sort of like the Alabama game last season when you were within a touchdown in the third quarter and then give up an 80-yard touchdown pass?

BP: Our defense had played great, and they hit an 80-yard touchdown. And we’re right there. We just don’t make the play on the ball. So we’ve got to do a better job of playing the ball in the air and just stopping the big plays. The deep play-actions and screens are what hurt our defense more than anything.

How important is getting Isaac Madison back at cornerback after he missed all last season with a knee injury?

BP: He’ll be back and is doing real well (with his recovery). That was a huge loss for us because he’s our fastest, most experienced, smartest secondary player. He should be back at full speed and ready to go. He’s doing everything right now. I’m not sure I’ll let him do the contact part of spring ball. He’ll do everything else.

How would you assess the rest of your defense?

BP: Our defensive front will be good, and we’ll have depth. We’ve got [Jake] Bequette coming back and Damario Ambrose and Tenarius Wright at the defensive ends and then inside a lot of guys with a lot of experience coming back with [Zach] Stadther and D.D. Jones, Pat Jones, [Lavunce] Askew and [Alfred] Davis. All those guys have played a bunch of football, which is new. We haven’t had guys who’ve played a bunch of football before. At linebacker, I’m a little concerned about depth. That’s been an area where we’ve been hurt by a lack of depth. We have to have a good spring in developing depth at linebacker, but we do have a lot of experience in Freddy Burton and Jerry Franklin. Jerry has started every game since I’ve been here, and he’s just a junior. But I am worried behind those guys.

As you look at all the intangibles it takes to compete for a championship, do you believe you guys are closer to being there?

BP: We’re definitely closer. Experience is something that really helps, the understanding of what we want to do and then our expectations. I think we took a huge step last year from the Alabama game to the Florida game. We went into the Alabama game and didn’t execute and didn’t play as well as we could. But also, I don’t think we expected to win, and I don’t think we executed because we were a little intimidated. Then when we went to Florida, our guys competed really, really hard and did everything they could to win the game. Mentally, we grew up and matured.

Your new offensive line coach, Chris Klenakis, was on staff at Nevada last season where the Wolf Pack led the country in rushing with an average of 344.9 yards per game. They were third nationally in 2008. What kind of dimension does he bring to your running game?

BP: He’s the guy who invented the Pistol [offense], he and coach Chris [Ault] together. I coached with Coach K before [at Nevada] and put together an offense before with him and were very successful. He’s a very good teacher in the offensive front, but he also understands every other aspect of the offense. I think we’ll be much more physical in the run game next year. We actually ran what everybody wants to call the Pistol last year and executed the passing game really well out of it. Now, we need to run the ball better out of it.

When you look at your running game, you appear to have all the different pieces in place in the backfield?

BP: I’m really excited about our backfield. This spring will be very, very competitive. Ronnie Wingo has sprinter speed. He won the 100 and 200 meters in the state of Missouri in high school and today weighs 230 pounds. He really excites me. The other guys are all capable. Broderick Green is 248 pounds and the big guy we need back there. Knile Davis is up in the 220s. We have a chance now where we can be much more physical running the ball and running the ball downhill. That’s so important in this league. When you get into a battle with Alabama, you have to be patient and run the ball and not give up the negative plays. That’s what they’re so good at, causing you to have negative plays.

You’ve obviously had some potent offenses during your career. Where do you think this one stacks up in terms of playmakers and the ability to score in a variety of ways.

BP: When you look at the overall picture, it’s the deepest group [of playmakers] I’ve had. We have to prove that we can do it up front. That’s where we have to make great improvement. But when you have a Greg Childs, Joe Adams and Jarius Wright all coming back with two years of experience, and they’ve all made a lot of plays in this conference, that’s exciting. Our young guy, Cobi Hamilton, might be better than all of them. He’s a special, special talent and made a lot of plays last year as a freshman. But we’ve got to take care of business in the offensive front so we can be consistent.

How much do you feel the fans’ expectations?

BP: I feel good about the expectations of our players, the expectations of our team. That’s the key. We’re hoping everyone expects us to win, and if the fans do, then obviously that’s great. But the best part of it is when our players expect to take the field and win, and I think we’ll be that way this year.

Having had a few days now to digest the 2009 bowl season, here’s a look at the All-SEC bowl team:

OFFENSE

QB Tim Tebow, Florida
Broke Vince Young’s record for total offense in a BCS bowl game with 533 yards in the Gators’ 51-24 rout of Cincinnati in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Completed 31 of 35 passes for a career-high 482 yards.

RB Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
Was there a better player in the SEC the second half of the season? McCluster rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns in the AT&T Cotton Bowl win.

RB Mark Ingram, Alabama
Despite cramping up in the Citi BCS National Championship Game, the Heisman Trophy winner showed his grit and led the Crimson Tide with 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

WR Riley Cooper, Florida
Led the Gators’ offensive explosion in the Sugar Bowl with 181 receiving yards, including an 80-yard touchdown. Cooper averaged 25.9 yards on seven catches.

WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
The Tigers didn’t put up much offense, but LaFell had five catches for 87 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown. LaFell led all SEC players with 19 touchdown catches over the past two seasons.

TE Aaron Hernandez, Florida
His nine catches led all players in the Sugar Bowl, and he finished with 111 receiving yards. Hernandez opened the Gators’ scoring with a 7-yard touchdown catch.

OL John Jerry, Ole Miss
Helped clear the way for Ole Miss’ 193 rushing yards against an Oklahoma State defense that finished ranked 11^th nationally against the run.

OL James Carpenter, Alabama
Combined with Mike Johnson to make the key block that helped spring Trent Richardson on his 49-yard touchdown run in the second quarter of the Citi BCS National Championship Game.

OL Justin Anderson, Georgia
The Bulldogs were playing without starting right tackle Josh Davis, and Anderson came off the bench in the second half to help give a much-needed lift to the running game.

OL Mike Johnson, Alabama
The anchor of an Alabama offensive line that paved the way for both Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson to each rush for more than 100 yards against Texas’ vaunted defense.

C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
Spent more than five hours at Tulane Hospital with kidney stones and had several IV’s, but didn’t miss the start and led the way for the Gators up front.

DEFENSE

DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama
Had the hit that knocked Texas quarterback Colt McCoy out of the game and also returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown right before halftime.

DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
Came back strong from his suspension in the SEC championship game with two sacks in the Gators’ Sugar Bowl romp.

DT Geno Atkins, Georgia
Pressured Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson relentlessly. Atkins finished with a sack and also blocked a field goal attempt in the second quarter.

DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
A rock all season long in the middle for the Vols, Williams ended his career with nine tackles, including a half a sack in the 37-14 loss to Virgina Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

LB Patrick Trahan, Ole Miss
His 34-yard fumble return for a touchdown sealed the game for the Rebels with 3:12 remaining. Trahan also had an interception on Oklahoma State’s next possession.

LB Jerry Franklin, Arkansas
Finished with 10 tackles and had a third-quarter interception that turned the game around for the Hogs. East Carolina was leading 10-0, but Franklin intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards to set up an Arkansas field goal.

LB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
Wrapped up a record-setting career at South Carolina by leading the Gamecocks with 10 tackles in their 20-7 loss to Connecticut in the Papajohns.com Bowl.

DB Walter McFadden, Auburn
Intercepted two passes in Auburn’s Outback Bowl win. McFadden’s first pick set up a touchdown, and he did the honors himself on the second one – returning it 100 yards for a touchdown.

DB Tramain Thomas, Arkansas
His 37-yard interception return for a touchdown tied the game in the third quarter. Thomas also tipped away a pass at the goal line in the final minutes that might have saved the game.

DB Kendrick Lewis, Ole Miss
Intercepted two passes in Ole Miss’ 21-7 Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State. His big hit in the fourth quarter also forced the fumble that Patrick Trahan returned 34 yards for a touchdown to break the game open.

DB Chad Jones, LSU
Did a little bit of everything in his final game at LSU. Led the Tigers with eight tackles, including one for loss, while also forcing a fumble, breaking up a pass and blocking a kick.

SPECIAL TEAMS

K Alex Tejada, Arkansas
His 37-yard field goal in overtime was the difference in Arkansas’ 20-17 victory over East Carolina in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.

P Spencer Lanning, South Carolina
In extremely cold conditions, Lanning punted seven times for a 42.3-yard average and had a long of 48 yards. He also doubles as the Gamecocks’ place-kicker.

KR Brandon Boykin, Georgia
Tied an SEC record with his third kickoff return for a touchdown this season, taking one back 81 yards to answer Texas A&M’s first touchdown.