College Football Nation: Stephon Gilmore
Video: Draft prospects recall high school
April, 26, 2012
Apr 26
4:00
PM ET
By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Michael Brockers, Quinton Coples, Stephon Gilmore, Stephen Hill, Luke Kuechly, Ryan Tannehill, Courtney Upshaw, Russell Wilson and Jerel Worthy talk about their playing days before NCAA football.
It could be a record haul tonight in the NFL draft for the SEC.
As many as 12 players from the SEC are being projected to go in the first round, which will be carried live tonight on ESPN starting at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds 2 and 3 will be on Friday, also on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7 will be on Saturday with ESPN coverage beginning at noon.
The most first-round selections the SEC has produced in one draft was 11 in 2007.
So if 12 go tonight, that would break the record.
Here's a look at the 12 SEC players being pegged to go in the first round. They're listed in order of their rank on Mel Kiper's Big Board
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As many as 12 players from the SEC are being projected to go in the first round, which will be carried live tonight on ESPN starting at 8 p.m. ET. Rounds 2 and 3 will be on Friday, also on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. Rounds 4-7 will be on Saturday with ESPN coverage beginning at noon.
2012 NFL Draft
Rd. 1: April 26, 8 p.m. ET
Rd. 2-3: April 27, 7 p.m. ET
Rd. 4-7: April 28, Noon ET
Radio City Music Hall
New York City
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So if 12 go tonight, that would break the record.
Here's a look at the 12 SEC players being pegged to go in the first round. They're listed in order of their rank on Mel Kiper's Big Board
:
- RB Trent Richardson, Alabama
- CB Morris Claiborne, LSU
- DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina
- S Mark Barron, Alabama
- CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
- OT Cordy Glenn, Georgia
- DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
- OT Bobby Massie, Ole Miss
- DT Michael Brockers, LSU
- CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
- LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama
- LB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
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
Check in tomorrow to see players who just missed the cut for the postseason top 25.
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)
- DB (7)
- LB (4)
- WR/TE (4)
- DL (3)
- QB (2)
- RB (2)
- OL (3)
- Defense (14)
- Offense (11)
- Senior (11)
- Junior (9)
- Sophomore (5)
- West (16)
- East (9)
Check in tomorrow to see players who just missed the cut for the postseason top 25.
The SEC's top defenses shouldn't fall off
February, 24, 2012
Feb 24
11:57
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Speed and athleticism are always immediately mentioned when talking about SEC defenses, but there’s a mental side that’s often overlooked.
For Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson, it’s the first thing he notices when he sees youngsters competing in practices. Their speed is always impressive, but the way younger players are dissecting and learning defenses these days has Johnson shocked. It also has defensive coordinators around the league giddy with the thought of not having to simplify things for youngsters.
“The more recruits that come in, year in and year out, it seems like they’re smarter and faster figures,” Johnson said. “It just keeps going and going.
“I don’t know how it’s happening, but it’s happening.”
That accelerated learning is one of the main reasons Johnson thinks the SEC has been so dominant defensively, and why the conference will continue to be for years to come. Since 2007, the SEC has had at least two teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense, including having four ranked in the top five in 2011.
Johnson says the way players respond to coaching and changes in defensive schemes have been enhanced since he arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2009. The senior-to-be said it was amazing to see younger players, like linebackers C.J. Mosley and Trey DePriest, pick up things so quickly, and admitted they were much farther ahead during their first camps than he was.
And Johnson thinks that it’s going on all around the league.
As the SEC looks to earn its seventh straight national title, teams are looking to continue the tradition of having the staunchest defenses around. Like Johnson, Georgia coach Mark Richt believes that will start with the quicker breed of players who have entered the league.
Richt said he thinks the SEC’s defensive success should absolutely be attributed to the type of athletes who circulate throughout the league, but he also thinks the speed with which athletes adapt to the college level helps. He sees what he and his coaching staff are doing being duplicated at the high school level by coaching staffs, but he also sees younger athletes understanding the game more, especially in the Southeast.
Explaining schemes has almost become a thing of the past.
But it isn’t just preparation that will go into making sure SEC teams return to their defensive perches in 2012. Richt and Johnson agreed that it comes down to having the right mindset -- to be better than those before.
At Alabama, that won’t be easy. The Crimson Tide had one of the all-time best defenses in 2011, ranking first nationally in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and scoring defense, and will lose a host of players who made all that possible.
Linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower are gone. So is defensive tackle Josh Chapman and defensive backs Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie. It seems like Alabama will be in a rebuilding mode similar to 2010, but Johnson disagrees. With a handful of juniors and seniors returning, Johnson said Alabama’s defense will be far from inexperienced, and will feed off the talk of possibly resembling the 2010 squad.
“We want to make ourselves better than the defense last year,” Johnson said. “We want to create our own identity.
“We know what we’re capable of, and we know what can happen if we don’t do our job 24/7. We use that ... to keep us motivated to keep us going, because we don’t want that to happen anymore.”
But what about the other top defenses? Well, there isn’t much drop-off …
LSU returns nearly everyone who helped the Tigers rank second in total defense. What’s scary is that while Morris Claiborne is gone at cornerback, Tyrann Mathieu could be better this fall, and Tharold Simon could be just as deadly in coverage.
LSU must replace two linebackers, including leader Ryan Baker, but returns three starting defense linemen, including ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, who combined for 16 sacks in 2011.
Georgia loses star cornerback Brandon Boykin, but returns 10 starters, including top pass-rusher Jarvis Jones, from a defense that ranked fifth nationally last season. In order to keep its edge, Richt said his players must eliminate complacency and can’t think 2011’s success will propel them.
“We don’t want to rest on any accomplishments of the past,” Richt said. “I don’t think our coaches will allow that. I don’t think our leaders will allow that.”
South Carolina and Florida are in similar situations. The Gamecocks ranked third nationally in total defense, while Florida was eighth. South Carolina loses playmakers in defensive end Melvin Ingram, Spur Antonio Allen and cornerback Stephon Gilmore, but welcomes back six starters and a hefty line that features Jadeveon Clowney, Devin Taylor and Kelcy Quarles, or 22.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.
South Carolina also returns most of its front seven, including linebackers Shaq Wilson and Reginald Bowens, who combined for 96 tackles last season.
The Gators lose defensive tackle Jaye Howard, but should be equipped with all of their remaining defensive parts, including rising star Matt Elam at safety. Dominique Easley will be recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered at the end of the season, but the Gators added depth up front and moved Sharrif Floyd back inside.
The SEC’s top defenses from a season ago return enough talent in 2012 to keep their names near the top of the national rankings. The talent will always remain in the SEC, but the idea of maintaining the tradition of defensive dominance for players keeps teams at the top of the defensive charts, Johnson said.
“I don’t see how anybody in any other conference can compare to it, because of what we do year in and year out,” he said. “We take pride in it, and it makes me feel good that people do look at us like that. We want to go out and prove to every team that’s not in the SEC that it’s no fluke that we’re that good.”
For Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson, it’s the first thing he notices when he sees youngsters competing in practices. Their speed is always impressive, but the way younger players are dissecting and learning defenses these days has Johnson shocked. It also has defensive coordinators around the league giddy with the thought of not having to simplify things for youngsters.
“The more recruits that come in, year in and year out, it seems like they’re smarter and faster figures,” Johnson said. “It just keeps going and going.
[+] Enlarge
Marvin Gentry/US PresswireAlabama linebacker Nico Johnson says today's young SEC players enter the league with an impressive grasp of defensive schemes.
Marvin Gentry/US PresswireAlabama linebacker Nico Johnson says today's young SEC players enter the league with an impressive grasp of defensive schemes.That accelerated learning is one of the main reasons Johnson thinks the SEC has been so dominant defensively, and why the conference will continue to be for years to come. Since 2007, the SEC has had at least two teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense, including having four ranked in the top five in 2011.
Johnson says the way players respond to coaching and changes in defensive schemes have been enhanced since he arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2009. The senior-to-be said it was amazing to see younger players, like linebackers C.J. Mosley and Trey DePriest, pick up things so quickly, and admitted they were much farther ahead during their first camps than he was.
And Johnson thinks that it’s going on all around the league.
As the SEC looks to earn its seventh straight national title, teams are looking to continue the tradition of having the staunchest defenses around. Like Johnson, Georgia coach Mark Richt believes that will start with the quicker breed of players who have entered the league.
Richt said he thinks the SEC’s defensive success should absolutely be attributed to the type of athletes who circulate throughout the league, but he also thinks the speed with which athletes adapt to the college level helps. He sees what he and his coaching staff are doing being duplicated at the high school level by coaching staffs, but he also sees younger athletes understanding the game more, especially in the Southeast.
Explaining schemes has almost become a thing of the past.
But it isn’t just preparation that will go into making sure SEC teams return to their defensive perches in 2012. Richt and Johnson agreed that it comes down to having the right mindset -- to be better than those before.
At Alabama, that won’t be easy. The Crimson Tide had one of the all-time best defenses in 2011, ranking first nationally in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense and scoring defense, and will lose a host of players who made all that possible.
Linebackers Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower are gone. So is defensive tackle Josh Chapman and defensive backs Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and DeQuan Menzie. It seems like Alabama will be in a rebuilding mode similar to 2010, but Johnson disagrees. With a handful of juniors and seniors returning, Johnson said Alabama’s defense will be far from inexperienced, and will feed off the talk of possibly resembling the 2010 squad.
“We want to make ourselves better than the defense last year,” Johnson said. “We want to create our own identity.
“We know what we’re capable of, and we know what can happen if we don’t do our job 24/7. We use that ... to keep us motivated to keep us going, because we don’t want that to happen anymore.”
But what about the other top defenses? Well, there isn’t much drop-off …
LSU returns nearly everyone who helped the Tigers rank second in total defense. What’s scary is that while Morris Claiborne is gone at cornerback, Tyrann Mathieu could be better this fall, and Tharold Simon could be just as deadly in coverage.
LSU must replace two linebackers, including leader Ryan Baker, but returns three starting defense linemen, including ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, who combined for 16 sacks in 2011.
Georgia loses star cornerback Brandon Boykin, but returns 10 starters, including top pass-rusher Jarvis Jones, from a defense that ranked fifth nationally last season. In order to keep its edge, Richt said his players must eliminate complacency and can’t think 2011’s success will propel them.
“We don’t want to rest on any accomplishments of the past,” Richt said. “I don’t think our coaches will allow that. I don’t think our leaders will allow that.”
South Carolina and Florida are in similar situations. The Gamecocks ranked third nationally in total defense, while Florida was eighth. South Carolina loses playmakers in defensive end Melvin Ingram, Spur Antonio Allen and cornerback Stephon Gilmore, but welcomes back six starters and a hefty line that features Jadeveon Clowney, Devin Taylor and Kelcy Quarles, or 22.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks.
South Carolina also returns most of its front seven, including linebackers Shaq Wilson and Reginald Bowens, who combined for 96 tackles last season.
The Gators lose defensive tackle Jaye Howard, but should be equipped with all of their remaining defensive parts, including rising star Matt Elam at safety. Dominique Easley will be recovering from a serious knee injury he suffered at the end of the season, but the Gators added depth up front and moved Sharrif Floyd back inside.
The SEC’s top defenses from a season ago return enough talent in 2012 to keep their names near the top of the national rankings. The talent will always remain in the SEC, but the idea of maintaining the tradition of defensive dominance for players keeps teams at the top of the defensive charts, Johnson said.
“I don’t see how anybody in any other conference can compare to it, because of what we do year in and year out,” he said. “We take pride in it, and it makes me feel good that people do look at us like that. We want to go out and prove to every team that’s not in the SEC that it’s no fluke that we’re that good.”
Just like there was no shortage of defenses in the SEC this season, there was no shortage of defensive backfields.
Here’s the way we would rank them.
1. LSU: Where do you start? The Tigers had a Heisman Trophy finalist in their secondary (Tyrann Mathieu). They also had the Thorpe Award winner as the best defensive back in college football (Morris Claiborne) and a pair of safeties (Eric Reid and Brandon Taylor) who were both outstanding. They were as deep as they were talented in the secondary and allowed just four touchdown passes and intercepted 13 passes in 10 games against SEC foes.
2. Alabama: In any other league, Alabama would be at the top, and it wasn’t a slam-dunk that LSU would get the No. 1 spot. Mark Barron was the best safety in America. Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is poised to be a first-round draft choice, while the Tide’s other cornerback, DeQuan Menzie, was one of the more underrated players in the country. Alabama’s defense was menacing this season, and a big reason why goes back to how much they improved from 2010 to 2011 in the secondary.
3. Georgia: Imagine being as good as Georgia was in the secondary this season, but only third in your conference. Welcome to the SEC. Safety Bacarri Rambo led the league with eight interceptions, while cornerback Brandon Boykin did a little bit of everything for the Bulldogs and was named the winner of the Paul Hornung Award as the nation’s most versatile player. In league play, Georgia finished second in pass efficiency defense and tied for second with 12 interceptions.
4. South Carolina: Nobody in the league made more improvement than South Carolina from last season to this season when it came to defending the pass. A big part of that was the Gamecocks’ pass rush, but they also intercepted an SEC-high 15 passes in league games and ranked atop the league in pass efficiency defense. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore led the team with four interceptions. Safety D.J. Swearinger was second on the team with 80 tackles, and linebacker/safety Antonio Allen, who played the hybrid Spur position for the Gamecocks, turned in an All-SEC season.
5. Vanderbilt: It seems like Casey Hayward and Sean Richardson have been playing for six seasons in the Vanderbilt secondary. It always seems that way when two players step in and play the way Hayward and Richardson have since their freshman seasons. Hayward had seven interceptions this season and led the SEC with 17 passes defended. The emergence of Trey Wilson at the other cornerback spot was also a big factor in the way Vanderbilt played defense this season.
6. Mississippi State: Johnthan Banks developed into one of the SEC’s top cornerbacks and had a big year with five interceptions and 14 passes defended. Safety Nickoe Whitley also was a big part of the Bulldogs’ secondary. He was one of the enforcers back there with his customary big hits and four picks, but missed the final four games with a ruptured Achilles tendon. It’s a secondary that’s been together for a while, but the Bulldogs were still ninth in the league in passing defense against SEC competition.
7. Arkansas: There were a lot of bright spots in the Hogs' secondary despite disappointing overall defensive numbers. Freshman cornerback Tevin Mitchel wound up starting and showing a lot of promise. Sophomore Eric Bennett moved from cornerback to safety and wound up fourth on the team with 74 tackles. He also had three interceptions. Senior safety Tramain Thomas was the anchor back there with five interceptions and 91 total tackles, ranking him among the leading tacklers in the league.
8. Florida: Will Muschamp is excited about the young talent in his secondary. Freshman cornerbacks Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy both have a chance to be stars, although both endured their share of growing pains this season. Safety Matt Elam was one of the veterans of the unit, and he was only a sophomore. He played beyond his years with 11.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. This biggest thing working against the Gators this season was youth, and that cost them in some games.
9. Tennessee: Losing safety Janzen Jackson prior to the season was a big blow for the Vols. They finished next to last in the league in interceptions with nine and struggled all season at the cornerback position. The good news for them is that it looks like freshman safety Brian Randolph is a keeper. He was fifth on the team with 55 tackles, and junior college newcomer Izauea Lanier was the Vols’ top cornerback. Tennessee finished the season by giving up 11 touchdown passes and intercepting just six passes in SEC play.
10. Kentucky: The Wildcats didn’t have a lot of depth in the secondary, and it didn’t help any when safety Martavius Neloms hurt his ankle late in the season. Neloms still wound up third on the team with 71 total tackles. Winston Guy played a linebacker/safety hybrid role and had a huge season with 120 total tackles, including 14 for loss. He was a second-team All-SEC selection. Big plays hurt the Wildcats. They gave up 19 touchdown passes, which was next to last in the league.
11. Ole Miss: The Rebels’ defense spent the entire 2011 season on the field, which meant the secondary gave up its share of big plays. In SEC play, Ole Miss finished last in pass defense efficiency. The Rebels gave up 12 touchdown passes and intercepted only three passes. Freshman Nickolas Brassell wound up playing both offense and defense and has a bright future, and sophomore Charles Sawyer led the team with four interceptions and was second on the team with 70 total tackles. It simply wasn’t a season to remember all the way around for the Rebels.
12. Auburn: There wasn’t a lot that went right for Auburn on defense this season, but the Tigers’ struggles in the secondary were particularly glaring. They gave up an SEC-high 21 touchdown passes and finished last in the league in pass efficiency defense. Cornerback Chris Davis has a ton of potential, but was limited early in the season by injuries. Safety Neiko Thorpe finished with 102 total tackles and three interceptions, but the bottom line is that it’s hard to see past nearly 3,000 passing yards allowed.
Here’s the way we would rank them.
1. LSU: Where do you start? The Tigers had a Heisman Trophy finalist in their secondary (Tyrann Mathieu). They also had the Thorpe Award winner as the best defensive back in college football (Morris Claiborne) and a pair of safeties (Eric Reid and Brandon Taylor) who were both outstanding. They were as deep as they were talented in the secondary and allowed just four touchdown passes and intercepted 13 passes in 10 games against SEC foes.
2. Alabama: In any other league, Alabama would be at the top, and it wasn’t a slam-dunk that LSU would get the No. 1 spot. Mark Barron was the best safety in America. Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is poised to be a first-round draft choice, while the Tide’s other cornerback, DeQuan Menzie, was one of the more underrated players in the country. Alabama’s defense was menacing this season, and a big reason why goes back to how much they improved from 2010 to 2011 in the secondary.
[+] Enlarge
Dale Zanine/US PresswireGeorgia safety Bacarri Rambo led the SEC in interceptions last season with eight.
Dale Zanine/US PresswireGeorgia safety Bacarri Rambo led the SEC in interceptions last season with eight.4. South Carolina: Nobody in the league made more improvement than South Carolina from last season to this season when it came to defending the pass. A big part of that was the Gamecocks’ pass rush, but they also intercepted an SEC-high 15 passes in league games and ranked atop the league in pass efficiency defense. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore led the team with four interceptions. Safety D.J. Swearinger was second on the team with 80 tackles, and linebacker/safety Antonio Allen, who played the hybrid Spur position for the Gamecocks, turned in an All-SEC season.
5. Vanderbilt: It seems like Casey Hayward and Sean Richardson have been playing for six seasons in the Vanderbilt secondary. It always seems that way when two players step in and play the way Hayward and Richardson have since their freshman seasons. Hayward had seven interceptions this season and led the SEC with 17 passes defended. The emergence of Trey Wilson at the other cornerback spot was also a big factor in the way Vanderbilt played defense this season.
6. Mississippi State: Johnthan Banks developed into one of the SEC’s top cornerbacks and had a big year with five interceptions and 14 passes defended. Safety Nickoe Whitley also was a big part of the Bulldogs’ secondary. He was one of the enforcers back there with his customary big hits and four picks, but missed the final four games with a ruptured Achilles tendon. It’s a secondary that’s been together for a while, but the Bulldogs were still ninth in the league in passing defense against SEC competition.
7. Arkansas: There were a lot of bright spots in the Hogs' secondary despite disappointing overall defensive numbers. Freshman cornerback Tevin Mitchel wound up starting and showing a lot of promise. Sophomore Eric Bennett moved from cornerback to safety and wound up fourth on the team with 74 tackles. He also had three interceptions. Senior safety Tramain Thomas was the anchor back there with five interceptions and 91 total tackles, ranking him among the leading tacklers in the league.
8. Florida: Will Muschamp is excited about the young talent in his secondary. Freshman cornerbacks Marcus Roberson and Loucheiz Purifoy both have a chance to be stars, although both endured their share of growing pains this season. Safety Matt Elam was one of the veterans of the unit, and he was only a sophomore. He played beyond his years with 11.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. This biggest thing working against the Gators this season was youth, and that cost them in some games.
9. Tennessee: Losing safety Janzen Jackson prior to the season was a big blow for the Vols. They finished next to last in the league in interceptions with nine and struggled all season at the cornerback position. The good news for them is that it looks like freshman safety Brian Randolph is a keeper. He was fifth on the team with 55 tackles, and junior college newcomer Izauea Lanier was the Vols’ top cornerback. Tennessee finished the season by giving up 11 touchdown passes and intercepting just six passes in SEC play.
10. Kentucky: The Wildcats didn’t have a lot of depth in the secondary, and it didn’t help any when safety Martavius Neloms hurt his ankle late in the season. Neloms still wound up third on the team with 71 total tackles. Winston Guy played a linebacker/safety hybrid role and had a huge season with 120 total tackles, including 14 for loss. He was a second-team All-SEC selection. Big plays hurt the Wildcats. They gave up 19 touchdown passes, which was next to last in the league.
11. Ole Miss: The Rebels’ defense spent the entire 2011 season on the field, which meant the secondary gave up its share of big plays. In SEC play, Ole Miss finished last in pass defense efficiency. The Rebels gave up 12 touchdown passes and intercepted only three passes. Freshman Nickolas Brassell wound up playing both offense and defense and has a bright future, and sophomore Charles Sawyer led the team with four interceptions and was second on the team with 70 total tackles. It simply wasn’t a season to remember all the way around for the Rebels.
12. Auburn: There wasn’t a lot that went right for Auburn on defense this season, but the Tigers’ struggles in the secondary were particularly glaring. They gave up an SEC-high 21 touchdown passes and finished last in the league in pass efficiency defense. Cornerback Chris Davis has a ton of potential, but was limited early in the season by injuries. Safety Neiko Thorpe finished with 102 total tackles and three interceptions, but the bottom line is that it’s hard to see past nearly 3,000 passing yards allowed.
The 2011 SEC All-Bowl team
January, 13, 2012
Jan 13
11:18
AM ET
By
Chris Low and
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
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.
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.
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Mark HumphreyMississippi State's Vick Ballard rushed for 180 yards against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl.
AP Photo/Mark HumphreyMississippi State's Vick Ballard rushed for 180 yards against Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl.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.
Gamecocks' secondary getting a boost
September, 6, 2011
9/06/11
1:15
PM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
When the South Carolina Gamecocks take the field against the Georgia Bulldogs for their all-important conference opener, it should receive a boost to a secondary that was tortured against East Carolina last Saturday.
Junior DeVonte Holloman returns to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for his June arrest on a DUI charge. Holloman is currently listed second on the depth chart at the Spur (a hybrid safety/linebacker position) behind Antonio Allen, who had a breakout game against ECU. Allen recorded 16 total tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and broke up two passes in the Gamecocks' win.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said he'd like to keep Allen at the Spur because of the performance he turned in and has considered moving Holloman out of the Spur. Holloman practiced at the Spur Monday and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said Holloman will stay there Saturday.
“He’ll play Spur and the 'dime' linebacker spot in the dime package,” Ward said . “If you play as many plays as we did this past Saturday we’re going to need more than Antonio. DeVonte will have a chance to play.”
Ward also said that cornerback Akeem Auguste didn't practice Monday, but is expected to practice Tuesday. Auguste didn't travel with the team for the opener because of a foot injury.
The Gamecocks certainly could have used a healthy Auguste Saturday. Senior C.C. Whitlock started in Auguste's place, but it was fellow senior Stephon Gilmore who gave up a few big plays through the air, especially on a few jump balls. Gilmore struggled some last season, but vowed change this spring. He and his coaches saw noticeable improvements in his game this spring, prompting some to consider him the top corner in the SEC because of his skill and potential.
I'm sure they'll catch some grief for that after the opening game ...
But South Carolina hasn't lost any confidence in Gilmore. It was a rough first game, but Ward said he expects Gilmore to rebound quickly.
“It was not up to par as far as his standards,” Ward said of Gilmore's play. “I fully expect Stephon to bounce back and have a great ball game this week. It came down to technique. He knows he made a mistake. He knows what he has to do. Stephon’s got to be a positive for this team if we’re going to be good."
In other Gamecocks news, South Carolina's depth chart was released for Week 2 and Stephen Garcia is listed as the No. 1 quarterback. Sophomore Connor Shaw started over Garcia against ECU, but struggled against the Pirates, completing 3 of 9 passes for 21 yards. Garcia replaced Shaw and finally got the offense rolling, as Garcia finished the game completing 7 of 15 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. He also had 56 yards rushing, including touchdowns of 32 and 10 yards.
Maybe we can finally put the quarterback rotation in Columbia, S.C., to bed. Hopefully ...
Junior DeVonte Holloman returns to the lineup after serving a one-game suspension for his June arrest on a DUI charge. Holloman is currently listed second on the depth chart at the Spur (a hybrid safety/linebacker position) behind Antonio Allen, who had a breakout game against ECU. Allen recorded 16 total tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered two fumbles and broke up two passes in the Gamecocks' win.
South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said he'd like to keep Allen at the Spur because of the performance he turned in and has considered moving Holloman out of the Spur. Holloman practiced at the Spur Monday and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said Holloman will stay there Saturday.
“He’ll play Spur and the 'dime' linebacker spot in the dime package,” Ward said . “If you play as many plays as we did this past Saturday we’re going to need more than Antonio. DeVonte will have a chance to play.”
Ward also said that cornerback Akeem Auguste didn't practice Monday, but is expected to practice Tuesday. Auguste didn't travel with the team for the opener because of a foot injury.
The Gamecocks certainly could have used a healthy Auguste Saturday. Senior C.C. Whitlock started in Auguste's place, but it was fellow senior Stephon Gilmore who gave up a few big plays through the air, especially on a few jump balls. Gilmore struggled some last season, but vowed change this spring. He and his coaches saw noticeable improvements in his game this spring, prompting some to consider him the top corner in the SEC because of his skill and potential.
I'm sure they'll catch some grief for that after the opening game ...
But South Carolina hasn't lost any confidence in Gilmore. It was a rough first game, but Ward said he expects Gilmore to rebound quickly.
“It was not up to par as far as his standards,” Ward said of Gilmore's play. “I fully expect Stephon to bounce back and have a great ball game this week. It came down to technique. He knows he made a mistake. He knows what he has to do. Stephon’s got to be a positive for this team if we’re going to be good."
In other Gamecocks news, South Carolina's depth chart was released for Week 2 and Stephen Garcia is listed as the No. 1 quarterback. Sophomore Connor Shaw started over Garcia against ECU, but struggled against the Pirates, completing 3 of 9 passes for 21 yards. Garcia replaced Shaw and finally got the offense rolling, as Garcia finished the game completing 7 of 15 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown. He also had 56 yards rushing, including touchdowns of 32 and 10 yards.
Maybe we can finally put the quarterback rotation in Columbia, S.C., to bed. Hopefully ...
Preseason All-SEC team
August, 12, 2011
8/12/11
11:26
AM ET
By
Chris Low and
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
Now that preseason camp is in full swing and several of the teams have gone through scrimmages, we roll out our preseason All-SEC team today.
There were some tough calls, but that's always the case in a league that has this much talent.
Here goes:
OFFENSE
There were some tough calls, but that's always the case in a league that has this much talent.
Here goes:
OFFENSE
- TE -- Orson Charles, Jr., Georgia
- OL -- Barrett Jones, Jr., Alabama
- OL -- Cordy Glenn, Sr., Georgia
- OL -- Bradley Sowell, Sr., Ole Miss
- OL -- Larry Warford, Jr., Kentucky
- C -- William Vlachos, Sr., Alabama
- WR -- Alshon Jeffery, Jr., South Carolina
- WR -- Greg Childs, Sr., Arkansas
- QB -- Aaron Murray, So., Georgia
- RB -- Trent Richardson, Jr., Alabama
- RB -- Marcus Lattimore, So., South Carolina
- DL -- Devin Taylor, Jr., South Carolina
- DL -- Jaye Howard, Sr., Florida
- DL -- Jake Bequette, Sr., Arkansas
- DL -- Malik Jackson, Sr., Tennessee
- LB -- Dont’a Hightower, Jr., Alabama
- LB -- Courtney Upshaw, Sr., Alabama
- LB -- Danny Trevathan, Sr., Kentucky
- DB -- Morris Claiborne, Jr., LSU
- DB -- Stephon Gilmore, Jr., South Carolina
- DB -- Mark Barron, Sr., Alabama
- DB -- Casey Hayward, Sr., Vanderbilt
- PK -- Blair Walsh, Sr., Georgia
- P -- Drew Butler, Sr., Georgia
- RS -- Brandon Boykin, Sr., Georgia
- AP -- Joe Adams, Sr., Arkansas
South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, one of the best in the nation, comes from Calhoun County. Gamecock tailback Marcus Lattimore, also one of the best in the nation, comes from Duncan, S.C. Corner Stephon Gilmore, a preseason All-SEC pick, comes from Rock Hill, S.C., as does the top recruit in the nation last February, defensive lineman Jadaveon Clowney.
The long list of South Carolina natives who became All-Americans elsewhere -- Penn State defensive lineman Courtney Brown and Florida State linebacker Peter Boulware come immediately to mind -- have been the Gamecocks’ biggest roadblock to winning their first SEC championship.
It’s no coincidence that, as Steve Spurrier prepares for his seventh season in Columbia, the Gamecocks’ fortunes have improved as they have signed the state’s best players. Spurrier doesn’t stray much farther than North Carolina or the Atlanta area. He said improved fundraising has allowed South Carolina to bring its facilities up to SEC standards. The fact that he’s never had a losing season, and that the Gamecocks have played in five bowl games in his seasons has helped, too.
“We’ve won a few games, enough games along the way to convince the in-state kids, 'Hey, we can win big at South Carolina,'” Spurrier said. “We still haven’t hit it big. We haven’t gone to a major bowl, we haven’t won the SEC, haven’t finished in the top 10. But we did have some firsts last year. Winning the east, beating the No. 1 team in the country [Alabama] at home there, beating Florida for the first time ever in the Swamp. We accomplished a few firsts but there are many, many more out there we’re going to be shooting for.”
The long list of South Carolina natives who became All-Americans elsewhere -- Penn State defensive lineman Courtney Brown and Florida State linebacker Peter Boulware come immediately to mind -- have been the Gamecocks’ biggest roadblock to winning their first SEC championship.
It’s no coincidence that, as Steve Spurrier prepares for his seventh season in Columbia, the Gamecocks’ fortunes have improved as they have signed the state’s best players. Spurrier doesn’t stray much farther than North Carolina or the Atlanta area. He said improved fundraising has allowed South Carolina to bring its facilities up to SEC standards. The fact that he’s never had a losing season, and that the Gamecocks have played in five bowl games in his seasons has helped, too.
“We’ve won a few games, enough games along the way to convince the in-state kids, 'Hey, we can win big at South Carolina,'” Spurrier said. “We still haven’t hit it big. We haven’t gone to a major bowl, we haven’t won the SEC, haven’t finished in the top 10. But we did have some firsts last year. Winning the east, beating the No. 1 team in the country [Alabama] at home there, beating Florida for the first time ever in the Swamp. We accomplished a few firsts but there are many, many more out there we’re going to be shooting for.”
SEC position rankings: Defensive backs
June, 22, 2011
6/22/11
9:44
AM ET
By
Edward Aschoff | ESPN.com
We head into high-flyer mode as we discuss defensive backs today. They are athletic as ever this season, and some teams return a bevy of secondary talent in 2011.
Here’s how the teams look:
1. Alabama: This was an area of the team that was a problem and it wasn’t so much the yardage given up but the lack of consistency, especially in big games (see the Auburn game). This year, the Tide should have one of the best defensive backfields in the country. Safety Mark Barron could have entered the NFL draft, but stayed. And while he was in a non-contact jersey this spring, he’ll be one of the top safeties around this fall. Robert Lester is another solid safety who is also making everyone’s short list of top safeties for next year’s draft. At corner, everyone knows Dre Kirkpatrick, but DeQuan Menzie could be Alabama’s best weapon in the secondary. Dee Milliner is still in the mix at corner and there is a lot of good young talent as well.
2. LSU: No Patrick Peterson? No problem. The Tigers are once again loaded in their secondary with corners Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu. Both are All-SEC material and Claiborne led the Tigers with five interceptions last season. Mathieu found a way to get to the ball often last season and both should make it tough for any quarterback to throw on LSU this fall. Sophomore Tharold Simon made strong improvements at corner this spring as well. Safety Brandon Taylor is another top player at his position and he should be fine after suffering a foot injury at the end of last season. Youngsters Eric Reid and Craig Loston look like stars in the making at safety.
3. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs return five players who started at some point in 2010. Johnthan Banks, Corey Broomfield and Nickoe Whitley each recorded three interceptions and had 50-plus tackles last year. Broomfield should be the Bulldogs' top option at corner, while Banks can play both corner and safety. Charles Mitchell returns at safety and was third on the team with 93 tackles last season. All of Mississippi State’s defensive backs not only have a knack for making big plays down field but they can each play efficiently in the box.
4. Arkansas: This group is a little inexperienced, but there is a lot of talent to go around. Things start with safety Tramain Thomas. Thomas was fourth on the team in tackles last season and grabbed four interceptions. Thomas looked even better this spring, making play after play. Fellow senior Elton Ford should get time at safety, and converted corner Eric Bennett should get reps as well. Hybrid linebacker Jerico Nelson enhances the group when he drops back with the safeties and Isaac Madison returns at one of the corner spots and should team up with Darius Winston. The two have 27 career starts under their belts.
5. South Carolina: The Gamecocks’ secondary has to improve after underachieving a year ago, and South Carolina has the weapons to do it. Corner Stephon Gilmore wasn’t at his best last year, but has tremendous cover ability and speed to be tops at his position. Akeem Auguste moved from safety back to his more natural position at corner and should give the Gamecocks one of the top corner tandems in the SEC. DeVonte Holloman moved to the Spur linebacker spot, so there are still questions at safety, but D.J. Swearinger really impressed this spring and some think he’s the most gifted defensive back in Columbia. Replacing Holloman’s spot is going to be tough, and the coaches have yet to find someone to solidify that position.
6. Vanderbilt: This is the strongest part of Vanderbilt’s team. The Commodores return a heap of talent, starting with senior corner Casey Hayward, who was a second-team All-SEC pick a year ago. Hayward led the SEC with 11 pass breakups and had six interceptions. Safety Sean Richardson led the team with 98 tackles and would start on a lot of teams in the SEC. The other safety spot is occupied by Kenny Ladler, who was one of the top safeties in the league last season, even as a freshman. Junior Trey Wilson had a great spring and could move past last year’s starter Eddie Foster on the depth chart.
7. Georgia: Like most positions at Georgia, there’s no shortage of talent. However, there are still questions. Senior Brandon Boykin is solid at one of the corner spots with his natural corner instincts, great speed and is the defensive leader. Sanders Commings is talented and has the best size, but he’ll have to battle Branden Smith at the other corner spot. Smith is a total athlete, but he has to improve his coverage skills. Bacarri Rambo is solid at safety, but he needs to return to the form he had as a freshman. Finding someone to line up next to him is important. With Alec Ogletree moving to linebacker, there is a hole at safety and one of Georgia’s newcomers might have to step in this fall.
8. Florida: The Gators would have been higher on this list had it not been for the dismissal of All-SEC corner Janoris Jenkins. There’s a gaping hole at corner, and the hope is that junior Jeremy Brown can help fill it. He finally played after a severe back injury kept him out for two years, and while he struggled at times, Florida’s coaches were very impressed with his play this spring. Sophomore Cody Riggs was a pleasant surprise at corner last season and is battling unproven senior Moses Jenkins. There is nothing but youth and inexperience behind them. At safety, Matt Elam had a good spring at strong safety, while free safety wasn’t totally locked down by Josh Evans. The good news is that Florida signed six defensive backs this year.
9. Tennessee: This group could be decent, but there are so many questions. We aren’t sure if star Janzen Jackson will return after leaving school this spring. Prentiss Waggner moved from safety to corner last season, where he was an All-SEC performer, and then back to safety when Jackson left. But he might be back at corner this fall. If Waggner is a corner and there’s no Jackson, there’s an enormous hole at safety. If he stays at safety, then there’s one at corner. Fortunately, Brent Brewer, a former minor league baseball player, is a solid safety, and corner Marsalis Teague returns after converting from receiver last season. Incoming junior college transfer Byron Moore should compete immediately for time at corner.
10. Kentucky: There is a lot of experience with four senior starters returning, but the unit has to show that it can be consistent in big games. Safety/linebacker hybrid Winston Guy leads the group with his speed, strength and athleticism, and will move down into the box as the nickel linebacker. Seniors Randall Burden and Anthony Mosley are back at corner after combing for 11 pass breakups and two interceptions. Junior Martavius Neloms began the spring as the starter at corner, but could see more time at safety this fall. Mychal Bailey will line up at safety and was second behind Guy with two interceptions last season. Inexperience behind this group is still a problem.
11. Auburn: Things started off poorly when senior safety Michael McNeil was one of the four players arrested for robbery and later dismissed this spring. McNeil, who started seven games last season, was supposed to be one of the stars of the Tigers’ defense this fall. Now he’s gone and former corner Neiko Thorpe is moving over to safety. The move actually benefits the hit-first defensive back. T’Sharvan Bell is at corner and has the speed and tight cover skills to be one of the best at his position. After that, it’s a free-for-all. Incoming freshman Erique Florence should get an opportunity to come in and play immediately at safety.
12. Ole Miss: This group had to hear about how it was the goat of last season’s 4-8 campaign after allowing 246 passing yards a game. It was a motivational tool this spring, but there’s a lot of work to do. New defensive backs coach Keith Burns was pleased with the spring progress and really liked how JUCO transfer Wesley Pendleton played at corner. He’s competing to take one of those spots from either Marcus Temple, who missed spring with injury, or Charles Sawyer, who had to be pushed at times this spring. The reliable Damien Jackson is back at safety and could line up next to Brishen Mathews, who got good playing time last season, but is still unproven. JUCO transfer Ivan Nicholas and freshman Cliff Coleman will compete for time at safety and corner, respectively.
Here’s how the teams look:
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Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesMark Barron decided to return to Alabama instead of making himself eligible for the NFL draft.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesMark Barron decided to return to Alabama instead of making himself eligible for the NFL draft.2. LSU: No Patrick Peterson? No problem. The Tigers are once again loaded in their secondary with corners Morris Claiborne and Tyrann Mathieu. Both are All-SEC material and Claiborne led the Tigers with five interceptions last season. Mathieu found a way to get to the ball often last season and both should make it tough for any quarterback to throw on LSU this fall. Sophomore Tharold Simon made strong improvements at corner this spring as well. Safety Brandon Taylor is another top player at his position and he should be fine after suffering a foot injury at the end of last season. Youngsters Eric Reid and Craig Loston look like stars in the making at safety.
3. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs return five players who started at some point in 2010. Johnthan Banks, Corey Broomfield and Nickoe Whitley each recorded three interceptions and had 50-plus tackles last year. Broomfield should be the Bulldogs' top option at corner, while Banks can play both corner and safety. Charles Mitchell returns at safety and was third on the team with 93 tackles last season. All of Mississippi State’s defensive backs not only have a knack for making big plays down field but they can each play efficiently in the box.
4. Arkansas: This group is a little inexperienced, but there is a lot of talent to go around. Things start with safety Tramain Thomas. Thomas was fourth on the team in tackles last season and grabbed four interceptions. Thomas looked even better this spring, making play after play. Fellow senior Elton Ford should get time at safety, and converted corner Eric Bennett should get reps as well. Hybrid linebacker Jerico Nelson enhances the group when he drops back with the safeties and Isaac Madison returns at one of the corner spots and should team up with Darius Winston. The two have 27 career starts under their belts.
5. South Carolina: The Gamecocks’ secondary has to improve after underachieving a year ago, and South Carolina has the weapons to do it. Corner Stephon Gilmore wasn’t at his best last year, but has tremendous cover ability and speed to be tops at his position. Akeem Auguste moved from safety back to his more natural position at corner and should give the Gamecocks one of the top corner tandems in the SEC. DeVonte Holloman moved to the Spur linebacker spot, so there are still questions at safety, but D.J. Swearinger really impressed this spring and some think he’s the most gifted defensive back in Columbia. Replacing Holloman’s spot is going to be tough, and the coaches have yet to find someone to solidify that position.
6. Vanderbilt: This is the strongest part of Vanderbilt’s team. The Commodores return a heap of talent, starting with senior corner Casey Hayward, who was a second-team All-SEC pick a year ago. Hayward led the SEC with 11 pass breakups and had six interceptions. Safety Sean Richardson led the team with 98 tackles and would start on a lot of teams in the SEC. The other safety spot is occupied by Kenny Ladler, who was one of the top safeties in the league last season, even as a freshman. Junior Trey Wilson had a great spring and could move past last year’s starter Eddie Foster on the depth chart.
7. Georgia: Like most positions at Georgia, there’s no shortage of talent. However, there are still questions. Senior Brandon Boykin is solid at one of the corner spots with his natural corner instincts, great speed and is the defensive leader. Sanders Commings is talented and has the best size, but he’ll have to battle Branden Smith at the other corner spot. Smith is a total athlete, but he has to improve his coverage skills. Bacarri Rambo is solid at safety, but he needs to return to the form he had as a freshman. Finding someone to line up next to him is important. With Alec Ogletree moving to linebacker, there is a hole at safety and one of Georgia’s newcomers might have to step in this fall.
8. Florida: The Gators would have been higher on this list had it not been for the dismissal of All-SEC corner Janoris Jenkins. There’s a gaping hole at corner, and the hope is that junior Jeremy Brown can help fill it. He finally played after a severe back injury kept him out for two years, and while he struggled at times, Florida’s coaches were very impressed with his play this spring. Sophomore Cody Riggs was a pleasant surprise at corner last season and is battling unproven senior Moses Jenkins. There is nothing but youth and inexperience behind them. At safety, Matt Elam had a good spring at strong safety, while free safety wasn’t totally locked down by Josh Evans. The good news is that Florida signed six defensive backs this year.
9. Tennessee: This group could be decent, but there are so many questions. We aren’t sure if star Janzen Jackson will return after leaving school this spring. Prentiss Waggner moved from safety to corner last season, where he was an All-SEC performer, and then back to safety when Jackson left. But he might be back at corner this fall. If Waggner is a corner and there’s no Jackson, there’s an enormous hole at safety. If he stays at safety, then there’s one at corner. Fortunately, Brent Brewer, a former minor league baseball player, is a solid safety, and corner Marsalis Teague returns after converting from receiver last season. Incoming junior college transfer Byron Moore should compete immediately for time at corner.
10. Kentucky: There is a lot of experience with four senior starters returning, but the unit has to show that it can be consistent in big games. Safety/linebacker hybrid Winston Guy leads the group with his speed, strength and athleticism, and will move down into the box as the nickel linebacker. Seniors Randall Burden and Anthony Mosley are back at corner after combing for 11 pass breakups and two interceptions. Junior Martavius Neloms began the spring as the starter at corner, but could see more time at safety this fall. Mychal Bailey will line up at safety and was second behind Guy with two interceptions last season. Inexperience behind this group is still a problem.
11. Auburn: Things started off poorly when senior safety Michael McNeil was one of the four players arrested for robbery and later dismissed this spring. McNeil, who started seven games last season, was supposed to be one of the stars of the Tigers’ defense this fall. Now he’s gone and former corner Neiko Thorpe is moving over to safety. The move actually benefits the hit-first defensive back. T’Sharvan Bell is at corner and has the speed and tight cover skills to be one of the best at his position. After that, it’s a free-for-all. Incoming freshman Erique Florence should get an opportunity to come in and play immediately at safety.
12. Ole Miss: This group had to hear about how it was the goat of last season’s 4-8 campaign after allowing 246 passing yards a game. It was a motivational tool this spring, but there’s a lot of work to do. New defensive backs coach Keith Burns was pleased with the spring progress and really liked how JUCO transfer Wesley Pendleton played at corner. He’s competing to take one of those spots from either Marcus Temple, who missed spring with injury, or Charles Sawyer, who had to be pushed at times this spring. The reliable Damien Jackson is back at safety and could line up next to Brishen Mathews, who got good playing time last season, but is still unproven. JUCO transfer Ivan Nicholas and freshman Cliff Coleman will compete for time at safety and corner, respectively.
Mel Kiper, ESPN's NFL draft analyst extraordinaire, has released his first Big Board for the 2012 draft, and South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery is the top SEC player at No. 4 on the list.
Kiper's Big Board is a ranking of the top 25 draft-eligible players in college football based on value, and he updates it periodically all the way up to the draft.
Jeffery is coming off a monster sophomore season and will almost certainly come out early. He set single-season records last season for the Gamecocks with 88 catches for 1,517 yards and is also tied for the school record with Sidney Rice with 11 100-yard receiving games. As Kiper points out, the 6-foot-4, 233-pound Jeffery is a matchup nightmare for defenses and is a lot faster than you think.
The SEC had a total of five players on Kiper's Big Board, and the second player might surprise a few people. Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was No. 9. The NFL scouts love Kirkpatrick's size and range, even though he was a bit inconsistent at times last season.
Alabama running back Trent Richardson was No. 13, South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore No. 19 and Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw No. 25.
Before it's over, I wouldn't be surprised to see three more Alabama players on there -- cornerback DeQuan Menzie, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Mark Barron. In fact, Menzie could wind up being one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC and was the most consistent defensive back on Alabama's team this spring.
LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is another player who could easily show up on the Big Board at some point along with South Carolina defensive end Devin Taylor, Arkansas running back Knile Davis and Arkansas receiver Greg Childs.
The ACC led the way with eight players on the first Big Board for 2012. The Pac-12 had six players.
On Kiper's first Big Board a year ago, he had six SEC players. Five of them wound up being selected in the first round of the draft in April. Georgia receiver A.J. Green was No. 4 on that first Big Board last year. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett was No. 6 followed by Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus at No. 7, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson No. 10, Alabama running back Mark Ingram No. 11 and Alabama receiver Julio Jones No. 17.
Mallett was the only one of the group that didn't go in the first round. He slipped to the third round.
Kiper's Big Board is a ranking of the top 25 draft-eligible players in college football based on value, and he updates it periodically all the way up to the draft.
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Mark Zerof/US PresswireAlshon Jeffery is coming off a huge sophomore season in which he had 88 catches for 1,517 yards.
Mark Zerof/US PresswireAlshon Jeffery is coming off a huge sophomore season in which he had 88 catches for 1,517 yards.The SEC had a total of five players on Kiper's Big Board, and the second player might surprise a few people. Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was No. 9. The NFL scouts love Kirkpatrick's size and range, even though he was a bit inconsistent at times last season.
Alabama running back Trent Richardson was No. 13, South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore No. 19 and Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw No. 25.
Before it's over, I wouldn't be surprised to see three more Alabama players on there -- cornerback DeQuan Menzie, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Mark Barron. In fact, Menzie could wind up being one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC and was the most consistent defensive back on Alabama's team this spring.
LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne is another player who could easily show up on the Big Board at some point along with South Carolina defensive end Devin Taylor, Arkansas running back Knile Davis and Arkansas receiver Greg Childs.
The ACC led the way with eight players on the first Big Board for 2012. The Pac-12 had six players.
On Kiper's first Big Board a year ago, he had six SEC players. Five of them wound up being selected in the first round of the draft in April. Georgia receiver A.J. Green was No. 4 on that first Big Board last year. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett was No. 6 followed by Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus at No. 7, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson No. 10, Alabama running back Mark Ingram No. 11 and Alabama receiver Julio Jones No. 17.
Mallett was the only one of the group that didn't go in the first round. He slipped to the third round.
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.
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.
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Ellis Johnson, South Carolina’s assistant head coach for the defense, isn’t necessarily trying to temper expectations for Jadeveon Clowney when he arrives this summer.
After all, Johnson recruited him and knows the caliber of athlete the Gamecocks are getting in the country’s top-rated overall prospect.
But what are realistic expectations for the 6-foot-6, 252-pound Clowney in his first season?
“I think it’s realistic for him to come in and be a starter, but I think it’s also realistic not to assume that,” Johnson said. “But once a kid gets the kind of attention and hype he did in the national media and all the recruiting services, he can never do as much as everybody expects him to. So I won’t even go there.
“But, physically, he could have put on a football uniform for the Carolina Panthers last year and played three games, and nobody would have known that he shouldn’t have been in there. That kid is physically ready to go, but there’s a difference in this league and high school. There are going to be some things he doesn’t do well.”
Other than his freakish athletic ability, the other thing about Clowney that jumped out to Johnson was how hard he played.
“There are a lot of big, tall, physical and fast kids in high school, and they don’t play like he did because they don’t have to,” Johnson said. “Jadeveon played like a reckless train.”
Big spring for Cann: It’s been a rarity under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina to see the same offensive line coach back for a second year in a row, but Shawn Elliott is going through his second spring.
The Gamecocks played much more consistently up front under Elliott last season and proved that they could run the ball in big games -- Florida and Georgia.
Elliott has a couple of holes to fill this spring and feels like redshirt freshman A.J. Cann may be the key to how everything comes together.
“If he can come in and we can insert him at one of those guard positions, then I think we’ve got something going,” Elliott said. “If he can’t step it up a notch, we’ll have to go back to the drawing board, but I think he’s going to do a good job this spring. He’s as physical looking a character as you ever want to see up front. He’s 6-3 and 310 pounds. I’m going to put the pressure on him to be that guy.”
The other thing Elliott plans to do this spring is see if senior Rokevious Watkins can move over from guard and be the Gamecocks’ starting right tackle.
“Watkins has changed his attitude,” Elliott said. “He wasn’t out of shape a year ago, but was a heavier guy. He’s leaned up and starting to do the right things. He’s in the weight room when he’s not supposed to be in there. He’s starting to do a little more than what’s expected of him. We’re going to experiment with him at right tackle because he’s so fluid. He could really be a strong right tackle and solidify us.”
Senior Kyle Nunn returns at left tackle and junior T.J. Johnson at center. Senior Terrence Campbell is the favorite to win the other guard spot.
“Terrence is a big, strong guy who filled in at guard in the bowl game,” Elliott said. “I’ve got to see if he can play in a full-time role.”
After all, Johnson recruited him and knows the caliber of athlete the Gamecocks are getting in the country’s top-rated overall prospect.
But what are realistic expectations for the 6-foot-6, 252-pound Clowney in his first season?
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David Allio/Icon SMIExpectations are already through the roof for incoming freshman Jadeveon Clowney.
David Allio/Icon SMIExpectations are already through the roof for incoming freshman Jadeveon Clowney.“But, physically, he could have put on a football uniform for the Carolina Panthers last year and played three games, and nobody would have known that he shouldn’t have been in there. That kid is physically ready to go, but there’s a difference in this league and high school. There are going to be some things he doesn’t do well.”
Other than his freakish athletic ability, the other thing about Clowney that jumped out to Johnson was how hard he played.
“There are a lot of big, tall, physical and fast kids in high school, and they don’t play like he did because they don’t have to,” Johnson said. “Jadeveon played like a reckless train.”
Big spring for Cann: It’s been a rarity under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina to see the same offensive line coach back for a second year in a row, but Shawn Elliott is going through his second spring.
The Gamecocks played much more consistently up front under Elliott last season and proved that they could run the ball in big games -- Florida and Georgia.
Elliott has a couple of holes to fill this spring and feels like redshirt freshman A.J. Cann may be the key to how everything comes together.
“If he can come in and we can insert him at one of those guard positions, then I think we’ve got something going,” Elliott said. “If he can’t step it up a notch, we’ll have to go back to the drawing board, but I think he’s going to do a good job this spring. He’s as physical looking a character as you ever want to see up front. He’s 6-3 and 310 pounds. I’m going to put the pressure on him to be that guy.”
The other thing Elliott plans to do this spring is see if senior Rokevious Watkins can move over from guard and be the Gamecocks’ starting right tackle.
“Watkins has changed his attitude,” Elliott said. “He wasn’t out of shape a year ago, but was a heavier guy. He’s leaned up and starting to do the right things. He’s in the weight room when he’s not supposed to be in there. He’s starting to do a little more than what’s expected of him. We’re going to experiment with him at right tackle because he’s so fluid. He could really be a strong right tackle and solidify us.”
Senior Kyle Nunn returns at left tackle and junior T.J. Johnson at center. Senior Terrence Campbell is the favorite to win the other guard spot.
“Terrence is a big, strong guy who filled in at guard in the bowl game,” Elliott said. “I’ve got to see if he can play in a full-time role.”
Clowney's impact stretches beyond field
February, 14, 2011
2/14/11
3:30
PM ET
By
Chris Low | ESPN.com
Now that we know Jadeveon Clowney is indeed headed to South Carolina, what does it mean for the Gamecocks?
On the field, the Gamecocks should have a chance next season to be as good as anybody in the league in the defensive line. As the No. 1 overall prospect in the country, the 6-6, 252-pound Clowney has the physical tools to step right in as a freshman and be an effective pass-rusher.
Obviously, there will be some growing pains as he gets used to going up against bigger offensive tackles, and teams will also probably try to run right at him to counter his quickness and burst off the edge.
Here’s the other thing: The Gamecocks have a first-team All-SEC player returning at the other end in Devin Taylor, who had 7.5 sacks last season. Melvin Ingram, who played inside last season for the Gamecocks, had nine sacks.
South Carolina led the SEC with 41 sacks last season, and when you throw Clowney into that mix, the Gamecocks’ pass-rush should really be something to see in 2011. Travian Robertson is another experienced defensive tackle for returning for South Carolina, and this defensive line class is extremely promising.
The Gamecocks picked up four other defensive linemen -- Gerald Dixon Jr., Gerald Dixon, Phillip Dukes and Kelcy Quarles -- who are originally from the state of South Carolina. The 6-4, 280-pound Quarles attended Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy last year after originally signing with the Gamecocks out of high school. He was an ESPNU 150 selection in 2010, and physically, looks like he’s ready to contribute. South Carolina beat Alabama, Auburn and Clemson to get the 6-3, 295-pound Dukes.
Clowney’s impact on South Carolina’s program will extend much deeper than merely what he does on the field.
Players want to play with other great players, and getting Clowney should help the Gamecocks’ recruiting the next couple of years.
And there’s no way to understate how important it’s been for South Carolina to keep most of the best players in-state at home the last few years, which was a priority for recruiting coordinator Shane Beamer when he took over that role at the conclusion of the 2008 season. In the past, the Gamecocks struggled to get some of the elite players from the state, in particular linemen. Ellis Johnson, the Gamecocks' assistant head coach for the defense, has really cleaned up in the Rock Hill area.
Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore and DeVonte Holloman -- along with Brandon Shell, Clowney and Dukes in this class -- were all nationally rated players who could have gone just about anywhere in the country, but chose to stay home and play for the Gamecocks.
Don’t be surprised if landing Clowney opens up even more doors for the Gamecocks, who moved up to No. 15 nationally in ESPN’s final class rankings.
On the field, the Gamecocks should have a chance next season to be as good as anybody in the league in the defensive line. As the No. 1 overall prospect in the country, the 6-6, 252-pound Clowney has the physical tools to step right in as a freshman and be an effective pass-rusher.
Obviously, there will be some growing pains as he gets used to going up against bigger offensive tackles, and teams will also probably try to run right at him to counter his quickness and burst off the edge.
Here’s the other thing: The Gamecocks have a first-team All-SEC player returning at the other end in Devin Taylor, who had 7.5 sacks last season. Melvin Ingram, who played inside last season for the Gamecocks, had nine sacks.
South Carolina led the SEC with 41 sacks last season, and when you throw Clowney into that mix, the Gamecocks’ pass-rush should really be something to see in 2011. Travian Robertson is another experienced defensive tackle for returning for South Carolina, and this defensive line class is extremely promising.
The Gamecocks picked up four other defensive linemen -- Gerald Dixon Jr., Gerald Dixon, Phillip Dukes and Kelcy Quarles -- who are originally from the state of South Carolina. The 6-4, 280-pound Quarles attended Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy last year after originally signing with the Gamecocks out of high school. He was an ESPNU 150 selection in 2010, and physically, looks like he’s ready to contribute. South Carolina beat Alabama, Auburn and Clemson to get the 6-3, 295-pound Dukes.
Clowney’s impact on South Carolina’s program will extend much deeper than merely what he does on the field.
Players want to play with other great players, and getting Clowney should help the Gamecocks’ recruiting the next couple of years.
And there’s no way to understate how important it’s been for South Carolina to keep most of the best players in-state at home the last few years, which was a priority for recruiting coordinator Shane Beamer when he took over that role at the conclusion of the 2008 season. In the past, the Gamecocks struggled to get some of the elite players from the state, in particular linemen. Ellis Johnson, the Gamecocks' assistant head coach for the defense, has really cleaned up in the Rock Hill area.
Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore and DeVonte Holloman -- along with Brandon Shell, Clowney and Dukes in this class -- were all nationally rated players who could have gone just about anywhere in the country, but chose to stay home and play for the Gamecocks.
Don’t be surprised if landing Clowney opens up even more doors for the Gamecocks, who moved up to No. 15 nationally in ESPN’s final class rankings.
I had a question last week about five-star prospects and how many of those guys have panned out in the SEC.
Well, I went back to the 2007 signing class, and SEC schools have signed a total of 33 players who were five-star prospects or received grades of 85 or higher from ESPN coming out of high school.
That includes the 2011 signing class.
Florida leads the way with nine five-star signees during that span. LSU is second with eight, followed by Alabama with five, Georgia with four, Auburn with three and South Carolina and Tennessee with two apiece.
Of the 33 five-star prospects to sign with SEC schools, one has already played in the Pro Bowl (Tennessee safety Eric Berry), and two others transferred or left school (Tennessee running back Bryce Brown and Florida safety Jonathan Dowling). Brown transferred to Kansas State after Derek Dooley took over at Tennessee, and Dowling was dismissed from Florida's team by former coach Urban Meyer for violating team rules.
Counting Berry, four of the 33 five-star prospects earned first-team All-SEC or first-team All-America honors. The other three were Georgia receiver A.J. Green, Alabama receiver Julio Jones and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The following is a year-by-year breakdown of the five-star prospects signing with SEC teams going back to the 2007 class:
2011 (7)
Well, I went back to the 2007 signing class, and SEC schools have signed a total of 33 players who were five-star prospects or received grades of 85 or higher from ESPN coming out of high school.
That includes the 2011 signing class.
Florida leads the way with nine five-star signees during that span. LSU is second with eight, followed by Alabama with five, Georgia with four, Auburn with three and South Carolina and Tennessee with two apiece.
Of the 33 five-star prospects to sign with SEC schools, one has already played in the Pro Bowl (Tennessee safety Eric Berry), and two others transferred or left school (Tennessee running back Bryce Brown and Florida safety Jonathan Dowling). Brown transferred to Kansas State after Derek Dooley took over at Tennessee, and Dowling was dismissed from Florida's team by former coach Urban Meyer for violating team rules.
Counting Berry, four of the 33 five-star prospects earned first-team All-SEC or first-team All-America honors. The other three were Georgia receiver A.J. Green, Alabama receiver Julio Jones and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.
The following is a year-by-year breakdown of the five-star prospects signing with SEC teams going back to the 2007 class:
2011 (7)
- Georgia – 2 (RB Isaiah Crowell, DE Ray Drew)
- LSU – 2 (DT Anthony Johnson, OT La’el Collins)
- Alabama – 1 (OT Cyrus Kouandjio)
- Auburn – 1 (OT Christian Westerman)
- Florida – 1 (QB Jeff Driskel)
- Florida – 4 (DE Ronald Powell, DT Dominique Easley, S Matt Elam, S Jonathan Dowling)
- Auburn – 1 (RB Mike Dyer)
- Alabama – 3 (CB Dre Kirkpatrick, RB Trent Richardson, OT D.J. Fluker)
- LSU – 3 (WR Russell Shepard, S Craig Loston, WR Rueben Randle)
- Florida – 2 (LB Jelani Jenkins, WR Andre Debose)
- South Carolina – 1 (CB Stephon Gilmore)
- Georgia – 1 (QB Aaron Murray)
- Tennessee 1 (RB Bryce Brown)
- Florida – 2 (S Will Hill, S Dee Finley)
- LSU – 2 (CB Patrick Peterson, DE Chancey Aghayere)
- Alabama – 1 (WR Julio Jones)
- Georgia – 1 (WR A.J. Green)
- Auburn 1 (S Mike McNeil)
- LSU 1 (WR Terrence Toliver)
- Tennessee 1 (S Eric Berry)
- South Carolina 1 (RB Brian Maddox)
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